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Thumb Culture

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689 games reviewed
74.1 average score
80 median score
90.7% of games recommended

Thumb Culture's Reviews

Nov 6, 2017

Neither leaping majestically upstream to the Playstation spawning grounds, nor laying lifeless on ice in Morrisons

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5 / 10.0 - Unbox
Jul 23, 2017

Unbox – Newbie’s Adventure by indie developer Prospect Games is a 3D platformer set in a colourful large world. Taking control of a cardboard box, yes you heard me right, it is down to you to single handedly raise the reputation of the Global Postal Service (GPS) that is currently in a down hill spiral thanks to parcels going missing and failed delivery times.

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May 7, 2024

While Phantom Fury started as a charming, fun and easy-going game, issues began to crop up. The final parts of the game were too long, and some boss fights were tedious. The worst problem I encountered was a bug that made all my weapon and bionic arm upgrades disappear. I had to reload the game two levels back to fix it, which is worse, considering there is no manual saving. While early-level designs were great, later levels lacked decent cover from the mass of enemies attacking you. A level that frustrated me was an underwater level. It was too dark to navigate well, and I couldn't figure out where I was supposed to go, and the submersible was awful to control. Some of the weapon's damage didn't seem effective, even upgraded. I wish the bionic arm had more upgrades besides a shield and punching.

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SO: TD is a short but sweet game that delivers an interesting horror experience. It does suffer from being too short and the abstract narrative left mostly unexplained. In its two-hour playtime, there are stunning visuals and solid audio to go with it. And for a linear game, it delivers a compelling plot to ponder and revisit afterwards. But I do wish there were more answers than being left with mostly questions. I enjoyed my time playing SO: TD and am curious to see what Juan-Mod brings us next.

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Overall I liked my time playing Planet Zoo and I'm glad to have gotten to experience it. The setup is excellent and Frontier Development put a lot of care into the game. However, in practice, this visually fantastic game didn't do as well with the gameplay mechanics. The variety of content combined with the mechanics almost shot itself in the foot. There is so much going on and even during the tutorial there is no way to revisit support/guidance and ends up becoming more frustrating than fun. The graphics and audio of Planet Zoo are also amazing and designed and run very well, especially in busy zoos. It is so easy to stop and simply watch the animals in their habitats. The cliché British characters, soundtrack and sounds were fantastic and worked well with the intended ambience of the game. And with so much content and options there are many hours of gameplay and so many zoos to build and see.

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Although there are many positives to the game, I do believe that some of the negatives outweigh these. It cannot be said that the developers don't care. Within the first couple of days since the release, the developers have already made updates which has taken on board some of the issues highlighted. The main issue I have with the game is the longevity, and how much this game can offer. And unfortunately, I do not see this as a game I would often go back to. And this is echoed by many of the players thus far.

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Mar 25, 2024

Millennia is an exceptional strategy game that brings some real competition to the 4X genre, but it still has a few areas where it could improve to match others in the genre, providing players with a rich and captivating gameplay experience. Promising endless enjoyment, its meticulous historical accuracy, interesting changes to it, and sophisticated mechanics ensure a rewarding challenge for strategy enthusiasts. The deep mechanics, historical elements, and attention to detail, make it a must-play, whether you are a keen history aficionado or a dedicated strategy player.

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Mar 25, 2024

The jokes were funny, and the game does play really well with no glitches. But (and this is what hurts the most), the game overall just isn't long enough. I managed to finish the game in just over two hours. When completed there was no real reason to keep on playing.  The game lacks anything for the player to work towards. If players enjoy collecting trophies, they can add some longevity that way.

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When I read that Outcast was one of the games that helped pioneer the open-world genre, I was impressed! But that is to say, this game seems like it would have thrived back in the day. Nowadays, we have way too many open-world games, and this one doesn't seem impressive unless you loved the first and wanted a sequel. It's a shame, as the world of Adelpha is beautiful, and some of the creature designs look cool, but it falls short everywhere else, in my opinion.

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For those who love art and are interested in new ways to showcase paintings this game is a must. It's an interesting take on the hidden object genre of games too. As I said earlier the wavy animation featured in all of the paintings meant eye strain was a real issue. I have a little interest in art and found this game really interesting.

