RPG - Page 11 of 29

22Sep

By Rowen CameronNo Comments

Batora: Lost Haven – PC Press Preview

Team 17 and Stormind Games team up for a quest of interplanetary proportions releasing on October 20th. Batora: Lost Haven is an isometric action RPG that combines fast-paced, skill-swapping combat with a choice-driven story spanning a vast cosmos. After a cataclysmic event, Earth was driven to the brink of complete destruction. The remaining inhabitants are forced to carve out a way to survive as best they can. You play as Avril, a thrill-seeking teenager with a troubled past, chosen to be the vessel of the deities Sun and Moon and wielder of their supernatural powers. With these new abilities and the support of best friend Mila, Avril must journey across alien planets to save her home. Duality Shaping Destiny Isometric action RPGs are a sizeable (and ever-growing) section of my gaming ...

20Sep

By DanNo Comments

PlayStation Reviews

Steelrising – PS5 Review

Developers Spiders bring us Steelrising. A souls-like title, developed on their in-house Silk Engine, and published by Nacon/BigBen Interactive it was released on the 8th September 2022. If At First You Don't Succeed Try, Then Die Again Steelrising is my first (believe it or not) introduction to a souls-like title. It has been compared to the likes of Bloodbourne/Dark Souls with a hint of Elden Ring. However, I can not confirm that as sadly I haven’t played any of them! So join me on a first-time souls-like experience and find out how many times I flawlessly fail. Gameplay Paris is on fire and Marie Antoinette has been locked away by the king in a safe place away from the trouble being caused. The king decided against a human army, but employed an army of Automats to protect his belove...

11Sep

By Gareth TruemanNo Comments

Xbox Reviews

Soul Hackers 2 – Series X Review

Developed by Atlus and published by Sega. Soul Hackers 2 is a JRPG and the sequel to the hit Soul Hackers that was released way back in 1997. Its sequel Soul Hackers 2 was released on Xbox One, Series X/S, Playstation 4/5, and PC on the 24th of August 2022. Soul Hackers 2 - A Time Hacker It's crazy to think that the original Soul Hackers was released back in 1997 for the Playstation. Has there ever been a more long-awaited sequel than this? Now being a huge JRPG fan having only played the original once over 20 years ago. It was a bit of a surprise when Soul Hackers 2 was released. But this was an opportunity too good to turn down. If you enjoyed this review then why not check out my latest one here? You can also catch up with what the rest of the Thumb Culture team is up to on our soc...

14Aug

By Oliver Revolta2 Comments

Switch Reviews

Live A Live – Switch Review

Live A Live comes to the Nintendo Switch a thing of intrigue—a game that has waited 28 years for a western release, and one that has websites and reviewers singling out this remaster as a standard-bearer in games preservation done well. The hype is strong and expectations are high, particularly for a game that due to its age could potentially not hold up to modern sensibilities. From a distance, the game’s background appears mysterious. Searches for reasons why this 1994 SNES release never travelled outside of Japan give conflicting reports. Maybe low sales are the culprit—Square Enix shifted only 270,000 copies originally. Square’s other games that year did much better in comparison, at least in Japan. It’s possible that Live A Live’s unique structure—seven narratives, each designed...

subROV: Underwater Discoveries – PC Review

28Jul

By Kael SpindlerNo Comments

PC Reviews

subROV: Underwater Discoveries – PC Review

subROV: Underwater Discoveries is all about the ocean, a fascinating and mysterious thing, as unfathomable as it is enormous. As long as humans have been telling stories, they've spoken of the ocean and its murky depths. Distant. Unknowable. Well, now you can see what all the fuss is about, and enjoy a brilliant simulator experience while you're at it. Rove the aquatic depths with subROV! Diving into subROV is a wonderful experience, almost as satisfying as diving into the comment section. Like you should. *cough* Hint *cough*. Flagrant calls for comments aside, there are some really fantastic points about this game that you are going to want to hear about. So buckle up! We're going in. Gameplay Jumping in at the deep end, subROV is a game about piloting remote-operated submarines in o...

