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Contraptions 2 is a fantastic little game for £5.99 that gets the old grey matter working. Once you have the basic physics understood then solutions to puzzles can be as easy or as difficult as you make them.
I feel like I’ve been quite harsh. Papertris certainly isn’t a bad game and it definitely achieves what it sets out to do, it’s just not very exciting.
Lunark is a brilliant throwback to a genre that has been lost to the ages. While tipping its hat to its inspirations it also manages to carve out an identity of its own.
For a game that is actually a personification of depression, OTXO is a really fun game to simply sit down and play. With fun game mechanics, blood splatters galore, and an interesting storyline, you can’t really ask for much more. Can you find the best build for your gameplay and rescue your lost love?
Road 96: Mile 0 left me underwhelmed. It failed to capture the charm and humour that was present in the original. The dialogue options just pushed the morality and never truly felt like real conversations. The skating mini-game, whilst providing some of the better graphics, just felt like content filler
I enjoyed the premise and layout of Moviehouse, it certainly builds up into a fairly complex tycoon game the longer that you play. My issue was that it is slow to progress, has questionable logic when having your script ripped apart by the audience, and is not massively exciting due to the repetitive nature of the gameplay.
EA Sports PGA Tour for me is the ultimate in golf simulators and I will be returning to play it a lot over the coming months of the golf season. Therefore EA Sports PGA Tour receives the coveted green jacket of a Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing Hunt The Night and highly recommend players check it out. When the game suggested playing with earphones and a controller, they weren’t kidding. The controls felt tight and accurate to use.
When I first saw Have A Nice Death I will be honest and say I did have high expectations, as it was something I thought I would enjoy a lot. The humour was the sarcastic type of humour that I love and often use myself, the movement was flawless as I enjoyed showing off all the different combos I had learnt with different weapons.
I thoroughly enjoyed Sushi Bar Express, which is no surprise considering that I love this genre of game. However, it does not live up to the likes of Cooking Mama, however a fun addition to simulation cooking games. It should be checked out by the likes of young and old. It is definitely something that I will be continuing to play. Therefore, I will be awarding Sushi Bar Express with the Thumb Culture Silver Award.
Deceive Inc is brilliant, even though the combat can be a bit clunky with aiming and firing the guns however the developers have addressed this and are working on lots of updates. I still cannot get over that a team of just 18 people can produce a game of this quality. It is either a game that you are going to really enjoy or simply not get on with. I am firmly in the enjoy it camp and for that reason, Deceive Inc gets the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
This remake had the potential to derail the amazing work Capcom has been doing with remaking games in the series. I was worried about it being a fan favourite. I am glad to report that the series is still in great hands. Capcom has seemingly done the impossible and made Resident Evil 4 even better. With the Mercenaries DLC out this week for free things will continue going from strength to strength. With new areas and stunning graphics combined with the power of the PlayStation 5 and dualsense controller, it is a match made in heaven. For this reason, I award Resident Evil 4 the Thumb Culture Platinum award.
While not perfect Blade Assault is fantastically addictive and engrossingly challenging. The ramp up in difficulty is nicely balanced with building your skills for an epic run being so rewarding. If you’ve never tried a Rougelite/Roguelike game before this is a fun place to start. If this genre is normally your jam then there are some deep levelling systems here to get lost in.
In a nutshell Alterity Experience is a short game with a poor ending. There is no real conclusion and no questions are answered about the actual theme of the game. Just find things and move on. I can imagine the concept at the point of idea was better than the finished product, but I feel very much like I had ordered from Wish. Aside from the sense of fear created when the aliens are trying to break in, movement and comfortably large space in which to move around, Alterity Experience comes up short in all other departments. I am awarding Alterity Experience a Thumb Culture bronze award because I can see the potential, although I would have rather had an Alternative Experience. Time to go and watch Signs to remember how alien invasions are done properly.
While Planet Cube: Edge is a decent game it lacks a certain “je ne sais quoi”. Its looks will have an appeal for Gameboy fans and its sounds will be nostalgic for many, but some frustrating gameplay quirks mean it ultimately falls short of greatness.
So, the game could do with a bit of polish. But the developer cares about this game. There were a few other issues that I had while playing that had already been fixed before release day.
Alice Gear Aegis CS: Concerto of Simulatrix looks and plays like it would be better suited to be a mobile game. There is nothing for players to unlock through progression. The gold earned is only for outfits in the game. The weapons aren’t upgradable in Aegis.
Blood Bowl’s customisation doesn’t seem to exist at all. All players are visually the same, with only paid armour being any different. No options for different hairstyles, colours or scars, with all the characters looking very much copy and paste. The game seems very slow, with the A.I. taking ages to take their turn, and with no speed up, this gets annoying.
WWE 2K23 is most definitely a redeeming title for this franchise most thought would be dead and buried. With some DLC on the way featuring some fan-favourite superstars with their own move sets and entrances. As always with games and multiple DLC there is a Season Pass available which will help to save a few £’s in the long run.
I really enjoyed The Guise, and I was pleasantly surprised at the engaging storytelling. The mix of exploration, combat and platforming blends really well, and Rasul Mono, the creator, has definitely created a beautiful game that is well worth checking out. I do not think you will be disappointed. I will be awarding The Guise a Thumb Culture Silver Award.