Mike, Author at Thumb Culture

17Nov

By Mike1 Comment

Broken Pieces – PS5 Review

Broken Pieces is the debut video game from the developer Elseware Experience alongside publisher Freedom Games (Cat Cafe Manager). Two-person team Mael Vignaux and Benoit Dereau founded Elseware Experience with a focus on accurate and immersive experiences. The duo have previously made various VR experiences including You and AI, based on the Da Vinci Museum and the European Commission. Broken Pieces is a sci-fi adventure game which is set in 1990s coastal France. We join the protagonist, Elise, who has been alone for over 2 weeks in the abandoned town of Saint Exil. As we explore and solve various puzzles the pieces start coming together about what had happened. Supernatural entities appear and attack and are possibly connected to some scientific research being carried out. Elise deals...

27Oct

By MikeNo Comments

PlayStation Reviews

Gotham Knights – PS5 Review

Gotham Knights is an open-world action RPG from developer Warner Bros. Games Montréal & publisher Warner Bros. Much like the Arkham series we see these caped crusaders fighting crime across Gotham while contending with supervillains, criminals and police alike. Based on DC's Batman: Gotham Knights comic series it is a fresh take on a Batman video game with characters we know and love or love to hate. There is some controversy around the game with Batgirl's in-game bio. In this Gotham, The Killing Joke is canon including Barbara Gordon being paralysed and becoming Oracle. The in-game bio states she overcame this with hard work which has offended the non-able-bodied community. The news that Gotham Knights wouldn't be released on PS4 and Xbox One will be upsetting for gamers who haven'...

The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow – PC Review

28Sep

By MikeNo Comments

PC Reviews

The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow – PC Review

The Excavation of Hob's Barrow is a horror mystery game set in rural England during the 1800s. This point-and-click adventure tells an unsettling tale about the titular burial mound and the mystery of what lies within. The game comes from indie developer Cloak and Dagger Games (Sumatra: Fate of Yandi) and publisher Wadjet Eye Games (Primordia). Hob's Barrow is available now on PC, Mac & Linux. Unearth the mystery surrounding The Excavation of Hob's Barrow if you dare... I love a good horror story and one set in Victorian-era Northern England really called out to me. I'd love to hear what you think of Hob's Barrow so please feel free to comment below. Gameplay Hob's Barrow is a single-player story-rich experience telling the tale of upper-class antiquarian Thomasina Bateman and ...

22Sep

By MikeNo Comments

PC Reviews

You Suck At Parking – PC Review

You Suck At Parking (YSAP) is a driving sim where the aim is to go from A to B and park. However, that is not as simple as it sounds with numerous obstacles along the way, just like real-life driving. Buckle up for a high-octane experience where P marks the (parking) spot. YSAP is developed and published by indie Belgian studio Happy Volcano (The Almost Gone). And it is available now on PC and Xbox series S/X. Prove your skills at the wheel in You Suck At Parking I was excited to play YSAP after seeing the spin on the racing genre and it didn't disappoint. Let us know what you thought in the comments below. Gameplay You Suck At Parking takes the simple concept of parking a car and turns it into the most frustratingly fun game I've played in a while. While it began simply to ease pl...

Ultimate Fishing Simulator 2 – PC Early Access Preview

6Sep

By MikeNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Ultimate Fishing Simulator 2 – PC Early Access Preview

Ultimate Fishing Simulator 2 is a simulation game of the beloved leisure activity/sport just as the title suggests. And it is the follow-up to 2018's Ultimate Fishing Simulator. I felt from the get-go it was a faithful version of fishing perhaps to a fault. I have only experienced fishing once in real life once when I was a kid with my poor uncle and as a minor part of video games. Using fishing as the sole gameplay activity hooked my attention from the start and the experience didn't disappoint. Ultimate Fishing Simulator 2 comes from developer MasterCode (Fishing Adventure) and Publisher Ultimate Games (Ultimate Fishing Simulator). The game is available now in early access on Switch, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One & Xbox S/X and Windows. Will Ultimate Fishing Simul...

