Craig, Author at Thumb Culture

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition Review – Definitively Monado

15Jun

By CraigNo Comments

Uncategorised

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition Review – Definitively Monado

Originally released in June 2010 for the Nintendo Wii, Xenoblade Chronicles is a JRPG developed by Monolith Soft and Monster Games. It didn't sell as well as some other games on the Wii, but the fact that they decided to remaster and re-release it on the Nintendo Switch as Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition should say a lot about its popularity. I, for one, missed out on Xenoblade Chronicles on the Wii, so when I saw a remaster coming out I was pretty stoked to get my hands on it. After playing the sequel on Nintendo Switch, I just had to get myself a copy. When I was offered a review code to take a look, I leapt at the opportunity. Strap in, we're about to get into Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition. Gameplay The story begins with a battle between two Colossal titans called...

26May

By CraigNo Comments

PC Reviews, Previews & Early Access

Paradise Killer – Trouble In Paradise

It's not often I get to take a look at pre-alpha builds of games, so it's not really one of my strong suits to critique a game that's so early in its development. But when I was given the opportunity to look at Paradise Killer, I was instantly intrigued by its weird aesthetic and its detective-driven mystery-solving gameplay. I felt like it would be an interesting puzzle to solve. With that in mind, I set out on the timed demo build to see how far I could get. The following write-up is based entirely on an early pre-release build of the game that could be subject to major changes. Gameplay Paradise Killer is a whodunit murder mystery game, set on a strange island inhabited by gods. There have been many iterations of the island. It is destroyed and remade. Each iteration of the island is ...

Megabyte Punch Review – Megacs RO-BATTLE!

21May

By CraigNo Comments

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Megabyte Punch Review – Megacs RO-BATTLE!

I'm always up for checking out fun little indie games, especially when I get to play them on the Nintendo Switch. The Nintendo Switch is a platform I have argued multiple times is the perfect place to play indie games. So when Megabyte Punch came across my desk, I got kind of excited to take a loot at it. Developed and published by Team Reptile for Steam and Nintendo Switch, Megabyte Punch released on the 8th of May, 2020. For the purpose of the following review, I'll be taking a look at the Nintendo Switch version of the game, So let's get down to business and see what's what with Megabyte Punch. Gameplay Take one part platformer, add a dash of a fighting game, and a pinch of Metroidvania style exploration and what you end up with is something fairly unique. Megabyte Punch is at its cor...

In Other Waters Review – Trouble In The Deep

20Apr

By CraigNo Comments

Uncategorised

In Other Waters Review – Trouble In The Deep

I've been having a hard time putting into words my thoughts about In Other Waters. It's a hard sell, but it is an experience like no other I've played before. Crafted by the one-man team Jump Over The Age, In Other Waters won the Jury Prix award at IndieCade Europe in 2019. Gareth Damian Martin, the man behind the game, brings a unique blend of experiences to game development, from games journalism and graphic design to experimental literature. He's put his skills to the test, making his first game In Other Waters. Winning a Jury Prix award at a European indie game festival with your first game is pretty impressive, so let's dive in and check it out, shall we? Gameplay In Other Waters is a nice narrative-driven exploration game. In it, you play as an A.I. controlling a diving suit contai...

Panzer Dragoon Remake Review – Remake To The Skies

16Apr

By CraigNo Comments

Retrogaming Corner

Panzer Dragoon Remake Review – Remake To The Skies

The year is 1995. Sega was gearing up to release their newest home console in the U.S., The Sega Saturn. Much like modern-day console launches, The Sega Saturn only launched with a handful of games available. Some of them would go on to spawn hugely successful franchises, while others faded away. There was one particular game in the launch library however, that attained a near cult-like following and had a few sequels. That one game was Panzer Dragoon. Spawning several sequels on later consoles, Panzer Dragoon was a unique game, in that there wasn't anything else like it on the market at the time for home consoles. 25 years later, thanks to developers MegaPixel Studio, Panzer Dragoon has been remade for the Nintendo Switch and published by Forever Entertainment S.A. as a timed exclusive...

