Cubed3's Reviews
Despite a reliance on gimmicks and an, at times, overwhelming difficulty curve, Masters of Anima manages to overcome its shortcomings to deliver a wildly addictive action-RTS experience. Battles are genuinely demanding, but never impossible, requiring an understanding of the mechanics to survive, especially during the second half. The ranking system encourages clever play that would otherwise be lost in the inherent chaos of combat, and the puzzle-solving segments make for wonderful respites where Otto can play around with his Guardians and accrue Anima for any upcoming bouts. The script does suffer from an emphasis on exposition, but, like the rest of Masters of Anima, it carries with it an endearing amount of charm.
It's hard to find anything wrong with SteamWorld Dig 2 or to even suggest anywhere it could do better. This is an absolute masterclass in game design that is absurdly fun and addictive. It constantly keeps players on their toes by regularly introducing new mechanics that totally change up the experience. The developer has polished every aspect of this to sheer perfection and delivered an experience that will make hours vanish. Regardless of platform, this is a game that deserves to be played by everyone.
It's hard to deliver quality DLC, and as the previous instalment saw, the result is often more of the same that fails to live up to the original or delivery anything new. There are 12 hours or so of content in The Curse of the Pharaohs, and while it isn't all good, the pieces that are good, are very good. So good, in fact, that it takes Assassin's Creed Origins and puts it on par - or even ahead! - of Black Flag for best Assassin's Creed game of all time. Future Assassin's Creed titles take note, sometimes a little bit of the mythical and magical can elevate the game even further …and how about giving eager gamers something in Japan next time?
Atelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings is an enjoyable romp with a charming world, an interesting alchemy system, and plenty of content. Its different systems intertwine with each other in a unique way that makes what is otherwise basic combat interesting, even if it's still not perfect. It's a shame that so often the pacing is broken to make you do uninteresting tasks to get back to the best part of the game - exploring the paintings - but that doesn't stop it from being entertaining, nonetheless.
Despite a compelling performance from Adam Brown, The Bunker fails to capture that same talent in regards to its writing and direction, leading to a messy pseudo-film filled with pacing issues and a lack of commitment to either of the two mediums it's trying to merge.
Even with some unfulfilling visuals, Shiftlings: Enhanced Edition provides a very engaging and challenging puzzle experience. Collecting each of the worlds' 30 soda bottles for their respective bonus levels is not an easy feat. The task can become especially difficult for those wanting to take these challenges on with a partner. As with other co-op puzzlers, the fun in each level is split between properly overcoming each challenge, and failing them on purpose to mess with your friend if favouring sabotage over co-operation. Whether taken on alone or with a friend, fans of puzzle games should find quite a bit to enjoy in this goofy, soda-filled occupational adventure.
All that really needs to be said is that Fantasy Hero ~unsigned legacy~ is an effortless slog. Considering the glut of action RPGs, it's understandable that there would be derivative elements, but this one doesn't even try to do anything unique. Worse, the lack of balance or polish results in a series of escalating aggravations. Before long, the very concept of "fun" is set ablaze, until nothing but ashes remain.
This DLC does not change anything fundamental to in the base of The Escapists 2, so the good and the bad still exist; Big Top Breakout is merely a new map, nothing more or less. It is an interesting romp through some new terrain, but those looking for any new mechanisms to the main action may want to pass.
So many VR games are still just tech demos, sadly, but at least when they are just tech demos they have redeeming features. The prospect of ARK Park gave a chance for a VR experience that would show some stunning interactive experiences. It failed… and it fails in almost every area. It tries to adapt each key element of ARK: Survival Evolved and instead gives a horrible pale imitation of each, isolating each into a little slice, which doesn't live up to - or even represent - the original. The gathering is grindy, the crafting unrewarding, and the combat boring and repetitive. Not to mention as a VR game it suffers, too, as the controls are awkward, plus the price of the game is too high and the visuals lacklustre. The developer was so preoccupied with whether it could, that it didn't stop to think if it should.
Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth is a great series, with an enjoyable first act, a profoundly good second, and a rather disappointing third. While it's still a good story, Book Three just doesn't know what to give time to. Stories that should have been wrapped up quicker get much more time, and moments that should have been given more weight are rushed. It doesn't tarnish the first two books all that much, but it is sad to see this story go out on such a low note. Still, the time spent with the series is definitely a treat and, overall, the entire series is one of the best adventure games to come out in some time.
Batman: The Enemy Within - Episode 5: Same Stitch is an extremely satisfying end to what has been such a rollercoaster of a season.
The levels are enjoyably tough, as well as quite pretty in all their cartoony simplicity, but, when it comes to enjoying Sling Ming, it all boils down to this: who will find controlling a heroine by handling the rope she is tied to, with gravity doing the rest of the work, any fun? Simply put, the answer is "not everyone."
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero's Costume Pack is not bad. In fact, it retains the same quality as the rest of the DLC packs, as well as the core game itself. Unfortunately, while it gives you new toys to play with in the form of new classes, these don't provide a strong enough reason to play the levels that are 99.99% identical to the originals.
Burly Men at Sea is a very quaint and surprisingly enjoyable twist on the point-and-click genre, with lovely visuals, an impressive-and-quirky soundtrack, and more replayability than first thought. However, saying that, the whole experience can be breezed through in an hour or two, and it lacks enough real meat to be it a truly satisfying dish, especially given this is the highest priced version on the market right now. In the end, it is undoubtedly a pleasant experience, but one that will be forgotten quite quickly upon completion, unless extremely motivated to spend more money on the digital or physical storybooks offered post-game via a web-link. It is definitely worth trying, but just be mindful of the price and check your expectations before diving in.
Conarium is a game with a lot of potential. Those early hours spent with it will prove to be difficult to walk away from. However, it is too willing to toss away its fairly slow and tense pace to thrust forward the reveal of the truth behind its mysteries. With those questions gone, all that remains is a standard adventure experience of some puzzles and brainteasers on the way to the end of the story. The ending does its best to redeem the weak middle section, but it is not quite strong enough to lift the whole thing back up to those suspenseful and tension-filled first couple of hours.
Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet is a surprisingly enjoyable third-person shooter that's unfortunately bogged down by poor level design and an intrusive story. Cut-scenes occur far too frequently, and for too long, while the core design stays relatively static from start to finish. It's especially disappointing because the actual gunplay is quite enjoyable and the controls are some of the smoothest in the genre. With a trimmed down narrative, a better gameplay to story ratio, and more complex level design, Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet could have stood out as a particularly impressive licensed game. As is, however, it's a decent attempt held back by some unfortunate design elements.
Golem Gates is simply fun, and the CCG aspects work wonderfully well. Eliminating the conventional 'build orders' that plague modern RTS releases, and having the ability to design your own deck before battle is actually very impressive. This is relatively unknown at the moment, and it's a shame as with more popularity it could easily be a pretty big hit, as most enjoyment will be from playing other people.
Dragon Sinker is almost laughable in some aspects.
While it gets off to a painfully slow start, A.O.T. 2 (Attack on Titan 2) ends up being an extremely pleasant surprise. It's a solid adaptation of one of the better anime franchises around right now, and the gameplay is definitely solid.
Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms is potentially the best otomate game made thus far and is in its finest possible form here. The extra bachelors give fans a new perspective on a now old story. With the Vita on the way out and a new Sony handheld seemingly unlikely, visual novel fans should rejoice in these stories while they have a chance. That being said, the format of the game makes little sense, splitting the story in half like this and punishing fans. Forcing loyal fans to purchase two games when they could have delivered a complete edition is not ideal… The new bachelors make up for it somewhat, at least.