Cubed3's Reviews
Sabotage Studio proves its worth by delivering an title that pays homage to Ninja Gaiden but is actually better than its source material; one that nails both the 8-bit, and 16-bit aesthetic. The problem is that, although definitely a fun title, the way it is torn between being a "pure" action-platformer and a metroidvania really hurts what could otherwise be one of the year's best indies.
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.
It's not a Sonic game, and yet, it's one of the best Sonic game in years. It takes all of the best elements of the 16-bit series and mixes in other classics like Rocket Knight and Ristar, amongst numerous others, to craft a great new IP. It may be derivative right now, but it has the strength and the potential to be so much more. What little flaws there are, are down to the inexperience and budget of the team, something that makes the upcoming sequel very exciting. Imagine what can be offered now. This new release on Switch gives another platform of players the opportunity to see what it has to offer and reminds those who experienced it the first time why Freedom Planet 2 should be on their radar.
The concept of Dimension Drive offers a unique style of gameplay that would melt most brains with the frantic on-screen action, particularly as players have to navigate two different set of maps at the same time on the same screen. From the outset, this particular feature will overwhelm many who aren't familiar with shoot 'em ups, yet with dedication and time, Dimension Drive can offer a gratifying experience once the powers and abilities have all been mastered. The short length of Dimension Drive is a downside as some will breeze through the earlier stages and whilst there is a challenge in the latter levels the average gamer will be left feeling slightly short changed.
Bust out the Earl Grey and crumpets! Rebellion has delivered a quintessentially British flavoured caper in Strange Brigade and it's hard not to get caught up in the whole darned shooting match when the added incentive of fighting for King and country is tossed into the mix. It's a rather spiffing package, all told, that manages to find the perfect blend of rip-roaring adventure, explosive gunplay, treacherous traps, fiendish puzzling, and crate-loads of loot. Whether tackling it solo or with a group of chums, it's a title very much geared towards repeated playthroughs, which should be enough to give fellow relic hunters, Nathan Drake and Lara Croft, a run for their money. Indiana who?
The experience is fun after really sitting down and giving this a try. There are plenty of moments where the grinding feels a bit tedious, but for those that enjoy exploration, collecting, and point-and-click shooting will love this approach to what is otherwise a survival game in a Terraria/tower defence fusion.
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire's first DLC is mainly focused on dungeon crawling, rather than the things that made the core game so awesome, and yet Beast of Winter is far from a boring addition, especially for those who see themselves as scholars of Eora's lore.
Beautiful music and cute, unique visuals aren't enough to save Mushroom Wars 2 from its flaws.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 is another enjoyable instalment in the series. Switching between Kamurocho and Sotenbori with there being so much to do means the action never gets stale, and the new content offers some variety that will spice things up even for people who know Yakuza 2 inside out. That said, the features that have been cut from the original are greatly missed, and the new songs just don't have the same impact as the old ones do, most of the time. It's still definitely worth a play-through if a fan of the series (or even if only recently getting into it), but it's difficult to call it the definitive version of Yakuza 2.
Marking its first outing on a handheld device, Okami HD retains all of the elegance and charisma from even its non-HD days, packing it all into an epic adventure with a budget price and intuitive control inputs. There is a degree of repetition involved with certain battles and events, but even this takes little away from the tale that unfolds.
Very basic but highly approachable, with an addictive gameplay hook and cheap entry fee, Jumping Joe & Friends is a strong candidate for impulse purchasing on Nintendo Switch eShop, and offers more depth than its basic aesthetic would suggest. Online connectivity would have done wonders for potential replay value, but for pick-up-and-play Switch gaming, this one is hard to beat.
