Geek Culture Reviews

Rob reviews Honey, I Joined A Cult on Steam... Na,na,na,na,na, leader! If you have fond memories of a certain episode of The Simpsons,  then developer Sole Survivor Games , and publisher Team17 have a game for you!  Honey, I Joined A Cult is a sandbox-management simulation game that places you in charge of your very own cult. Across its gameplay, you'll lead your cult from humble beginnings, right up to world domination, self-sacrifice, or something more sinister. The choice is yours!  While Honey, I Joined A Cult is one big sandbox, it does have a semblance of the story behind it. Upon loading into the game, you're introduced to an old-fashioned police crackdown as the Law raids quite a large compound. As the sizable police presence works its way through the maze of corridors, the leader of this cult makes haste and escapes.  Now on the run, this character needs a new identity, to then start yet another cult - which is where we come in. Th...

Rob reviews Marauders [Early Access] on Steam... Marauders  is a first-person looter-shooter that's been developed by Small Impact Games and published by the indie powerhouse, Team 17.  Currently enrolled on Steam's Early Access programme, Marauders' development will be greatly improved by those who take up the call to head into space. As such the game we review now will no doubt change and evolve as it rolls towards its inevitable version 1.0.  While that's quite a way into the future. What's the game like now? And is it worth investing in?  Marauders tell the tale of an alternative version of humanity. Set in 1992, the Great War never ended and with planet Earth being hospitable, humanity colonised the stars. Rather than ushering in a time of peace, those past grudges have continued to fester and the war rumbles on. Now roaming bands of pirates from many sides, scavenge and fight over the scraps of technology and supplies needed to survive the vast cos...

Rob reviews Thymesia on Xbox Series X... As a Soulsborne fan, the genre is becoming a little too saturated. While big hitters such as Elden Ring, Bloodborne, and Dark Souls remain the heads of the hard-core table, there's always one waiting in the shadows.  OverBoarder Studios' third-person action RPG, Thymesia is a great example of this. Its flashy, fast-paced combat, mixed with the need for patience and confidence has all the hallmarks to be something great. Yet it's all a bit forgettable.  Thymesia 's story follows a menacing-looking chap called Corvus, a pretty plain protagonist who's also lost his memory. Not only this, but a plague is sweeping across the lands. A plague that either kills its victims outright or mutates them into a foul creature. Corvus, along with his childlike ally, then has to (for reasons) battle the plague monsters whilst regaining his lost memories.  Much like other Soulsborne titles, Thymesia is pretty short on its narrative ...

Rob reviews Age of Darkness: Final Stand on PC... As a fan of the humble RTS, I fall into the "turtle" style of gameplay. Throughout many turns, I'll slowly expand my army across multiple outposts, whilst maintaining a steady flow of resources and defences. When the enemy eventually comes knocking, they'll soon be treated to a barrage of defensive positions, long-range artillery, and an army of nameless units ready to do thy bidding.  While this may work for games such as Command & Conquer, and StarCraft 2. When it comes to PlaySide 's dark fantasy Age of Darkness: Final Stand no matter how prepared you are - your fledgling township WILL crumble! While this guaranteed death may seem a little harsh, it's a journey you won't regret taking - even if the end is a constant shroud of darkness.  This doesn't mean that the game is unwinnable. If you survive long enough there is a speck of light at the end. However, with the odds well and truly ...

Rob reviews King of Season Xbox One... Yo-ho! yo-ho! a Pirates life for me... who didn't grow up not wanting to be a Pirate?  Ever since riding Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean ride as a child, I've been enthralled with the Pirate mysticism. Everyone at some time has fantasised about sailing the seas, going on adventures, and battling other Pirates. Where in reality Pirate life was far less glamorous. There has been plenty of Pirate themed games throughout the years that have attempted to replicate a meaningful Pirate story. Titles such as Assassins Creed: Black Flag, Sea of Thieves, and the Monkey Island games being amongst the more memorable.  Team 17 and 3D Clouds are attempting to bring something different to the Pirate genre with King of Seas - a top-down action-adventure game that places you in command of your ship.  But does it sink or swim? Keep reading to find out... King of Seas places you in the boots of Luky - the not so "lucky" son o...

Rob Lake reviews Blasphemous on Nintendo Switch... Blasphemous is the bastard lovechild of the Soulslike and Metroidvania genres. It's gorgeous pixel world and brutal combat hits you hard and fast and it never lets up. The story is also a thing of hellish beauty as you travel through a world filled with religious woe, guilt, death, and redemption. Developer,  The Game Kitchen has merged the Soulslike and Metroidvania genres in a way that sets the benchmark for future releases incredibly high.  But what makes Blasphemous that  game?  Much like Dark Souls , the story of Blasphemous is fed to you through drips and drabs via its world and characters. You play as the Penitent One who just so happens to be the only surviving member of an ancient order, The Brotherhood of Silent. As the Penitent One, you roam the hellish world of Cvstodia which has been ravaged by a supernatural force known as 'The Miracle'. This force manifests itself in numerous and often cr...

Rob Lake reviews Moving Out: Movers in Paradise DLC... Moving Out is a frantic physics-based game where you're the newest employee of Smooth Moves. As a newly certified Furniture Arrangement & Relocation Technician, your job will be to assist the citizens of Packmore in moving home.  As games go the base Moving Out experience is pretty fun. It's a great co-op experience that pushes the couch co-op ethos. The overall gameplay is simple, yet challenging and who doesn't want to run around as a human-sized toaster?  Me and my 11-year old flew through the base game at quite a speed, and had a lot of fun too. While the game is great, the end game time trials were a little too much for both of us to stay invested in. When I saw that DevM & SMG Studios  were bringing DLC out in the form of Movers in Paradise I jumped at the chance to review the title. Does this new DLC recapture the essence of the original? Or does it need to be placed into storage? Movers i...

The survival co-op game from Team17 introduces crops, combat changes, and more... Team17 have today released the Farming Update for console players of  The Survivalists , the survival co-op experience set in  The Escapists  universe. Already available to PC players on Steam, the update introduces crops, widespread improvements on the combat, and a whole host of changes following comprehensive and engaging community feedback. The update lets players plant and harvest crops for resources (even rare ones) while new, dangerous plants can be grown as a defense mechanism. Monkeys can be taught to help with crops via the Monkey Mimic system, and there are new structures, recipes, and items to aid your arable adventure, including a faster raft to make island-hopping more expedient. Combat as a whole has been overhauled too, giving greater control over direction of attacks for more fluid fighting. Lunge and knockback changes have also been made, and stamina has been altered, ...