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UnMetal is a top tier game from a low tier developer. This is some fantastic work from @Unepic_Fran and I can not wait to play the next game from him. UnMetal earns the highly coveted Thumb Culture Platinum Award from me. Fantastic work dude!
Hot Wheels Unleashed brings the ultimate car collection to the current generation. Gamers young and old will no doubt have an insane amount of fun playing through each environment with plenty of nostalgia at the ready! Hot Wheels Unleashed gets the coveted Thumb Culture Platinum Award
My final thought is that even while writing up this Dustwind Xbox One review I had the urge to go back and just do one more mission. But we all know one more mission just isn’t one more mission. There may be some faults for players but I found the game really enjoyable and great to pass the day with. If there were some more original ideas that went into it then maybe it would have been better. But I just can’t shift the fact that it is so like Fallout that it seems hard to see past that. Therefore I am going to give Dustwind on Xbox One the Thumb Culture Silver Award.
Tails of Iron is more of an adventure game with RPG elements. This is a really charming game, and quite cute, but not in the traditional sense. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and meeting new characters, even the unique bosses of which there were many. The combat is challenging and punishing, but rewarding when you do take down a boss that you have been stuck on for half an hour. The art style is fantastic and suits the game exceptionally. And of course, the legendary Doug Cockle narrating is just the icing on the cake. Add into that, this game is great value for money and isn’t one you can complete in an evening. The best part is that it is out now! What are you waiting for?
Overall, what Flat Hill Games have produced is a joy to play. With bright colours, straight forward gameplay, it brings cooking simulators into the living room. Clash of Chefs VR receives the Thumb Culture Gold Award
Super Arcade Football really surprised me, it is a smashing game. From the moment you start to the moment you stop, you will have fun. I see some controversy online, particularly Steam reviews, about this game how apparently it completely changed when the game launched on September 6th from the Early Access program on Steam. It was a 3D-based football arcade game and of course as we now know it’s a 2D retro-inspired football game. However, for me, I think this game has taken the right direction. I absolutely love it. Great work OutOfTheBit Limited. I award Super Arcade Football the coveted Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
Lost in Random was a complete surprise to me. I had not heard of it until I saw it become available for review. So I watched the trailer and simply thought “Wow, that looks class!”. Boy, this game did not let down. The team at Zoink Games has done an absolutely phenomenal job with this game. You can really tell they have put their heart and souls into this game. From the moment you pick it up to that moment you finish it, you will be laughing, enjoying the action, and taking in the top-notch story. Great work! I award Lost in Random a very much deserved Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
Having waited for 9 months to play I can say that it didn’t disappoint. Bloober team have done a brilliant job at bringing this title to Playstation 5 with a lot of unique features. I thoroughly enjoyed The Medium, the writing was great and the story was very engaging. It isn’t a game that sets out to scare you for the sake of it. I can think of only 2 sections that actually made me jump. So bear that in mind especially if you are worried. As a gamer with Epilepsy, it is nice to see a very clear warning about photosensitive seizures. Whilst I didn’t experience any problems please stick to the recommended guidelines when playing this or any title. Having thanked the team on Twitter for a superb title it will not come as a surprise that I award I am giving The Medium the Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
How long is a piece of string? yes, I know twice the length from the end to the middle. However, Bus Simulator 21 will give you hours and hours of gameplay. I guess you could compare the amount of game time to the amount of real-time you would be waiting for a bus replacement service in central London. Getting stuck into having multiple bus driving routes around the city is just such a success story. Thankfully you can share that fun with a friend in the coop mode. Final Thoughts Overall if you are a fan of simulation games then Bus Simulator 21 is for you. Don’t delay because you don’t want to miss the next bus. Bus Simulator 21 receives the Thumb Culture Gold Award
For a game that claims not to be a roguelike, it sure does have a lot of those elements to it. It’s also impossible to not draw comparisons to other games made by Arkane such as Dishonored and Prey. But, Deathloop shifts its way to us and feels very fresh. Whatever you learn in the aforementioned games, just forget about it. The player doesn’t feel forced into playing stealthily or guns blazing. It’s entirely the player’s choice. Coupling the Infusion system with the time loop mechanics is a stroke of genius. For such a small world, the sandbox-style gameplay offers a lot to discover and will keep you intrigued throughout. Deathloop is fun and frivolous and the combat whether you’re going sneaky-sneaky or just want to blow some heads off is a blast. I award Deathloop the Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
Beyond Mankind is a game that is good in theory but in practice not so much. The game has an interesting story and worldbuilding. The actual gameplay and design are where this game fell short. I felt it was poor across the board in that regard from the environments to combat. Not even touches like survivor diaries could redeem it. Visually also poor and aside from some of the voice acting the audio was low quality too. This is just my opinion of course. But if you enjoy Beyond Mankind there is plenty to you occupied for several hours at least. I do enjoy sci-fi RPGs but I just didn’t gel with this particular game but feel free to comment below how you felt about it. And if you did like my review then feel free to click here and learn about the upcoming Saints Row game. I award Beyond Mankind the Thumb Culture Bronze Award.