No Man's Sky: Next can be impressive at times. It is dense with features and the sensation of lift off and breaking/entering a planet's atmosphere is genuinely magical. It is a mixed bag of mostly good things, but has some really low lows. Sean Murray's project brings the age old saying of "Art is never finished, it is simply abandoned." Good on him and the crew at Hello Games to continue to support what was a disaster at launch to what is a pretty good, if a bit simplistic space sim. "Art" may never be "finished," but when art is shown to an audience... that is going to be the first impression and the first impression is the most lasting. Next does have room for improvement; getting caught in invisible geometry and weird graphical anomalies does happen frequently and the scope of the setting still is not even half the level shown in pre-release gameplay footage. No Man's Sky: Next proves that space does not have to be a lonely town.
Minecraft: Bedrock Edition is the definitive version of Minecraft on everything but the PC, where the Java Edition will probably remain the preferred version in the foreseeable future due to its easily modded nature. Everywhere else, however, and on the Switch in particular, since it bridges perfectly the worlds of portability and home play, the Bedrock Edition with its heaps of newly added features will be the way forward. It is not perfect (at time of writing) since glitches have found their way in ,which recent updates did not seem to fix at all, but Mojang and Microsoft have proven themselves in the past in their support of the regular Nintendo Switch Edition, so it is safe to assume that these should be completely gone in the not-so-distant future.
To say Guacamelee! 2 excels as a Metroidvania would be to sell it short. in recent memory.
A free-running joy at home or on the go, N++'s tricky yet gratifying array of platformer puzzle levels ensures a worthwhile purchase, and the online options only extend its already considerable lifespan. With single- and multiplayer options fitting the Switch's form factor and detachable controller attributes like a glove, N++ is a strong consideration for top indie game on the eShop.
The Walking Dead: The Final Season - Episode 1: Done Running lays down a strong foundation for upcoming events of the season, although it focuses strongly on re-establishing past events and linking them to current ones. It ends on a strong cliffhanger that is going to make the wait until next month's release really hard. The story delivery is the strongest seen so far, with improved presentation and voice acting being as good as ever. Now, if only Telltale would release the previous seasons on Switch with just as much care as it poured into this port, hopefully with shorter load times in those cases since they are older titles, then that would be perfect.
WadjetEye Games has done it again! Unavowed does not disappoint at all, relying on the tried-and-tested formula that has worked so well in the past, but now taking that and polishing it beyond belief, and then expertly blending in themes from popular titles, sprinkling a whole host of fresh ideas into the pot to make for one of the most engaging experiences of the year.
State of Mind is an interesting project that prioritises its story beyond all other aspects of the experience. Unfortunately, while it does feature a very interesting narrative and a lot of compelling ideas, they are not executed very well at all. Even those acclimatised to the pacing and narrowness of other more successful 'interactive stories,' such as The Walking Dead, will find State of Mind to be inextricably rigid and overly linear. Everything encountered is positioned there to further the story. Both Berlin and City 5 lack proper secondary interactions and spontaneous encounters. Even the most linear of adventures cannot completely ignore the player's implied sense of possibility and wonder, without seriously affecting the immersion. For this reason, it's hard to feel engaged in State of Mind, despite its highly compelling story content. It might even be more enjoyable to watch a streamer play through it, than do it for oneself. Ouch.
Unlike most Minecraft clones, Portal Knights delivers an experience wholly its own and for the most part it succeeds. Playing through the main story is a highly enjoyable experience and for those who are looking for a new sandbox to build in. The home worlds allow the freedom to craft to your heart's content. It's even better with friends, too. The inclusion of co-op was a very wise choice and gives yet another element to elevate it above its competitors.
The Journey Down, overall, started off as an interesting concept and a competent, although not flawless, adventure game in its early moments and then evolved into something more unique and special by Chapter Two, setting expectations high for its conclusion. This entry, Chapter Three, delivers on all of that, while sneakily even taking the story in a slightly different direction than what the cliffhanger at the end of its predecessor could have led gamers to believe, keeping the intrigue levels high all the way up to the end, as it is driven by different, yet equally awesome, aesthetics as its predecessor, and comes with a matching soundtrack and strong voice work to round things up neatly. Fans of the genre will find plenty to enjoy here.