Stuart, Author at Thumb Culture

Premier League Player VR – Quest 3 Preview

19Dec

By StuartNo Comments

Premier League Player VR – Quest 3 Preview

Premier League Player VR is the first ever officially licensed VR football game. Sounds like it should be a massive hit then. Least this is what I had hoped. Developed and published by Rezzil, a company that uses both XR and VR to help train in a number of sports, the game was released earlier in December. Rezzil aimed to give fans a glimpse into the on-pitch action from a footballer's perspective. Do they succeed, or should we leave them on the bench? I Don't Know Jeff! As a football fan, there is a lot of promise here, or at least there's a lot of potential for promise. Let's take a look and see just what to expect in Premier League Player VR. Gameplay When you first fire up Premier League Player VR you are greeted with a really brief tutorial. Hit the ball in the back of the net. So...

PowerA OPS V1 Wireless Controller Review

19Dec

By StuartNo Comments

Hardware & Tech

PowerA OPS V1 Wireless Controller Review

PowerA are a peripheral company that has grown in popularity over the years. Best known for their cheap alternatives to the official controllers on the market. With a number of brand collaborations including Super Mario, Pokemon and many many more. However, this review will concentrate on the PowerA OPS V1 Wireless Controller for Cloud Gaming - Fortnite Edition, to give it its full name. Where are we dropping? If you've never checked out the PowerA website I highly recommend that you do. There are so many great controllers on there, especially in the Fortnite range. Be careful though, they will take all of your money. Design The PowerA OPS V1 is an Xbox-style controller, with asymmetric thumbsticks and standard face buttons. It's comfortable and extremely light at less than 300g. On th...

Dog Man: Mission Impawsible – PS5 Review

18Dec

By StuartNo Comments

PlayStation Reviews

Dog Man: Mission Impawsible – PS5 Review

There have been plenty of movie-to-game adaptations over the years—even game-to-movie. However, book-to-game seems to be a genre rarely experienced. Well developers Floor 84, publishers Mindscape and bestselling author Dav Pilkey have teamed up. They have become the Supa Buddies, well not quite but we'll get onto them soon! They have however released Dog Man: Mission Impawsible. Available across platforms, the game will cost you around £34.99. Woof Woof, Bark, Meow Meow In digital stores now you can pick up Dog Man: Mission Impawsible and dive into the comically adventurous world before the Dog Man movie hits cinemas in February 2025. Gameplay Firing up the game, you are greeted with familiar graphics, especially if you've read any of Dav Pilkey's books. Thankfully the middle child in ...

Disney Dreamlight Valley: The Storybook Vale Expansion – PS5 Review

18Dec

By StuartNo Comments

PlayStation Reviews

Disney Dreamlight Valley: The Storybook Vale Expansion – PS5 Review

Disney Dreamlight Valley returns with a new expansion, The Storybook Vale. Published and developed by Gameloft, this adventure slash life simulation game has won the hearts of all Disney lovers. Being able to journey into a world inhabited by your favourite characters, I mean what isn't to love? With new content coming to the game at regular intervals, we were lucky enough to get access to the latest expansion. Available on all good platforms, the expansion pack will set you back about £24.99. For this review I played Disney Dreamlight Valley: The Storybook Vale on PlayStation 5. So just what is contained within this big expansion? We will give you a small glimpse into the magic surrounding The Storybook Vale. Once Upon A Time... It's clear that someone at Gameloft absolutely loves Di...

Maestro Secret Sorcery Pack – Quest 3 Review

17Dec

By StuartNo Comments

VR Reviews

Maestro Secret Sorcery Pack – Quest 3 Review

Regular Thumb Culture readers and VR gamers may well remember that back in October I reviewed a little VR a rhythm game called Maestro. Which you can handily read here. Well the developers Double Jack are back with the Maestro Secret Sorcery Pack. An add on pack for Maestro with five new spell bounding orchestral pieces for you to conduct. The Maestro Secret Sorcery Pack is now available on the Meta Horizon Store for £6.99. Handel With Care Before you can play this pack you'll need to pick up the base Maestro game. And good news for you it is currently discounted to £15.99. Or pick up the Bundle for £19.99. But hurry, these offers are only available until 7th January, 2025. Now onto the review! Gameplay The Maestro Secret Sorcery Pack is the first add on pack from Double Jack. The ...

