Kyle McGrath, Author at Thumb Culture

GreedFall II: The Dying World – PC Preview

24Sep

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

GreedFall II: The Dying World – PC Preview

Spider Studios brings us their new pre-sequel GreedFall II: The Dying World. The events of this game take place 3 years prior to the events of the first game. In this game, however, we play as a native rather than the colonist. If you enjoyed the first and are looking to dive back into this beautiful world once again like me. Then you can find it out in early access today on Steam here. A new land with newer foes GreedFall II begins with a man named Furkan sitting in front of an easel painting someone, asking them to stay still. This leads you to the character creation screen, after which your mother comes to scold you about hanging around Furkan, as you have other things to do. After this, you and two other people from your village embark on trials to become sages. Gameplay Afte...

Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed – PS5 Review

23Sep

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

PlayStation Reviews

Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed – PS5 Review

Thanks to the team at Purple Lamp, we see Disney’s Epic Mickey: Rebrushed returning on a new set of consoles and with a fresh coat of paint. Originally an exclusive for the Nintendo Wii, I missed my chance to play it first time round, so I’ll be going in blind for this one. The game launched on Nintendo Switch, Xbox, Steam and PlayStation today, 23rd September. Epic tales are told in many art forms. I own Epic Mickey 2: Power of Two on PlayStation 3. But never dived into it due to not originally playing the previous entry. I do enjoy playing some of Disney’s more interesting properties when their characters are involved, aka when they add dark undertones to their games. Making them seem more mature. The best example I can think of is the Kingdom Heart franchise, with the themes of da...

20Sep

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

PlayStation Reviews

Pneumata – PS5 Review

Back in April, I checked out a preview for Deadbolt Interactive’s new game Pneumata. If you want to know my initial thoughts of the game, click here. Today I'm looking at the full release of this new survival horror to see if it delivers. You can pick Pneumata when it releases this month on the 20th for the PS5. Disclaimer: some GIFs used in this review contain strobe effects and flashing images, please be careful. Why is it always the small towns that are the issue? Additionally, I would like to warn you that Pneumata contains heavy flashing images. Even though the game provides a warning, I do not recommend it for individuals with epilepsy or other conditions that can be affected. I don’t suffer with anything myself, and found the game too much. Gameplay The game begins with o...

16Sep

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

PC Reviews

Baby Blues Nightmares – PC Review

Last week we unveiled the release date trailer for Baby Blues Nightmares, a survival horror created by Steelkrill Studio that has you play through the eyes of, well, a baby. A toddler to be specific. Today I'm back with a full review of the game. Baby Blues Nightmares releases today, 16th September, on Steam. I'm gonna need a warm blanky and a cup of hot chocolate after this. Baby Blues Nightmares first caught my attention as it reminded me of the game Among The Sleep. Playing through the eyes of a toddler in horror games is a premise we don’t see all that often. And I do like my horror games. Gameplay Baby Blues Nightmares is a survival horror stealth game where you play as a toddler and have to do what it takes in order to survive. The gameplay is simple because just as in real...

12Sep

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

PlayStation Reviews

Unholy – PS5 Review

Last week we covered the news that Duality Games' horror game Unholy was soon to be released on console. Today I'm back to review the game! Unholy is a dark, twisted-adventure set around a Prophet who promises eternal happiness. As previously mentioned, it arrives tomorrow, Friday 13th for the PlayStation 5. It's usually too good to be true. Unholy’s story is about a mother who is attempting to save her son Gabriel’s soul after a dark ritual goes wrong. She is aided by an elderly woman who offers her a way to help save her child, but at what cost? Gameplay Unholy has players navigating between two realms to find clues in order to save your son's soul. These worlds are post-Soviet Eastern European town and the dark, grotesque world of Unholy, ruled by a merciless caste of priests...

11Sep

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

PlayStation Reviews

The Casting of Frank Stone – PS5 Review

The Casting of Frank Stone takes the universe of Dead by Daylight (with original story) and turns it into the interactive storytelling style that I know and love from Supermassive Games. There are two versions of the game, standard (£32.99) and deluxe (£39.99). The deluxe version includes instant access to the “Cutting Room Floor” and some additional outfits. Honestly, I prefer playing the killer myself. Now, I’m not such a fan of the actual gameplay style of Dead by Daylight, but I enjoy the lore it has. That’s why I was happy to see The Casting of Frank Stone in this kind of gameplay style. I have played a good few of Supermassive Games previous titles, such as Until Dawn, Dark Pictures series and The Quarry. All fantastic games in my opinion. I’m really hoping the The Casting of F...

Edifier W830NB Wireless Headphones – Review

2Sep

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

Hardware & Tech

Edifier W830NB Wireless Headphones – Review

Edifier is making another appearance here at Thumb Culture, this time with the Edifier W830NB Wireless Headphones. Featuring Bluetooth connectivity, noise cancellation, and various audio controls via the side of the headphones, I’m excited to jump in and test these headphones out! Sleek Design In true edifier fashion, the Edifier W830NB Wireless Headphones design is sleek and minimalist. Maintaining a stylish yet classy look. The Edifier logo is on both outward sides of the headphones in gold, contrasting well against the black colouring. Despite the gold logo, it doesn’t look garish and is quite subtle. The headphones are currently available in black, grey or sand white. In terms of comfort, the headphone’s headband is adjustable to suit the wearer as standard. The padding on t...

16Aug

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Level Zero: Extraction – Preview

Level Zero: Extraction is a multiplayer tactical shooter with survival horror elements. Developed by Doghowl Games and published by tinyBuild, Level Zero: Extraction is currently in early access and available on Steam for £16.75. Get that data at any cost After scientific expeditions to discover a new lifeform, New Horizons Corporation breed the discovered alien lifeforms with humans for military experiments. Now Megacorps across the world are sending Mercenaries (or Mercs) to retrieve that data for themselves. Play as a Merc versing both other Mercs and Aliens, or play as an Alien to hunt down every human on sight. Merc Gameplay A Merc’s goal is to retrieve data or items wanted in the Contract Menu and exit the area. Before entering a mission, you can choose which weapons and ...

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit – PC Review

14Aug

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

PC Reviews

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit – PC Review

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit is a new game created and published by Mega Cats Studios. Although it’s based on the book of the same name, it only tells one of the three stories. The game has been out since August 7th on Steam and looks great from some of the screen shots I’ve seen. It’s available for £16.75. May be a short game, but it's gonna be a long night. I’ve always enjoyed the Five Nights at Freddy's games and the lore surrounding them. I admit, however, that the books are something I haven't touched. Not for any particularly reason but because it’s not my preferred media of choice. When I heard a game was being made based on (I think) the first book, I was happy to check it out. This way I can enjoy the book without having to read it! Gameplay Within Into The Pits...

13Aug

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Nowhere – PC Preview

Nowhere is a horror game with detective and survival horror elements. Developed and published Midnight Forge LTD, Nowhere features Nordic aesthetics and lore. There is no release date yet, but the game is available to wishlist on Steam right now. Someone In The Middle Of Nowhere Your unnamed character is searching for a group of young adults that have gone missing in a forest in Norway. You begin near their abandoned campervan, and set off to follow a series of notes, polaroids and other disturbing clues to unravel what happened to them. Gameplay At its core Nowhere has the player exploring areas and collecting evidence to add to a Case Board. This Case Board holds all the information on the missing group and their whereabouts you have collected thus far. During exploration you...