Stuart, Author at Thumb Culture

Elgato Stream Deck Review – Pushing Buttons

24May

By StuartNo Comments

Elgato Stream Deck Review – Pushing Buttons

After recently getting stuck into Twitch streaming and getting all setup like a professional, I got the chance to get my grubby mitts on a Stream Deck by Elgato. Now having spent a good amount of hours using the thing, it was the best time to put my thoughts into words and bring you this hardware review. Let's get to it! So the first question to answer. What Is the Stream Deck? Well thats easy, in simple terms its a bank of 15 macro buttons that you can assign different functions to so that while you are streaming, or even just using your computer, you can quickly and efficiently use. Having only used the Stream Deck while I have been streaming I cant comment on the use in general on your computer, but if it is anything like I have experienced it would be fantastic! So what...

AO International Tennis Review – Not Quite A Grand Slam

9May

By StuartNo Comments

PlayStation Reviews

AO International Tennis Review – Not Quite A Grand Slam

AO International Tennis serves into the forecourt, but how does Big Ant handle one of the most physically demanding sports you can play? With Nadal on the cover, it's sure to be a sure fire hit...right? Lets find out! Gameplay So AO International Tennis brings us the wonder that is the Australian Open, and from the get go you are greeted with the typical Big Ant style presentation. You didn't come to read this to find out about the presentation though did you? So lets check out the gameplay. When you start up the game you are given the options to choose a nice and straight forward tutorial, and it is definitely a great idea when starting AO International Tennis for the first time. There are all the types of shots you would imagine with a tennis game, the flat, topspin, backspin are...

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 Review – Stack Rats on Rats on Rats

27Apr

By StuartNo Comments

PC Reviews

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 Review – Stack Rats on Rats on Rats

Using fire, axes, bows, and a healthy dose of name calling wage an all out battle against the forces of both rats and evil northmen in Warhammer: Vermintide 2. Fatshark released Warhammer: End Times-Vermintide through Steam in 2015 amongst positive reviews. Following the familiar structure of Left4Dead it introduced us to the world of Warhammer and how much fun bashing in hordes of rat people can be. On March 8, 2018 they brought us Warhammer: Vermintide 2 for the PC to my excitement. Now after a month since release let’s see how it’s holding up. Gameplay Verminide 2 doesn’t change the future of co-op gaming. But man does it improve upon it. You start in a tutorial as Markus Kruber, one of the five classes to play in this game, who has been captured and placed into a cag...

Knockout League Review – Ready 2 Rumble Meets VR

16Apr

By StuartNo Comments

PlayStation Reviews

Knockout League Review – Ready 2 Rumble Meets VR

Knockout League by Grab games is colourful, fun to play and definitely works up a sweat. So how is the game as a PSVR release? Lets find out! Gameplay Knockout League is a blast to play. In its simplicity you are a body-less entity that comes up against a number of different opponents through the career mode. These opponents are a variety of larger than life characters whose sole purpose is to take you down! Controlling your character is a dream, essentially the move controllers imitate your boxing gloves, with 1 to 1 movement you are able to dodgy incoming shots from your opponents and strike back when the opportunity arises. So back to those characters, they are varied from a traditional boxing physique, through to an Octopus....AN OCTOPUS. How are you meant to beat something...

11Apr

By StuartNo Comments

News & Updates

For The King Ventures Out Of Early Access Next Week

Multi-award winning publisher Curve Digital, is pleased to announce that IronOak Games’ For the King will leave Steam Early Access on 19th April 2018. For the King is a rogue-like RPG adventure for which sees players journey into procedurally generated levels to avenge their recently murdered King. Mixing up a challenging blend of strategy, tabletop RPG, and rogue-like elements, For The King features both a single player experience as well as the ability for three heroes to play cooperatively both online and locally. Taking place in the gorgeous, hexagonal kingdom of Fahrul, players must strategically explore and battle their way through the fairytale, stylized landscape in a bid to discover and survive, lest they succumb to death. The game’s short run in Early Access allowed for...