17Dec

By StuartNo Comments

Hardware & Tech

Razer Barracuda X Chroma Headset Review

It's another week, and it feels like a regular occurrence when a Razer review comes to town. This time we are looking at the Razer Barracuda X Chroma headset. The Barracuda line has been around for quite a while, but back in 2022 the whole range got a revamp. Numerous other Barracuda headsets were released, but back in October, the Barracuda X Chroma dropped. Being touted as a headset resulting from feedback from the community, it had high hopes. Bringing wireless audio and dynamic illumination into one seemingly cohesive entity. Has Razer hit another highlight in the headset market? Lightweight Comfort and Durability Razer products are both loved and hated in the industry. I have always loved the Razer lineup, especially their headsets. Whilst for audio purists they may not have the wid...

Razer Blackwidow V4 Pro 75% Keyboard Review

11Dec

By StuartNo Comments

Hardware & Tech

Razer Blackwidow V4 Pro 75% Keyboard Review

Another day and another piece of hardware from Razer. Moving on from the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35k mouse, today we are looking at the Razer Blackwidow V4 Pro 75% keyboard. Another great product name! This one boasts some amazing features, but will it live up to the hype? Let's take a look. Command and Conquer It's not a surprise that we love the Razer hardware lineup and the newest Blackwidow really intrigued us. Our main concern was how all the fancy new gadgetry was going to effect the battery life. Read on to find out what we discovered. Design The Razer Blackwidow range covers 7 (ish) keyboards of all different qualities and features. What sets this one apart is that little OLED display on the top right of the keyboard. Aside from that we are adorned with all-around aluminium, albe...

Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K Headset Review

10Dec

By StuartNo Comments

Hardware & Tech

Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K Headset Review

We love hardware here at Thumb Culture. We also really enjoy everything that Razer releases. Back at the start of November, we were gifted the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35k. To start, what a name, not something that rolls off the tongue but wow. This mouse represents something great from the Razer team, a combination of technology from some of the best-selling mice available. What does that really mean though? Shall we go and take a look? Razer-ing the Bar! I have only been using this mouse for just under a month now, but it's overtaken the previous mouse that had pride of place on my desk. Why is it such a great mouse though? There is so much to say about this one, so let's dive right in. Design The design follows the traditional shape of the Razer Basilisk range, with a slight lip where ...

WCML: Preston to Carlisle – TSW5 Add-On PC Review

6Dec

By StuartNo Comments

PC Reviews

WCML: Preston to Carlisle – TSW5 Add-On PC Review

Hot on the heels of our news coverage of this latest update, we were offered the opportunity to go hands-on ourselves. So here we are, this is our review of the West Coast Main Line: Preston to Carlisle DLC for Train Sim World 5. To give it its full title. A long trek to Shap Summit If you want to check out our review of the main game, head over here. Gameplay I've laid this DLC review out in the same was as our standard reviews. However, one difference will be that we will focus on purely what is entailed in the DLC. For the full review, head over to the link above. The WCML: Preston to Carlisle DLC will give you access to almost 100 miles of railway. All are based in the northwest of England, and you will be sent back in time to experience the best of the British Rail days. It fea...

29Nov

By StuartNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Master Leaf Blower – PC Preview

Ever wondered what it was like being a Master Leaf Blower? Well thanks to developers, Frix, now you can live out those dreams. Released on November 25th into Early Access, charge your batteries, grab your rake and get ready for an epic journey across multiple locations. Blow. Harder! Being a game in early access means that as it progresses towards a full 1.0 release the game can change. What we are doing now is taking a snapshot of what the game delivers. And boy does it deliver. Gameplay Master Leaf Blower starts off strong. Jumping into the game you are greeted with an awesome introduction. All delivered in a sweet comic book-style story. The story tells of a leaf blower who hands over the reins to you, an ordinary hobo on the streets. It's time to get your hi-viz, charge your batter...