American Fugitive is a fantastic top-down game if you want to play something fun, doesn’t take that much thought and allows you to cause lots of death and destruction. With a strong nod to GTA, this is not simply a clone of a game from yesteryear, this is a homage to an amazing game with added elements of their own thrown in for good measure. Retailing at around £17.99, come and join in the chaos and find your father’s killer! I award American Fugitive the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
If you enjoy horror games like Outlast then Home Sweet Home is definitely for you, yes it sure made me jump and the story was intriguing however I did find sometimes the interaction with objects, particularly when trying to hide could be a little hit and miss, costing you your life! I award Home Sweet Home the Thumb Culture Silver Trophy!
With upto 4 player local splitscreen enabling frantic racing and battling as well as the chance to take the racing online, there is enough to keep you entertained for a long long time, while enjoying the resurrection of all things Bandicoot. Beenox has definitely smashed it with this remaster. Now c’mon Activision, bring us Tony Hawks! Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled receives the prestigious Thumb Culture Platinum Trophy!
I award Car Mechanic Simulator the Thumb Culture Silver trophy. What it sets out to do is really quite clever however I do not think the Playstation console shows it at its best due to the controller.
With some games, when a DLC drops it can sometimes feel like a half-arsed attempt to cash in on something that is already successful however Mutant Year Zero: Seed of Evil is refreshing as it introduces new plant-type enemies as well as a new character, new areas to explore and a continuation of an epic story. If you really want to challenge yourself and reckon you are strategic mastermind then I highly recommend departing with your hard-earned money as you will not be disappointed. I award Mutant Year Zero: Seed of Evil the Thumb Culture Platinum Trophy.
I really enjoyed Megaquarium, I found it refreshing to take on the challenge of designing and managing my own aquarium and it took me right back to my childhood roots. There has clearly been a lot of love and attention given to the game mechanics as well as the background understanding for each of the various marine species. Will I ever get to Megaquarium status? Watch this space! I award Megaquarium the Thumb Culture Platinum Trophy!
Ghostbusters made me feel all tingly in a good way. Many remasters do not stand the test of time however I felt that with the way the game was initially written and developed as well as the use of most of the amazing original cast from the movies it is the talent that has held it all together. If you ain’t afraid of no ghost, wanna relive that nostalgic ghostbusting atmosphere and also celebrate the 35th anniversary of the original movie you will not be disappointed. I award Ghostbuster: The Video Game Remastered the prestigious Thumb Culture Gold Award.
Farming Simulator 19 Platinum Edition is immense, tricky and certainly not a walk in the farm! There is a handy tutorial to set you on your way but be warned, you will lose many days if not months of your life to this game in order to perfect your farm. As a father of 4 boys I would personally struggle to sit down every day for a few hours to carry on what I was doing from the day before. That said this is the perfect form of escapism if you just need to go chill and take time out from your life, which let’s face it, we should all do from time to time. The attention to detail within the game as well as the amazing CLAAS vehicles that have been included in this edition really bring something to the table if you love your farming and engineering. I award Farming Simulator 19 Platinum Edition the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
Let’s Sing 2020 seems more aimed at people in their early 20’s with a few token classics spuriously thrown in for the older generations. Based on the game’s current track listing I personally probably would not have bought it, however, the DLC packs provide an assortment of tracks that opens the game up to more people that are over the age of 25. Let’s Sing 2020 plays well and can easily be used to form the basis of a party when people want to get together and also compete to see who the best singer is! I award Let’s Sing 2020 the Thumb Culture Silver trophy.
AVICII Invector is a brilliant and challenging rhythm-action experience and is very different from a lot of the games that are currently out there. I found the game to be refreshing, and considering the heartbreaking tragedy of AVICII during the making of it. This stands as a legacy to the amazing artist which will stand forever. Hello There Games should be proud of what they have achieved for AVICII’s fans, As well as the support they are giving towards the Tim Bergling Foundation. I give AVICII Invector a solid Thumb Culture Platinum award.
Model Builder is an amazing game. For a small indie gaming company, this game makes something enjoyable that I really thought wouldn’t be. With a whole host of free DLC and very good support, Model Builder still receives a Thumb Culture Gold Award from me.
Although only priced at £4.99, I can’t help but feel a bit let down by the Carnaval Streetwear kit. It does not bring the Brazillian vibe and instead looks like a summer range from Primark. If you are a die-hard fan of The Sims 4 feel free to expand your available items, however, sadly for me it missed the mark. The Carnaval Streetwear kit gets a Thumb Culture Silver from me.
For a free-to-play game, Century: Age of Ashes is actually really fun and quite innovative really. It could be likened perhaps to Star Wars: Squadrons in its dogfight style however this is fire-breathing dragons battling it out across a variety of beautifully drawn arenas!
GT7 is a must-have for anyone who loves racing games. It looks amazing and plays beautifully well. You can make it as easy or challenging as you would like it to make it enjoyable. Yes, I have brake zones and corner points showing but I haven’t learned the tracks very well yet!
For a one-man studio, Radiangames has really come up with a fun and creative game that just captivates me. I have an engineering background but seriously, who doesn’t love smashing up buildings?! Even my four year old sat with me driving one of our homemade machines into buildings. It appeals to everyone.
It is great to see a free next-gen upgrade for a game. While I appreciate that some developers charge for their upgrades, you can see that their time and effort needs to be paid for somewhere.
Cities: VR needs a bit of polishing in my opinion. While it is there for a majority of the game there are clearly some areas that need some work to make the immersion a bit more enjoyable
Dinosaur Fossil Hunter is in a world of its own when it comes to simulators. This is simply one of the greatest simulators that I have ever played. When it comes to levels of detail and processes to follow the simulator does not want to stop. The museum interior design aspect in itself feels like its own game. For anybody that wants to experience being a palaeontologist or has a dino mad child in the household, this is a game you do not want to miss. Dinosaur Fossil Hunter scores a Roarsome Thumb Culture Platinum Award!
I must say that I enjoyed my time playing Train Life – A Railway Simulator. Despite the initial simplicity of what I was required to do, I still managed to pick the wrong tracks and slam into buffers countless times causing no end of problems for myself. If you fancy playing a sim game that is chilled at times but can be a little more practical than the usual run-of-the-mill management games, then I would say this is for you. Train Life – A Railway Simulator scores a Thumb Culture Gold Award!
While some of the background graphics didn’t appear to be top-notch at times, the overall gameplay and welcomeness of PGA Tour 2K23 was an amazing experience.