Cubed3's Reviews
Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef is a game where an Ork does orkish stuff for three to four hours. This translates to shooting stuff with large dakka, and then buying more dakka to shoot some more, in order to acquire even more dakka… and you get the idea. It's simple, mindless action, and it will definitely satisfy those who love these fun green Boyz - just wait for a heavy price drop, because this is extremely light on content and replayability.
The Chant is a surprising and impressive experience. It runs tight and brief; rarely wasting time but allowing enough breathing room for the player to explore at their own pace. It looks amazing, has excellent acting and a compelling narrative that explores some unconventional topics for a horror game. It is too bad it rarely is scary and is too easy. Making Jess a terrible fighter would probably be a worse design choice, but The Chant really needs to have more threatening foes and redesign them to be scarier. Fighting a massive toad that has a shark-like head feels more like something out of an off-brand Resident Evil than a 70s-inspired horror game with a new-age mysticism bent to it.
Castaway Paradise does a moderately good job of being entertaining. The quirky and demanding characters are funny, and there is something about the game that makes collecting all the items fun especially with the upbeat music. Fishing is not the easiest feature, and with real time affecting crops and other game elements it may not be as easy to play for those with limited time to play, but even played in short bursts progress happens. There were occasional crashes too, but it saves regularly so not much progress is lost. Once all island areas are unlocked and built there are still main quests to complete but unlike other games there does feel less of a reason to keep going other than unlocking new items.
Odd design choices lead to a not so stellar action game with an unfortunately generic, asset-y world design. [i]Valkyrie Elysium[i/] has great moments but is stuck in a mediocre shell that is missing the unique draws of the previous entries in the series. Once the story gets moving it's a good Valkyrie story, but a lack of polish leaves this game floundering instead of standing tall.
The definitive version of Judgment is here! It is an almost perfect blend of incredible details and mechanics reinforced by a huge technical upgrade. A long and impressive title that takes the Ryu Ga Gotoku game design and maxes it out for a new side story while their main game goes in another direction. Heartily recommended!
Cathedral is basically 10 to 15 hours of decent exploration, with some decent upgrades to find, which will help you fight some decent boss fights, while enjoying the decent retro audio-visuals. Sadly, that's the best thing this has to offer: a decent time. In a sea of similar games, there's little reason to spend any time in here, unless a collector of all things metroidvania.
Semi-open worlds with quests in the form of real-time strategy battles provide a sort of 3D role-playing game spin on the continuation of this odd match-up of Mario and the Rabbids. While Sparks of Hope improves on the formula introduced five years ago, some charm has been lost in the more generic lands the heroes traverse, with a story that doesn't offer much thanks to plain characters outside of the Rabbids. Battles are still as fun as before, with plenty of customisation possible, but there isn't much to think about when skill points can be redistributed at will. That may suit the target audience, though, and the additional difficulty options are pleasing in that regard, as well. Kingdom Battle fans will enjoy this, and there is some solid tactical gameplay to be found, but it's a bit too familiar and unsurprising to elevate it beyond the original.
SIGNALIS is a title heavily inspired by survival horror classics, and a survival horror classic itself. It's a fantastic experience that goes back to the '90s, and at the same time feels like a fresh, modern take on the basic Resident Evil/Silent Hill formula. Visually stunning, highly immersive and atmospheric, and an absolute joy to play (and re-play) this sinister and eerie sci-fi tale is a no brainer for fans of dark, psychological horror video games.
Metal: Hellsinger takes the familiar thirst for blood of the genre and runs with a familiar hellish theme as seen in titles like DOOM, but an innovative fresh take on the FPS category with a layered rhythm approach makes the adventure enjoyable from start to finish. The soundtrack is utterly awesome, and while it might not be to everyone's taste it should certainly satiate metal fans everywhere. Unfortunately, the downside is its brevity, with everything on offer taking an average eight hours, at best, to get through all of the content available. There is no doubt though that developer The Outsiders has left this reviewer thirsty for more.
