Brian, Author at Thumb Culture

7May

By BrianNo Comments

A Flashback Sequel Is In Production!

So you may be thinking "we already had a sequel". And indeed we did in the form of Fade To Black, but we are getting another one. Details are scarce at the minute but if this logo for Flashback 2 is anything to go by, I am very excited to see Conrad B. Hart in his pristine white 80's style trainers once again. And we know this is legitimate because Paul Cuisset, the founder of Delphine Software and creator of the original game is leading a team to make this happen. For those unaware, Flashback was a game released in 1992 developed by Delphine Studios. Delphine were made famous for their cinematics style platformers like Flashback and Another World and Cruise for a Corpse. Flashback was an instant hit back in the day releasing on everything from the Acorn Archimedes to the FM T...

Assetto Corsa Competizione British GT DLC Review

6May

By BrianNo Comments

PlayStation Reviews

Assetto Corsa Competizione British GT DLC Review

Assetto Corsa Competizione is the latest racing sim from Italian developers Kunos Simulazioni. Published by veterans 505 games, it was released on PC in 2019 and hit consoles in 2020. It follows up on the first game Assetto Corsa, released in 2014 on PC and in 2016 on consoles. Unlike the previous game, Assetto Corsa Competizione is more focused on GT racing and is the official game for the GT seasons 2018 and 2019. Furthermore, the game is starting to drive its way into the esports world, having been selected for events such as the SRO E-Sport GT Series and the McLaren Shadow Project. Assetto Corsa Competizione British GT DLC - The Best Of British The British GT pack is the fourth DLC pack released and is also part of the season pass which is available now. So, it's time for lights...

Huge Free Mass Effect Content Drop From Bioware

6May

By Brian2 Comments

News & Updates

Huge Free Mass Effect Content Drop From Bioware

In anticipation of the upcoming launch of Mass Effect Legendary Edition, BioWare has released several fun pieces of content for fans to enjoy. Mass Effect Legendary Edition will launch on May 14th on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles. BioWare put together a web experience allowing players to customize their own Mass Effect Legendary Edition key art. New and veteran Shepards alike can choose their squadmates, morality, and even key location to create their own personalized key art to share with friends or social media or use the randomiser to create one of the billions of permutations. Images can then be downloaded in several formats, including 4K and slipcover sizing for players who want to personalize their physical copies! Above is an example of the artwork I made. The web experien...

The Most And Least Consistent Popular Video Game Franchises

14Apr

By BrianNo Comments

News & Updates

The Most And Least Consistent Popular Video Game Franchises

As we know, video games have their ups and downs over the years. Some are consistently good. Some are consistently bad. And some are a bit in between, you know the kind of ones. They're like the mouldy strawberry in an otherwise delicious punnet that can sort of put you off of eating the rest. As with video game franchises, some don't know when to stop so it is inevitable that somewhere along the way there will be a bad egg. A new report by Money.co.uk has taken a deep dive into game ratings to reveal the most and least consistent popular video game franchises and the best and worst games in each. They have analysed the average ratings of each of the games in the most popular franchises. Which come out as the best and worst in each and which game franchises have divided gamers the ...

Top 20 EA Games Of The 20th Century Part 2 – 1993-1999

14Apr

By BrianNo Comments

Features, Retrogaming Corner

Top 20 EA Games Of The 20th Century Part 2 – 1993-1999

Oh hello, you've caught me reminiscing about old EA games...again! Part 1 covered the years between 1986 and 1993, and there were some beauties in there. There were some you might have expected, and also a couple of curveballs thrown in the mix. My Top 20 EA Games all based purely on my own opinion and experiences, and Part 2 will be no different. If you missed Part 1, you can check it out here and let us know what you think. Also, did you know we have a Discord? Come and join the conversation with the team and other TC Noobs here. So without further ado, let's dive into the Top 20 EA Games Of The 20th Century Part 2 – 1993-1999. Syndicate (1993) Following the successes of Populous and Powermonger, Syndicate was the game the cemented Bullfrog's reputation as developers. You...

