Previews & Early Access

12Jun

By KevinNo Comments

Havendock – PC Preview

There was a time once when the oceans were full of only fish and whales. Beautiful mermaids would swim freely without the fear of banging into driftwood or having a plane crash on them. Times have changed, and YYZ has brought us Havendock to reflect on the different times that the world is in today. Do you have the skills to not only survive a wreck but thrive from it and let others thrive with you? Well, I guess it's time to find out for me. Pretty sure I'll need some supplies, so it's a packed lunch and a waterproof coat ready, and time to wash myself up on a little piece of land. Havendock - for those whose favourite colour is maroon. Havendock has its work cut out if it's going to make an impact on the masses of settlement building games. The pressure certainly is on in this cate...

9Jun

By Jordan RookerNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Halls of Torment PC Preview

Halls of Torment is a fantasy horde survival roguelite. It is developed and published by Chasing Carrots (Good Company, Pressure Overdrive). You can find it out now in Early Access on Steam. Halls of Torment is Another Steam Deck Staple I've never really been into horde survival games. I held out a long time before finally picking up Vampire Survivors when it suddenly became so popular. But once I did get around to it I could understand why. Halls of Torment is looking like it will be the same way. I've already added it to my list of games that will always be available on my Steam Deck. The list isn't long yet, but any game that is as simple and entertaining to pick up for a quick session should be there. What's on your list? Gameplay Halls of Torment is one of the latest horde surviva...

2Jun

By Mark HudsonNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Occupy Mars – PC Preview

Occupy Mars released for PC on 10th May, available in early access via Steam. Built upon the Unity engine, this sandbox survival game sees players build and survive on Mars. Being an avid fan of all things space travel and an ex game developer, I'm excited to see a space game developed in Unity for a change. Too many games are built (half-heartedly) upon the Unreal Engine level templates. Not Just A Dream, But Reality We work for ERA, and have been sent to Mars to help make the colonisation of our nearest neighbouring planet not just a dream, but a reality. Landing in the [zone], our job is to begin colonisation procedures. Gameplay Before jumping into the game, we're able to customise our character, and quite thoroughly too. Growing up on games such as Oblivion, Skyrim and World of Wa...

Gym Empire: Gym Tycoon Sim Manager – PC Preview

25May

By Olivia HoultonNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Gym Empire: Gym Tycoon Sim Manager – PC Preview

Gym Empire - Gym Tycoon Sim Management is the latest simulation game brought to our screens. Gym Empire comes from the minds of developer and publisher Chronik Spartan with a planned release date of the 21st of July 2023. What is your passion? Gym Empire is the newest addition to the simulation management genre. It aims to bring the fun that was seen when games such as Theme Hospital and Two Point Hospital were released. Embark on an adventure working your way from the bottom to a gym empire. Gameplay You begin your journey as a personal trainer, who has a dream of becoming a gym tycoon. Starting from the bottom of the chain, your role is to build your popularity and reputation rankings to obtain your dream. There are multiple tools to help you achieve this, as well as different ...

23May

By Jordan RookerNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Mountaincore – PC Preview

Mountaincore (formerly known as King Under the Mountain) is a fantasy colony sim, now available for PC in Early Access. Taking inspiration from Dungeon Keeper and Dwarf Fortress with the art/design style of Prison Architect, Mountaincore has been a passion project of developer Rocket Jump Technology for nearly a decade. The development cycle seems to have had its ups and downs over those years, but it is now available for further community playtesting and input via the developer's Discord server. You can pick it up over on Steam, Epic, and Itch.io. Throw Out the Micromanagement in Mountaincore I've spent my fair share of time in Rimworld. And just like many people probably will at first glance, I instantly thought Mountaincore was a Rimworld rip-off. It has the same art style and core me...

23May

By Mal KeenanNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Eresys – PC Preview

Eresys is a horror survival game inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft by developers Ares Dragonis. It was released on 23rd April 2023 as an early-access game on pc. Just before writing this review, the developers have updated the game and you can expect more in the future. Unlike their previous release with a similar theme, The Shore, this game features a four-player co-op. I gathered up some Thumb Culture elite and we all ventured into the unknown to experience this game firsthand. Exorcising the Demons Within I had actually played through game developer Ares Dragonis's previous release The Shore. In that game, you explore a photo-realistic Lovecraftian environment solving puzzles and combating demons. I fell in love with this type of game and knew I had to try Eresys. Do you love th...

Starship Troopers: Extermination – PC Preview

23May

By Kyle A McGrathNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Starship Troopers: Extermination – PC Preview

I'm happy to check out Starship Troopers: Extermination, a new co-op online FPS with base-building mechanics. It was developed and published by Offworld Industries. They're the ones who brought you Squad, another online shooter that was released back in September 2020. Starship Troopers was released for early access on Steam this May for £20.99. The only good bug is a dead bug! Like many others, I grew up with the 1997 Starship Trooper Film and prayed for a game based on it. Offworld Industries must have heard me because now I get to fight off mass hordes of bugs. Who doesn't love taking on hordes of enemies in hopes of saving humanity, I sure do, and that's why "I'm doing my part!". Gameplay Starship Troopers: Extermination holds up to sixteen players per match, and each person ca...

18May

By Mike DifferNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Solasta: Palace of Ice – PC Preview

Palace of Ice is the latest DLC for Solasta and is a direct follow-up to Crown of the Magister. I was kindly invited to play with a few of the game's developers & publishers at Tactical Adventures. Solasta is their debut game and I was thrilled to be able to see their passion for it. The hour-long preview showcased 3 new regions with the return of the Soraks and new enemies demons & devils. The new campaign comes to PC on May 25th, almost exactly two years after Crown of the Magister. Fans of the base game will undoubtedly enjoy the 25+ hours of this high fantasy non-linear story. I also had the pleasure of reviewing previous Solasta content which I've linked below. Solasta: Palace of Ice - the cold never bothered me anyway I've had a great time playing past Solasta content an...

15May

By StuartNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

MotoGP 23 – PC Preview

We got an opportunity to give MotoGP 23 a go way before its release and needless to say we jumped at the opportunity. See an excerpt from the press release below detailing a brief introduction to the MotoGP 23 Preview. Among the most important novelties of MotoGP™23 is the design of the career mode, conceived to give players the freedom to build their own journey to becoming a two-wheel legend. Indeed, the introduction of turning points will affect career paths based on the performance achieved and the decisions made by each player. After debuting in the final part of a Moto3™ season, it will be possible to move faster through the different classes depending on the results obtained; however, finding a contract will not be easy, as each team will only have two spots and players will have t...

11May

By JasonNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

Park Beyond – PC Preview

Fans of Theme Park, rejoice! Park Beyond by devs Limbic Entertainment and publishers Bandai Namco possibly have the fix that you have been seeking! Out across PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S and PC on 16th June, are you ready to create the ultimate theme park? Become the Theme Park Master! I have been fortunate to have had a play on Park Beyond prior to the closed beta. Was it the thrilling "off the rails" game I was hoping for? Would it invoke my past Theme Park memories? Let's find out. Gameplay The preview that I played included the first 3 missions of the campaign and some time on Exploration Park within the sandbox mode. Upon loading up Park Beyond I had an inclination as to what I was expecting. Some sort of walled grassy area where I could deploy rides and connect with paths. Rig...