21Jul

By MikeNo Comments

PlayStation Reviews

Bright Memory: Infinite – PS5 Review

Bright Memory: Infinite is a sci-fi single-player FPS set in 2036 China where you investigate a singularity threatening the world. It was made by indie developer Zeng Xiancheng of FYQD Studio with their first major release and publisher Playism (DEEEER Simulator). Bright Memory was originally released in Steam early access in 2019 as an episodic game. After success on Steam, Xiancheng was inspired to re-release Bright Memory in full rather than in episodes. FYQD Studio has found success, both in Steam early access and being awarded the Unreal Dev Grant from Epic Games. I played the PS5 version of Bright Memory and it is also available now on Windows PC, Switch and Xbox series S&X. We wrote an article on the GameSpot Play For All 2021 gameplay trailer reveal which you read here. ...

1Jul

By MikeNo Comments

PlayStation Reviews

Barn Finders – PS4 Review

Barn Finders is the latest game from developer & publisher Duality Games (Unholy). It is a first-person Simulation video game set in Ameryka, a fictionalised version of the USA. Travelling all over, the aim is to strike gold in finding various valuable items for clients and hopefully sell the rest for a profit. The title refers to the protagonist's pawn shop and home. The game was made possible after a very successful Kickstarter campaign, making more than double its target. I found Barn Finders to be an interesting blend of games like House Flipper and reality TV like Storage Wars. Already released on PC & VR in 2020, Barn Finders is now available on Playstation, Xbox and Switch consoles. Barn Finders - a diamond in the rough or plain old junk? There is a reason that ente...

8Jun

By MikeNo Comments

PC Reviews

The Quarry PC Review

The Quarry is an interactive horror game from developer Supermassive Games (Until Dawn, The Dark Pictures Anthology) and publisher 2K (Borderlands series & NBA2K series). It's a spiritual successor to Until Dawn in this narrative-heavy, choices matter video game. After summer camp is over, the counsellors of Hackett's Quarry are stranded overnight and spooky events begin to occur. Finding clues, solving the mystery and making wise choices may just be enough to survive the night. The Quarry is available on PC, PS4/PS5 & Xbox One & X/S on June 10th. Classic horror in spades here in The Quarry! I love Supermassive Games' previous work and so I was especially excited to play The Quarry. Let us know below if you are excited or what you think about the game too. Gameplay The ...

19May

By MikeNo Comments

Features

10 Games That Break The Fourth Wall

For as long as there have been video games, there have been developers adding moments to break the fourth wall. These are times that the game and characters show they are aware of the player and they're within a fictional world. From easter eggs & throwaway comments to sequences changing how we play, they have come in all shapes and sizes. Whether making us laugh, cry or ragequit these moments of self-awareness usually have an effect. I took a look back and chose 10 of the best of these video game moments. The 10 games are in no particular order and are my personal favourites. And there is a spoiler warning for the games listed. I hope you agree with me (at least partially) or if you feel I missed any, please comment below. And to anyone reading this, yes I'm speaking to you, I k...

24Apr

By MikeNo Comments

PlayStation Reviews

35MM Review

35MM is a single-player horror game taking place in a present-day version of Russia after a virus has killed the majority of the population. The title 35MM refers to the camera that Petrovich, our protagonist carries throughout the game. It is developed and published by Russian indie video game company Сергей Носков who also made The Light. Originally released on Steam in 2016, its narrative on life after a pandemic is especially apt today. I based my review on the PS4 version where 35MM is available now as well as Xbox One & Nintendo Switch. Seeing the world through this 35MM lens is a bleak picture I was very interested in 35MM as a game made and set in Russia to see the approach taken to the popular genre. I and the TC team are curious to hear what you think of the game so ...