Tag: Strategy

Discover detailed reviews of top strategy games, including real-time tactics and turn-based challenges right here on Thumb Culture. Perfect for players who enjoy deep thinking, careful planning, and mastering complex gameplay mechanics.

Forged of Blood PC Review – Forge Your Party and Retake Your Kingdom
Gaming, PC Reviews

Forged of Blood PC Review – Forge Your Party and Retake Your Kingdom

Forged of Blood is the first game from developers Critical Forge. Forged of Blood is currently only being developed for PC, and it has received the Most Promising Game Award from Game Prime Asia in 2018 and from Pop Con Asia in 2017. Critical Forge is a small independent development team of 8 people, based in Jakarta, Indonesia. It's great to see a small independent team making the game they want to make without having the hand of a larger company telling them what to do. Let's jump in and find out if Forged of Blood is worth your time! Gameplay Forged of Blood is a tactical turn-based role-playing game set in a fantasy environment. In the story, the player takes on the role of Prince Tavias Caenican. The story begins with your father, King Aurelian Caenican being killed as the castle ...
Steel Division II PC Review – World War II Rolls Heavy Into Town
Gaming, PC Reviews

Steel Division II PC Review – World War II Rolls Heavy Into Town

Steel Division II is the highly anticipated sequel to Steel Division: Normandy '44. A few months ago, I had the pleasure of trying out the Steel Division II beta test and let me tell you; I didn't think they were going to be able to improve the game. To my surprise, they sure did. If you haven't read my previous write-up Steel Division II by Eugen Systems is a real-time strategy game, set on the eastern front during World War II. It was released on June 20th, 2019 on Steam. Without further delay, let's jump in and check out the new additions since the beta preview. Gameplay One of the most significant additions to Steel Division II from its predecessor is the Army General mode. Featuring four separate campaigns from Operation Bagration, your goal is to advance and capture each majo...
Tropico 6 – PC Review
PC Reviews

Tropico 6 – PC Review

I love myself a good construction builder game. Games such as Sim City, Cities Skylines and Rollercoaster Tycoon. When I was first introduced to the first Tropico back in 2004 while I worked at GAME, there was something that appealed to me that I could build a tropical paradise in the sun while being a Dictator. I mean, who doesn't want to have a crack of being a dictator right? Being The Best Dictator In The World! Many moons have passed since I first played it and now Tropico 6 is out. Developed by Limbic Entertainment and published by Kalypso Media, Tropico has come very far since the early days of the franchise. Lets jet off to my tropical Island, Assume the role of El Presidente and let's see If I can create a truly great country... Gameplay With a game like these, I lik...
Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics Nintendo Switch Review – Lovecraftian Horror On A Tactical Scale
Gaming, PC Reviews, Switch Reviews

Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics Nintendo Switch Review – Lovecraftian Horror On A Tactical Scale

When given the opportunity to review Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics I wasn't sure what to think of the alternate reality World War II set Xcom clone. Developed by Auroch Digital and published by Ripstone Ltd. Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics is a tactical squad command game based on the RPG spinoff to Call of Cthulhu; Achtung! Cthulhu by British board game company Modiphius Entertainment. Kickstarted in February 2018, the game smashed it's goal and achieved most of its stretch goals. Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics is available on PC via Steam, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. I got to play it on the Nintendo Switch for this review, so let's jump in! Gameplay Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics is an isometric squad-based strategy game in the same vein as Xcom. Set during the second world war, Nazis ...
Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Review – Live Your Best Pirate Life.
Gaming, PC Reviews

Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Review – Live Your Best Pirate Life.

