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PC Building Simulator is fun to experiment with on a short-term basis, I think if it was possible to add in some more variants like Laptops, Tablets, Phones etc. then it may be more appealing to general gamers however I appreciate with all the components its most likely not a feasible option. Unfortunately, the repetitiveness of the tasks means that it’s a game that will sit on the shelf for rather long spells in between use and after completion will most likely not be played again. PC Building Simulator has reached the Benchmark of the Thumb Culture Bronze Award, usable and fun but could and maybe should be better.
Bulletstorm: Duke of Switch Edition is an impressive achievement, but glaring omissions prevent it from being anything close to a definitive version, and it’s disappointing that games from previous generations are still being ported to the Switch in an incomplete condition. That being said, if you want a unique, single-player FPS which runs really well in handheld mode and you’re not interested in challenge maps or multiplayer you will most likely have a great time. I’m giving Bulletstorm: Duke of Switch Edition the Thumb Culture Silver Award.
If you’re a serious fan of rally car racing and want an authentic simulation of the sport then this is the game for you. The career mode is deep and will satisfy the hardcore racing fan but Kylotonn has included many other modes to appeal to all racing fans. However, if you have a passing interest, then this is probably not the game for you. Due to the game’s niché appeal and steep learning curve, I award WRC 8 the Thumb Culture Silver Award!
Wrapping up, I would very much say that Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey is worth a purchase. It’s a game I’ve had in my mind for a long time. I was very excited to play it when I first saw gameplay, and I must say, Panache Digital Games did not disappoint. For this reason, I’ll be awarding Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey the Thumb Culture Gold Award. Very narrowly missing the much-coveted Platinum award. The only improvement I would want to see is the ability to play with a couple of friends. Multiplayer would be a lot of fun, but because of the way some of the game systems work, I don’t think it would happen. Just remember this as you play: Apes alone weak, apes together strong and ape shall not kill ape.
Heave Ho is a beautiful co-op title which is sure to liven up games nights and Twitch/Mixer streams across the world. I’m slinging it the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
Controller issues aside, Pagan Online has great potential for the long haul and to be up there in the ARPG go to’s with the likes of Diablo. The community on Reddit is active and so are the developers and with gold around the corner, I can see the player base becoming bigger. With Thunder and lightning raining down, I would give Pagan Online a Thumb Culture Gold Award.
For fans of the sport of cycling or serious statistician’s there’s some serious replayability, the more you play, the more familiar the menus seem and all of the tasks and strategies feel less daunting, however if you’re not of the above, I can’t honestly see anything else that would keep me coming back to play. However, with the games potential appeal to the right player, I award Pro Cycling Manager 2019 Season the Thumb Culture Silver Award!
All in all, I did enjoy my 5-6 hours of playing the game but like a lot of other games these days there doesn’t seem that much content to spend hours and hours on it. You could play all the missions multiple times, upgrade your character etc in one 5-6 hour sitting. The game desperately needs more maps, and I didn’t think the stealth aspect of the game was that great, so that would need to be enhanced. I encountered a couple of bugs where sometimes the sleepwalker would be stuck on a door so I could go around unnoticed but as it just come out I will let them off. When I re-look back at the screenshots I took during the game I do think its looks really cool. I think they have really captured the eerie strange neighbourhood feeling to a T, I just wish the missions were more interesting, maybe make the maps bigger so you have more to achieve to not caught. I will be keeping my eye on the release updates as I do want to jump back into this, but ONLY if the updates are worthwhile. I will be giving The Blackout Club a Thumb Culture Silver Award.
Trails of Cold Steel II has to be up there with the best in the genre in my opinion. Yes, it’s essential that you play the games in order, even if it’s just to make sure you get the best experience from the story. While there is a ‘recap’ section in the menu it doesn’t give you all of the information as I still found myself scratching my head at times. I will most definitely be investing in Trails of Cold Steel I and be aiming to get through that and finish part II so that when III is release I won’t be in the same situation again. I highly recommend this game to anyone who is looking for a new game (JRPG of course) to sink their teeth into and as such Trails of Cold Steel II fully deserves the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
I’m Hungry VR will likely please those who want to see what it might be like to work in a burger stand without having to endure abuse from lairy blokes and unpleasant managers, and there is fun to be had if you don’t mind a lot of repetition. However, if you’re a stalwart of the frantic food prep genre (if there is such a thing) and are no longer as entranced by the charms of VR as you once were you might find this one a bit under-cooked. I’m giving I’m Hungry VR the Thumb Culture Bronze Award, which is the fast-food equivalent of a McDonald’s hamburger. Nice!
