Cubed3's Reviews
Nightmare Boy, while stylistically interesting and unique, amounts to little more than a frustrating take on the Metroidvania genre in the long run.
Azure Saga: Pathfinder is easily recommendable to people who can stand flawed games as the core of the world and the combat system are very enjoyable and entertaining for the price-range and can actually in some aspects be seen as a textbook example of how to make a good JRPG. The many minor flaws within do quickly fill up the players metaphorical shoes with pebbles, though, which will make it very uncomfortable at times - for instance, an overly predictable story, and characters that never develop past their stupidity or goodness no matter what is thrown at them. This is a game that badly needs a polished sequel to fix the minor problems as the core is something worth continuing to work upon.
Whilst more could be done within the realm of Devious Dungeon, that could be saved for the sequel, which really needs to happen. It is a pleasing and accessible dungeon crawler that doesn't over complicate what its goal is. There are almost zero plot points, yet fun hack 'n' slash gameplay, randomised dungeons, and lots of loot and upgrades that help to make this a very fun title to run around in.
Once again, Fabraz has taken Slime-san and given it a reinvigoration it didn't necessarily need, but has still benefited from. Sheeple's Sequel is a creative take on the base game that prevents it from becoming formulaic.
This is a mess of broken mechanics that has a lot of potential, but unfortunately potential is all that it has going for it.
TT Isle of Man: Ridge on the Edge deserves praise for its fairly meticulous recreation of the famous event. The sense of speed, high quality audio, and the impressive visuals, amount to a visceral driving experience.
The ending brings about a satisfying conclusion to what is an epic saga
Batman: The Enemy Within is a blast of a follow-up season to Telltale's Caped Crusader, as Bruce Wayne plays a pivotal role in trying to bring down the villainous group known as the Pact.
Despite gameplay better suited for a mouse and keyboard, Darkest Dungeon transitions rather well from PC to Switch. The controls were always going to be convoluted when adapted to a controller, but it doesn't take too long to adjust, and the core gameplay loop is strong enough where overlooking that initial awkwardness is more than doable. The sheer challenge of the title will certainly overwhelm some, but there a plenty of workarounds between Radiant mode and the ability to toggle certain difficulty features off. The atmosphere, aesthetic, and music all lend themselves to an incredibly tense experience where every battle matters and constant management is necessary for survival. Darkest Dungeon is by no means for everyone, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth the stress.
Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure Deluxe is a title that is quirky, if nothing else, and seems to pride itself on being silly fun.
The Intrigue expansion breathes a lot of new life into Galactic Civilizations III with new story elements, governments, and other minor additions. Some of the problems still exist, such as the very vicious mid/late game grind it often falls into, and while changes were made to help this, it is still present. Those who have had little problem with the action up until now will find the new content a welcome addition.
Far Cry 5, while having some issues, such as the janky AI and a rather far-fetched plot, more than makes up for these things with some compelling and truly innovative approaches from Ubisoft. There is a real sense that it put a lot of love back into a series that over the last spin-off and fully-fledged entry was possibly becoming mundane. The world set in the USA presents a real contrast to the tropical paradise settings of all the previous entries. Additionally, the organic approach to missions and narrative advancement mean that Far Cry 5 avoids the 'cleaning up of the map' feel that some previous games have conveyed. The gunplay is smooth and fantastic and the graphics are stunning. Anyone who hasn't played a Far Cry game before needs to get this and any doubters of Ubisoft's ability to deliver a truly great open-world title need to do likewise.
Samsara Is a solid effort and a fun puzzle game.
Unfortunately, The Fall 2: Unbound does not hit the highs of the first game in the trilogy, as the puzzles seem a little bit more like random luck this time.
There are videogames that have issues and are held back from greatness by a series of missteps. Super Daryl Deluxe is a special case, because its wounds are self-inflicted. There were clearly a number of other directions this game could have gone in, but the ridiculous path it chose is probably what makes it so intriguing. The blatant repetition, the largely pointless narrative, the unlikeable cast; if even one of these elements were out of place, then the adventure would probably fall apart. Frankly, this is a baffling conclusion to arrive at, but few titles are designed to own up to their bad qualities. This one knows it has poor ideas, and runs with them anyway. It's actually kind of admirable, but still really hard to recommend on a whim.
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.