Stuart, Author at Thumb Culture

11Sep

By StuartNo Comments

V Rally 4 – Return of the King?

We haven't seen a V-Rally game since 2002 with the third instalment hitting the Playstation 2. Fast forward 16 years and we are lucky enough to be graced with V-Rally 4. Will it be a return to the top? Or has that time out really affected the gaming franchise that Kylotonn wants to bring back to life? Lets find out! Gameplay As you can expect from a racing game, the game is all about racing (obvs), but how does it feel? Well lets start off by saying that it feels decent. Its not up to the same standards as other racing games like DiRT and the F1 series, but it holds its own as an arcade feel racer. The cars are twitchy and responsive when you get the hang of them. Don't expect to be able to throw the cars around corners without a fight though. Within V-Rally 4 there are a number of di...

Strange Brigade Reveals New Character, Map and DLC Schedule

11Sep

By StuartNo Comments

Gaming, News & Updates

Strange Brigade Reveals New Character, Map and DLC Schedule

As we all know, Stu loves a bit of Strange Brigade, and his reviews here shows just that. Today Rebellion revealed some more information regarding upcoming characters and other DLC. Season Pass owners can now play as Patrick 'Bash' Conaghan, the ex-rodeo rider with an eye for danger and pots of gold! Bash and his 'shocking' Wrath of Quetzalcoatl amulet attack are also available separately in the Texas Cowboy Character Pack on PS4, Xbox One and PC for £5.59. All adventurers can try their luck in additional Harbin's Dig Path, Hidden Valley and Tunnels of Wadjet Score Attack levels, and the brand-spanking new Palace map for Horde Mode - all FREE and available NOW! But those amazing additions are only the beginning for the STRANGE BRIGADE! Rebellion have released a ruddy exciting ...

28Aug

By Stuart2 Comments

Gaming, PC Reviews

Strange Brigade Review – Taking on the Zomb…Mummies

I was first introduced to Strange Brigade back at EGX in September 2017 and it immediately went straight into my "most anticipated game that didn't have a release date yet" list. Now fast forward almost a year and here I am, finally getting my hands on the latest game by Rebellion Developments. Was waiting that long time well spent? or does Strange Brigade let itself down? Lets dive in and find out! Gameplay Set in Ancient Egypt in the 1930's you are a member of the Strange Brigade, a group that spends its time fighting evil, and in this case Seteki the Witch Queen has risen after being locked in a nameless tomb for 4000 years. Channelling your inner Indiana Jones, you explore ancient ruins, solving puzzles and finding secret traps as well as collecting relics from all across Egypt...

17Aug

By Stuart1 Comment

Gaming, PC Reviews

F1 2018 Review – If It Ain’t Broke….

Greetings race fans, and welcome to this review of F1 2018 by Codemasters. So what can we expect from this franchise after last years amazing success? Well lets take a look and find out! Gameplay So firstly, in essence F1 2018 retains a lot of what made the 2017 version of the game so great, which in my honest opinion, is not a bad thing at all. After all...if it isn't broken why fix it? So instead of regurgitating all the same information from the previous review, we will concentrate on whats different this year. Well if you scratch under the surface there is quite a lot of difference. Firstly, rule changes. We saw the biggest change in rules and regulations in the F1 season this year with the inclusion of the halo. Yes, the halo makes an appearance on the game and it does impact you...

Razer Huntsman Review – Opto-Mechanical Wonder

3Aug

By Stuart1 Comment

Gaming, PC Reviews

Razer Huntsman Review – Opto-Mechanical Wonder

Razer recently announced some new technology in their keyboards with the Huntsman and the Huntsman Elite. We were lucky enough to get our hands on the lesser spotted version and here we are with our review of the Razer Hunstman Opto-Mechanical Keyboard. In The Box As always we start with what you get in the box, and simply put, you get the Huntsman keyboard and the usual welcome to the Razer family note, letting you know that you are now "One Of Us" Diving deeper into the box you find the keyboard on its lovely braided USB cable, with its high quality aluminium top plate letting you know straight away that what you have your hands on is a high quality keyboard. Features So what features does the Huntsman have that other keyboards don't? Well I'm glad that you asked that. Well fo...

