Thursday, April 25

Author: Jay Armstrong

Found as TheManMountain on every major gaming platform. I play a wide range of games across a variety of platforms, enjoying RPGs, action games and platformers. You’ll find me frequenting the podcast and hijacking the Twitch channel. In the real world, I’m a software developer by trade and spend a lot of time 3D printing and streaming.
Gears 5 Hivebusters DLC Review – Busting Makes Me Feel Good
21Jan By Jay ArmstrongNo Comments
Xbox Reviews

Gears 5 Hivebusters DLC Review – Busting Makes Me Feel Good

It is the year 2020... A year where Microsoft struggled to really demonstrate why their machine was the most powerful on the market. Yet they seemed to release, with zero fanfare, one of the most gorgeous games I've seen. Yet they've finally done it with Gears 5 Hivebusters. Gears 5 Hivebusters is a free (well on Game Pass) DLC for Gears 5 that is a 3-hour origin story of Scorpio Team. The team was first introduced in Gears 5's sorely underrated Escape mode. Whilst it's only a small, linear campaign, it's packed with a lot of character and some really impressive visuals. Typical Scorpio... Blowing up swarm with a deadly gas... The Escape mode in Gears 5 was effectively the act of poisoning a Swarm nest. It was then a race against the clock, and the various antagonists, as you make...
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Immortals Fenyx Rising Review – Fun and Monsters
8Jan By Jay ArmstrongNo Comments
Xbox Reviews

Immortals Fenyx Rising Review – Fun and Monsters

After a strange reveal, under the former name Gods and Monsters. Followed by a delay, we finally have Immortals Fenyx Rising. The game was originally thought up by the crew behind Assassin's Creed Odyssey with the aim of exploring Greek mythology with greater depth. The name change was rumoured to be because Monster energy wasn't happy with the use of the word "Monsters". Whether there is any truth to that, we'll likely never know. Having the title as Immortals does, however allow the creators to explore other mythologies in the future which I can see working well. Immortals Fenyx Rising is an open world adventure game where you play as the titular hero Fenyx. You get to create this character using some basic tools, which ultimately help you make Fenyx your own. Immortals Fenyx ...
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Cloud Gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate – What Exactly Is It?
22Dec By Jay ArmstrongNo Comments
Features

Cloud Gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate – What Exactly Is It?

Cloud Gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is the terrible name for a great service. Formerly known as Project XCloud, this is the free addition to Xbox Game Pass that allows you to play games on mobile devices. By heading to the Xbox Game Pass app on your phone you'll see a tab labelled "CLOUD". Now when I say phone, unfortunately at this stage it's only on Android. There is talk of a browser-based solution coming for iPhone users at a later date. Also, this will work on any compatible Android device; tablet or phone. In this post, we're going to be looking at cloud gaming with box game pass ultimate and asking the question; what exactly is it? Cloud Gaming With Xbox Game Pass Ultimate - How Does It Work? Ultimately, XCloud (sorry Microsoft, it's easier to write) streams the c...
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Devil May Cry V Special Edition Review – Devil May Kick Ass
14Dec By Jay ArmstrongNo Comments
Xbox Reviews

Devil May Cry V Special Edition Review – Devil May Kick Ass

Devil May Cry has had an interesting history. First debuting on the PlayStation 2 the game was originally intended to be Resident Evil 4. During development it evolved its own style and thusly became its own franchise. Featuring a unique hack and slash style it was an instant hit. Sometime after Devil May Cry 4 the franchise was rebooted under the banner DmC: Devil may Cry. Strangely, despite the critical and relatively commercial success it never took off beyond that. Of course in 2019 Devil May Cry 5 launched, ignoring the reboot and continuing the story that debuted in 2001. Here we are a year later with Devil May Cry V Special Edition. Finding Nero And Dante's Peak? The Ultimate Crossover... I've not been particularly close to the Devil May Cry franchise. I have played each one, ...
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Xbox Series X Review – Power Your Dreams
11Dec By Jay ArmstrongNo Comments
Hardware & Tech

Xbox Series X Review – Power Your Dreams

Microsoft first announced the Xbox Series X during the Game Awards 2019. Finally, as we're on the verge of the 2020 show, we have the new machine. Microsoft also announced a smaller, less powerful variant in the Xbox Series S. Today though we're only focusing on their flagship model, in this Xbox Series X review. The original reveal showed this strange, monolithic tower with a slew of pre-rendered footage. It was enough to get people excited about what the future holds and started Microsoft on the almost 1-year journey from announcement to launch. Sporting an unconventional shape it soon came to light that the machine was much smaller than you realise. The Next Generation Is Now The Current Generation... You likely know by now that I am a console gamer at heart. In fact, I've been...
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Astro’s Playroom Review – A Celebration Of Sony’s Legacy
30Nov By Jay ArmstrongNo Comments
PlayStation Reviews

