PC Reviews

Bard’s Tale IV Review – 30 Years in the Making

18Sep

By KevinNo Comments

Bard’s Tale IV Review – 30 Years in the Making

InXile bring us the long awaited sequel to the Bard's Tale trilogy, the cleverly named Bard's Tale IV. It's definitely time to dust off my old lute and get the tuner out. What surprises lay in store as the Bard tries to save the day yet again. Gameplay After a brief introduction (skippable) to your history you head off to Skara Brae. There are Scottish accents a plenty as well and even a smattering of tartan for authenticity. I'm pretty sure it's not the same Skara Brae though, nor the one used in the 'Ultima' series of games. This Skara Brae is brimming with trouble, and it's trouble that you can help sort out. You get a choice to be the pre made bard of the tale, or you can customise your own character. There are the usual choices of Bard, Rogue, Warrior or Robed Guy to choose from...

NBA 2K19 Review – Still going strong 20 years on?

17Sep

By TristanNo Comments

Gaming, PC Reviews

NBA 2K19 Review – Still going strong 20 years on?

In the year 1999 EA Sports was hit with a new competitor in the video game basketball genre. Developer Visual Concepts launched the NBA 2K series which has gone from strength to strength since that first outing. The series was originally published by SEGA but now by 2K Sports. Whilst EA has (eventually) pulled ahead in the football stakes with FIFA and stands unchallenged with Madden it has consistently been beaten into a poor second by the NBA 2K series. NBA 2K19 marks the 20th in the series and after a slight wobble with 2K18 is NBA 2K19 the G.O.A.T or just a bench warmer until the inevitable 2K20 next year? Gameplay If it ain't broke don't fix it is very much the mantra here. Saying that the devs have made the usual yearly tweaks seemingly taking on-board the criticisms made of la...

SCUM Preview – Crawl, Walk, Run, Make Computer Game.

14Sep

By KevinNo Comments

Gaming, PC Reviews, Previews & Early Access

SCUM Preview – Crawl, Walk, Run, Make Computer Game.

Gamepires & Croteam bring us the delightfully named SCUM to check out for PC. This prison island multiplayer survival game looks like it could be hard to escape from. Time to don my bright orange prison gear and make a hasty shiv. I'm going in. Gameplay I decided to jump right in to the single player mode to learn the controls. First I had to create a character, so I gave him my stats. Not the best plan given my actual age and size, but I might as well be realistic. Points are spent on skills, so work out what will be most useful. Upon entering SCUM I found I could move around using the WASD and mouse and there seemed to be plenty of places to go. After investigation I found a path down to a river and a dam, it looked interesting so I went and investigated. I jogged down, and 15...

11Sep

By StuartNo Comments

Gaming, PC Reviews, Switch Reviews

V Rally 4 – Return of the King?

We haven't seen a V-Rally game since 2002 with the third instalment hitting the Playstation 2. Fast forward 16 years and we are lucky enough to be graced with V-Rally 4. Will it be a return to the top? Or has that time out really affected the gaming franchise that Kylotonn wants to bring back to life? Lets find out! Gameplay As you can expect from a racing game, the game is all about racing (obvs), but how does it feel? Well lets start off by saying that it feels decent. Its not up to the same standards as other racing games like DiRT and the F1 series, but it holds its own as an arcade feel racer. The cars are twitchy and responsive when you get the hang of them. Don't expect to be able to throw the cars around corners without a fight though. Within V-Rally 4 there are a number of di...

We Happy Few Review – Don’t Be Such A Downer

10Sep

By TC Staff WriterNo Comments

Gaming, PC Reviews

We Happy Few Review – Don’t Be Such A Downer

You might need some joy to enjoy this one. We Happy Few is developed by Compulsion Games and is an action, adventure game exploring a drug fuelled retro futuristic 1960s England. It is available on PC, Xbox one and PlayStation 4. I was playing on the PC version. It does contain some mature content at times meaning it did have problems being released in Australia due to some of its content. Gameplay We Happy Few is set up so no two playthroughs are alike, whilst this is good for replay-ability it’s a nightmare to review! There are three characters each have their own back story and without giving you too much information they all intertwine quite nicely however, some of the stories lack in depth compare to the main story but, this gave the game a fresh feel as you weren’t just stuck as...

Narcosis Review – Are You Afraid Of The Dark?

