Jason, Author at Thumb Culture

8-Bit Armies Review – Welcome Back Commander

3Oct

By JasonNo Comments

8-Bit Armies Review – Welcome Back Commander

8-Bit Armies developed by Petroglyph and published by Soedesco is a fast paced real-time strategy game that has a strong similarity to the Command & Conquer franchise and is depicted in a voxel manner, i.e the graphics are made up of blocky pixels. I have been yearning for a game to come along for console that is along the lines of Dune, C&C, StarCraft etc. Is 8-Bit Armies to be that salvation? Gameplay From the off you are greeted by a curiously similar voice from Commander & Conquer times "Welcome Back Commander". Already I am getting excited in anticipation as to what will come next. The options you have are to start a campaign, skirmish or online multiplayer session. Campaign mode it is! Selecting between the two available factions; Renegades and Guardians, ...

Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 Review – Better than Fifa?

21Sep

By JasonNo Comments

Gaming, PC Reviews

Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 Review – Better than Fifa?

Pro Evolution Soccer by Konami has recently delivered their 2018/19 instalment of their franchise that has been running since 2001. As a direct rival to EA's Fifa games, many gamers favour one or the other and I was certainly influenced early on into Fifa as it seemed more popular with my friends, what with having all of the major football licenses, ensuring you could always play as your team. How does Pro Evo 2019 look, play and feel? Let's kick off and find out! Gameplay Pro Evo 2019 has disappointingly, as some of you will already be aware, lost the license to the UEFA Champions League after holding it for 9 years. EA looks to of snapped it up as it featured in their official reveal trailer back in June (release date 28th September). Don't let this put you off Pro Evo 2019 ho...

Roccat Kone AIMO Gaming Mouse Review – A Technicoloured Dream?

30Aug

By Jason4 Comments

Gaming, PC Reviews

Roccat Kone AIMO Gaming Mouse Review – A Technicoloured Dream?

Here at ThumbCulture HQ we are lucky enough to review all manner of software and hardware so that you can read an unbiased view of what we make of it before you decide to spend your hard earned money. This week we were lucky enough to get our hands on the Roccat Kone AIMO Gaming Mouse and it is. Stunning. So how can a mouse be "stunning" I hear you ask? Yes I would ask the same, I still remember the days of taking the ball out and clearing the fluff from the rollers, nothing stunning about that!! Well take a look at the image below, and we shall continue. Available in a black, grey or white chassis, the Roccat Kone AIMO Gaming Mouse retails around £70 in the UK. The German design oozes lovely ergonomics that ensure the mouse fits beautifully in the palm of your hand. With 1...

Guts and Glory Review (18+) – Blood, Gore and Mayhem!

29Aug

By JasonNo Comments

Gaming, PC Reviews, Switch Reviews

Guts and Glory Review (18+) – Blood, Gore and Mayhem!

Oh my freakin' god what have I just played! Let's get this said first. Guts and Glory is certainly not for the faint hearted or those that don't like the sight of the red stuff. Blood litters the streets, parts of limbs hang from hooks, my bicycle is in tatters and I am flying through the air after hitting a claymore mine. Yep it can only be HakJak Production's gruesome racing/action game Guts and Glory! Available across all formats and winner of both the IndieDB Editor's and Player's Choice award, was I going to find a great game or just some over the top blood bath of a gaming project? Gameplay Simply put, Guts and Glory requires you to race your character from one point to another through checkpoints within a makeshift 3D world while avoiding all sorts of everyday hazards su...

21Aug

By JasonNo Comments

Gaming, PC Reviews

Guacamelee! 2 Review – A Fiesta For Your Eyes?

Guacamelee! 2 by developer DrinkBox Studios is the long awaited sequel to the platformer series which sees hero luchador Juan Aguacate come out of retirement for a new metroidvania style adventure set across the vast Mexiverse. Inspired by Mexican culture, folklore, crazy chickens and the thrill of wrestling moves, Guacamelee! 2 brings you an epic new story that plays across both the living and the dead worlds simultaneously as well as featuring 4 player local co-op. Available for both Playstation and PC, is Guacamelee! 2 going to be a fiesta or muy mal? Gameplay Guacamelee! 2 begins as a single player game as you recap what has previously happened in the first Guacamelee! back in 2013. Evil Calaca has captured El Presidente's daughter Lupita and is attempting to merge the worlds ...

