Cubed3's Reviews
Kona VR falls under the rather unflattering title of Walking Simulator - a title that detracts from what each game has to offer. Kona VR tries to break out of this label by focusing on the survival elements, and it works. Mostly. The environment, atmosphere, and dread make Kona memorable and the new VR features make it even better.
There are not really enough good things to say about Psychonauts and most of them have already been said at this point. It's still an amazing platformer that married gameplay and storytelling better than any other title like it. It's a fantastic adventure that everyone should at some point play. With Psychonauts 2 on the distant horizon, though, there's never been a better time to get reacquainted with Tim Schafer's old masterpiece.
Rainbow Skies is not only uninspired, it feels almost like a cheap nostalgia cash-in for JRPG enthusiasts. The characters are generally annoying and mostly one-dimensional, and the writing is quite poor and riddled with syntax issues. The explorative nature of the game is something that players might be drawn to, but that's not enough to carry the significantly weaker portions of the game. The combat system is sort of cute in its simplicity, but it's not unique enough to keep players invested throughout all the annoying little quirks that fill up the majority of Rainbow Skies
If you want to get away with sticking a book on a console, it is pretty important to make the actual tale an intriguing one, and - better yet - add in some useful interactions. This all feels so empty, even when attempting to drive the conversation in certain directions. Mundane is the perfect word to describe Three Fourths Home, and its Extended Edition post-game story content is simply more of the same weak melodrama. There are so many alternatives out there vying for your attention; check them out instead.
Illusion: A Tale of the Mind is a marvel to look at and enjoy from a puzzle standpoint. However, it starts to bog itself down with a quirky storyline that carries the action along well enough to start with, but becomes increasingly convoluted and eventually downright boring, to the point where the ending will leave most sighing with relief, which is a massive shame as the core gameplay is very intriguing to start with, but is dragged down by an over-reliance on switch-hitting towards the end.
From the tight controls to the charming aesthetic, there's very little holding SpiritSphere DX back from being one of the best multiplayer titles on Nintendo Switch.
It will be hard to remain interested in Smoke and Sacrifice for more than a handful of hours. By then most will realise that what started as an emotive journey, ends up being an endless series of unbalanced crafting, unexciting exploration, and controller-breaking, clunky fighting.
In some ways, Siegecraft Commander works well for the VR medium; it introduces an apt and engaging control mechanism with the structure flinging. In addition, the control of the map and units and the touches of love in the UI all are positive things. The disappointing part is that the main gameplay on top of those things is just simply not anywhere near engaging or interesting enough to make for a great experience. Battles, whilst having a touch of strategic thought, more often than not descend into a boring slog of tower-defence mechanics. Similarly, the campaign is not interesting or lengthy enough to pull the rest of the game up to standard. It's not the cheapest VR strategy title on the market, either, and with multiplayer effectively dead, the chances of having a long-term relationship with Siegecraft Commander looks rather unlikely.
If a walking simulator with an exploratory story sounds like a great experience, then The Station is one worth jumping into. Exploring the desolate space station, recovering audio logs, while solving puzzles and challenges may not make this the most innovative in the genre, but it is definitely one of the more enjoyable examples.
Comparing this bundle to its cheaper original on the eShop, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero - Ultimate Edition's value is greatly boosted by the deviation of the extra modes to the main game; some being far more substantial than others in gameplay but still featuring heavy asset reuse. Players new to Half-Genie Hero will find the base game more than serviceable, while the Ultimate Edition is tailor-made for long-time series fans.
Like Space Hulk: Deathwing, the Enhanced Edition remains an... okay-ish co-op shooter that mostly caters to the Warhammer 40K fan-base - and that's not enough. This is supposed to be the version that fixes all problems and greatly improves the game. The reality is that it's just a patch, and not an adequate one at that.
Slow, methodical, and deliberate, Happy Birthdays is at times frustrating, but only because it's genuinely engaging premise demands an attention to detail and level of care. Its biggest fault is that much of the experience occurs at the player rather than with the player. With that said, watching evolution occur on a grand scale through one simple action is an impressive and exciting feat. Cubes do require interaction to keep evolution moving smoothly, as well, so it isn't as if everything can be auto-played, just that more interactivity would have benefitted the game overall. At its core, Happy Birthdays is a creation simulator and one that won't resonate with everyone, but those who do end up jiving with the title will certainly find something worthwhile to take away.
Online multiplayer will keep it afloat for a short while, but this does little to placate those who were less than thrilled with Mario Tennis Ultra Smash, fans that will now be left ambivalent if the series can really hit the stride that it once did.
Defenders of Ekron is a Metroidvania-esque mech game, which sounds like a certain recipe for success. While the action is fun when everything is working well, the game-breaking bugs destroy whatever enjoyment this title had going for it, and they are too great to be ignored or overlooked.
Quad Fighter K is a, somewhat simplistic, co-op-focused vertical shooter, with humdrum, NES-like retro visuals (with actual retro visuals being much better). It's one of those typical games whose main selling point seems to be the nostalgia factor, and nothing more than that.
Those looking for a turned-based RPG, inspired by the golden oldies, are advised to look exactly where Earthlock took its inspiration from, as it's not very good at what it does. Some neat ideas have been included, but these can't make amends for a lack of an engaging plot, or fun battles.
At first, KORG Gadget is a lot like diving headfirst into the deep end. However, if someone is willing to dedicate a little time, they will have the opportunity to explore a world they never knew existed. As the hours pile up, the user will gain a new perspective on how music is created. All of their favourite songs and albums will be seen in a different light. They will start to notice every little thing, and in doing so gain a new appreciation for the artists and their talent. Perhaps they themselves will someday create a wonderful piece of music. Also, the time limit mode is, quite simply, awesome. Creating a piece of music in just a few minutes makes for a really fun and unique challenge. The lack of export options is equal parts strange and annoying, but it's not too much trouble to deal with. Those out there with even the slightest interest in music should definitely give this software a try.
Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory is the type of game that requires playing first before purchasing. It looks great, with some gorgeous hand-drawn art, and some cool looking combat. That combat system looks like a fresh take on the classic Valkyrie Profile, but once getting hands-on, it's quickly evident it doesn't live up to its promises. The premise is solid on both the action and the gameplay, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. The story is horrendous, hugely convoluted, lacking any sort of pivotal moments, or interesting characters. The combat system is too manic and messy to master, leaving it as a real disappointment, overall.
Humourless, bland, boring, and, when it comes to the extra rogue element, straight up irritating, Unicorn Dungeon is simply not worth anyone's time, genre fan or not - and that's even when taking its tiny price into consideration.
After spending some time with SEGA Mega Drive Classics, the nagging feeling is why these compilations are always riddled with issues. There aren't many complaints to be had when it comes to the library, yet the emulation is never up to snuff. Perhaps dedicating such a large amount of resources to the UI wasn't the right call. A number of features are poorly-realised and implemented. It's hard to enjoy the games when nothing sounds or feels quite right. The stuttering is especially baffling. While its appearance is rare, it should be non-existent. In short, fans of the console deserve better.