Geek Culture Reviews

Anyone for Cyberpunk chess?  The followers of Geek Culture Reviews will already know that I do love a good roguelike. Yet, The Land Beneath Us somehow slipped me by. However, I’m quite glad that I didn’t have any prior expectations as this allowed me to dive into what FairPlay Studios have created without comparing it to the likes of Hades and Dead Cells .  Taking inspiration from Welsh mythology, The Land Beneath Us throws you into a cyberpunk world that reminded me more of Tron than the Welsh countryside. I won’t try to unpack what the narrative here is as a lot of it did go over my head. From what I do understand you work with a friendly AI to venture across the digital realm of Annwn. Across the journey, you’ll have to defeat the Seven Lords to save The Creator.  My only real gripe with The Land Beneath Us does come from its complicated narrative. At no point did I feel particularly invested in the protagonist’s journey. And aside from knowing about its Welsh ori...

Your princess is in another castle… The best way to describe HAMMER95 ’s Mullet Madjack is a fever dream crossover between DOOM, 80’s anime, and every live-streaming platform there is. It’s a crazy boomer shooter that sees you attempting to rescue “the princess” as you face countless hordes of enemies, and an online audience who’s only excitement is seeing you obliterate everything in reckless abandon. With ten seconds on the clock, Mullet Madjack is a rollercoaster ride of bullet hell and speed-running delights.  Set in the not to distant future, humanity is in need of that latest dopamine rush. Finding most entertainment now boring, if it’s not exciting in 10 seconds then that’s it, game over. As consumers battle to score their latest hit, a super rich AI known as “Robillionaires” has taken over the world. In true “evil robot” style this AI is as corrupt and evil as they come (move over Skynet) and as such has enslaved humanity in their own constant need of consumer entertainme...

A hauntingly beautiful theme park survival horror… Created by SFB Games , Crow Country is a retro-inspired survival-horror. Taking the role of Mara Forest you’ll face your darkest fears as you search for the elusive Edward Crow. Last seen within his now dilapidated theme park, Crow’s current situation is unknown. As Mara pulls her car up to the now rusted park gates you get the distinct feeling that this isn’t going to be a simple investigation. In fact even after the credits roll the creeping dread doesn’t let you go.  In terms of introducing we’re not really given one. Instead we first take control of Mara as she arrives at the Crow Country theme park. Due to a spate of incidents the park has recently closed and its once prestigious rides and mascots have started to decay. As mentioned previously, Mara is in search of the parks owner Edward Crow in an attempt to find out what exactly happened to cause the parks closure.  Keeping with the traditions of the genre, Crow Countr...

Beware Iron Teeth… Well, well, well guess who's s back on Tharg’s thrill ride through the glorious thrill verse that is the 2000 AD weekly Prog?  Yeah, if you haven’t guessed already I’m talking about myself. While it’s been a good few months since I last wrote a review on the Prog, it’s not to say that I’ve not been feverishly enjoying what la been on offer over the last few months. But enough about me, let’s dive in and see what Tharg and his Droids have in store for us!  Cover duties for Prog #2382 belong to Nick Percival who gives us a hauntingly detailed look at what to expect when he teams up with Ken Niemand for their new Judge Dredd strip “ Iron Teeth”.  Underneath that gorgeous wraparound cover it’s business as usual. Joining Dredd this week is the finale to the current Aquila arc, Arthur Wyatt and Pye Parr return with Intestinauts, the galaxy is still at war in Proteus Vex , and there’s more sci-fi goodness with Brink .  Judge Dredd: Iron Teeth (Ken ...

Terrible gameplay, poor CGI , and even worse acting, Rebel Assault II has it all… Welcome to episode #5 of Re:Play, a series where I look back at a video game or comic book that I have fond memories of to see if it holds up to my past experiences. So far we’ve dived into Alien Vs. Predator: War, Xenoblade Chrioncles, Star fox, and Rogue Trooper, with each being a mixed bag of nostalgic-filled fun.  This time I’m heading to that galaxy far, far away with Star Wars: Rebel Assault II: The Hidden Empire . I first experienced Rebel Assault II back in the days of the original PlayStation. My middle brother still lived at home and while he was at work, his PlayStation console and game library was mine to control. While we didn’t actually own Rebel Assault II, my now defunct local video rental store did. Thankfully during one weekend visit the game was in stock and for £1.99 it was mine for two nights! As I raced home on my imitation BMX I couldn’t wait to dive into the world of X-Wings, R...

A digital frontier that could be our saviour, or downfall…  Brought to life by a wealth of writers and artists, Punkdroid is an anthology that looks into our own reliance on technology, social networks, and automation of our every day lives. It asks to what extent are we just unknowing slaves in an ever more digital environment, and will our reliance on machines ultimately be humanities downfall?  Editor note: due to the nature of this anthology this review is intentionally going to skip over quite a lot of plot points. To deep dive into every strip within Punkdroid will really sour the experience. While there are some minor spoilers ahead, these shouldn’t detract from your own reading experience if you chose to add Punkdroid to your library.  Across the thirteen collected tales within this anthology there’s quite a degree of themes at play. From hard hitting stories such as The Urge which delves into humanities darkest urges, to the more philosophical aspects such as t...

The Doctor and Ruby prepare to face their fears in this Free Comic Book Day special… As Ncuti Gatwa prepares to head off into his first season as The Fifteenth Doctor on television, Titan Comics has teased his first comic book adventure with a Free Comic Book Day special that brings us the opening chapter.  Written by Dan Watters with art by Kelsey Ramsay The Fifteenth Doctor FCBD Special  takes the Doctor and his companion Ruby back to England in 1739. Specifically drawn to York Castle the TARDIS materialises just as infamous highway man, Dick Turpin plots his escape from his upcoming execution. Armed with an advanced upgrade that’s been sent from the heavens, Turpin wreaks havoc on the gathered troopers and crowd. Now the Doctor has to find out why a 17th century thief is going trigger happy with a ‘Cyberblaser’, and more importantly, who’s pulling the strings! For a taster of what’s to come this FCBD special packs quite a punch. The opening scenes tease quite the adv...

Slideshow and   Iron Studios have given us a sneak peak at their upcoming 1:1 Deadpool & Wolverine statue.  Priced at a respectable $255 and inspired by the hotly anticipated Marvel blockbuster, this deluxe edition statue perfectly captures the likeness of Ryan Reynolds’s Deadpool, and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. But enough about that! Let’s check out the statue!  Sideshow and Iron Studios are proud to announce the latest from the Deluxe Art Scale 1:10 line – the Deadpool & Wolverine Deluxe Statue. From the upcoming film Deadpool & Wolverine, this 1:10 scale statue is limited edition, highly detailed, and hand-painted. Don’t miss your chance to add this dynamic duo to your Marvel collection today!

A new team assembles in Marvel’s Avengers #14… Marvel Comics brings us Avengers #14 this Wednesday, and we’ve got the official preview for you right here!  “BLOOD HUNT TIE-IN! NEW TEAM LINEUP DEBUTS! With the current Avengers tied up and under siege during BLOOD HUNT, Captain Marvel calls for aid – and who better to assemble a new team of Avengers than Steve Rogers? Captain America gathers the forces of Quicksilver, Hawkeye, Hercules and Hazmat to take on the hordes of vampires attacking all over the world. And when they encounter an organized army of vampires in uniform led by a surprise villain, it gets personal!” Avengers #14 is set to hit comic book shelves this Wednesday 8th May 2024