2Aug

By StuartNo Comments

Gaming, PC Reviews

Razer Kiyo Webcam Review – Lighten Up

Webcams come in all shapes and sizes, and with the Razer Kiyo Webcam you get a sleek package with a great single feature that might persuade you to part with your hard earned money. Lets dive into this review and find out! In The Box So as always you get the Welcome to the Razer message in the box before you unveil the lovely Kiyo. The unboxing of a Razer product is always a joy and the Kiyo is no exception, you know you are going to be using a great piece of kit. Features So when you first get the Kiyo out of the box you might notice something different about it. There is a great big light ring around the circumference of the webcam. This gives off an even and flattering light that helps to illuminate you without having a multi light setup. Plus turn the light ring and you can ...

Razer Seiren X Gaming Microphone Review – Testing Testing 1, 2, 3

19Jul

By StuartNo Comments

Gaming, Hardware & Tech

Razer Seiren X Gaming Microphone Review – Testing Testing 1, 2, 3

So we recently got our hands on the Razer Seiren X Gaming microphone and put it to work straight away. In The Box So as always with every Razer product, the unboxing is a very nice experience. Sliding back the flaps....on the box you are greeted with the standard "Welcome to the Razer Family" message, underneath you find the Razer Seiren X microphone, sitting there all pristine and delicious. Its cylindrical shape and solid metal base gives that premium feel, so when its sitting in front of you on your desk, you know you are in for a treat of an experience. Setting Up Setting up the Razer Seiren X couldn't be easier. Screw the base into the main unit, unless you are going to mount it on a boom arm, then using the bundled USB cable, you just stick it in.....Let your computer do its thin...

Snakebyte Gaming:Seat Review – Happy Cheeks

13Jul

By StuartNo Comments

Gaming

Snakebyte Gaming:Seat Review – Happy Cheeks

We recently took delivery of the Snakebyte Gaming:Seat to review, its the first time that we have had a gaming seat in the office. So lets not waste any time and get stuck in to the review. Unboxing A lot of packaging to take off, but when you do you are greeted with with the quality materials that have gone into constructing this Gaming:Seat. From the metal pieces to the artificial leather it all feels of good quality. Construction The construction of the chair is straight forward, the instructions included in the box were easy to follow and with the included tool you aren't left struggling to find one of those allen key sets you got at Christmas. In Action Now is the section you wanted to know about, How does the Snakebyte Gaming:Seat actually feel? Well pretty awesome if i'm h...

6Jul

By StuartNo Comments

Xbox Reviews

The Crew 2 Review – Get Your Motor Running

After spending a lot of time with the first installment of The Crew, when we got the opportunity to review The Crew 2 I jumped at the chance. After spending a little bit of time with the closed beta recently I was however, a little deflated. Something just wasn't right with the game, a few things just felt a bit off. Thankfully with the final game we get a much more finished article. Let's start the engines and see where it takes us. Gameplay The game throws you into one of the extreme events that you have through The Crew 2, giving you an insight into what kind of game you are getting yourself into. This first toe dip is a great experience and definitely shows off the multitude of vehicles that will be at your disposal. Once you have finished this example though its time for you to be l...

Elgato Stream Deck Review – Pushing Buttons

24May

By StuartNo Comments

Gaming, PC Reviews

Elgato Stream Deck Review – Pushing Buttons

After recently getting stuck into Twitch streaming and getting all setup like a professional, I got the chance to get my grubby mitts on a Stream Deck by Elgato. Now having spent a good amount of hours using the thing, it was the best time to put my thoughts into words and bring you this hardware review. Let's get to it! So the first question to answer. What Is the Stream Deck? Well thats easy, in simple terms its a bank of 15 macro buttons that you can assign different functions to so that while you are streaming, or even just using your computer, you can quickly and efficiently use. Having only used the Stream Deck while I have been streaming I cant comment on the use in general on your computer, but if it is anything like I have experienced it would be fantastic! So what...