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Streets of Rogue is a fantastic title with loads of replay value, and crucially it lets players decide how they want to play without penalising them, which might make it a good rogue-lite entry point for the uninitiated. It may perform slightly better on other platforms but it is perfectly suited to the on-the-go experience the Switch provides. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with a chloroform rag-wielding doctor (I’m referring to the game, no need to send help).
I have loved playing Night Call, Everything about it just works so well to me, as I played I found myself becoming more interested in picking up fares and listening to their stories, from a priest to a poet, a couple trying to find a donor to help them conceive to a cat, yes I said a cat, than wanting to solve the actual investigation. I look forward to seeing if they add more investigations to solve and more fares to pick up in the future. I feel the game thoroughly deserves the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
And now here it is, the moment we’ve all been waiting for; the section where I give Steel Division II a rating. Given how fantastic the game looks, sounds and plays, I’m going to have to give it the Platinum Essential Award. There’s just no other option that fits it. If you’re a fan of Strategy games, World War 2 games, or even just PC games in general, Steel Division II is a must own game, in my opinion. It is well worth the CDN$49.99 price tag on Steam. I definitely recommend picking it up and convicing your friends to play as well.
PLahHP is an enjoyable puzzle title with enough twists and turns in both the plot and gameplay to keep the player engaged for its relatively short run-time. What first seems like a simple concept is expanded with the introduction of characters with questionable motives and interesting new mechanics which change up the pace considerably. The game is not without its flaws but I found the combination of tricky puzzles and (very) light sci-fi horror quite satisfying. A quick glance over BeautiFun Games’ Twitter shows the enthusiasm and passion they have for this project, which is always heartening to see. In a sequel, I would like to see more of a focus on visuals and atmosphere, and with a bit more polish with regards to the script and voice-acting. I advise you to check out some gameplay footage as I suspect quick glance will tell you if this game is for you. Much like Professor Lupo’s pets, I found it quite hard to put down. I will be awarding it the Thumb Culture Silver award!
When you look back at the origins of the Yakuza series (the original was released way back in 2005). It’s a credit to think almost 15 years later we’re still seeing fresh content and looking to explore this world with new characters. Judgment definitely ticks all the boxes to be considered a top-quality ‘spin-off’ and hopefully with a few little tweaks we will see more of Yagami and perhaps other characters. Ryu ga Gotoku Studios have certainly found a formula to produce great games and it makes me very excited to see what the future holds, both for a potential Judgment sequel as well as the rumours we may be seeing some of the previously released spin-offs here in the west. My verdict is that Judgment truly deserves the Thumb Culture Gold Award and should be a part of any PS4 collection (especially if that collection contains Yakuza games).
In a strange way, I knew I would love this game. Like I said earlier I enjoy the games that Devolver Digital have published or developed, and when I first saw the gameplay trailer back in March, I knew it was a game to keep my eye on. This game, in a nutshell, makes you feel like a right proper badass!! From Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator chasing down Sarah Connor, or John Wick going gung ho in a nightclub, you feel unstoppable and that you can take on any of the enemies the game throws at you, and in this case, alongside a talking banana sidekick named Pedro. I really, really enjoyed this game, and hope that the developers will be expanding it with some new DLC in the future, and with the ability to be able to play online with others. This is why I am going to award it the Thumb Culture Platinum Award! As always, I look forward to more games coming out by Devolver Digital in the near future.
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!
Overall the game is fantastic, another great iteration into the F1 franchise, and once again Codemasters have done themselves proud with a game of this calibre. F1 2019 receives the Thumb Culture Platinum 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!
Project Nimbus: Complete Edition is definitely a niche title that would appeal only to people who are into battling robot suits. For fans of Armored Core or Mechwarrior, it might be lacking a bit of what makes each of those games special, but it brings something a bit different to the table. I don’t see a whole lot of replay value for myself personally, but others might really enjoy the challenge of survival mode or warfront. I’m going to award Project Nimbus: Complete Edition the Thumb Culture Silver Award. While it may not appeal to a huge audience, I’m sure there’s a group of people out there who would be very into it. And at it’s price of $19.99 on the Nintendo Eshop it’s a hard value to argue with.