28Jul

By Mark HudsonNo Comments

PC Reviews, Previews & Early Access

Zombie Cure Lab – PC Preview

Zombie Cure Lab is a new sandbox lab builder developed by Thera Bytes GmbH and published by Aerosoft GmbH. Gather, build and survive the ever-growing waves of zombie hordes in this Colony Sim/Base Building/RTS mashup. Friends, NOT Foe! As the title might suggest, Zombie Cure Lab sees players capture and cure - not kill, zombies. So zombies are... friends...? An unusual twist on the concept of zombie games. One that I for one couldn't wait to try out! Join me below to see my thoughts on how this concept played out in the early access demo. Gameplay As with most RTS base builders, players must manage resources and workers as well as survive enemy waves whilst building & expanding their base. Resources include food, wood, stone and metal - all the usual things we've come to expect fro...

28Jul

By Oliver RevoltaNo Comments

Switch Reviews

Unavowed – Switch Review

The opening of Unavowed — a point-and-click adventure game first released in 2018 on Mac and PC and now out on the Switch — throws you straight into the action. The first shot is of a moody, blood-orange sky depicted in beautiful, high-quality pixel art (the resolution so high that the word ‘pixel’ seems redundant). Rain is falling. Tense music plays. With the exception of the main character, the game is entirely voice-acted, and we hear some dialogue of what turns out to be an exorcism. The camera pans down to three figures on a rooftop, one of which is you: you are the one being exorcised. You don’t remember anything and you’re confused as hell. Of the other two figures, one has a knife in your back and the other a magic staff in your face. For some, a magic staff might sound off-putt...

Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes – Switch Review

21Jul

By Gareth TruemanNo Comments

Switch Reviews

Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes – Switch Review

Developed by Omega Force, Intelligent Systems and published by Koei Tecmo and Nintendo. Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is a hack and slash, role-playing game that was released for the Nintendo Switch on the 24th of June 2022. Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes - Hacky Slashy Done Easy Some of the greatest RPGs to ever be made are primarily from Japan. The likes of Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Pokemon and the Fire Emblem Series. There's just something about JRPGs that always gets gamers wanting more. Whether it be the storytelling of the combat system that always seems to be a favourite among fans. More is just never enough and today we take on the latest in the Fire Emblem series. If you enjoyed this review then why not check out my latest one here. You can also catch up with what t...

21Jul

By MikeNo Comments

PlayStation Reviews

Bright Memory: Infinite – PS5 Review

Bright Memory: Infinite is a sci-fi single-player FPS set in 2036 China where you investigate a singularity threatening the world. It was made by indie developer Zeng Xiancheng of FYQD Studio with their first major release and publisher Playism (DEEEER Simulator). Bright Memory was originally released in Steam early access in 2019 as an episodic game. After success on Steam, Xiancheng was inspired to re-release Bright Memory in full rather than in episodes. FYQD Studio has found success, both in Steam early access and being awarded the Unreal Dev Grant from Epic Games. I played the PS5 version of Bright Memory and it is also available now on Windows PC, Switch and Xbox series S&X. We wrote an article on the GameSpot Play For All 2021 gameplay trailer reveal which you read here. ...

15Jul

By Jamie DepledgeNo Comments

Switch Reviews

Gamedec – Switch Review

First released back in 2021 for the PC, Gamedec has made the jump to Nintendo Switch in 2022. Toted as a non-combat cyberpunk RPG, it stars a futuristic private detective who investigates crimes inside virtual worlds. This rather meta concept is based on the series of short stories by Polish author Marcin Przybyłek. He also took on various roles such as consultant and scriptwriter during development. With that being said, take one last drag of your cyber cigarette and climb into your virtual couch to solve some crimes. Gamedec - Neon Non-violence. Life is tough in Warsaw at the end of the 22nd century. The natural environment outside has mutated and become extremely hostile to humanity. Trapped inside vast fortified cities for their own protection, many inhabitants escape into Virtual, a...