6Sep

By TC Staff WriterNo Comments

Gaming, PC Reviews

Narcosis Review – Are You Afraid Of The Dark?

Are you afraid of the dark…?... Narcosis is a deep sea adventure, first-person, survival, horror game that does not disappoint. Stuck on the ocean floor with nothing but a knife, surrounded by darkness, igneous, sea grass, fish and unknown ‘creatures’ brings an unknowing, tense feeling of what is to come.. But will you survive? The game was developed and published by Honor Code, Inc. Released on 28th March 2017, and is available on PS4, Xbox one, PC and VR! The choice is yours. Gameplay Narcosis is a single player game with no multiplayer option available, but there is no need for multiplayer. The game is survival based and very strategical. It’s a game that makes you think whilst you play, planning for future events. The wrong plan will only lead to your death. All you ...

3Sep

By TC Staff WriterNo Comments

Gaming, PC Reviews

Moonlighter Review – Like Indiana Jones owned a shop.

Introduction Moonlighter is hard. There I said it. Don’t let the cute graphics, simple gameplay and cartoon violence lull you into a false sense of security. It is a real challenge to make any real progress and you will die a lot playing this game. Moonlighter is a rogue-lite, action RPG where you play as Will, a brave shopkeeper who dreams of being a hero. Published by 11bit studios and created by Digital Sun the game has two very distinct sides to it. You are both a beast slaying, sword swinging adventurer and a timid shopkeeper with dreams of becoming a hero, but it all makes sense when you play the game. The game is available on PS4, Xbox One and PC. Gameplay During an archaeological excavation some gates which lead to different realms and dimensions were found on the outs...

Ultimate Fishing Simulator PC Review – Time To Get Snagged

31Aug

By KevinNo Comments

Gaming, PC Reviews

Ultimate Fishing Simulator PC Review – Time To Get Snagged

Bit Golem have been busy in their waders and cagoules learning all there is to know about fishing. All that hard work has turned into Ultimate Fishing Simulator. So has it all been worthwhile? Time to pack my sandwiches, make a thermos of tea and delve into the world of fishing. Will I find a whopper or will I reel in a tiddler? Gameplay Ultimate Fishing Simulator looks quite intimidating when you first start. It seems that there are lots of things I need to be a successful angler, rod, line, hooks, bait etc... I have a basic set up and a little money so I can dive straight in. So that is the plan. There is only one choice of destination when starting a new game, the lovely picturesque Betty Lake up in the mountains. I tried nothing fancy at first, simple bait, hook and float. Cas...

Roccat Kone AIMO Gaming Mouse Review – A Technicoloured Dream?

30Aug

By Jason4 Comments

Gaming, PC Reviews

Roccat Kone AIMO Gaming Mouse Review – A Technicoloured Dream?

Here at ThumbCulture HQ we are lucky enough to review all manner of software and hardware so that you can read an unbiased view of what we make of it before you decide to spend your hard earned money. This week we were lucky enough to get our hands on the Roccat Kone AIMO Gaming Mouse and it is. Stunning. So how can a mouse be "stunning" I hear you ask? Yes I would ask the same, I still remember the days of taking the ball out and clearing the fluff from the rollers, nothing stunning about that!! Well take a look at the image below, and we shall continue. Available in a black, grey or white chassis, the Roccat Kone AIMO Gaming Mouse retails around £70 in the UK. The German design oozes lovely ergonomics that ensure the mouse fits beautifully in the palm of your hand. With 1...

Guts and Glory Review (18+) – Blood, Gore and Mayhem!

29Aug

By JasonNo Comments

Gaming, PC Reviews, Switch Reviews

Guts and Glory Review (18+) – Blood, Gore and Mayhem!

Oh my freakin' god what have I just played! Let's get this said first. Guts and Glory is certainly not for the faint hearted or those that don't like the sight of the red stuff. Blood litters the streets, parts of limbs hang from hooks, my bicycle is in tatters and I am flying through the air after hitting a claymore mine. Yep it can only be HakJak Production's gruesome racing/action game Guts and Glory! Available across all formats and winner of both the IndieDB Editor's and Player's Choice award, was I going to find a great game or just some over the top blood bath of a gaming project? Gameplay Simply put, Guts and Glory requires you to race your character from one point to another through checkpoints within a makeshift 3D world while avoiding all sorts of everyday hazards su...