Features

Final Fantasy Is Shaking Up Every Magic: The Gathering Format

20Jun

By JoseNo Comments

Final Fantasy Is Shaking Up Every Magic: The Gathering Format

Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy is the first Extended Universes premium set to be Standard legal. After only one week since its official release, many Final Fantasy cards are finding their way into competitive Standard builds. From enchantment reanimation with 'Yuna, Hope of Spire', and 'Cecil, Dark Knight' mono black midrange, to my personal favourite Gruul Delium with 'Terra, Magical Adept'. Final Fantasy's influence doesn't stop there, though. In only one week, 'Vivi Ornitier' and 'Y'shtola, Night's Blessed' have made their way up to the 200 most popular commander list on CEDHREC.com. From Midgard to Modern: Why (Almost) Every MTG Format is Impacted Are you playing with the new Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy cards? How do you feel about them becoming a steadfast in players ...

WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers – Preview Event

16Jun

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

Features, Previews & Early Access

WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers – Preview Event

When I was asked by the Senior Editors here at Thumb Culture if I wanted to attend a preview event of Leenzee and 505 Games upcoming title Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, I'm sure you can guess my answer. Even if I had to make my way from Wales to that there London! I had intended to go into this game blind upon launch, but who can say no to playing a game early and getting to chat to the developers about it? Warning, the GIFs used in this article may contain flashing images! Destiny is a heavy burden for such small wings. For those who aren’t aware of Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, it’s an upcoming Souls-like game with a Chinese Mythology setting. If you know how most Souls-likes go, then you’re fully aware of what to expect, but there are a couple cool things to point out. If you’re wondering ...

Magic: The Gathering – Final Fantasy – Most Expensive Standard Set Ever

13Jun

By JoseNo Comments

Features

Magic: The Gathering – Final Fantasy – Most Expensive Standard Set Ever

Most Magic: The Gathering players are, by now, used to the high prices of cards, booster boxes, or other premium products that Wizards of the Coast has been releasing at overwhelming speed in the last few years. The Final Fantasy set marks a stark difference, simply by the fact that it is Standard legal. Players excited to play their favourite characters from the rich Final Fantasy lore are going to have to dig deep in their pockets to do so. Cloud and Sephiroth are coming to an LGS near you Yes, it's an exciting time to be a Magic: The Gathering player, undoubtedly so. With this set and the SpongeBob Secret Lair that just came out not three months ago, you can now play Commander and sit across 'Squidward, Sarcastic Snob', 'Cloud, Midgar Mercenary', and 'Chun-Li, Countless Kicks'. Th...

Access-Ability Summer Showcase 2025 Roundup

10Jun

By Cameron J KeywoodNo Comments

Accessibility In Gaming, Features

Access-Ability Summer Showcase 2025 Roundup

Laura Kate Dale is a prominent voice in the games industry and a full-time video game critic who focuses on accessibility and representation in video games. She hosted the 2025 edition of the Access-Ability Summer Showcase—a celebration of accessibility and representation in gaming. Sponsored by Many Cats Studios, the event once again celebrated developers who build inclusive games for all players. True to its name, the showcase offers high accessibility. Multiple formats were available, including versions with American Sign Language (ASL), British Sign Language (BSL), and a fully audio-described edition voiced by accessibility consultant SightlessKombat. For anyone interested in how far accessibility in games has come—and where it’s headed—the full showcase is well worth watching. ...

Drop Point Preview With Tiny Indie Studio

30May

By StuartNo Comments

Features, Previews & Early Access

Drop Point Preview With Tiny Indie Studio

Recently, I received a very interesting email. It was purely titled Days Gone Meets Rust. This piqued my interested as these are both games that I absolutely love. Fast-forward a few days, and I'm getting an invite to a special, exclusive showing of Drop Point. The brainchild of Tiny Indie Studio. A small studio from Hamilton, New Zealand. Could you read this before I Drop my Point? Jumping onto a video call, they had an awesome presentation ready to go. I honestly felt the excitement from the start of the call. It also helped that both Mike (Project Manager) and Piripi (Art Lead) from Tiny Indie Studio were absolutely awesome guys to talk to! Gameplay Drop Point is a base-building, base raiding, harvesting, crafting, and combat survival game. The game is set on an island where a large...

