Drew Hurley's Reviews
It's Speed meets Temple Run, with a heavy Tron filter over everything. It's a fun little runner that has plenty of replayability, thanks to the competitive aspects of the racing, the alternate routes through the stages, and the hidden items to track. However, Razed is quite niche - there's a considerable challenge here and the frustration may be too much for some to handle.
The developers will likely not appreciate the comparison, but this is like a stylish drum and bass-centric Flappy Bird. That alone should establish just who the audience is. It's a frustrating, maddening experience that will find a niche audience that just loves punishment, but is certainly not for everyone - or even for many.
The core of the gameplay is basically fetch quests occasionally broken up with uninspired combat sections on the seas. It's all quite dull and repetitive. It's trying to thrive on its charming style and the usual addictive nature of survival games, but even that isn't enough. In addition, there are two to three hours of gameplay here to fully complete the game. It's hardly fun for even that briefest of time.
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom perfectly bridges the gap between old and new, delivering the same style and charm of games from the Master System and Mega Drive, but including the same style of platforming and puzzle solving that have made modern indie titles stand out from the crowd. Essentially, it has captured the heart and soul of the original, and given it a breath of fresh life.
Once the basics are understood, they're repeated ad nauseum, and while the story has some interesting elements, the monotony of the gameplay is indefensible. Few will be able to power through enough to see the many endings hidden here.
Nippon Marathon is an atrocious game. The kind of "wacky" that is trying far too hard to be funny and failing in every way. Cringeworthy. Buggy. Dull. Between the terrible gameplay and the appalling writing, it's hard to keep playing and not just turn this off for literally anything else. Absolute shovelware, and one of the worst to come to Switch.
Switch's catalogue of top-tier Metroidvania titles just added yet another to its repertoire. Insanely addictive and a hell of a great time. The combat is fast, fluid and frantic, often requiring the better part of valour to overcome and survive the horrors. The local multiplayer and the multiple endings give it considerable replayability, too. Sundered: Eldritch Edition is one of the very best.
The Switch's catalogue of quality indie games adds yet another one to its remarkable line-up. Even better, it's something original - something to stand out against its peers. The combat and exploration elements are smooth and entertaining, the rogue-like elements dig addictive hooks deep, the presentation is surprisingly sharp, and the story is a pleasant surprise. Everspace deserves to be on more players' radars. Another hidden gem, and this one shines more than most.
While it's great to finally see a Taiko reach Europe, it has some disappointing aspects, like sub-par motion controls that make you want to rely on standard controls, and a track listing that is decent, but misses many of the memorable Taiko tracks of recent years - some of which ended up on the PS4 version instead. The decision to have two completely different track listings is also baffling. There are already a bunch of songs on the eShop, including a Ghibli pack that is a must-buy. Those negatives aside, Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum 'n' Fun! is still a ton of fun, and a joy for anyone who has played it in Japan. Hopefully, the first of many in the series to get such a release.
A game out of time; it's wonderful for fans of the series to actually get their hands on this title that almost ended up on the trash pile with the death of THQ, but Darksiders III is so riddled with issues that they just can't be ignored. It feels like a game that was developed many years ago and then put on a shelf, finally now to be released. It feels worse than both previous entries and, worse, it feels more dated than the originals. It's so sad to see this franchise that held so much promise fall so far, and worse it seems unlikely to recover, either. The game hints at a fourth iteration, again retreading the same time period, this time in the shoes of the fourth Horseman, Strife, but if it's of the same level of quality as this compared to previous titles, it may be better if it never arrives.
Like all the finest indie titles, Moonlighter has such a simple premise but is done so masterfully it becomes fantastically addictive - from the basic combat, to the Resident Evil style bag management, to upgrading the shop, to selling the goods; every aspect feels great. Combine this with the charming old-school art and you have got a clear winner on your hands. The only real negative is how short the game is and how the story feels a little lightweight. Moonlighter also feels like it would be even better on Switch, so keep an eye out for Cubed3's review of that version soon!
Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition HD is a fun little accompaniment to the original and certainly a preferential option for those that want to re-experience the original without investing an ungodly amount of time. That being said, the flaws are rather glaring. It's all far too simplified, and the old-school aesthetic would have been greatly complemented by adding in a turn-based, classic Final Fantasy combat system.
A decent tie-in game, something many anime properties never receive, but ultimately My Hero One's Justice can't live up to the standards set by the likes of the Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm releases or even Dragon Ball Xenoverse titles. It's fun and filled with things to keep fans of the series happy, but those looking for a complex and challenging combat system won't find it here.
After the rather lacklustre LEGO The Incredibles recently, Tt is back on top form with LEGO DC Super-Villains. This is a real joy for fans of DC Comics, absolutely stuffed with Easter Eggs and inside jokes that cater to every type of DC fan. From the DC films, the Arrowverse TV shows, to the classics, the cartoon series, and, of course, most of all, the comics. Along with containing some really great designed stages and areas, it also has the best story and cast in any LEGO title to date. It's this high quality across the board that will make this more than "just another LEGO game."
Easily the best Assassin's Creed title to date, Assassin's Creed Odyssey takes everything Origins overhauled and improving on it, adding in fan favourite gameplay elements, introducing an amazing, huge world, and, most importantly it's a heck of a good time… but… the shadow that hangs over it cannot be ignored. Ubisoft has purposefully handicapped the gameplay, tuning it to be slow and, at points, making the grind horrendous, all to try and sell a micro-transaction, and that is absolutely revolting.
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is another enjoyable and unique experience added for the Switch's already swollen library. It's a little short, with only four campaigns, but it's a great title to whip out with friends - sitting around the console, or on the big screen, yelling out orders to each other. Good old, couch co-op fun. Being a Super Rare Games production, this also comes with a few special little extras; the usual trading cards, and stickers. It's a nice little extra on top of the opportunity to get a physical copy of a usually digital only product.
The roguelike procedural generation in Touhou: Genso Wanderer Reloaded often generates terrible flaws, horrible stages, and difficulty levels all over the shop - when the difficulty spikes, the challenging nature often just results in repetitive and frustrating grinding. There is far too much dialogue to read through, meaning huge gaps between actually being able to play… It's hard to find much to like here. It will certainly interest Touhou fans who get to enjoy some of their favourite characters, but for casual fans and those new to the series, all they are getting is a rather monotonous dungeon crawler.
Senran Kagura games have always revelled in the fan-service, but they have weaved it into titles that are fun to play. An element of the game… Sometimes a large element… but, not the focus. Senran Kagura Reflexions feels like the extra features bundled into one of the full Senran Kagura entries. At £8.99, this feels massively overpriced, too, even for those who can see value in it. There's certainly not that much value, though, as it's basically a pervy tech demo.
Much like how Boruto has failed to live up to its progenitor, Boruto to Naruto: Shinobi Striker cannot live up to the Ultimate Ninja Storm games. Like most of its type, it gives a huge advantage to those who can play with friends, a guild, or a clan, but even with this, the broken matchmaking leads to crushing defeats on a regular basis. This, combined with the constant delays thanks to unskippable results screens and huge load times, really puts a dampener on the whole experience. It's a shame because there are a lot of good elements here, plus a crazy and addictive combat system. It, sadly, just all feels rather unfinished.
Divinity: Original Sin II - Definitive Edition is absolutely phenomenal; almost perfect in every way and easily one of the greatest RPGs of not just recent years but all time - easily able to stand alongside the greats not just in this style, like Knights of the Old Republic, but alongside any RPG. It puts Bioware's recent efforts to shame. It's fantastic that it's coming to console and that more people will have an opportunity to play this magnificent masterpiece.