Survival

14Apr

By Parker FauxNo Comments

Angel Engine – PC Review

"And the Lord Of All Games spake, 'Thou shalt not make a game in the image of a data entry overtime shift', and all saw and said it was good." -Polygonics 4:51 Angel Engine is a self-proclaimed "horror surgery simulator" developed by HMS Studios and Black Lantern Collective and published by NerveLabs and Aurakenn Games. It is currently only available for PC. Clocking In to the Martyr Factory The game is based on a highly-popular short-form analogue horror series of the same name, centered around humanity kidnapping an angel and performing horrific experiments on it it to try and stave off Armaggedon. Based on my research, the original Angel Engine series is controversial for heavy AI usage, to the point that the Steam page directly says that, unlike the original, this game doesn't...

25Mar

By Parker FauxNo Comments

PC Reviews

The Coin Game – PC Review

The Coin Game is a survival sandbox arcade simulator created by solo developer devotid and published by Kwalee. It released in early access in 2019 and has been steadily updated leading up to its 1.0 release. It's available on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, and today I'll be reviewing the PC version. Life Is Cheap. Tickets Are Cheaper. As a young lad I spent many of my formative years at my local arcade, a joint called (and I'm not making this up) the "Fun Park". It had everything a child could ever want: a giant playplace that smelled like feet; comically cheesy pizza; a bizarre 1950s tiki-party aesthetic; and, of course, a dozen rigged arcade machines that spat out tickets, spent on penny sweets and cheap stuffed animals at an obscene markup. It was paradise. Some days, I wish I could g...

11Feb

By Jordan RookerNo Comments

PC Reviews

HumanitZ – PC Review

HumanitZ is an isometric, open-world zombie survival game. After a couple of years in early access on Steam, developer Yodubzz Studios is venturing into 1.0 release. Pick up the pieces as one of the few remaining humans to build, farm, explore, and survive as long as possible. It is available on Steam now with publishing by indie.io (Coromon, Dark Deity 2). The 1.0 release is live on Friday, sixth of February. How Long Can You Keep Your Humanity in HumanitZ? Zombies and survival games seem to just go hand in hand. The nice thing is that they come in all different flavors. I recall spending a number of days in zombie modes of CoD, and others in the early days of DayZ. I was curious to see how HumanitZ felt in comparison. Especially since that last zombie survival game was just... yeah. So...

10Feb

By PaulNo Comments

PlayStation Reviews

Cairn – PS5 Review

What's this? Back-to-back reviews of games I did back-to-back previews of last year? That's continuity, folks. This time I'm playing Cairn, the latest game from The Game Bakers; a small French studio — just 17 full-time members working remotely around the world — responsible for Furi and Haven. It's clear these guys have some serious range. Speaking of, Cairn sees protagonist Aava tackling a mountain range, culminating in an attempt to climb the yet unconquered Kami. In order to summit this killer mountain, Aava will need grit, determination, and perseverance... as will I. Nothing Worth Doing Was Ever Easy As a realistic climbing/survival simulation, nothing I've ever played previously compares to Cairn. Yes, we have games with climbing and stamina mechanics such as A Short Hike and Jusa...

14Jan

By Jordan RookerNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

StarRupture – PC Early Access Preview

StarRupture is a new first-person survival crafting game now in Early Access on PC by Creepy Jar (Green Hell). Harvest resources, refine them, and fulfil requisitions from your corporate overlords as you pay off your debt. Just be mindful of the weather as it can be a bit hot... Check it out now on Steam. Game Title Is Key to StarRupture Survival games run wild these days, so it's hard to sift out the noise sometimes. Thankfully, Creepy Jar has a great reputation with Green Hell. Having a developer that knows what they're doing is definitely a leg up. See how StarRupture sizes up in its current state in the preview below. Gameplay StarRupture is a first-person survival crafting game, capable of co-op with up to four other players. You've been sent to the planet of Arcadia-7 to serv...

