Author: Jason

Atari ST, PC & PS5 Gamer, Father and Rock legend. Usually bouncing around between Pinball, Call of Duty and Fortnite when not gigging or taking part in Dad duties! PSN: Psycho_sparky
LEGO Movie 2 PS4 Review – Is Everything Still Awesome?
LEGO, PlayStation Reviews

LEGO Movie 2 PS4 Review – Is Everything Still Awesome?

Hot on the heels of the new LEGO Movie 2 film is, of course, the latest game for pc and all consoles.  Developed by TT Fusion and published by Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment, what can we expect of this latest LEGO offering? Gameplay Ok, confession time, I have played all of the LEGO games so far, partly due to having children and also due to a wife that loves most things LEGO.  I am used to the way they all play and so far most have seemed very similar in gameplay style with the exception of LEGO Worlds which was the first LEGO game to allow you to freebuild and do almost whatever you wanted while taking on the role of a Master Builder. I was expecting to play LEGO Movie 2 on my Playstation with the same old family friendly tried and tested game mechanics of the previous LE...
Roccat Renga Boost Gaming Headset Review – Comfort & Quality On A Budget?
Gaming, PC Reviews

Roccat Renga Boost Gaming Headset Review – Comfort & Quality On A Budget?

Landing on the desk over at Thumb Culture HQ this month is a pair of Roccat Renga Boost gaming headphones for us to test!  Sporting studio-grade sound, a boom mic and also compatible with both PCs and consoles, how would they hold up when put through their paces? On first lookings the Roccat Renga Boost is extremely lightweight at 210g and is designed with an ergonomic leather headband, allowing the wires to pass through from one can to another in a separate metal containment above.  The headset breaks away from the normal headband that you normally associate with over the ear headphones and automatically adjusts to your head shape, and despite looking a little like a Cyberman from Dr.Who when wearing them, they are probably the most comfiest things you will ever put on your head. ...
Riot: Civil Unrest PS4 Review – Clash Of The Pixel People
Gaming, PlayStation Reviews

Riot: Civil Unrest PS4 Review – Clash Of The Pixel People

Riot: Civil Unrest is, as it sounds, a game based on riots.  Developed by Merge Games you get to play as either the Police or angry protestors in scenarios that simulate actual events around the world.  Cue some Kaiser Chiefs, I predict a riot? Gameplay On initial thoughts of what Riot: Civil Unrest could entail, I found myself really looking forward to getting stuck into a real-time riot simulator as it is something I have never taken part in in the real world.  You see riots all the time reported in the media, therefore taking control of one of the sides involved in an attempt to win the clash was an interesting idea. Reading into the background bumf to the game, you learn that the creator of Riot: Civil Unrest, Leonard Menchiari has experienced rioting first-hand at the NoTAV p...
Gaming, PlayStation Reviews

Pode PS4 Review – Teamwork Has Never Felt So Rewarding

Pode, by independent developer Henchman & Goon, is an amazing co-operative platform puzzle game that has been inspired by Norwegian culture.  Available on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch this exploration game is quite simply amazing and a breath of fresh air to me. Gameplay Pode features two main characters; a little rock called Bulder and a fallen star called Glo, together they must work together as they wander through the mysterious and magical Mount Fjellheim in a mission to help Glo get back into the sky.  Incidentally, Pode is Norwegian for "Graft"! Playing as either two-player co-op or in single player you must utilise each of the character's special abilities in order to activate and reach the exit on each level.  In the early stages, the basics of movement and jumping ...
Hello Neighbor: Hide & Seek PS4 Review – Yawn Found Me Again!
Gaming, PlayStation Reviews

Hello Neighbor: Hide & Seek PS4 Review – Yawn Found Me Again!