Drink up me hearties! Yo ho ho! We're about to review Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire! Crowdfunded in less than 24 hours, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire has been developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Versus Evil. The game allows you to live the life of a pirate captain given the task of chasing down an awoken god on a path of destruction and putting a stop to his plans. Currently, it's only available on PC, however, it will be released on Xbox One, Playstation 4 and Nintendo Switch in 2019. Gameplay Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is a Role-playing game in the style of old-school Forgotten Coast PC RPGs like Baldurs Gate or Icewind Dale. You get to play a "Watcher" who has the ability to peer into the souls of others and read their memories, which can be pret...
8-Bit Armies Review – Welcome Back Commander
Gaming, PC Reviews

8-Bit Armies Review – Welcome Back Commander

8-Bit Armies developed by Petroglyph and published by Soedesco is a fast paced real-time strategy game that has a strong similarity to the Command & Conquer franchise and is depicted in a voxel manner, i.e the graphics are made up of blocky pixels. I have been yearning for a game to come along for console that is along the lines of Dune, C&C, StarCraft etc.  Is 8-Bit Armies to be that salvation? Gameplay From the off you are greeted by a curiously similar voice from Commander & Conquer times "Welcome Back Commander".  Already I am getting excited in anticipation as to what will come next.  The options you have are to start a campaign, skirmish or online multiplayer session.  Campaign mode it is! Selecting between the two available factions; Renegades and Guardians, ...
Football, Tactics & Glory PC Review – A Game of Three Moves
Gaming, PC Reviews

Football, Tactics & Glory PC Review – A Game of Three Moves

As a child of the 80s/90s, I grew up around what can be said were the classic Football Management games. Premier Manager, LMA Manager, Championship Manager etc. as well as seeing the evolution of football games in general to include a management mode (PES, FIFA). Football, Tactics & Glory is a rather unique take on football management and gameplay from Creoteam. Stripping away all the complications of some of the more well-known Management Sims and giving us more of a turn based strategy style game. The question is, does this new style work well in a football game? Or should it be relegated into the abyss of forgotten attempts (Yes Total Football Manager I’m looking at you). Gameplay Football, Tactics & Glory pretty much throws you straight into the action, giving the backg...
X-Morph Defense: European Assault DLC Review – Times Up!
PlayStation Reviews

X-Morph Defense: European Assault DLC Review – Times Up!

X-Morph Defense by Polish based EXOR studios, who are responsible for the title Zombie Driver, is a tower defence game crossed with a top down shooter where (plot twist) you get to destroy planet Earth.  Available on PC, PS4 and Xbox One, X-Morph Defense has been in development since 2013 and unlike many games that use the Unreal engine, EXOR have created their own called Schmetterling which when translated isn't an alcoholic beverage for an elf but infact means "butterfly". Taking to the PS4 controller I was intrigued to see how this twin stick hybrid concoction would turn out! Gameplay The opening visuals are pretty cool as your alien race decide upon which planet in the universe is best suited for their needs.  Through a robotic sequence of events, Earth gets chosen and the har...
Murderous Pursuits Preview – Making Assassination More Fun
PC Reviews, Previews & Early Access

Murderous Pursuits Preview – Making Assassination More Fun

If you prefer to eliminate your foes with stealth, and tactics rather than running in, all guns/swords blazing, then you might be interested in jumping on ship during the Jurassic Period, with Murderous Pursuits. Blazing Griffin’s assassination focused multi-player title, Murderous Pursuits ran an Open Beta from the 20th of April 2018, until 5am Monday 2018. Now, this one for me had been hiding away. I had seen nothing of the title anywhere before the open beta announcement until a friend of mine told me about it. So it was a lovely surprise to see it a few hours before it went live. Now, Murderous Pursuits is the toned-down equivalent where if Assassin’s Creed and Dishonored had a baby, and merged that DNA with a hint of The Ship, this is what you’d see birthed. The reason I mention...
Total War: Arena Preview – Divide and Conquer, 1, 2, Flee!
PC Reviews, Previews & Early Access

Total War: Arena Preview – Divide and Conquer, 1, 2, Flee!

Total War: Arena is being developed by Creative Assembly to bring us real time mass battle with people all over the world. I mean, what's not to like? Hopefully they have achieved their goal and this is going to be one epic indulgence. Time to strap on a pair of steel boots, clamber onto a steed and charge into a preview. Gameplay Once Total War: Arena opens you have to choose your squad commander and the units. Read the descriptions to see what type of game you prefer playing. Charge in with cavalry, grind out melee combat with swordsmen or fire in arrows and stay safe. Once you have chosen your squad, hit play and you will be matched with players of a similar skill level. The terrain will pop up and several starting positions will be available. Pop your squad in one of these and...