LEGO Beauty and The Beast Castle Full Build Review

8May

By Charlotte2 Comments

Features, LEGO

LEGO Beauty and The Beast Castle Full Build Review

Once upon a time in a land far away, I wrote a preview of the newly released LEGO Beauty and The Beast Castle set. The time has come for me to share the full build with you all. Let's not wait for the last petal to fall, let's get into this review. Tale As Old As Time This is not a small set, but being a Disney castle would you expect anything less? The 2916 bricks are divided across 21 bags. Whilst the instructions span 2 thick booklets. For those interested in scale, or indeed shelf space requirements, this is smaller then the now retired LEGO Disney Castle 71040 set. In fact you'll spot a nice side by side just below! However, this is still a beast of a build. Fully built the LEGO Beauty and The Beast Castle is 53cm in height, 33cm wide and has a depth of 15cm. So plan shelf spac...

PlayStation Plus Monthly Games – May 2025

1May

By PaulNo Comments

Features

PlayStation Plus Monthly Games – May 2025

It's time to have a look at the 3 games bundled for free with PlayStation Plus Essential for May 2025. There is one stand-out for me this month, and it's a game that will take over your life if you let it. These games are available between May 6th and June 2nd. Remember that even if you don’t plan to play these games immediately, you should still add them to your library when they become available. That way, you can check them out at any time — as long as you have an active sub. Balatro | PS5, PS4 Genre: Rougelike, Card Game Longevity: 10hrs+ | Trophies: 32 (incl Platinum) Metacritic: 90 | OpenCritic: 92 Balatro is the poker-inspired, deck-manipulation roguelike that you never knew you needed. Take a deck of playing cards, manage ever-changing rules and enhancements, and play yo...

Everyone Can Play: Highlights of Gaming Accessibility Conference Europe 2025

29Apr

By Cameron J KeywoodNo Comments

Accessibility In Gaming, Features

Everyone Can Play: Highlights of Gaming Accessibility Conference Europe 2025

When I walked into the hotel on day one of the Gaming Accessibility Conference (GASIG), I already knew I’d leave full of inspiration, information, and new connections. The organisers reserved a private guest space for us, and most of the action took place in a spacious area usually reserved for wedding receptions. My table sat right at the back and centre, surrounded by fellow attendees from all corners of the industry—from tech giants like Amazon to indie accessibility champions like Many Cats. Now, let’s get into the actual content. I won’t cover every talk in detail—just a few highlights—but if you want to catch any sessions from this year or past conferences, you’ll find them on the IGDA-GASIG YouTube channel. Ubi Gets Stuck In Jawad Shakil, QC Manager at Ubisoft India, showca...

18Apr

By PaulNo Comments

Features

Game Pass Games – April 2025 Wave 2

Like our PlayStation Plus Games Catalogue update this month, April's second Game Pass update includes 2 Day One releases. Alongside those, we have a few great indie titles, and the return of one of the best-selling video games of all time. As usual, there are a few titles leaving Game Pass, make sure to check those at the end of the article. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Genre: RPG Available: April 24 (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) Tiers: Ultimate & PC Each year, The Paintress paints a number, and each year everyone of the age turns to ash. Every year, an expedition sets off with the goal of killing The Paintress to end the cycle. In this stylish turn-based RPG, join voice actors Ben Starr and Jennifer English as their characters set off on Expedition 33. Clair Obscur look...

PlayStation Plus Game Catalogue – April 2025 Update

17Apr

By PaulNo Comments

Features

PlayStation Plus Game Catalogue – April 2025 Update

A little later than usual, here's our summary of the PlayStation Plus Games Catalogue update for April 2025. This month, users are treated to not one, but two Day One releases. As usual, there's a decent mix of genres to chose from, so have a look at what's on offer below and check them out with your PS+ Extra or Premium subscriptions. Blue Prince | PS5 Genre: Puzzle, Roguelike Longevity: 15+ Hours | Trophies: 17 (incl Platinum) Metacritic: 93 | OpenCritic: 89 A game that I am currently losing many hours to, Blue Prince is a magnificent puzzle game that has staggering depth. Each day, you must enter the Mt. Holly estate and decided how to lay out the many rooms available to you, all in an effort to reach the secretive Room 46. Along the way, you'll uncover additional mysteries ...