Cubed3's Reviews
Tower defence games may have lost their popularity somewhat in recent years but PixelJunk Monsters 2 shows why it exploded in the first place. It is insanely addictive and just the right level of challenging, although certain folk may find the frustrating elements a little too much to enjoy. Some will find achieving every perfect rating compulsive, while others will find it wholly off-putting. Regardless of the difficulty level, the one thing that really lets it down, though, is the pace during the stages. Occasionally, between waves, it really drags and nothing happens, and there's no way to fast-forward or speed up, leaving huge gaps where it's too tempting to put the game to one side and do something else. If you are making your audience want to do something else, what's keeping them playing?
Hitman: Sniper Assassin is a great little detour around the mainline game, as it does well to still respect many of the principles that the main series is built upon.
There are better JRPGs that could be played portably on the GBA, DS, and Vita, but I Am Setsuna is the best JRPG that can currently be played on Nintendo Switch. The game isn't without its faults, though - namely the repetitive nature of environments, enemies, and bland NPCs. However, it has a powerful narrative that is driven by its backdrop and score; elements that should be greatly appreciated by all fans of the genre.
Steamworld Dig 2 is a wonderful addition to the Nintendo 3DS library, especially as the heavy focus of Nintendo's future focuses on the Switch handheld-console hybrid.
Play through the chapters from the film and re-enact some of the more iconic moments from the movie, although pinball aficionados who don't watch or are not privy to Star Wars may not find much to appreciate in terms of the details.
Omensight looks and feels good… but that soon gives way to repetition, as well as the realisation that nothing in this animal kingdom has what it takes to stand in the way of the main heroine. As for the story, and whole murder mystery aspect, well, it they are not that impressive, in all honesty…
From being a technical disaster and unfunny self-aware piece of software, Shaq-Fu: A Legend Reborn is an embarrassment to Shaq-Fu's 16-bit legacy. The original may not have been much, but at least it was not made ironically. The original was made by a talented team that did the best it could with what it had. A Legend Reborn is made with current technology and it somehow looks uglier and plays worse than the game that was coded in the '90s with pixels. Shifting the genre to a beat 'em-up was a logical choice, but this execution was a terrible miscalculation. Compounded with the overall poor quality, this is an extremely short game that clocks in at about two and a half hours. Not much value in Shaq-Fu: A Legend Reborn at all. Better stick with the 16-bit original.
Considering this is the fifteenth in the franchise, Koei Tecmo took a big risk by trying to attract an all new audience and it failed spectacularly. Understanding where Nobunaga's Ambition: Taishi came from can help to explain it. It was released not just for PC originally, but for tablet also, hence the big changes and simplified features. In this bold move, Koei Tecmo managed to not only drive away its loyal fan-base but also fail to bring in any new fans to the series. Ultimately, the final product is just dull, too simple to appeal to the hardcore, and too dense to appeal to the casual. It's hard to see who could enjoy this outside of hardcore J-History buffs and, even then, a textbook would be more entertaining.
While this is obviously not Red Dead Redemption or anything of the sort, West of Loathing proves to be truly entertaining for what it is.
There's nothing inherently wrong with Picross e8 itself, but it belongs to a series that is fast beginning to outstay its welcome; unless developer Jupiter can find a way to really shake up the staling formula, it's perhaps only fair to call time on the 3DS leg of the series at this point.
Fans of the original will need to pick this up, because, while it offers more of the same, it actually offers a much more extensive campaign. For those seeking an RPG on a budget, and one that tickles their 8-bit itch, then look no further than Fairune 2.
ICEY has a lot going for it; the combat is fun, the story and writing smart, plus it has some great designs and animations. It's definitely an enjoyable little addition to the libraries of Switch players, but its flaws are evident to see. If only it was a little longer, or had a bit more of a replayability factor, and if only the voice acting was better... Still, more than just a good game, and well worth checking out.
Onrush is the product of some seriously creative lateral thinking. It feels like something Codemasters cooked up whilst down at the pub, that when it put into practice, found worked better than ever imagined. It takes some of the best attributes of Burnout, SSX, and MotorStorm, but turns the experience on its head with fresh ideas, and some gameplay mechanics borrowed from the world of first-person shooters. It's a gorgeous and intense arcade racer, which is both a throwback and something totally original. There are a few kinks. With one misstep, one or two tracks will throw you away from the action all too easily, and side-swipe takedowns aren't as easy as they should be in certain vehicles. The trick system, too, could be more elaborate. However, overall, Onrush is just a fantastic change of pace. It excels in scratching an itch that you never knew existed. Extremely good fun!
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.