Stuart, Author at Thumb Culture

25Apr

By StuartNo Comments

Bootleg Steamer – PC Review

From the horror specialists comes something completely different. Bootleg Steamer, a game about prohibition, moonshine and coastguards. Released today April 25th it is available on Steam. What makes this game stand apart and bring you to spend your hard earned money? Boats. Lots of Boats! Good Morning Moonshine! If you've not heard of the team over at Junkfish before, they are synonymous with Monstrum and Monstrum 2, among a couple of other games. The idea behind Bootleg Steamer came out of an internal Game Jam! So does bringing a rogue-lite style game to the water work? Or does it just become a complete shipwreck? Let's find out Gameplay What do you get if you cross Moonshine, Rum, Vodka, Whisky and grain? That's right! Prohibition! Bootleg Steamer is based in the 1920's prohibition e...

23Apr

By StuartNo 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...

19Apr

By StuartNo Comments

Hardware & Tech

Thrustmaster ESWAP X2 Review

Are you looking to level up your gaming? Want to get a customisable pro controller that can help improve your skills? Well with the Thrustmaster ESWAP X2, you might just become the next big thing! We were lucky to get hands-on with this controller and let me tell you, it's a game changer! Customise Your Way This latest controller from Thrustmaster has been my daily driver when it comes to PC controllers, and I cant wait to tell you about it... oh wait, I don't have to wait anymore! LETS GO! Design The design of the Thrustmaster ESWAP X2 is what set's it apart from other controllers out there. Long gone are the days of "I prefer the Xbox sticks layout" or "my thumbs done stretch up that far" With the ESWAP X2 you can move them however you want. Yes, that's right, its modular. I know you...

19Apr

By StuartNo Comments

PC Reviews

Ready, Steady, Ship! – PC Review

Have you ever received a parcel and thought you could give that a go? Well now you can, with Ready, Steady, Ship! From Solo developer Jollybits Games and published by Untold Tales. This parcel packing puzzler will bring you perilously to... prustration* Yeah I know, the alliteration kind of lost me there. Pop the right word down in the comments if you fancy a suggestion Evri Time, Always on Time! Releasing on the PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 as well as Nintendo Switch and Xbox. Ready, Steady, Ship! brings a puzzler for you and a couch coop buddy to get your brains around. So sit down relax and get ready to see whether you should answer the door when the delivery man comes. Gameplay At its core, Ready, Steady, Ship! is a straightforward puzzler. You are tasked with sending specifica...

17Apr

By StuartNo Comments

News & Updates

Bootleg Steamer Release Date Announced

Junkfish is a name synonymous with horror thanks to their hit game Monstrum, but just like their Monstrum monsters, they have a little surprise for us all. That surprise being their new game Bootleg Steamer. Junkfish Pushes the Boat Out Bootleg Steamer transports gamers into a rogue-like adventure set in the Prohibition era of 1920's America, where would-be smugglers captain their ships, tasked with supplying thirsty cities with the very thing they can’t have: booze, and lots of it! But bootlegging is a risky business, it’ll demand shrewdness and strategy to protect profits in the face of changeable weather and the relentless pursuit of the local law. It's a Whiskey Business Recruit skilled crew members, upgrading ships inline with your smuggling strategy, and taking risks with high-st...

13Mar

By StuartNo Comments

Hardware & Tech

Edifier WH950NB Headphones Review

Edifier has many headphones out on the market, and when we were asked to check out the WH950NB we couldn't resist. Retailing at anywhere around £150 these are towards the upper end of the pricing scale, but do they justify their price point? Let's find out Noise Cancellation For Any Situation If you enjoy this Edifier review, check out one of our others right here Design Edifier, in my opinion make some of the best looking headphones out there. With the WH950NB coming in either Black or Ivory, you won't be disappointed with your choice of colour. With a foldable design, the headphones have a premium feel to them, with soft touch finishing and the leather texture of the earcaps. All these factors give you the premium appearance that most people want from a set of headphones. It doesn...

8Mar

By StuartNo Comments

Hardware & Tech

Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2 Review

We love audio hardware here at TC, and when Edifier come calling and offering us a new piece of kit, we are the first to put our hands up! This was no different when they offered us the NeoBuds Pro 2! Delivered promptly and straight into my ears for a whole lineup of testing. So how did they stack up? Well read on to find out. NeoBuds Pro Just Got Better! Coming in at around £129.99. These are most likely classed as mid-priced earbuds, so let's see how featured pack they are? Design The Edifier NeoBuds Pro 2 are beautiful! There I said it! In terms of looks, they are 10 out of 10 from me! Even the charge case is absolutely gorgeous! With its sleep LED strip with a customisable colour, glowing when it is charged or when the earbuds are in use. It is just a wonderful package to behold...

7Mar

By StuartNo Comments

Hardware & Tech

Edifier R1280DB Review

If you are looking for upgrading your bookshelf speakers, you can't go wrong with the Edifier R1280DB. A great set of speakers to adorn your shelf, desk, bookcase, anything really. They look great wherever they are placed! So shall we check them out in a little bit of finer detail? Not Quite Elf On The Shelf As with every Edifier product, we absolutely love how they look and sound and I'll give you this for free, the R1280DB are no different! Design The Edifier R1280DB are a standard-looking set of bookshelf speakers. The 100% MDF wood enclosure minimises the acoustic resonance, allowing for a better sound. You can pop the front off, and it greets with two 4-inch mid-range / bass drivers that create incredibly deep and rich lows, along with a pair of 0.5-inch treble drivers giving t...

18Jan

By StuartNo Comments

Hardware & Tech

Nacon RIG 600 Pro Review

You may or may not know that NACON is the parent of the RIG audio brand, which recently released its latest headset, the RIG 600 Pro. We absolutely love all things audio here at Thumb Culture so we were elated when NACON sent us the HX Variant to review. Which Variant Are You? Let's dive into the headset, go through some of the features and give you an idea of how it performs. Let's Go! Design The NACON RIG 600 Pro comes in 2 variants, the HX that we are reviewing here, and the HS. The X variant is designed for Xbox, and the S is designed with the PlayStation in mind. Don't fret, each variant also works with the Nintendo Switch, PC as well as mobile devices. A little hack here, but I did manage to get the X variant to work with the PS5 using the included USB C adapter. So if you hav...

22Nov

By StuartNo Comments

VR Reviews

Pavlov Shack – Quest 3 Review

Vankrupt Games have released their 2017 hit Pavlov VR but onto the Quest platform. Pavlov Shack brings the 5 v 5 gaming of yesteryear. With obvious nods to Counter Strike it gives you an experience that I haven't had on the VR yet. Don't Forget To Buy Stuff Are you looking to squad up and take on Pavlov Shack, then get in touch via our social media, or even drop into our Discord using the link at the bottom of the review. Gameplay With a multitude of modes in Pavlov Shack there is something for everyone. From the basic 5 v 5 attack/defend the bomb modes, through to an infection mode seeing you jump large heights to get the jump on enemies. On the run-up to the game launch from App Lab to the main Meta store, I was invited to spend a couple of evenings playing with the Dev team at Va...