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Thumbsticks

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175 games reviewed
72.8 average score
80 median score
72.0% of games recommended

Thumbsticks's Reviews

Aug 31, 2022

Sam Barlow's Immortality switches digital footage for celluloid film, and it's a better fit. His fixation with scrambled narratives has found its natural home, not in the realm of computers, those ghost-free machines, but here, on coils of vulnerable tape.

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Aug 27, 2022

Mothmen 1966 is a valiant first effort from LCB Studio, and it certainly scores highly on presentation, but clunky writing and those awful interactive sequences derail what was, on the face of it, a promising adventure.

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Familiar but refreshed, Nintendo Switch Sports is an excellent party pastime with the promise of more fun to come. An unfussy online implementation also improves the experience for solo players.

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In so many ways, Gotta Protectors: Cart of Darkness is a frenetic, baffling, exhausting, draining experience. But, somehow, that’s not a criticism? You’ll come away feeling like you got hit by a train, but in a really positive, memorable way.

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Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is a thrill for the senses and will frequently tickle your nostalgia bone. However, it lacks creative spark and is content to regurgitate its source material instead of building something new. A Kyber pass, just about.

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Mar 15, 2022

Triangle Strategy takes time to unfurl, but your patience is rewarded with an intricate narrative and finely crafted tactical combat. The impressive visuals, music, and storytelling ensure the game will live long in the memory and demand multiple playthroughs.

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Mar 8, 2022

FAR: Changing Tides doesn't surpass the achievements of FAR: Lone Sails – but it comes close – and is another example of Okomotive's considerable talents.

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Despite some scruffy visuals, Pokémon Legends: Arceus feels like the first game in the series to be designed for a home console platform. It’s a magpie of a game, but every borrowed element comes together to create a coherent and fresh experience that reinvigorates the franchise.

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Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl straddle the line between old and new by giving two beloved heirlooms a polish that avoids tarnishing treasured memories. These are buoyant, accessible RPGs for fans and newcomers alike.

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Oct 15, 2021

Back 4 Blood features the hectic first-person combat and brilliant co-op camaraderie that made Left 4 Dead so popular. It’s no wonder that Turtle Rock wanted to emulate that success, and while there are a few compromises – the terrible bots if you can’t round up some mates, and the extreme jump in difficulty if you want to eke out some more playtime – this spiritual successor falls into the “worthy” category.

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Life is Strange: True Colours features what really matters in a Life is Strange game: a likeable protagonist and a brilliant setting. It’s also received a massive visual upgrade this time around, which really makes the town of Haven Springs feel cosy, somewhere you want to spend your time.

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Sep 22, 2021

Deathloop is an absolutely essential title for PS5 and PC players. It is the absolute pinnacle of game design, that makes the player put in the work, but the resulting experience is worth living through time and time again.

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WarioWare: Get It Together! isn’t the overhaul the series probably needs, but it’s another propulsive and compulsive blast of fun. The multiplayer modes are modest but well implemented, and the variety added by each character’s abilities adds longevity.

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Boxing is one of the least served sports in video games – even Handball has an annual franchise – so any competent adaptation will get some attention. Big Rumble Boxing: Creed Champions isn’t a champion of the genre, but its lean, focused design makes it a strong contender.

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Aliens: Fireteam Elite is a thin co-op horde shooter with an Aliens skin. And for many, that’ll be exactly what they are looking for. This looks and sounds the part of the 80s action classic and will tickle those nostalgia senses.

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Jul 23, 2021

A wealth of modes that accommodate a range of play preferences make this the best Mario golf game – and probably the best Mario sports game – in an age.

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May 26, 2021

Miitopia oozes wit and charm, but its core gameplay systems are simple and often repetitive.

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Thumbsticks
Aaron Bayne
May 13, 2021

The £70 price tag may sting, but with close to 30 hours on a single playthrough and some of the most compelling gameplay I’ve experienced in a while, Returnal feels like a premium product worth every penny.

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May 6, 2021

New Pokémon Snap is a game for players exhausted by the franchise’s increasingly complex RPG titles. It’s low-key but rewarding, and its laid back, violence-free approach puts a welcome focus back on the design and behaviour of each Pokémon.

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May 5, 2021

Resident Evil Village is an exceptional addition to the seminal horror franchise, offering a gratifying balance between atmospheric horror and frantic action alongside captivating villains, an intriguing setting and plenty of fresh ideas. While its story ultimately fails to capitalize on its exciting central mystery, there’s no doubting it’s one of the series’ most compelling iterations in years.

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