Jason Patrick
I won’t lie, I feel really let down by Riot: Civil Unrest. I felt like a kid at Christmas who was excitedly looking forward to opening a present under the tree to realise it was a potato and not what I had wished for. On the face value of it, I was intrigued by the concept and what I was going to discover, however, the way the game has been designed and drawn lets it down majorly. With polished graphics, better sound and a tutorial that helps you understand what the hell you are doing, this game could have had so much potential. For me, it is currently being deleted from my console. Harsh I know, but it is for the best.
AereA is a music themed action RPG (ARPG) developed by Triangle Studios and published by SOEDESCO. Presented in 4K resolution, you are to play as one of the Great Maestro Guido's disciples as you explore the mysterious floating island of Aezir
Dead Purge: Outbreak by Microlith Games is a first person zombie shooter set in a post-apocalyptic era that is available for the PC. With the zombie shooter genre constantly being pushed upon me via the daily shared videos on social media of Days Gone and my friend's showing off their latest gameplay from Call of Duty Zombies my appetite is constantly whetted. Boasting of "beautiful locations & dozens of weapons" along with a "realistic combat system & multiple game modes" I sat down at my PC and looked forward to what was going to unfold.
If you love puzzle solving or are a die-hard fan of the series then give it a whirl, but for me I found it a little repetitive and too brain taxing to enjoy!
Unbox – Newbie’s Adventure by indie developer Prospect Games is a 3D platformer set in a colourful large world. Taking control of a cardboard box, yes you heard me right, it is down to you to single handedly raise the reputation of the Global Postal Service (GPS) that is currently in a down hill spiral thanks to parcels going missing and failed delivery times.
Toy Soldiers HD gives players that nostalgic tower defence genre another run on modern devices, which is fantastic for those that crave a bit of the past. It is certainly not an easy game to play and lends a bit of challenge to the old grey matter
Way Of The Hunter does have potential, however with the high bar set by the Hunter: Call Of The Wild, there is some catching up and improving for it to do
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Renowned Explorers, by Abbey Games, is a turn-based strategy adventure game available on PC. Set in the 19th century, you are in charge of putting together a team of explorers each with their own skills and traits in a global search to seek out legendary treasures.
If you love LEGO Worlds then you will no doubt absolutely love this game due to being able to free roam and more or less construct and destroy anything you wish, your imagination is the limit. For me it feels a little rushed and unrefined. It is as if somebody remembered that the film was launching soon and needed to get a game quickly ready, “oh yes lets reskin LEGO Worlds, throw in some movie cutscenes and away we go.” There is a degree of awkwardness and certainly clunkyness when playing the game that I can’t help feel could of been addressed through a bit more playtesting, resulting in a better quality of game that has been produced. If you are an inquisitive human, or a child, then buy this game. If on the other hand you detested the format of LEGO Worlds, then steer clear!
There is certainly a lot of ways to play both alone and with friends on NHL 18 with jam packed online and offline modes. Although there is not a single player story campaign as seen in the recent Fifa and NBA games, EA is trying to appeal to new players by offering a new training system to enable them to learn the skills to enjoy the game. If you have followed the NHL series of games for a while you maybe a little disappointed in the latest offering as it will feel a little samey however the NHL Threes mode is exciting and different enough to possibly tempt you into a purchase. One thing is for sure, EA need to refresh their NHL franchise for next year if they want to keep their players interested as this years "what's new" is certainly light on the ground.
The Town of Light, by LKA.it and Wired Productions is a first person story driven game that tells the chilling tale of Renée as she returns to her former home, the Volterra Psychiatric Asylum located in Tuscany, Italy, where she had spent much of her youth.
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is a fun-to-play 3D platformer that gives a solid representation of the TV show. While I enjoy having a good family-friendly game to let the children play, there is no ground-breaking game mechanics as such, however, there is a lot of enjoyment to be had while trying to rescue all of your friends and restore Bikini Bottom.
Maybe it is my age, but Golazo! 2 really struck a nerve with me. A good one that is. Its simple but fun nature means it is very easy to pick up and play.
NFS Unbound feels fresh thanks to the urban hip-hop blend of graphical style and soundtrack. If you enjoy your driving games then it is one to pick up and have a play with. Customisation options are off the scale which gives you the ability to feel unique as you drive around