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Mar 12, 2024

The story overall was lacklustre, and the horror elements felt non-existent in the game. The segments where a threat is present still don’t add to the horror since they’re easy to bypass. Reveil looks great but comes up short with bland voice acting and a predictable story.

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I adore the story of Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. The characters have such distinct, realized personalities that made me love or hate them. While I’ll always cherish the goofy-serious writing of Life Is Strange, it’s hard to deny this is DON’T NOD’s strongest writing exhibit yet. Combat is dull and had me rolling my eyes every time I came across another forced encounter, with only a few of the fights being interesting. No matter how many features and mechanics were introduced, it still felt clunky and frustrating due to the camera controls, repetitive animations, and almost no enemy variety. Thankfully, the compelling narrative shines through, carrying the game along and making me a little more tolerable of the combat. Due to this, I’m awarding Banishers: Ghosts Of New Eden, the Silver Thumb Culture Award. For fans of story games, this is absolutely a must-play if you can overlook its gameplay shortcomings.

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Feb 8, 2024

For anyone looking for a particularly wacky yet grounded blast from the past, Twilight Oracle is one to check out. The settings are visuals are a joy to look at and there’s plenty of laughs to be had along the way. The voice-acting imbalance may be a little grating and the short length may deter players looking for something more substantial.

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Feb 8, 2024

Rising Lords is a standout strategy game that effortlessly captures the essence of medieval feudalism. Though some first-timers may find it a bit too hard as it doesn’t hand hold the tutorial alone may not be enough for some. The captivating visuals, intricate gameplay mechanics, and compelling political diplomacy make for a rich and immersive experience. They say fortune favours the bold, and in Rising Lords, your fate as a feudal lord lies in your hands. Will you rise to the challenge and conquer this medieval world?

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Jan 30, 2024

I came away from Home Safety Hotline both pleasantly surprised with some aspects and disappointed with others, two contrasting tones can work together to create a compelling experience. However, Home Safety Hotline didn’t deliver on that for me. The captivating creature entries and engaging gameplay loop were highlights, showcasing the love poured into these creations, followed by the occasional fantastic performance. Beyond these aspects, the overall experience failed to resonate with me. That being said, there is an incredible amount of talent on display and I’m looking forward to seeing what the developer puts out next. Therefore, I am awarding Home Safety Hotline the Silver Thumb Culture Award.

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At the end of the day, Offroad Truck Simulator: Heavy Duty Challenge just isn’t for me. However, I can understand and see where there is enjoyment in it. It’s a bit different to your run-of-the-mill truck simulator games. Not to mention it is very beautiful to look at. Although the other game modes seem like they could be a bit more in-depth, I think I still have to give Heavy Duty Challenge the Thumb Culture Silver Thumb Award.

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Jan 23, 2024

Overall, War Hospital is an enjoyable game and does its job well. I would recommend it to people who regularly enjoy management simulators. However, some minor improvements would drastically improve the experience. I found it challenging to get more staff. The only way to get them is as a reward for events via Staff Permits (ordering them at the train station) or helping VIP patients. It made it hard to progress as sometimes I wouldn’t earn a staff permit from events or VIPs for long periods. Additionally, I wished events popped up more frequently so I would have more opportunities to get staff permits or other rewards.

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Dec 19, 2023

Please do not let this negative review make you write off Not for Broadcast. The game is a brilliant use of FMV with some excellent writing and comedy to support it. The VR port, however, is a poor attempt to translate a formula that originally seemed built for VR. The base game is still here and for VR fanatics who must play every game in VR, can put up with fiddly controls and have a large play space, it might be worth checking not for broadcast out on PSVR2. But for everyone else, the flatscreen version will be the go-to.

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The premise for Buried Alive: Breathless Rescue is definitely an interesting one that is explored through the game. The short game time might be enough to put some people off but I think it does add to the urgency that the game is trying to present as you desperately try to find Hannah.

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If you are looking for a Theme Park game to play on your console that feels more or less a lot like the original 90s classic then this is sort of it. Roller Coaster Tycoon Adventures Deluxe plays very similarly, however, it does feel like it was made for a mobile device. I feel gutted that it is not a true clone of Theme Park and some of the features are not present. To do well you do not need to think that hard about it. I watched my 6-year-old continue to make money and build without even looking at finances. While it was great to see him enjoying the game, I did feel a bit niggled with the simplicity and non-interaction. Nice try but it could be a lot better.

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