Bug Academy Review – Swarmy Study Buzzies

30Mar

By CraigNo Comments

PC Reviews

Bug Academy Review – Swarmy Study Buzzies

If you had asked me a while back if I would play a game about insects, my answer probably would have been; "Sim Ant?!". Since I was a young boy, I've enjoyed weird little games where you play as insects doing insect stuff. Sim Ant was semi-educational and fun. Bug Academy takes the idea of insect gameplay and adds a whole lot of fun physics. Developed by Igrek Games, and published by Ultimate Games for Microsoft Windows via Steam for a measly CAD$ 11.49, Bug Academy came out on January 14th, 2020. So, without further delay let's jump in and see what the BUZZ is about. (hehe, see what I did there?) Gameplay Bug Academy is a physics puzzler where you control a buzzy swarm of insects to complete various tasks. Igrek Games have laid out Bug Academy as a series of lessons about the various ty...

UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH Exe:Late[cl-r] Review – Flashy Fightin’ Anime Action

9Mar

By CraigNo Comments

Switch Reviews

UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH Exe:Late[cl-r] Review – Flashy Fightin’ Anime Action

Originally developed by Ecole Software and French-Bread, Under Night In-Birth is a 2d fighting game based on a visual novel of the same name. Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[cl-r] is the most recently updated version of that game developed by French-Bread and Arc System Works. It released on the Playstation 4 and Nintendo Switch on February 20th, 2020. For the purpose of this review, I'll be taking a look at the Nintendo Switch version of the game. Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[cl-r] is a fighting game I was looking forward to getting a hands-on with, because of my fondness for past Arc System Works fighting games like Blazblu. So without further delay, let's jump into it and see how it stacks up! Gameplay Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[cl-r] is a 2D anime stylized fighting game, develop...

Arcade Tycoon Preview – Come Push The Buttons

28Feb

By CraigNo Comments

PC Reviews, Previews & Early Access

Arcade Tycoon Preview – Come Push The Buttons

Developed by Squidpunch Studios, Arcade Tycoon is an Early Access management sim in which you take control of and maintain an arcade. I'm not usually one to look at early access games for review, however, lately I've been curious about giving this type of a game a try, so what better opportunity than to take one for a review spin. Arcade Tycoon released on Steam's Early Access program back in September and it was pretty bare-bones at the time, So I figured I would give the devs the chance to put some more content into it before I tackled the write-up. So let's get in and see where it's at right now. Gameplay Arcade Tycoon has a very simple gameplay model. It is a management simulator set in an arcade. You start the campaign by selecting a building, then start purchasing arcade machines i...

Warcraft 3: Reforged Review – Humans and Orcs And Undead

14Feb

By CraigNo Comments

PC Reviews, Previews & Early Access

Warcraft 3: Reforged Review – Humans and Orcs And Undead

Way way back in the distant year of 2002, Blizzard Entertainment launched the third instalment to the genre-defining Warcraft franchise. Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos released to both critical and commercial success, selling over one million copies by summer of 2006. The expansion, The Frozen Throne came out just a year after the original game, again, to amazing success. Fast forward to 2020, and Blizzard Entertainment remastered and re-released Warcraft 3 as Warcraft 3: Reforged. Let's jump in and see how Blizzard has done, remastering one of their greatest games. Gameplay Warcraft 3: Reforged is a high fantasy-set real-time strategy game. Taking place in the fictional world of Azeroth, Warcraft 3: Reforged follows the story of several different heroes from different factions. Warcraft 3: ...

WarpThrough Review – Warp, Dodge, Dip, Jump, Punch

13Jan

By CraigNo Comments

PC Reviews

WarpThrough Review – Warp, Dodge, Dip, Jump, Punch

Developed by Roofkat in the Netherlands, WarpThrough is a unique arcade-inspired action platformer. Created as a solo project by Ramon Huiskamp, WarpThrough has been shown off numerous times during its early development, during which players enjoyed the gameplay. Let's take a look at this one-man game, and see what he's come up with! Gameplay The gameplay in WarpThrough is pretty straight forward. You navigate small arenas that wrap around the screen, fight monsters and collect warps. The one thing that makes WarpThrough unique is that you have to stop moving to charge your attack. As you navigate the arenas to collect the warps, you have to kill the monsters, otherwise, they'll continue spawning, and you'll have a bad time. Collecting the warps allows doing research, which unlocks new l...