Postal REDUX Review – A Symphony of Slaughter (17+)

12Apr

By BrianNo Comments

PlayStation Reviews

Postal REDUX Review – A Symphony of Slaughter (17+)

Postal REDUX is all the glorious murder from the original 1997 PC game Postal but remade in HD and with the Unreal Engine 4. Once again it has been developed by Running With Scissors but this time around it has been published by MD Games. It was originally released on PC in 2016, Switch in November of 2020, PlayStation 4 in March in the US, and April for the UK. Postal REDUX was announced in 2014 but the PlayStation 4 version was cancelled in 2017 due to poor sales on the PC. In Postal REDUX the air ripens with the odours of the dead and dying. It smells like...Victory Thankfully, MD Games announced a port of the game in September of 2020, and here we are. We have the original game and all its expansion packs, so 23 stages in total. Back in the day, Postal received moderate reviews...

Paradise Lost Review And Q&A With The Developers

9Apr

By Brian1 Comment

PlayStation Reviews

Paradise Lost Review And Q&A With The Developers

World War II games tend to lend themselves well to an alternative history, take a look at the Wolfenstein games for instance. But rather than blasting Nazis to bits, Polish developers PolyAmorous offer us something a little deeper than guns blazing, retro-futuristic technology for their debut title, Paradise Lost. Paradise Lost was developed by PolyAmorous Games and published by All In! games and released on March 24th, 2021 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The Mind Is Its Own Place, And In Itself Can Make A Heaven Of Hell, Or A Hell Of Heaven - John Milton (Paradise Lost) As a huge fan of World War II history, I could not wait to see what alternative path the developers had come up with. If you have played Paradise Lost, let us know in the comments below. Gameplay The war had ...

Alex Kidd In Miracle World DX Arrives On June 24th

9Apr

By BrianNo Comments

News & Updates, Retrogaming Corner

Alex Kidd In Miracle World DX Arrives On June 24th

A full 35 years since the original release on the Sega Master System, a remake of Alex Kidd In Miracle World is nearly here. I am excited! If you remember, Alex Kidd was the official Sega mascot until Sonic The Hedgehog came along in 1991. Alex Kidd In Miracle World DX is the debut game developed by Jankenteam and published by Merge Games. It will release on PS4, PS5 Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC on June 24th, 2021. This is much more than a visual makeover though. Here's what we can expect: A Legend Reborn – Dive into a stunning recreation of Alex Kidd in Miracle World with striking new art and tighter, more fluid controls. New Modes – New modes such including ‘Classic Mode’ and ‘Boss Rush Mode’ will be available for players alongside the standard game. ...

The Games We Struggled Most With In 2020

18Mar

By BrianNo Comments

Features, News & Updates

The Games We Struggled Most With In 2020

The year 2020 was a funny old year. For many, it was a time of solidarity and unification in the fight against COVID-19. Thank you to all key workers and NHS, you have done and are doing an amazing job. But for others, it was a time to reconnect with our loved ones - video games. As we were told to stay at home, we whittled away countless hours on video games. So here we have a list of The Games We Struggled Most With In 2020. While the real world was falling apart around us, we tapped into that ever-growing backlog to escape. To escape to worlds of pure joy and elation, where there is no death, only happiness. Well, as it turns out there was a hell of a lot of death and we kept on going back for more. The folks over at comparethemarket have analysed data from Google referring ...

Final Fantasy XIII – A Retrospective Review – Lightning Strikes!

11Mar

By BrianNo Comments

Retrogaming Corner

Final Fantasy XIII – A Retrospective Review – Lightning Strikes!

As we are on the verge of Square Enix's 16th instalment to their flagship series Final Fantasy, we thought we would take a look at one of the games that divided the fanbase, Final Fantasy XIII. Both developed and published by Square Enix, Final Fantasy XIII is an RPG that released in March 2010 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It wasn't until 2014 that it saw a release on PC. It is also available on the Xbox Series X via backward compatibility which will run at a higher resolution. For this review, I am playing the PlayStation 3 version. Final Fantasy XIII - Do You Have The Courage To Face Your Destiny? Final Fantasy XIII received positive reviews upon release, but some fans had criticised the linearity of the game up until a certain point. Square Enix has gone on record to say that ...