Kyle A McGrath, Author at Thumb Culture

28Jun

By Kyle A McGrathNo Comments

Taora: Survival – PC Preview

I’m checking out a new open-world crafting and survival game called Taora: Survival. The developers at Tulpar Games released the game for early access in May and placed a road map to show what new features they want to add later on. You can purchase Taora: Survival on the Steam store for £11.79. Looting, killing and surviving, oh my! Craft, loot and build your character’s skills on a zombie-ridden island in the name of survival. Players will recruit characters, complete missions and build their base. Featuring an open world, players will also be able to utilise vehicles to travel across and explore the island. Gameplay The game loads you in and gives you missions to help slowly build up your base. The missions are simple and great for teaching you the basics. You will build vario...

The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication – PC Review

22May

By Kyle A McGrathNo Comments

PC Reviews

The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication – PC Review

I’m playing The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication, although this is the second game from Softstar Entertainment, you don’t need to play the first. The game is out now and is available is on Steam for £20.99. I haven’t played the previous entry, but this game caught my eye with their Steam page saying it was also based on a popular movie. For the movie enthusiast out there, the two movies I found are The Bridge Curse (2020) and The Bridge Curse: Ritual (2023). There can't be darkness without light. Gameplay In The Bridge Curse 2, you will play from the perspective of four individuals, starting with the young reporter Sue Lian. Sue gets offered to interview the members of the film club at Wen Hua University. Like most horror games, things aren’t that simple, and she gets pulled into a n...

15May

By Kyle A McGrathNo Comments

PC Reviews

Crow Country – PC Review

Let’s check out a new survival horror game which was developed by SFB Games, called Crow Country. You’ll explore an abandoned theme park while looking for the owner who’s gone missing. When has an amusement park not been fun? The player will have to solve environmental puzzles and mange their ammo as they wander this dilapidated place. The game is out now as of May 4th this year and you can pick it up on Steam for £16.75. Gameplay Crow Country plays a lot like some of the earlier Resident Evil games except without the tank controls and no fixed cameras. We play as Mara Forest, a young woman who goes to Crow Country Amusement Park to locate the owner, Edward Crow. You start with nothing but a handgun, but can find other weapons as you play. As you explore the park, kee...

7May

By Kyle A McGrathNo Comments

PC Reviews

Harvest Hunt – PC Review

Harvest Hunt is a first-person survival horror developed by Villainous Games Studio and published by Neonhive Games. Reap What You Sow This dark roguelike releases on May 22nd on Steam. Gameplay The Warden you play as is random, with a Strength and Lore unique to them. The overall goal of Harvest Hunt is to survive Harvest Season. To complete a Harvest Season, players must get through five Nights. During the Nights, players must navigate the farmlands of Luna Nova and collect Ambrosia, which looks like a cluster of red fruit, with larger clusters taking longer to harvest. The Devourer It's a race against the Devourer, who'll taint the Ambrosia, making it useless and therefore unobtainable. The Devourer will find and attack you, either itself or through Fiends. Fiends will lurk...

7May

By Kyle A McGrathNo Comments

PC Reviews

Phantom Fury – PC Review

Published by 3D Realms and created at Slipgate Ironworks™ comes a new retro-shooter called Phantom Fury. The game was released for Steam on April 24th, for £20.49, with a Digital Artbook also available for purchase at £2.49. Some players might know the protagonist from the developer's other work called Bombshell. Although that game was a top-down shooter, their new game changes to an FPS style. This is one Phantom that doesn't hide in the shadows We take the role of Shelly “Bombshell” Harrison after she awakes in a lab thanks to a character called the Colonel. The area you are in is being attacked by the GDF, and your first task is to arm up and get out of there. This takes the player across various areas and wielding a large armoury or weapons. This may be Shelly’s second game, but th...

3May

By Kyle A McGrathNo Comments

Gaming

Indika – PC Review

Exploring themes of religion, doubt, regret and the contrast between belief and the harsh realities of the world, Indika explores the tale of the titular young nun struggling against her metaphorical - and literal - demons in her head. Indika is a third person horror game with puzzle elements, developed by Odd Meter and published by 11 Bit Studios. Though it’s currently available on Steam for £20.99, it’s also available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox. Breaking The Habit As a disclaimer to those who may be affected, Indika displays and approaches themes some players may find uncomfortable or offensive. Some such dark themes include scenes of abuse and challenging religious ideas. Gameplay Indika’s gameplay come into two different parts. The present tense (which is most of the game) is ...

Jack Holmes: Master of Puppets – PS5 Review

1May

By Kyle A McGrathNo Comments

PlayStation Reviews

Jack Holmes: Master of Puppets – PS5 Review

Let's dive into a new horror game coming to PlayStation 5, called Jack Holmes: Master of Puppets. This new survival horror is already out on Steam but will be arriving on PS5 on May 2nd. I couldn't tell you the price but from checking Steam, I'd be guessing either £9.99 or £11.99. Who's really pulling the strings here? We step into the shoes of the titular Jack Holmes, He gets a letter from his Aunt. The letter asks him to investigate the disappearance of a man named Frederick B. Since Jack hasn't had a job for a while he accepts it and heads out, but as we know with any horror he gets more than he bargained for. Gameplay The game itself doesn’t have a lot in the ways of gameplay mechanics. You will be walking through various levels fending off against various monsters. The game ...

25Apr

By Kyle A McGrathNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Kill It With Fire 2 – PC Preview

It's time to fight spiders with fire, once again, in this new sequel, Kill It With Fire 2. Creators at Casey Donnellan Games LLC have released it for early access this month on the 16th. You'll play The Exterminator as he continues to take on the eight-legged menace. Grab some friends and start hunting together via the campaign, or go head-to-head in Spider-Hunt. You can pick up the game for £12.79 or give some extra support with the Supporters pack, which comes with the OST and costs £15.28. You're gonna need more than fire. Gameplay Kill It With Fire 2 story takes place right after the first games. Our hero, The Exterminator, awakens in his house. The tutorial plays through similar to how it did in the first game but in reverse. Once you finish the tutorial, you get abducted into a ...

24Apr

By Kyle A McGrathNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Pneumata – PC Preview

I got a chance to check out an early preview of the game Pneumata. The game is a survival horror FPS and was developed by Deadbolt Interactive and published by Perp Games. The game should be released sometime this year, but I don't have the specifics or pricing. You can add Pneumata to your wishlist like I have if you're interested. The hell is going on! Gameplay The segment I got to play for Pneumata had me exploring a detention centre. While investigating, I came across some plans to find explosives and use them to reach the medical wing. The gameplay is similar to later versions of the Resident Evil games, primarily the items and inventory. Your inventory has limited space and goes buy a grid system. I'm not sure if the player will be able to expand their storage, but you can offlo...

23Apr

By Kyle A McGrathNo Comments

PC Reviews

Sker Ritual – PC Review

I'm checking out the new game from Wales Interactive called Sker Ritual. The name might ring some bells as they did have a previous horror game as well called Maid of Sker. Although, that entry was a single-player horror experience. Their new game, however, takes a rather bold direction by switching to a round-based zombie shooter similar to Call of Duty Zombies. You and up to three friends can fight waves together as Sker Ritual is available now on Steam for £19.99. The game is still in early access, but its full 1.0 release will be on the 18th of this month. There's a demo also available for the game for those looking to try before you buy. Nôl i mi eu heneidiau! From the Steam page, the Sker Ritual takes place after the events of Maid of Sker. The story primarily will appear throu...