Thumb Wars's Reviews
When it comes to Solateria, I had a very fun time exploring the vast world that the game had to offer, as there were plenty of secrets to find both in terms of loot and lore, while also having plenty of challenges to overcome. Speaking of challenges, I massively enjoyed the combat, as it wasn’t just difficult for difficulty’s sake, but it was challenging enough that it kept me engaged and encouraged me to learn the parry and dodge windows so that I was able to conquer my enemies efficiently. The game’s story itself was very heartbreaking as I played through, as a lot of the bosses had very sad backstories that drew on my heartstrings, while also having NPC characters that also had their own stories to tell, while also adding to the main game’s story in their own way.
During my time with John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, I often found myself having a really great time as I explored the various maps that were laid out before me, but over time, this did become rather tedious, with very few points of interest that weren’t very interesting. In terms of gunplay, it was very fun and responsive, allowing for fast kills of zombies, while also benefiting from a variety of abilities at my disposal that helped me when I was in a tough spot. One of the more unique gameplay mechanics for me was using the vehicles, as they allowed me to explore a lot more easily while also using the winch to access new locations and even find loot throughout the game, which made the adventures easier. Overall, the gameplay was a lot of fun, but the story and voice acting were quite underwhelming as I was rather bored when it came to cutscenes and often found myself trying to remember why I was doing a mission in the first place.
Reanimal is equal parts horrifying and daunting. Fun in ways only horror gamers can appreciate, you’ll spend as much time exploring the beautifully designed world from Tarsier, as you will trying to escape it, and its disgusting, body horror inhabitants. Decent puzzles, good platforming and some seriously impressive world design await if you can deal with some simple, if not repetitive gameplay.
For me, Heart of the Forest is a fun yet haunting horror experience that blends a good atmosphere with brilliant acting and very minimal jump scares to create an experience that will stay with you long after playing it. There are plenty of choices to make within the game, each with its own consequences that pay off towards the end of the game, never leaving you questioning what a choice was for.
RIDE 6 is a fun and realistic motorcycle racing sim game that gives the player complete control over every detail from the motorcycle’s wheels, chain, colors, and so much more. In terms of the racing within RIDE 6, there are a lot of challenges players will have to overcome to ensure they can consistently win races, and the difficulty curve does spike depending on the game mode in question, but this challenge increases the fun that can be had with the game. For those who have been wanting to create a collection of motorcycles, RIDE 6 is a fantastic game for doing that, as the collection of motorcycles on display is incredible, with plenty of options to choose from.
MIO: Memories in Orbit for me was a very fun experience that provided a lot of challenges in terms of combat, while also providing me with the option to downscale the difficulty if I needed to in rather unique ways. The biggest draw for me was the beautiful world that the game is set in, with the incredible watercolor detail and the breathtaking views that were waiting around each corner. The story was also very good and was a very big tear-jerker, but it was very challenging to ensure I saw it all due to the hidden lore pieces scattered around the game.
Code Violet is a very mixed bag. It’s as likely that you’ll enjoy your time with it, as you will hate it. It’s a shining example of a game trying to regain the ‘Golden Era’ of our childhoods, but it goes as far as including the bugs, stunted gameplay and nonsensical story beats as well. If not for the environments and collectible storytelling, there’d be little left to redeem it.
She’s Leaving does atmosphere well, as any first-person horror game should aim for, but performance issues, somewhat tacked-on forensic features, and a predictable story let down what’s otherwise a tense affair.
Overall, I found Death Howl to be a fun and dark experience that created an exciting mix of challenging combat with an intriguing deckbuilding mechanic that provided me with the freedom to create my own decks, while also creating various challenges in which to try them out. The world of Death Howl was a mix of gloomy but beautiful landscapes that I just couldn’t help but enjoy as each new location felt like a breath of fresh air, while also feeling like there was a threat around each corner. In terms of the game’s story, I found it to be a very haunting experience that stuck with me long after I finished playing, while also being fun regarding the game’s side missions and characters I could meet along the journey.