Hello Neighbor: Hide & Seek by Tiny Build is the second installment of the gaming franchise and is available on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch and PC.  Conceived as a prequel to the first Hello Neighbor game, it is fairly similar in gaming experience and notoriously harder in my opinion when it comes to solving puzzles.  Let's break it down! Gameplay The first Hello Neighbor game saw you play the role of a young boy who thinks he has seen something untoward happening in his Neighbor's basement and attempts to sneak into his house and uncover the truth, check out a film called "The Burbs" if you enjoy the storyline.  If any of you have played the game you will appreciate that the neighbor, Mr Peterson, was relentless in his pursuits of you and most of the game was about being ...
Roccat Mousepads Go Big in 2019 – XXL Baby What The Hell
News & Updates

Roccat Mousepads Go Big in 2019 – XXL Baby What The Hell

Mousepads, do you use them or do you not? Back in the day when mechanical mice relied on a weighted rubber ball navigating across a slightly coarse surface in order to operate, a mousepad was essential.  Nowadays with optical mice you could argue that they are not so much a necessity, providing the work surface can reflect the beam back to the photocell ok.  So other than for aesthetics, do you require a mousepad alongside your gaming rig? Well in short, yes you probably do. Mousepads help to stop the small plastic/rubber feet on the underside of the mouse from wearing out when constantly dragging it across your desk.  Without a pad, the area you regularly use your mouse on can also become marked and deteriorate through the friction generated between the mouse and the worktop ...
Project Highrise: Architect’s Edition PS4 Review – Sim Tower Reinvented
Gaming, PlayStation Reviews

Project Highrise: Architect’s Edition PS4 Review – Sim Tower Reinvented

So who here is old enough to remember SimTower published in 1994 by Maxis on the PC?  I spent literally days on it trying to build the ultimate skyscraper in order to make lots of money and all the while keeping people happy!  Well, thanks to developer SomaSim and publishers Kalypso and Kasedo Games you can now relive, or experience for the very first time, the whole 2D tower building simulation game on modern-day machinery without the need for emulators.  I give you, Project Highrise: Architect's Edition! Gameplay Available across all formats, I have been playing the PS4 version of Project Highrise which I won't lie, felt a little strange on a controller rather than a mouse.  The goal is simple, build a tower and run it as efficiently as you can, all the time keeping the tenants hap...
Roccat Kone Pure Owl-Eye Review – Ice Ice Baby
Gaming, PC Reviews

Roccat Kone Pure Owl-Eye Review – Ice Ice Baby

Gaming mice come in all shapes and sizes along with a vast array of extra buttons bringing with them additional functionality.  The burning question is however "Which mouse is best for you?"  Having taken a look previously at the Roccat Kone Aimo Gaming Mouse earlier in Summer that featured 12 buttons and a mesmerising lighting job how would Roccat's latest gaming mouse fare? Ladies and Gents I give you the Roccat Kone Pure Owl-Eye, now available in white. Sitting infront of my PC screen the first thing that stands out is the illuminated colour changing Roccat logo located where your palm rests onto the mouse.  The vibrant pulsing emblem stands out well against the white of the mouse and begins to get positive comments from staff walking by. The main job of the Kone Pure...
Thumb Culture Team Christmas Wish List
Features, Gaming

Thumb Culture Team Christmas Wish List

Here at TC HQ we love Christmas! This year we have rounded the staff up, stuffed them with mulled wine, plyed them with mince pies before asking them to write down what they would like to find under the Christmas tree on Christmas day.  Everyone has come up with a game title, a piece of merchandise and a random third choice of whatever they would like to see them through the festive season!  If you're stuck for ideas yourself, take a look at what we are after, you may be pleasantly surprised! Stu Game - Battlefield V, around £45 from numerous sites. Contrary to a lot of opinion and even though this game is primarily the same at Battlefield 1, there is something about it that feels new. Yes its essentially a re-skin with upgraded textures, but the gameplay feel fresh. Those bullets ...
Just Cause 4 PS4 Review – Explosive Déjà vu
Gaming, PlayStation Reviews

Just Cause 4 PS4 Review – Explosive Déjà vu

Avalanche are back with the 4th instalment of the crazy destroyathon series that is Just Cause, available now on PC, Playstation and Xbox.  I was lucky enough to obtain a copy for my PS4 Pro meaning for the last week atleast, the O'Driscoll family have been safe from being gunned down!  So is Just Cause 4 worth the hype and more importantly, should it be on your letter to Santa this year?  Read on and make your mind up! Gameplay Just Cause 4 is set on a South American Island called Solís where all the inhabitants know is conflict, oppression and extreme weather conditions.  Playing as the rogue hero Rico Rodriguez, you make your grand entrance as you attempt to learn the truth about your past as well as free the Islanders from their slave like evil overlord. Just Cause 4 is massiv...