Sea of Solitude is a great game, albeit short. I found this game can get very intense and every once in a while had to take a break as some of the encounters you have can be quite hard-hitting and really shines a light on loneliness and how it truly affects the mental health. With a great price point on each platform, this game is worth picking up and playing through as this can really help people who are also in similar places. With that, I will give Sea of Solitude a Thumb Culture Gold Award.
I personally absolutely love the game, I’m still playing it and this review has taken a whole lot longer than it initially should have done but I just wanted to perfect it. I know when I stop writing this I’ll be heading off back to my graveyard to clean some things up with it and further venture into the dungeons. Yes, there were a few bugs, but nothing that made it unplayable or frustrated me. An amazing little game with so much to offer so I will be giving this the Thumb Culture Platinum Award!
Fade To Silence is a good idea. It takes two popular and enjoyable genres to make its own style of game. Unfortunately for me, I think it should stick to one or the other. I think this will be one of those cult classic games where it has its followers but it’s not one I could recommend due to it being aimed for such a niche group. I give Fade To Silence a Thumb Culture Bronze Award.
If your an (American) Football fan and don’t own Madden 20, why not? This game is perfect to go hand in hand while the season starts and to get over the post-Super Bowl blues. There’s a lot of fun to be had, hard tackles to be made and way too many hail mary’s too. If you on the fence about it and not convinced, grab an EA or OPrigin access for a month, download it and play it, you really won’t regret it as its the best football you are going to get this year. I give this the Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
ETRC is an excellent game and one the developers should be proud of. I loved my time on this game. I wish there were more choices in truck racing to compare this game too. Sadly there isn't, and it would be unfair to compare them to games like Project Cars 2 or GT Sport. It's really not like either of them but in some ways, it feels so much like it should be. Even though this game might be a niche market with it being truck racing. I have no hesitation in giving this game a Thumb Culture Gold Award.
All in all, I quite enjoyed playing Wolfenstein Youngblood. I thought the two character’s relationship was fascinating and their journey was captivating to see how far they would go in order to find out what happened to their dad. Yes it was a little samey at times, and I couldn’t care about what the side missions had to offer, apart from levelling up of my character, but I enjoyed using the different weapons in deciding the best ways to kill the “Zitadelles”, “Zerstorers” and “Ubersoldats” as well as the many, many soldiers standing in my way. This isn’t a great game compared the previous Wolfenstein games, but this is more of a bridge in the gap to fill whilst waiting for the mighty Wolfenstein 3. Therefore I gave this a sexy Thumb Culture Silver Award.
Secret Files 2 is far from perfect, but if you’re after another game to scratch the itch only a Broken Sword can typically scratch you could do a lot worse. I am gracing it with the prestigious Thumb Culture Silver Award – oh look, there’s a pictorial depiction of one passing by!
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.
Forged of Blood is a very good Xcom-like game, using a lot of different new mechanics. Overall, I like the difficulty of the game, and the art style isn’t hard to look at, making for long sessions of “just one more turn”. A lot of the little things about it, really make it unique, from the spell crafting, to how you can level up using a classless system. The gameplay is very tough, but when you win, you have a feeling of satisfaction. I’m going to give Forged of Blood the Thumb Culture Gold award, as it may not appeal to a lot of people, but fans of tactical RPGs are going to love it.
Redeemer: Enhanced Edition is a frustrating one for me because I would recommend it so much more if it didn’t have all the technical issues that it has. That said, there’s a promising game underneath all that and the game is satisfying enough to play that I would recommend it if you have a lot of patience and have the ability to see past a bunch of technical faults and glitches. It’s a game I don’t regret spending my time with and it’s a pretty competent top-down, twin-stick shooter all things considered. It gets a Thumb Culture Silver Award from me!