I Am Future: Cozy Apocalypse Survival – PS5 Review

8Jan

By MikeNo Comments

PlayStation Reviews

I Am Future: Cozy Apocalypse Survival – PS5 Review

I Am Future: Cozy Apocalypse Survival is a game that asks the question: "What if a post-apocalyptic survival title was stress-free?" Brought to us by developer Mandragora, I Am Future initially launched into Steam's Early Access in 2023. The full 1.0 release was then made available in November 2024. Now, it's coming to PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series X|S. Rejoice console players! This review of I Am Future: Cozy Apocalypse Survival will be covering the PS5 version. But, it's worth noting that the Steam user reviews are already sitting at "Very Positive". So, get cosy, gather your materials, and get ready for the end of the world! Survival Has Never Been So Snug I Am Future puts you in the role of the last surviving human on Earth. Everyone has seemingly fled to a n...

8Dec

By Kyle McGrathNo Comments

PC Reviews

Huntsman – PC Review

Fun fact, I have Arachnophobia, so why am I playing a game called Huntsman, that states it has giant arachnids. Well, because it's a horror game! So thank you to the team Onthehousestudios, for this horrible experience for me to undertake. If you are looking for your next horror game, or simply love spiders. Then Huntsman is available on Steam right now for £10.99. Why can't they just stay small? Gameplay There is little context for the player at the start of what is actually going on in Huntsman. We do know it is our first day, and that we can find notes that filling in more of the blanks. The game focus more on the scares and stealth, rather than running. Which thank god, because running will cause the spiders to react much quicker. The player can expect to navigate large rooms and ...

28Nov

By Jordan RookerNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

ASKA – PC Early Access Preview

ASKA is an open-world survival, colony management simulator. Currently in development by Sand Sailor Studio (Black The Fall), it is available right now as an early access title with Thunderful Publishing (GODBREAKERS). ASKA is only releasing on PC initially and you can pick it up over on Steam. Make ASKA Your Next Viking Adventure I will admit that I'm fairly sure I've seen advertisements for ASKA come across my feeds on occasion. I didn't look into it further because I heard "Viking" and "survival" and thought of Valheim. What I found was that and so much more; a pleasant surprise. I should have been remembering the fun times I had in Valheim and seeing else ASKA has to offer. Let me tell you why you should too in the review of its current state below. An impressive feature that is some...

The Last Caretaker – PC Early Access Preview

5Nov

By Jordan RookerNo Comments

Previews & Early Access

The Last Caretaker – PC Early Access Preview

The Last Caretaker is a first-person crafting survival game by developers Channel37. Embark upon a voyage on the vast planet-wide ocean while searching for clues to restore humanity. Explore, craft, and survive against rogue robots and a corruption spread across everything. The game is available starting November 6ths on Steam and the Epic Games store, with a later date planned for consoles. Last and Lonely Caretaker There have been so many survival crafting games over the past ten years or so that I've lost count. Too many involve zombies. Even more involve some facet of PvP as a core mechanic. But The Last Caretaker looks a bit different. A bit less jumpy and much more inquisitive. So what are my thoughts on the game as it hits early access? Check them out below. Gameplay The Las...

17Sep

By MikeNo Comments

PlayStation Reviews

Frostpunk 2 – PS5 Review

I was a big fan of Frostpunk when it released on consoles in 2019. Fast forward six years later, and console gamers finally get their hands on Frostpunk 2. Developer 11 bit studios first released their follow-up title in 2024 for PC (Thumb Culture even reviewed that version), garnering positive reviews across the board. But how does the console version fare? Is this city building, survival title a big improvement over the original game? Let's find out! Put a Jacket on; It's a Bit Nippy Outside! It may be worth noting that this is the first time I've played Frostpunk 2, so there won't be much comparison to the PC version. If you've got any thoughts or opinions on the original release, I'd love to hear them! Let me know in the comments below, but for now, it's on with the review! Game...