This is a fine game for people who want a basic story, and no pressure while playing, which this does well. You have no timer on your day, and missions will not expire. The game itself is good to sink a few hours into. But that’s all it is, there’s nothing to keep the player coming back for more. While having potential, it falls short in my opinion. This is why Lake will be getting the Thumb Culture Silver Award from me. There’s not enough content here to keep the player interested long-term. While there are story elements to it, they’re pretty shallow and the only impact they have is on the outcome of the main story. I will leave you with the game trailer as always.
Not going to lie, this is one of my favourite games I’ve played in a long while. The concept of Dice Legacy is presented in a clean, crisp, and beautiful fashion. It combines strategy, survival, city building, roguelite elements, and the depth of politics and knowledge trees without being overly complex. At the same time, it is challenging enough to have you starting a new game not because you have to, but because you want to try something different. Honestly, I’m likely going to pick this up on the Switch to be able to take it with me wherever I go. The polish, gameplay, and style make Dice Legacy deserving of Thumb Culture’s Platinum Award.
Before it gets shot out through my chest, I can put my hand on my heart and say this is the best game of the Sniper series that CI Games has made. Congratulations to them. Do they hit the mark after a long line of mediocre games? Well, it isn’t a headshot, but it definitely kills. It seems they have learned from mistakes and created a pretty good game. Yes, there are a couple of bugs at the time of writing this, but nothing a patch can’t fix. I found myself going to bed late a couple of nights because I wanted to finished one more assignment. And, I will be going back to look at the challenges. I award Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
This is by far my favourite escape room styled VR game. The humour used throughout the game keeps you smiling even through various deaths. You need no prior knowledge of the franchise however both games are worth picking up if you haven’t already. It is comfortable to play for all experience levels and leaves you frantically searching for the next clue. I highly recommend this game Therefore I award I Expect You To Die 2 a Thumb Culture Platinum Award.
Tinytopia is very creative and fun. It is the type of game, if you have children, you would let them play. As gamers of all ages would find this awesome and entertaining for hours on end. The oddities found in the game are its great strengths but is held back by scenarios that feel like they are on repeat. The game mechanics feel like this could also do with a polish. However, having said that it was great to play. You will find yourself having fun though. I give Tinytopia a Thumb Culture Silver Award.
Demeo is a Fantasy RPG game from Resolution Games that allows you and up to 3 other friends to take on monster infested dungeons….ALL IN VR!!! Available on the Quest 2 and on PCVR through Steam VR right now, and coming soon to Rift and also to non VR through Steam. Resolution Games has given us an experience that will stay with you for a long time. An experience that you WILL struggle to survive on your own.
Project Cars 3, the racing is great fun. Its just a shame that it has the preconceptions that a game with the Project Cars name will always carry. If you can look past the name and see the game for itself, as an arcade racer then you are in for a treat. Whilst it is no means perfect, its a great change in direction and one that I am happy they have gone in that direction. Project Cars 3 races to a Thumb Culture Gold Award
For fans of RPG, simulation, strategy games and previous Crusader Kings titles, this is a must-have. I have already seen people crying over on Reddit on how much they want the game to drop already. Bonus for Crusader Kings 3 fans who have Xbox GamePass for PC that’s available on day one too. Now I did play the preview version and there were some tiny little niggles but not game breaking bugs, and which were confirmed on the Crusader Kings 3 discord are fixed when going live. With that in mind I’m going to award the Crusader Kings 3 the Platinum Thumb Culture Award!
Super Crush KO is a delight to play. It’s fast, fluid, and hugely satisfying. But even in it’s short stay, it’s all becomes a bit too familiar. I just wish the game mixed things up more, or added more challenge overall. That said, I can’t wait for more from Vertex Pop, and look forward to the next dive into the world of Super Crush KO. But for now, the only thing left to do is award Super Crush KO a Thumb Culture Silver Award.