Cubed3's Reviews
The Wii version of Rogue Trooper had much better controls, the graphics fit the animations and is still the best way to play out the Quartz Zone Massacre. Rogue Trooper Redux on Switch is an unpolished mess with technical issues and looks horrible docked and in portable mode. The new model's rigs cause extensive clipping and makes character anatomy do all sorts bizarre contortions and twists that are just painful to look at. The limits of old hardware made the developers be creative with their modelling and consider more carefully how they would be rigged. All of that is thrown out the window in favour of technical advancements... not artistic advancements. While it is playable, expect a very sloppy version of what was already a run of the mill third-person shooter.
Garden Tale could have been an enjoyable, if not wholly unremarkable, title, but with its poor writing, its terrible combat, and worst of all, its mostly pointless gimmick, this results in a bad game. Perhaps you'll be able to find a reason to soldier to the end, but in all honesty, it's probably easier to find something else to play. In a genre filled with so many lovely titles, Garden Tale just feels like it's trying too hard and falling every couple of feet.
The sum of these additions helps Everspace to feel more complete, but ultimately only offers more padding. That's okay, though, since this is such an affordable piece of DLC.
The LEGO Ninjago Movie Video Game is a by the numbers release that feels like it may have been rushed to completion as a side project of Tt while it worked on the upcoming LEGO Marvel Superheroes 2 (which can't come soon enough!) and is certainly a little smaller in comparison to its other recent games - with a small story and even the 100% completion clocking in at under 10 hours for most players. That being said, it's still well worth the price tag. The story is funny, the levels well designed and the extra features enough to keep players coming back to get to that 100% without getting burnt out. Best of all, it exhibits some improvements and innovations to the Tt formula that will hopefully be seen in future titles.
Like the original title, Nights of Azure 2 never shines in any particular segment, but remains an okay game on many levels. Some elements, such as combat fluidity, are noticeable improved, whereas changes to the Servan system and repetitive level design hurt. The darker story is interesting, but the heavily sexualized elements play a very strange role of being omnipresent, but never actually delved into. It is a game that is fun to play through, but is not going to be memorable in the future.
Sky Force Anniversary is a good game marred by some ridiculous grinding and unrealistic expectations.
Story and the characters are right there, and there are some adorable yuri moments that will make fans blush, but that is all the quality that there's to be found in Touhou Kobuto V: Burst Battle, as the gameplay is sluggish and too simple for a modern 3D fighter. It is easy to take such gameplay for granted, but Burst Battle shows the danger of doing that. It could have done decent as a shorter visual novel, but sadly the action part cannot be saved by a couple of adorable moments and pretty art.
Overgrowth is a difficult title to recommend. Though there's entertainment value in whooping some cottontails, the included story mode doesn't offer nearly enough content, nor does it excel at showcasing all of the game's capabilities. However, there are plenty of fun mods to play around with. The various battle arenas and parkour stages are pretty decent as well, and there's even a downloadable grenade, because blowing up a crowd of rapier-wielding cats never gets old. In any case, if players are willing to test ideas and experiment, then their time is likely to be well-spent here.
AER: Memories of Old completely fails as a traditional adventure game. The thing is, though, that it never wanted to be one, as it mainly throws its weight in atmosphere and storytelling - in other words, it wants to be a captivatingly emotive journey. Sadly, it fails at that, too.
There are only a handful of reasons to try Kritika Online out: it's fast, it's easy to learn, and it's free. Note, however, that it's also one of the most simplistic, repetitive, and unoriginal online hack 'n' slashers out there.
Alteric fails to tick any of the boxes that make such a platformer fun.
Embodying a modern take on the shoot 'em-up formula, Sine Mora EX sits comfortably alongside the retro offerings of the genre already on Nintendo Switch, and blazes its own path forward with impressive visuals and strong world building lore. Said lore is a little convoluted at times, and the game can be too difficult for its own good, but those seeking a strong challenge will find plenty to enjoy.
Wulverblade is a welcomed addition to an already impressively broad catalogue of titles on Nintendo Switch. It's exactly these types of games that make the Switch so appealing, giving it a varied selection of superb smaller titles on top of the big blockbusters. Challenging, nostalgia-filled, brutal, and fun - it is an arcade classic in a brand new form for all the '80s and '90s gamers out there.
Those who loved Don't Starve will find their new obsession here. The Flame in the Flood is a highly enjoyable rogue-lite survival title that makes a fantastic game to play on the go. Headphones on, volume on full and enjoy the ride with this addictive new release. Get ready to welcome yet another distinct and individual game into the fold, fattening up the Switch's already bulging catalogue.
In bringing the latest Rayman adventure to Switch, Ubisoft has given the machine easily one of its most visually stunning and enjoyable releases to date. Not quite living up to the moniker of Definitive Edition with increased loading times and performance hiccups, as well as a missing feature, Rayman Legends is still well worth the lower asking price to those yet to jump into Rayman's world, yet outside of the portability aspect it offers little to entice series veterans.
While no single component is particularly revolutionary or unfamiliar to the genre, this is an extremely memorable platforming experience that, unlike its main collect-a-thon rival this year, never feels laboured. This is down to a nicely streamlined but still deep hub and world structure, in conjunction with so many neat touches and playful twists on the collect-a-thon formula. From start to finish, it's charming and funny, with excellent art design and gorgeous visuals. The music from Pascal Michael Stiefel is brilliant (although it's a shame that only two tracks were contributed by Grant Kirkhope in the end) while the use of real dialogue definitely makes things livelier and more engrossing. Through all this, its sheer charm and its gratifying gameplay mechanics, A Hat in Time affords itself the ability to do what it wants, and ensures that it really goes the distance. It never overindulges in nostalgia or tribute, and it makes sure to poke fun at itself, as well as the rest, along the way. It's a collect-a-thon gem, if ever there was one.
Visual novels may not be everyone's cup of tea, but anyone that loves delving deep into the world of a great book will be right at home with this intriguing science fiction adventure, being drawn into the heart of the time travel tale thanks to narrative of the finest calibre and some first class voice acting to bring the excellent cast of characters to life.
Despite making the most sense out of all Warriors crossovers so far, Fire Emblem Warriors hasn't quite lived up to its potential after the content-heavy Hyrule Warriors. Some questionable character omissions and a lack of modes, as well as an extremely subpar core narrative, is offset by relying on past scenarios in the History Mode. Fans of both sets of franchises will surely get good enjoyment out of this, though, as the strategic elements of Nintendo's long-running series meshes perfectly with the real-time combat of Koei Tecmo's property, creating one of the best Warriors entries, whereas it falls short of expectations as a spinoff of the RPG series.
For the genre, Warbanners hits many of the right notes. There are a few issues with controls for selecting units or performing the right action, but largely it's a decent tactical RPG. The graphics are horrendous, which goes beyond a simple aesthetic and becomes difficult to tell what is happening at times. Barring this negative, the game was made with heart, and those looking for a fantasy tactics game will like what this presents if they can get past the visuals.
The scariest thing about Don't Knock Twice is how poorly it plays on the Nintendo Switch.