While playing through Cross Blitz, I found that the game was a lot of fun thanks to the unique stories that I was able to explore for each character that was available to me. Along with this, I also found that the combat was very interesting as it never felt boring or too much alike, but in fact had a lot of replayability to it as each encounter was random. In terms of the game world, I found it to be very well designed in terms of details, as well as the hexagonal layout that provided a whole new perspective that hasn’t been seen in a long time.
While playing through S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl, I found that the overall world was incredible, with an atmosphere that instilled fear as I progressed, especially at night, along with plenty of exploration for me to have as I went through all kinds of locations looking for loot. In terms of weapons, I found that they were very realistic and provided their own challenges to the game’s combat against the tough enemies I would come across. The weapons’ jamming brought a whole new level of fear into the game.
Dragon Front: Adventures is an interesting and fun card-battling game that I found to keep my attention throughout my playthrough, but there were moments in which I felt bored due to getting stuck in a loop of combat. The overall world of Dragon Front: Adventures is very well detailed, with plenty of secrets hidden along the various locations that the player can explore on their different runs. In terms of characters, there are hundreds to collect, whether they be the captains or simple infantry, each with their own unique designs that provide plenty of replayability.
When it comes to Orbyss, I found the game to be incredibly fun from start to finish; even though I found myself struggling with certain puzzles, the rush I felt after completing them was fantastic. The world of Orbyss is something that stood out to me, as it didn’t rely on massive, showstopping scenery but just relied on simple beauty that could capture the attention of any gamer. One of the best parts of Orbyss is how it is friendly to all types of gamers, thanks to its accessibility and hint features that provide players with enough guidance to progress through the game, if they need it at all.
During my time with Farthest Frontier, I found it to be a fun and relaxing game that allowed me to slowly piece together what I needed to do while also creating a beautiful cityscape from the ground up. The overall mechanics of the game were relatively simple, with very little to learn throughout my entire playthrough. However, there were a few moments when I found myself confused and struggling to understand one or two mechanics. The world itself is wonderful, with numerous landscapes and locations to choose from, each filled with incredible detail.
My overall opinion on Silent Hill F is that it lives up to the hype that the Silent Hill franchise has built up over the years in all aspects, whether it be combat, exploration, the world, or especially the story itself. Although each of these aspects is clearly handled with care by Konami, there are a few flaws in certain aspects, like expecting the player to have knowledge of certain aspects of Japanese culture beforehand, and a few others.
With the new Crossworlds mechanic really spicing things up gameplay-wise, alongside the Gadget Plate, this might be the best Sonic racing game ever, and it’s definitely the best of 2025, including the moustachioed plumber’s latest offering.
Cronos: The New Dawn hits nearly every beat it needs to, from a genuinely terrifying atmosphere and environment painstakingly created, to a gameplay loop that harkens back to a nostalgic age of survival horror, all wrapped up in one of the most unique stories of 2025. If you’re looking to be scared, look no further.
Forgive Me Father 2 is a fun and chaotic game that is filled with beautifully crafted locations that are fully explorable with numerous secrets hidden within. The weapons are incredibly detailed with all kinds of bizarre and haunting variations that will have players afraid of their own weapons, let alone the horrors awaiting them. Bar the lack of some tutorials, the overall gameplay loop is very fun with an interesting story.
Dying Light: The Beast is a return to the zombie-slaughter, parkour-jumping form we needed, and it never disappoints. From huge hordes to new enemies, human and not, it’ll not only have you running for your life, but desperately seeking out shelter in a way the franchise has been missing for a while. Horror fan? Zombie fan? Parkour fan? All-out-carnage fan? You won’t regret getting Techland’s latest offering.
While playing Borderlands 4, I constantly found myself enjoying the world that the game is set in, as it was full of colorful landscapes, as well as the numerous forms of life that made the game feel complete. The side quests, as always, were very fun and kept me interested for a very long time, but after a while the long distances to run between them and their objectives did get tiresome.