Aces Of The Luftwaffe: Squadron – Review – Flying High?

13Aug

By JasonNo Comments

Gaming, PC Reviews, Switch Reviews

Aces Of The Luftwaffe: Squadron – Review – Flying High?

Aces of the Luftwaffe: Squadron by German developer Handy Games, who incidentally were acquired by THQ Nordic last month, is a retro arcade vertical scrolling shoot'em up that sees you take command of fighter aces as you take on waves of Axis planes, panzers....oh and even a flying saucer as you attempt to foil the occult plans of the Luftwaffe. Previously in 2015, the console version of Aces of the Luftwaffe was shot down in flames due to it's terribly received port from mobile. Available now on PS4, Xbox One and Steam. Can Aces of the Luftwaffe: Squadron do better? Gameplay Aces of the Luftwaffe: Squadron begins immediately and you are introduced to 4 fighter pilots, namely; Steve Davis, John King, Melissa Monroe and Mark Taylor. The 4 pilots all fly in a squad formation with ...

Roccat Cross Headset Review – Something Like A Phenomenon?

8Aug

By Jason1 Comment

Gaming, PC Reviews

Roccat Cross Headset Review – Something Like A Phenomenon?

I don't know about you but over the years I have had a few different gaming machines and being a bit of a family guy with small children I can't always get to enjoy my gaming in the evening feeling the explosions rippling across my carpet from the subwoofer nor the sounds of gunfire whistling around the room as I may wake them all up! As a result I have had a fair few headsets over the years and this has also led to the issue of having various types of headset to suit the device I am playing on. Enter the ROCCAT Cross, a stereo headset that offers multi-platform connectivity between your devices. On unboxing the Roccat Cross I was greeted by the headset as seen above along with 2 interchangeable leads and the instruction book. Of the 2 anti-tangle leads, one featured a 1.2m sin...

Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?! Review – Pile of Mash or Roasty Goodness?

1Aug

By JasonNo Comments

Gaming

Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?! Review – Pile of Mash or Roasty Goodness?

A game about potato people. Seriously is this really a thing? I remember Rimmer from the TV show Red Dwarf talking about the "king of the potato people" but has the delusion finally become a reality?...well in a way yes, yes it has! Fresh out on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?! is a very strange simulation game developed by Daylight Studios based in Singapore, whereby you manage a team of potato people who work in a weapon forge. Here you oversee the forging and selling of their wares to other potato folk who are looking for the right weapon for the quest they are undertaking. I really couldn't make this up, this is an "emerging genre" according to the press kit! Gameplay You control a potato who has inherited a weapon forge from his late grandfather and...

The Incredibles Lego Game Review – Does The Formula Still Work?

13Jul

By JasonNo Comments

LEGO, PC Reviews

The Incredibles Lego Game Review – Does The Formula Still Work?

Adding to the Lego gaming franchise that is brought to us by Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment and Traveller's Tales comes Disney Pixar The Incredibles. Launched just in time with the release into cinema of the second instalment of The Incredibles movies, is the Lego gaming franchise still its humorous fun self or has it grown old and tired? Gameplay As ever, The Incredibles game follows the very much tried and tested Lego gaming formula comprising of witty dialogues, short dynamic cut scenes and essentially teamwork between characters to solve puzzles and complete the levels. Here we get to play as The Incredible family, starting off with Mr Incredible and Elastogirl as we are thrown straight into the action onboard a huge tunnelling machine. Now it is at this point I must ...

Red Faction: Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered Review – Blast From The Past!

2Jul

By JasonNo Comments

Gaming, PC Reviews

Red Faction: Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered Review – Blast From The Past!

The year was 2009, I was 29 years old, The Black Eyed Peas had a feeling, Dizzee Rascal was bonkers and Lady Gaga was showing off her poker face. The gaming scene was alive with Uncharted 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum and a little gem by developers Volition called Red Faction: Guerrilla. For those of you that were possibly only 9 years old back then (I'm not bitter at all and you missed an amazing millennium party) Red Faction: Guerrilla was the 3rd instalment of the Red Faction Saga which introduced a third person open world style of gameplay to the player. Previous games in the series, Red Faction (2001) and Red Faction II (2002) were first person shooters that saw you play in the first game on Mars as a miner called Parker who was having his life ruined by the giant Ultor Corporation ...