Astro’s Playroom Review – A Celebration Of Sony’s Legacy

Sony's latest mascot is a little robot called Astro. Astro debuted in a strong, PlayStation VR game called Astro Bot Rescue Mission. This was a critical and commercial success right out of the door, offering a charming 3D platformer with a VR twist. Despite being a full game, it was arguably the flagship tech demo for the VR unit itself for a long time.  Well SIE Japan Studio is back, and their Asobi Team has put Astro right back in the spotlight. A self-proclaimed tech demo designed to show off the features of the new DualSense controller. This actually undersells Astro's Playroom, which in realistic terms is a competent platformer with a slew of Easter eggs to keep any Sony fan smiling. Check out what we made of it in this Astro's Playroom review. Astro's Playroom Review: A Tech Demo Wi...
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The Falconeer Review – Sky Of Thieves…
20Nov By Jay ArmstrongNo Comments
Xbox Reviews

The Falconeer Review – Sky Of Thieves…

The Falconeer is the debut title from Tomas Sala, an independent Dutch developer. Published by Wired Productions and launching for the Xbox Series X. The Falconeer is an open-world, flight game. You wouldn't be remiss to note the style is of course similar to Xbox's own Sea of Thieves, only instead of a boat you have a mighty falcon! This is one of the few games landing on the Xbox Series X that isn't on Game Pass. Fortunately though it's unique enough to not have been buried and also lands at a respectable £24.99 RRP. Currently it is exclusive to Microsoft and at this stage it's not clear whether or not there are plans for a PlayStation or Switch launch in the future. The Falconeer - The next generation takes flight... Admittedly The Falconeer was not on my radar until quite clos...
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Xbox Game Pass – What Is The So-Called “Best Deal In Gaming”?
18Nov By Jay ArmstrongNo Comments
Features

Xbox Game Pass – What Is The So-Called “Best Deal In Gaming”?

Xbox Game Pass is branded by Microsoft as the "best deal in gaming". I personally believe they've earned that title. In fact, it's become almost a parody at this stage how much we, at Thumb Culture, love Xbox Game Pass. Not only does it provide a lot of content at an affordable price, but it also delivers it across multiple platforms. Originally announced, rather unceremoniously via an Xbox blog post, it was immediately apparent that it was going to be a good deal for gamers. The service has grown a lot since those days, and is talked about weekly by media and gamers at large. This is thanks to the regular updates and content provided by Xbox and their partners. What is it? Xbox Game Pass is a subscription model; just like Netflix, Disney+ or Amazon Prime. It offers a list of games t...
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Tetris Effect: Connected – Not That Effective…
16Nov By Jay Armstrong1 Comment
Xbox Reviews

Tetris Effect: Connected – Not That Effective…

Tetris Effect: Connected is the follow-up to Tetris Effect. It's actually mostly the same game, only with the addition of all-new co-op and competitive online modes. These modes can also be played locally and are probably where the game really excels. If you're reading this, heck if you're human then you'll know what Tetris is. If you don't know what Tetris is then there's likely a whole lot more to this planet that you've never seen. I'll pause here a moment to let you go learn about things like the sun, air, trees and sandwiches. Now that we're sure you know what Tetris is, what makes Tetris Effect: Connected different? The whole shtick of the game is that it's Tetris with moods. As you manipulate the tetrominos on-screen they'll influence the beat, and the surroundings to help en...
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Razer Kishi For Android – Bringing Mobile Gaming To The Forefront…
11Nov By Jay ArmstrongNo Comments
Android & iOS, Hardware & Tech

Razer Kishi For Android – Bringing Mobile Gaming To The Forefront…

The Razer Kishi is a clip on mobile accessory that turns your smartphone into a portable console. Mobile gaming has often been frowned upon with hardcore gamers. A stigma that is soon to be obsolete as mobile chipsets, screens and cloud based gaming options continue to grow. It's likely no coincidence that the Razer Kishi is advertising alongside the likes of Xbox's Cloud Streaming service. It's clear from the layout and feel of the pad they've worked closely with Microsoft on this one. Sporting a compact design, but still evoking the traditional Xbox pad layout it does feel great in your hand. The flatter shape however does mean that sometimes it's a struggle to comfortably use some of the buttons. Design Fresh out of the box the Razer Kishi is surprisingly small and flat. It's v...
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