Cubed3's Reviews
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.
Playing against other players in Galactic Civilizations 3: Mercenaries offers far more bang for your buck as far as this DLC goes. The AI does not seem to utilise the expansion, whereas with humans it can indeed be a very intense rush for the good ships. It will feel slightly cheap to those just beating on computers, though.
Put on the mask, don the cape, grab that fight-stick, pick your side, and commence to laying down the hurt!
Unless willing to experience a, somewhat flawed, cult piece of adventure game history that oozes with spookiness, The 7th Guest is not really a big recommendation, especially after so many years, as it's basically a series of puzzle mini-games; mini-games that lack a "connection" to the game world, and which are of mixed quality.
Honestly, were it not for some really glaring problems, such as the AI's problems with ledges and the poor gear balancing, the game itself would be pretty fun.
Unlike the first game, which was a flawed yet interesting experience, Zwei: Ilvard Insurrection opts for refinement, stripping away all of the half-baked elements. In almost every respect, this was the right decision to make. The combat is far more enjoyable, and there's none of the tedium that plagued the original. Still, the feeling of "sequelitis" is impossible to shake off. There's not a lot of content that's really fresh or exciting. The extra layers of polish just aren't enough for the conclusion of the Zwei saga to compete with Falcom's best. Then again, this is Falcom... Even its worst tends to be better than almost anything else out there. Really, the developer did a fine job here, and adventure-seekers won't be disappointed.