Geek Culture Reviews

Karma: The Dark World is not a game that tries to entertain with fast action or familiar horror tropes. Instead, it quietly unsettles you, pulling you into a slow descent through memory, guilt, and psychological decay. It is a disturbing, visually intense experience that trades jump scares for emotional tension and abstract storytelling. If you come into it expecting combat or traditional survival elements, you may be surprised by just how different it is from most horror titles. Story & Atmosphere - A Deep Dive Taking place in a dystopian version of East Germany in the year 1984, under the control of a shadowy corporate regime known as Leviathan The narrative places you into the shoes of Daniel McGovern, a special investigator with the strange ability to enter the minds of others. These so-called memory dives are where most of the game happens. You are not just reviewing crime scenes or solving clear mysteries. Instead, you are exploring fractured memories filled with hidden meani...

Could you survive the harsh environment of the Great Ursee?  Bulwark is the second title in the trilogy of games that’ll eventually make up the Falconeer Chronicles . Created by solo developer, Tomas Sala , the trilogy focuses on the inhabitants of the vast water world, The Great Ursee. A few years ago the debut title, The Falconeer took us to the skies on the back of a great falcon as we battled across various scenarios that depicted a war between the various houses that call the Ursee their home. This second game changes perspectives as we leave the skies behind to become city builders on the Ursee’s rocky archipelagos. The third game - when it’s released - will then change the perspective again, but for now, Sala hasn’t revealed much as to how.  For a bit of perspective, I’ve delved into The Falconeer before for both Geek Culture Reviews and further back, Flickering Myth. While my original review for FM is lost to the annals of time, you can check out my Nintendo Switch r...

16 characters brawling whilst dressed as dinosaurs! What could go wrong?… OutRage: Fight Fest is a party brawler that’s been developed by Hardball Games. The main premise of OutRage is to pit 16 players and allow them to pummel the snot out of each other in various ways. Where other brawlers task you with being the last fighter standing, OutRage mixes this up by adding objectives into the mix.  While I’m no stranger to battling my friends across various brawlers, I’m not a fan of performing complex combos. Where one of my mates reigns supreme in button combinations and flashy moves, I can just about perform a Hadouken! Thankfully OutRage forgoes these for a more casual experience that allows for anyone of any skill to pick up and play. It’s a simple brawler that’s not afraid to poke fun at itself and offers lightning-quick rounds that’ll throw you straight into the action.  There are plenty of brawlers to choose from and each comes with its over-the-top look. Costumes bor...

And I’m going round in circles, going round in circles… For a lot of people, our working lives are stuck in a mundane job doing mundane tasks day in, and day out. Whether it’s the repetition of scanning items through a checkout counter or staring into the abyss while numerous spreadsheets drop into our inbox, working 9/5 isn’t always fun. Quite a few times I’ve been in my job and fantasised over what I would do if various outrageous - and outlandish- incidents just happened to occur. While none of these are yet to happen to me, the folks who work at Shift 87 ’s NORN Corporation are about to be thrown into a supernatural event.  And it’s one you’re tasked with cleaning up.  Shift 87 throws you into the boots of an employee of the NORN Corporation. You’re a faceless nobody in the sea of employees doing their jobs for the greater good of the corporation. Anyway, after a mysterious event occurred on the corporation's property various anomalies have been reported by various staff....

Publisher Rainy Frog has announced that the next instalment to celebrated pixel puzzle title, Piczle Cross will celebrate the legacy of Story of Seasons. The critically acclaimed Piczle series has redefined the logic-puzzle genre for over a decade. Infusing the series with a rich story and lovable characters, each title gives puzzle fans more than just puzzles. Piczle Cross: Story of Seasons continues this tradition by offering not only the most feature-rich and cosy nonogram experience available, but doing so in homage to everybody's favourite farm life game series! In Piczle Cross: Story of Seasons players get to experience addictive nonogram logic-puzzles that celebrate the beloved farm life game series. Fan favourite villagers and bachelors, tools and crops, animals and upgrades all feature in a gorgeous nonogram presentation.  With over 350 puzzles featuring a wealth of different Story of Seasons mainstays there’s a veritable pasture-full of puzzling pleasure to be found! Puzz...

Rob reviews Trepang2 on PC… Trepang2 , developed by Trepang Studios, is a first-person shooter video game that offers an exhilarating and immersive gaming experience. As a spiritual successor to the cult classic F.E.A.R. series, Trepang2 combines intense action, supernatural elements, and a gripping narrative to create a unique and captivating gameplay experience. Trepang2  manages to weave a compelling narrative through its atmospheric world. Taking on the role of an enigmatic protagonist, players are thrust into a world where they must confront both human and supernatural threats. The game's story unfolds through cryptic messages, audio logs, and environmental storytelling, immersing players in its enigmatic lore. The atmosphere throughout is tense and foreboding. The use of lighting and sound design is masterful, creating an unsettling ambiance that keeps players on edge throughout their journey. The combination of supernatural elements and a mysterious organization adds layers...

Rob reviews Torchlight Infinite on PC… Torchlight and I have quite the checkered history. While I absolutely loved the original - and it’s sequel -  for me Torchlight 3 was when the rust started to show. The clear switch to a mobile oriented system that wasn’t quite realised at the time clearly hurt the game, with the end result being a “freemium” mobile title disguised as a full-fledged console title. As such Torchlight 3 ended up being just another failed Diablo clone.  Jump to 2022, and Chinese developers XD have their hands on the Torchlight universe. Now dubbed Torchlight: Infinite, XD have taken the classic formula and given it an MMORPG make over with a live service feel. Not only this, but the game is also available on iOS, Android, and Windows devices as a free2play title. And the icing on the cake? Well, Diablo founder David Brevik has been involved in the title’s development.  So, does Torchlight: Infinite reignite the dungeon crawler fire? Or does it hammer t...

Rob reviews Zool Redimensioned on PlayStation 5… When I ever reminisce about Zool it often brings memories of Christmas trips to my brothers house after he moved out. Back in 1992 when Zool first released I was 6, and my older brother Paul was the coolest person ever. Why? Well he had an Amiga with an absolute tonne of floppy discs, all in various boxes, cases, and just strewn across his floor. While 6 year old me would contend with the likes of Chaos Engine, and other forgotten gems - there was always one that stuck in my memory. From first discovering Zool, and getting my sibling to match up codes to then get another code that actually let us play the game (good old anti-piracy at its best!), and the opening that placed the space ninja into a candy filled world, I was hooked! While I can’t recall if I ever got off the opening level, seeing a badass ninja tackling a variety of confectionery - as a kid - was a pure delight. I mean…come on…Ninjas…and killer sweets!  Anyway, while I ...

Rob reviews Last Year on PC… If I had known that Last Year  was a 5 Vs 1 horror before accepting the code to write this review - I probably would of declined. Don’t get me wrong, while the genre does have its fans, I’m sadly not one of them. In the past I’ve dabbled with the likes of Dead by Daylight, Friday The 13th, and Evil Dead , but the premise didn’t really resonate with me. However, I am a fan of cheesy horror movies that feature dumb characters, doing stupid things, and ultimately getting their comeuppance in typically gruesome ways. This is where Last Year sets its atmosphere. It’s those cheesy horrors movies that have become a guilty pleasure for so many of us.  So, come with me back to high school as we attempt to survive the nightmares that Undaunted Games has in store. Set in the 90s, Last Year follows a group of teenagers as they’re  thrown into an alternate universe. Now trapped within a location that looks exactly like their school campus, the group soon f...