The Bunker Review – Nuclear War Comes to Switch

9Apr

By StuartNo Comments

Switch Reviews

The Bunker Review – Nuclear War Comes to Switch

The Bunker from Wales Interactive has hit the Nintendo Switch, does the conversion to the plucky handheld add anything to the game, or is it just a standard port? Lets take a look and find out. Gameplay The Bunker is a psychological horror live action interactive film. Wow what a mouthful. You control John, the last survivor in a nuclear bunker. Going about your daily routine, which included eating on the toilet.....not strange at all. This daily routine gets thrown into chaos when an alarm goes off. It is your task to sort out the bunker and carry on surviving. While exploring The Bunker you get given some flashbacks which include repressed childhood memories, giving you an insight into what has happened in the bunker prior to you taking control of John. While its a psychological...

Urban Trial Playground Review – Jump Jump Crash

5Apr

By StuartNo Comments

Switch Reviews

Urban Trial Playground Review – Jump Jump Crash

Urban Trial Playground is essentially the Nintendo Switch's very own stunt racer. Developed by Teyon and published by Tate Multimedia you need to backflip and wheelie your way to the finish line. So how does the game play? Lets head a bit further down the page and find out. Gameplay Urban Trial Playground is pretty straight forward in essence. You take on a number of runs in beautiful environments along the beaches of California. With each run comes a new challenge with a number of criteria to both get those elusive 5 stars as well as some coin for you to spend on upgrades to both your bike and upgrading your bikers threads. With the game being one of those easy to start, hard to master types you can rest assure that you are going to bail many many times. Add to that the independent f...

Moss Review – Taking on the Fairytale Like a Moss

3Apr

By StuartNo Comments

PlayStation Reviews

Moss Review – Taking on the Fairytale Like a Moss

Out of all the launch games and experiences on PSVR Allumete stood out to me the most. If you didn’t know (and if that applies to you then I implore you to check it out!) Allumete is a short but innovative VR experience made by Penrose studios and is loosely based upon ‘The Little Match Girl’ by Hans Christian Anderson. In Allumete you witness the story of a young, homeless girl from, what can only be described as the viewpoint of an invisible and inquisitive giant. You don’t affect the story, nor do you play a part in it. You simply experience it by watching the story unfold on a beautifully detailed floating city. Allumette quickly became the PSVR showcase for my non VR owning friends. It was the go-to experience I first gave them when they put on the headset for the very first time. ...

Attack on Titan 2 Review – Big Naked Ladies…..

27Mar

By StuartNo Comments

Switch Reviews

Attack on Titan 2 Review – Big Naked Ladies…..

There is a point when you start playing a new game when everything falls into place and you accept whatever powers, abilities or back story your character has as your new reality. With Attack on Titan 2 that moment came when I found myself tethered to a 50 foot tall naked giant woman, angrily swinging blades that wouldn’t look out of place in a piece of industrial machinery. Full disclosure here, I haven’t played the original game, or seen the Anime or read the Manga. I know what these things are and can appreciate them for their style and artwork, but I honestly didn’t know what this was all about until I started playing Attack on Titan 2. The game does a very good job of bringing you up to speed on what has happened. Attack on Titan 2 is made by Koei Tecmo and is released on March 20...

Assault Gunners HD Review – Not Quite There

20Mar

By StuartNo Comments

PC Reviews

Assault Gunners HD Review – Not Quite There

Mechs and robots are always cool but is this Super Gundam Destiny amazing or Michael Bay what am I watching terrible? Mech games are always pretty niche in the west and the fact you’ve likely never heard of Assault Gunners in the first place is testament to this. Originally released on the PsVita in Japan back in 2012 and never localised, Assault Gunners has now been ported to PC and in this review the PS4 with new HD graphics and a lot of DLC. These days you’ll struggle to find much passion for the mecha genre outside of Gundam games and it feels like Assault Gunners HD is trying to fill that gap in the market. The rush from piloting a giant hulking machine as you blast others and collect items to upgrade is an itch that recent Mech games haven’t managed to scratch. It’s just a shame t...