Kyle McGrath, Author at Thumb Culture

14Feb

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

Blood Bar Tycoon – PC Review

Popping up out of the darkness is Blood Bar Tycoon. A management game developed by Clever Trickster Studios. We’ll watch as we spruce up run-down buildings and turn them into well-established bars. All while making sure our earthly patrons don’t become wise to the real clientele. Blood Bar Tycoon is out now on Steam for £16.99, with a Supporter Pack for a further £3.39. The pack has gold cosmetics for you to use in-game. Care to have a drink... and a bite? Gameplay There isn’t really a story for Blood Bar Tycoon. We go through a tutorial with several vampires teaching us specific tasks. They show how to start and properly run a bar. For Vampires! We will serve humans most of the time, as they will serve as both paying customers and walking cattle. Through finishing small missions (t...

10Feb

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

PC Reviews

A Game About Digging A Hole – PC Review

The oddly named game called A Game About Digging A Hole, was developed by Cyberwave. And the game is about, yep you guessed it, digging a hole. Right now I don’t know the pricing but it will be released on Steam for those who are interested. An Article About A Game Now there is a smidgen of a story for this Game About Digging A Hole. And that is we buy a newly advertised house for sale, that supposedly has treasure buried in the garden. Yep, it’s that simple. But hey, the house was quiet, and cheap on the market for a low cost of £10,000. Gameplay So in A Game About Digging A Hole, we purchase a new shovel to help dig in our garden. The Shovel itself is upgradeable and will dig a wider area with each upgrade. Now, there is only a handful of stuff you can upgrade. Some upgrades I’...

Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator – PC Review

6Feb

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

PC Reviews

Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator – PC Review

The first simulator of the year for me to review has me taking the role of a paramedic. I’ll respond to 911 calls and rush to the scene to save lives in Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator. Created by Aesir Interactive, who you might know if you’ve played Police Simulator: Patrol Officers. You can pick up the game via Steam for £24.99, or pick up the Supporter Edition that costs £34.99. In the Supporter Edition, you’ll get an expansion pack which adds new scenarios. Cosmetics are also part of the Supporter Edition. We've got too many lives to save and not enough time! Gameplay Ambulance Life starts with you choosing your player from a colourful cast of characters. You go on shifts in which you respond to an emergency callout. While you only have 15 minute shifts (which are timed) ...

4Feb

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

PlayStation Reviews

NINJA GAIDEN 2 Black – PS5 Review

Wow, KOEI TECMO, First Dynasty Warriors and now a stealth drop for NINJA GAIDEN 2 Black. It returns with a new engine and newer, better visuals. Once again, step into the tabi (shoes) of Ryu Hayabusa. As he aims to stop the return of the Great Archfiend at any cost. If you’re looking for a fun and challenging hack & slash game, then you can pick it up on the PSN store for £39.99. A side note for those unaware they did also announce NINJA GAIDEN 4. Warning! This article contains GIFs with flashing images. Those of the Dragon lineage are not so easily forgotten. I have played the franchise NINJA GAIDEN before and specifically this title twice. Once was on PSvita and another time a little more recently with the PS3 Remastered collection. The gameplay is something I enjoy, but the c...

30Jan

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

SCP: Fragmented Minds – PC Preview

I love it when studios have a go at making a game of the SCP universe. And HST Studios is shooting their shot. Entering early access is SCP: Fragmented Minds, a new survival horror where we will fight or hide while trying to uncover the truth in an abandoned facility. Its first full chapter is out now on Steam for £7.99. SCP-TC-J [CodeName] Thumb Culture Preview I’m glad to be checking out another single-player SCP game. The amount of creatures and organizations they have gives a lot of chances to tell a new story. The SCP Foundation has something for everyone, from gods to something resembling a cute orange jelly pal. I have already played a couple of other games which are okay, but I’m hoping SCP Fragmented Minds can really push it. One I reviewed not so long ago is Go Home Annie...