I have a love/hate relationship with RPGs, I’m a huge procrastinator so I really lose myself in these types of games, often being distracted from the main quest, by side quests, exploration and collections. The amount of quests and things to do with just the base game/chapters is in my opinion great value for money and with the option to subscribe to ESO Plus for £8.99 a month, giving you access to all of the current dlcs and access to a (I feel essential) handy crafting pack with unlimited space for crafting materials. This is a game with the potential to sink many hours into, with much more to come. As a new player, I find it hard to find much I don’t like with the game, except possibly that it’s too big?! and award it the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
Putting together what I thought was good and what I thought was bad I’m probably very half and half regarding the Dollhouse, I believe if I managed to play the multiplayer it could have massively affected my view on the game, but as it becomes very much repetitive and less scary it kind of knocks off the horror effect, I did enjoy the mystery side along with the thrill-filled ( at times ) chases! so I will be awarding the Dollhouse the Thumb Culture Silver Award!
Bubsy Paws on Fire, in my opinion, is a bit of a cash in without much thought, it does what it’s designed to do like a speed run type game. However, I think it’s only going to appeal to a very niche audience and fans of the previous Bubsy games will be (like me) a little lost for reasons to play. It is a bit of shame as the previous entry to the series: Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back was a pretty solid Platformer and I was hoping this would build on that base. I would give Bubsy Paws on Fire the Thumb Culture Bronze Award, it has its moments as long as you know what you’re getting into before you play.
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!
The story mode is a fantastic experience with a great mechanic when using your abilities with your character. This can be easily enhanced with future DLC’s and expansions to keep the single-player story going. The online experience is going to really help once you end each storyline to continue the adventure and hopefully have a good end game to keep returning. I can’t wait to pump in many hours into this game with the lore of Warhammer by its side and will give this game a Thumb Culture Gold Award.
I have enjoyed every minute I have spent playing Rage 2 since its release, and I’m looking forward to diving into the DLC down the road. Rage 2 is going to get the Thumb Culture Gold Award from me for being so damn fun, in spite of its short length. It’s not often I play many games lately that I look forward to playing again. I definitely recommend it.
Layers of fear 2 has been one of the best horror games I have played in a while, the psychological effect in your head really draws you into the game and the length and options of how to play and how to finish your game opens up a variety of things to do, I thoroughly enjoyed this game. I will be awarding the Thumb Culture Platinum award!
I feel Bus Simulator 18 caters well to both Simulation fans and casual gamers well, whether you’re looking to play a game that gives you the feel of driving a real bus, or you’re just looking for a relaxing time killer you’d do well with Bus Simulator 18, The new map expansion looks great and I look forward to future updates and seeing how far they can take the map. I feel the game thoroughly deserves the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
I feel once you have played the story, there’s little re-playability as you know will know the ending and how it plays out. Its a very story driven game and this is where DLC’s and expansions are going to help enhance it and keep building on the world down the road. However, from someone who doesn’t pick up a single player/office game, I loved this game. It keeps me very immersed in the story to the point I had to take breaks before facing the world again and continue on with Amicia’s story. I highly recommend playing this game and from that, I award A Plague Tale: Innocence a Thumb Culture Gold award. Now, lets get back to contiuning on Amicia’s adventure!
I couldn’t recommend Bow to Blood if you’re wanted a Playstation VR game personally because it made me want to hurl the minute I strapped it to my head, but if you have a strong stomach when it comes to motion sickness it could be an enjoyable time. Out of virtual reality, it was still an enjoyable take on the increasingly stale battle royale genre. It looks great, it has a fantastic combat system that is satisfying throughout your experience, and if you’re looking for a PSVR game to throw on every now and again for around an hour, Bow to Blood is perfect for that. It has impressed me enough to give it a Thumb Culture Silver Award so go and give it a go if you think it’s your thing.