Cubed3's Reviews
ZAMB! Redux isn't a spectacular game, but it offers a decent time nonetheless. The two playable characters have some interesting designs due to how different they function from one another, and there's enough challenge and extra objectives to go after to make this sometimes feel satisfying. Unfortunately, the gameplay and enemy design don't change enough between levels to equal a memorable experience, but it's still enjoyable enough while it lasts.
Fans of Little Witch Academia will find something to do here in Chamber of Time. There's an original story from TRIGGER that is genuinely enjoyable and the interactions between the likeable cast are all great. It's just a shame that every element of gameplay is so massively flawed in so many ways. The groundhog day style repeating story was so promising and yet it has been produced in such a terrible fashion. There are plenty of good elements to the dungeon crawling, yet the levels themselves are dull and frustrating. A big disappointment.
Small performance hiccups on boss explosions aside, which were already present in an even worse state back on the GameCube, this is the new definitive edition of the great classic on Nintendo Switch. Not only is it enjoyable and fully featured both at 1080p60 in docked mode and 720p60 in handheld mode, but it is obviously way more enjoyable on the go than the version available for smart devices due to real built-in controls but also, for the first time, portable two-player mode on the same device with split Joy-Con, which happens to work really well. It is still as challenging a romp as it ever was, but for anyone remotely interested by the genre, it will prove indispensable.
MotoGP 2018 is something only avid fans of the genre should check out. Although there are some improvements to presentation, problems with the murky colour tone palette persist, on top of irritating texture resolution issues with the racing scenery. If sticking to time attack, hardcore bike fans looking for realism may be able to scratch their itch here. However, put other drivers on the track and the illusion quickly shatters. The AI just isn't dynamic or reactive enough. For those taking things less seriously, this will be less of an issue but, either way, it's not very much fun being in their company. It is nice being able run your own 2018 season in tandem with the real thing, but the Career Mode is nothing special. Even if the online mode and the eSport Championship function well enough, the lacklustre collision detection will hinder that side of the experience, too. This is flawed and rushed.
This shmup is only recommended for those out there willing to put up with a lot of tedium.
SCORE 8Its premise may border on ridiculous, but behind its wacky veneer, Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido hides an expansive package. Despite its short runtime, there's a lot of charm packed into its campaign, and plenty to do once the credits have rolled. The easy-to-learn, hard-to-master control scheme ensures it's accessible to everyone, whilst the replayability and multiplayer (including a function that allows two players to use the same console in tabletop mode) solidify its place as a consistent pick-up-and-play staple for the Nintendo Switch library.
There's potential for more mini-games beyond what's included, but the game does - for now - lack that longevity to hold interest beyond the initial wow moment.
For all its DLC problems and lacklustre content, BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle is still a fun fighting game to play both online and offline. It is a much more simplified and newbie-friendly BlazBlue game than any in the main series, but that doesn't prevent it from having anything going for it. These franchises deserved better, though; this should have been a bigger celebration of Arc System Works' characters, and it's a real pity that more love wasn't put into it. With any luck, a complete package will release in the future - hopefully with some extra modes that do the BlazBlue name some justice.
Runner3 is a very well done addition to the series. The new dynamic camera, combined with more visually interesting environments, makes for some memorable locales, which are bolstered by the distinct level design. The new move-set abilities provide some freshness, and there's plenty of optional content to test your skills. It's a shame that said optional content is usually tedious to deal with, and as nice as the dynamic camera is, it can also sometimes lead to a few cheap deaths. Despite that, Runner3 is an addictive (albeit short) experience that platforming fans should look into, if they are up for the challenge.
Aragami: Shadow Edition is a good stealth-based assassin adventure that plays more like an arcade game, as opposed to a gritty, realistic experience.
If Hell does exist, then it's surely the one depicted in Agony, because one can get used to pain and suffering, but these can't compete with utter and complete boredom. Madmind Studios' rushed, "controversial" cash-grab, is nothing more than one of the contenders for the worst release of 2018, and one of the worst survival horror games ever, full stop.
Although flawed and at times painfully inconsistent, Vampyr manages to offer relatively engaging gameplay in spite of a lack of overall polish. Combat is stiff and quite mindless, but Jonathan's progression deeper into Vampiredom is handled well and the abilities at his disposal go a long way towards masking some of the more mundane aspects of the battle system. It's more whether or not Jonathan decides to prey on the people of London, and its consequences, that keep the experience fresh. There's a trade off between making Jonathan and keeping districts stable, each one offering their own benefits. There are technical issues, and the performance is lacking on every front, but Vampyr has enough going for it conceptually that it's worth sinking some time into, if only to be a vampire in 20th century London.
Antigraviator gets a lot of things right.
For fans of the original looking to jump back in, this is a fun detour that adds new abilities and locations into the mix, without trying to redefine the original point.
It is a wonderfully designed point-and-click adventure that truly plays on the emotions, with players having to make tough choices where no option is really good or fully satisfying, just like in real life. This being set in a Supposedly Wonderful Future adds much to the experience as it both opens up for interesting choices with unfamiliar topics, but also shows of a great cynicism, and at times hope and curiosity.
Like Pokémon Shuffle before it, Pokémon Quest proves to be a pleasant piece of gaming that is best enjoyed while doing something else, like watching TV or during short trips on public transport, due to the short nature of the experience and limited amount of free play time offered by the base software. Like Pokémon Shuffle, however, even if it is on a console that is handheld at core, it will be best enjoyed portably on a device that people are carrying on their person at all times, like a smartphone, with notifications warning the player that their free plays have recharged and the like, so it's probably best to wait for a smart device version before investing any money in there that may not transfer between different versions.
It is easy to dismiss Lil Tanks prematurely because of how simple and shallow it looks as a game. This is, however, what gaming used to be back in the good ol' days, and this is one of few modern retro games that truly captures the feeling of simplicity and pure action many of those games delivered, with no frills. While certainly not for everyone, those who are looking for a classic old school shoot 'em up will find this scratches that itch.
Putting a score to a game like Pato Box is painful as parts are worthy of the highest possible score, namely the boss fights that are some of the best seen in ages and truly capture, and even enhance the source of inspiration. However, there needed to be more of those to create a better difficulty curve and less filler content in-between. The story of a game like this does not need to make sense, but the content put into it needs to.
If you are into puzzle-platformers, why are you reading this instead of playing Sling Ming right now? Sling Ming is an extremely creative experience, rivalling many great names in the pure enjoyment stakes, and comes with unique gameplay that is not found elsewhere. It is certainly a must-buy for all fans of the genre, no matter if people want some casual fun or rather prefer brain-teasing puzzles to keep their minds sharp.
It is difficult to find a more realistic economy simulator than this. All focus is on the core of how a market works, rather than to make it work well as a videogame. The result is a fantastic experience for those who are looking for just that, but few others will do so, and that is fine as Epic Car Factory never claims to do anything else. If this sounds appealing, this is certainly a game to get. If not, it is very unlikely that trying the game out will change anything. It is great for its audience, but not too many others.