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I just couldn’t bring myself to pick up the controller and play it again. One time was more than enough for me. If the graphics were made for a next-generation console and some combat was involved then maybe I would give it another go.
Out There: Oceans of Time has solid foundations and the potential to be a great game. However, in its current state it’s confusing and a little lost.
For all that, it’s a fun game from a nostalgia point of view. I loved this game originally and I still love it now. Sure, it badly needed some upgrades and it’s disappointing that it wasn’t given them. But the story is a load of fun and the definite highlight and you have an excuse to listen to Star Wars music which always gets you pumped. It seems like that’s what they were going for with releasing this on the Switch. You shouldn’t have to rely on nostalgia to sell a game. All it’ll do is remind people of how poorly this game has aged and how little there actually is to it. Unfortunately, the decent story and soundtrack aren’t good enough to outweigh the negatives. If you never played it originally, then you’ll be left wondering what all the fuss was about. And if you have, you’ll be laughing at the time when this game looked absolutely amazing compared to now. You’ll also notice how the gameplay is severely lacking in so many ways. That said, I’m a sucker for Star Wars, so will I continue the game through to completion? Yes, yes I will. But I’m not going to be entirely happy about it and I definitely won’t be playing it in front of anyone else. I would likely get judged based on the graphics and questioned on it. It’s a fairly mediocre game compared to what we can play in 2022. So with that in mind, I score Star Wars: The Force Unleashed the Bronze Award. Still love the game though!
Sorry, but Metal Tales: Overkill falls way short of its very badass title. There just isn’t a lot of fun to be had here.
If this were a preview of an upcoming game then I would be saying I’m excited to see what the team achieve with the final product, but Monster Energy Supercross 5 left me conflicted
Some people might enjoy Flat Kingdom. After all, it is a very casual game, but for me, I was bored out of my mind.
My final thoughts on Music Racer: Ultimate is that the game caters to people who really love music and racing games and I’m just not one of those people. While I did have fun unlocking the many stages and cars while also rocking out to some of the music. I just think that it can get boring very quickly and the fact that I couldn’t play the game for maybe more than 30 minutes. The flashing and strobing effect of all the neon were just a little too much for me. Therefore I’m going to give Music Racer: Ultimate the Thumb Culture Bronze Award.
Overall, Aztech Forgotten Gods is a fairly decent game. It has some great cultural references and decent gameplay, but is lacking in other areas more common with modern games. It also suffers the fate as many other story-driven single player games. There isn’t really much to look forward to seeing different on another playthrough. I’d have to give it the Thumb Culture Bronze Award for these reasons. Check out my previous reviews here.
My final thoughts on S.W.A.N.: Chernobyl Unexplored are varied, this had the potential to become a great game but for me, the execution did not live up to my expectations If the game stood with its first five minutes and kept it like that with progression this game would have been a big baller for me.
was left underwhelmed, the “horror” aspect is more a light dusting to a first-person puzzle game. Numerous aspects feel frustrating, the lack of direction and character speed being huge examples. Whilst it isn’t all bad the segments that shine aren’t as rewarding because they are few and far between.
Nerf Legends is an FPS shooter that fails to hit the target. Despite being based on the iconic foam dart firing toys it’s sad to say that this is not a title that lives up to its expectations. Without multiplayer and a relatively dull single-player experience, I am afraid that if it is “Nerf or nothing” then I choose “nothing”.
Red Ronin is a fun, addictive strategy game with great level design that constantly evolves to keep the game fresh. The power-up mechanics allow you to be creative with your strategy although some of the later levels do feel restrictive. A lack of story polish does hold it back a little but ultimately Red lets her blade do the talking. If you’re into fast-paced puzzles with a smattering of blood and guts, I’ve no doubt you’ll be dashing out to buy Red Ronin. I give Red Ronin the Thumb Culture Bronze 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.
To be honest whilst I have pretty much watched most if not all of the Doctor Who series I am not a serious “Whovian” by any stretch of the imagination. I do however consider myself a fan and was really looking forward to playing Doctor Who: Edge of Time. Whilst there are many nods to the Doctor Who Universe and lots of fan-pleasing enemies and elements included, the game in my view failed to live up to it’s potential. What you have is a fairly generic bog standard puzzler with the now slightly cliched VR jump scares wrapped in a Doctor Who skin. It is by no means a bad game and I did enjoy my time with it however I was left slightly disappointed that yet again the potential of making an excellent Doctor Who game has been missed. It’s definitely worth a look if you are a fan and only the most fanatical and obsessed Whovian will find fault with what is in effect a deliberately fan-pleasing effort. All in all an opportunity wasted but hopefully, the devs will add some further adventures by way of DLC and therefore lengthen the game and add a bit of variety.
Summing up, Ultra Off-Road 2019: Alaska on the Nintendo Switch is probably a game to pass on. It might play better on other platforms because the Switch isn’t as powerful as the others. I’m gonna give it the Bronze Award because I didn’t enjoy my time spent with the game, and I honestly don’t think I’ll ever pick it up again. I was hoping for an epic off-roading game and what I got I felt was sub-par. Maybe my expectations were just set too high.
The foundation of Construction Simulator 2 is solid, and there’s an enjoyment to be found in the simple, repetitive nature of the game. And at £17.99, there is a lot of content packed in. However, the game suffers from a lack of ambition. Of the many missions, there’s limited variety. There’s no real management of your company, and no challenge to keep things afloat. Having a bigger scope, and a lot more polish to the game, it has the potential to be as beloved as a game like SimCity or Theme Park. However, as it stands, I can only recommend this to fans of the genre already. As such, I award Construction Simulator 2 US – Console Edition a Thumb Culture Bronze award.
Bee Simulator is a massive disappointment. I was charmed and intrigued by the trailer but the gameplay is extremely repetitive. As nice as the world is the developers haven’t managed to make traversing it feel fun. A child might find some wonder and limited educational value but otherwise I would strongly recommend you steer clear. I give Bee Simulator the Thumb Culture Bronze award.
Into the Dead 2 is astoundingly expense for an auto-run game. There are two DLC packs, Ghostbusters and Night of the Living Dead, which look better than the base game however, these are available for an additional £4.49 each! The game’s core mechanic will most likely bore most people. It may appeal to the casual gamer and if you’re interested in the title then download the free to play mobile version as the Switch version is definitely not worth your time or money. This game needed to stay dead. I award the game a Thumb Culture Bronze Award.
Unable to throw me off any high ledges or lay down to be consumed by Harpies was frustrating. Walking around looking for items in unusual places was frustrating. Not having the ability to have true freedom of movement was frustrating. The narrator was frustrating. Most of all though, the fact that there was no actual game was the most frustrating thing. Argonus and the Gods of Stone looked like it had so much potential, but it’s just a jumbled up scavenger hunt with no logic. I wanted a Monet and I got a Pollock. There is paint, it’s on the canvas, but it’s simply a mess. I was hoping for better. It wasn’t so many gods of stone, but a game of stone. Based on all of this I award Argonus and the Gods of Stone a Thumb Culture Bronze award.
Well…Battlewake is a mixed bag. The campaign is disappointing and offers little replay value. It acts as an extended tutorial for each Pirate Lord rather than a meaningful experience for the gamer. Graphically it’s impressive, and it plays well, if you like the Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag naval missions, but as a whole, it lacks the depth to stand out to be the next must-play PSVR game. Rather than the Black Pearl sailing the deep seas, it’s more like a turd floating in a puddle. Unfortunately, it’s shallow experience with some solid ideas, due to that I give this a Thumb Culture Bronze Award.