Ace Angler: Fishing Spirits combines the Zen of fishing with an arcade-esque gameplay loop that'll keep players coming back for more. Not every game mode is a hit - with Shark Fever and Ace Angler Party standing out as duds - but Ace Angler+, Legend of the Poisoned Seas, and the core gameplay loop more than make up for it. There is a massive variety of fish to catch, with several different stages and Rods to unlock as well. The actual fishing mechanics aren't explained too well in-game, but they're intuitive no matter the control scheme. Load times are on the long side and the gacha elements needed for unlockables aren't exactly welcome, but they're not deal-breakers, either. At the end of the day, it's just fun to sit back and experience a more action-packed take on fishing. Ace Angler: Fishing Spirits offers fishy fun for everyone.
Thymesia is a nice diversion - something that can keep you occupied until the next great soulsborne game gets released. That is its curse. It's a good game, with fast and enjoyable action, but lacks the immersive story and atmosphere, as well as the quality of level design and combat finesse that is expected from such titles.
This is a triumphant return to Oddworld. Soulstorm does fantastic things with Abe's story and shows some real advances with the developer's designs. Utterly excellent look, and a world that oozes with consumerist evils make this the definitive new Oddworld experience. There are absolutely no obstacles to heartily recommending this game to all players new and old. Can't wait to see what comes next!
18 Floors definitely has some great elements such as the level designs and overall atmosphere. It looks amazing and being allowed to freely explore the environment is great. Unfortunately, the nature of the puzzles can become so bizarre and unsolvable that they tend to ruin the overall experience.
Finally, being able to play Persona 5 Royal on the go is truly a dream come true. There are some downgrades due to the limitations of the Nintendo Switch, but the balance between downgrades and retaining enjoyability has been perfected. It is, at last, time to steal some hearts while out and about!
There is a lot to enjoy with the new challenges brought on by Shovel Knight Dig. Gameplay is fast paced, the music is just as catchy as its predecessor, and the quirky dialogue between the NPCs brings back the nostalgia from the original. Although the environments are repetitive, losing a run never feels like a typical game over; it is just a quick regroup and back into adventure. The only major drawback of Shovel Knight Dig is that it is relatively short. Unless trying to get the perfect run, it ends just as quickly as it begins. Still, Yacht Club Games has managed to make a fun new genre and chapter for its fans and new players alike.
Which one did it better? The Operative: No One Lives Forever, or No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way? Well, it's hard to tell, really. The game mechanics are more polished, and in terms of pacing it doesn't overstay its welcome like the original. On the other hand, it lacks the variety of its progenitor, it's much stronger, groovy style and "Spy Film from the '60s" vibe, plus its better writing. Both are flawed gems, both are cult classics, but maybe the first installment is a bit more… "cult."
Trifox is an impressive start for new developer Glowfish Interactive, with creative enemies, challenging hidden collectables, and colourful worlds. The gameplay is varied thanks to the fully customisable combat options and levels also pose their own challenging puzzles and obstacles. The adventure is somewhat brief, but for as long as it lasts it well worth the time and effort. Those looking for a mascot-centric platformer adventure shouldn’t overlook Trifox.
The Operative: No One Lives Forever is a stealth game were stealth doesn't work that well, has plenty of neat gadgets that won't really get many chances to shine, and the adventure as a whole takes about five or so hours more than it should. And yet, it's still hard not to fall in love with its strong '60s spy film vibe, clever and funny writing, cool and sexy protagonist, and fast-paced and varied gameplay. Strictly viewed as a game this is flawed, yet as an experience it has a strange charm that almost makes up for its issues.
If this was a fan game you were showing to your friends (like it originally was) it would be much easier to recommend. Given that this is a full release and at almost full price it simply does not stack up to the plethora of other better titles. The music is weak, the difficulty annoying, and the platforming so badly controlled there is little to talk up - even to fans of Touhou.
The Delicious Last Course lives up to its name by bringing Cuphead to a truly magnificent conclusion. The DLC is packed with a generous amount of content that'll keep players coming back for more. Ms. Chalice's play style is enough to add hours of replay value on its own, but the fact she's rounded out by over half a dozen new bosses, unique parry challenges, new weapons to play around with, and a lengthy side quest dedicated to upgrading a charm makes it even better. Inkwell Isle Four is small, but the DLC makes the most of its space and doesn't restrict new content to the one setting. Every weapon, charm, and even Ms. Chalice herself can be used in the three main Isles once they're unlocked. With so much quality content on tap, Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course sets a new standard for DLC.