29Jan

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Gravelord – PC Preview

A new early access release called Gravelord has dropped into my library this week. It’s a fast-paced retro-styled shooter, developed by Fatbot Games, s. r. o. We make sure the dead stay dead all the while saying cheesy one-liners and leaving fresh corpses in our wake. Gravelord is out now on Steam for £18.48. Warning! This article uses GIFS that may contain flashing images. Is it worth it, or should it stay dead, buried, and forgotten? We get a simple set-up to Gravelord’s story with the main character Queedo narrating. He explains that it’s his job as the Grave Digger to ensure the dead get their last rest. Now, you think it would be easy but nope. Thanks to a rival, an elixir of life has been made and the dead now walk. So now it's Queedo's job to make sure they stay dead. So wit...

28Jan

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

PlayStation Reviews

FREEDOM WARS Remastered – PS5 Review

Thanks to Bandai Namco, we get to see the return of FREEDOM WARS. Originally released back in 2014 for the PlayStation Vita, it arrives back into your life on consoles and steam. I’ll be checking out the PS5 version for this review and to see how well it runs compared to its handheld counter-part. If you’re looking to try it for the first time, then you can grab it for £32.99. A contribution pack is also available, which will give a few in-game items. Sometimes being alive is crime in its own right. I played FREEDOM WARS on the Vita when it was given away for PS+ a while back. I remember enjoying it and finding the concept interesting. I didn’t get far through it however, as I don’t play portable systems that much. But when I saw that FREEDOM WARS Remastered was releasing, I thought,...

23Jan

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

PlayStation Reviews

Dynasty Warriors: Origins – PS5 Review

I don’t know about you guys but I found Dynasty Warriors 9 terrible with the open-world side of things. But KOEI TECMO seems to have changed their approach with the newest entry to the franchise Dynasty Warriors: Origins. I played the initial demo released prior to launch, and I really enjoyed the gameplay, so here’s hoping the full release is the same! The game has two versions available on PS5. One is the base game (costing £64.99) and the other is the digital deluxe. The deluxe nets you the soundtrack, 72-hour early access, letters, and the official art book. However, it will also set you back £79.99. Warning! Gifs used in this article might contain flashing imagery. Someone has to play mediator to the three kingdoms. I’ve played the Dynasty Warrior franchise since the good old o...

16Jan

By Kyle McGrath3 Comments

PC Reviews

Mekkablood: Quarry Assault – PC Review

Indie studio KRUMB Games is soon to launch their new action, retro-Shooter Mekkablood: Quarry Assault. The game itself is made by a solo developer and is inspired by the early 90s, FPS games such as Duke Nukem, Doom, and Quake. I enjoy retro-styled shooters, but I can't lie this mainly piqued my interested due to the Mech aspect of it. Warning! Please be aware this article contains gifs that may include flashing lights and patterns. Eat lead... wait, do you eat lead? Has this game caught your interest? Well good news, it launches on Steam on January 20th! Although I couldn’t say for how much you can Wishlist it today. Gameplay Now, when I started Mekkablood, there wasn’t a story. But looking at the Steam page for the game here is the general gist. We play Bill, an ex-Space Farme...

15Jan

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

PC Reviews

The Spirit of the Samurai – PC Review

Digital Minds Games have brought us The Spirit of the Samurai. A side-scrolling action platformer where we play Takeshi, a Samurai looking to defend his village from a looming evil. Out now on Steam for £16.99. I saw it all in a dream. The story begins with a young boy looking to meet a Kitsune. Once it appears, it tells us the story of a past samurai who once existed. The samurai in question was called Takeshi, and he could communicate with the spirits, who then tell him of the return of an ancient evil. This sets us up for our story. Gameplay Gameplay-wise, The Spirit of the Samurai is pretty straightforward. You have a sword which you can unlock various combos for. A bow for long range and some damaging consumables such as kunai. Upon slaying enemies you earn XP which, after...