Cubed3's Reviews
Ironcast is a daring title with a concept many would be terrified to touch. The reward is huge, though, as this might be one of the strongest match puzzle games on the market at this point, with depth unlocked thanks to the choice of theme. Every piece of Ironcast works together in a wonderful resonance between style and gameplay, and creates a unique and entertaining experience that fans of the genre will not forget in the near future.
There's a lot wrong with Minecraft: Story Mode. From its technical issues to its plot to its business model, it really has a lot going against it. Yet, despite all that, it still had its memorable moments. As the writing improved, things became more engaging. As the characters established themselves, they became more likeable (and detestable, for some). Hell, one moment even came close to generating tears: an achievement on its own for a game that feels like a Saturday morning cartoon. There's lots of coal here, no doubt about it. In some ways, though, that makes the diamonds shine all the brighter.
Ultra Hyperball represents the variety of the eShop that Switch is quickly gaining: short, but highly playable and unique experiences that cost a fraction of the bigger games. Depth isn't the aim of the concept here; rather a highly accessible, if overly simplistic, game that truly shines in a group gathering.
Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth chapters one through seven prove to be a high quality point-and-click drama that is steeped greatly in historical accuracy. This is a very classy kind of game, with mature themes that treats the audience like an adult, and is probably going to be worth it for anyone who is a fan of the original novels or interested in medieval England. It must be reiterated that this is a very gritty and grounded story that never enters the realm of fantasy the way Game of Thrones does. There isn't even really any on-screen action or violence; much of the drama comes from the characters and the choices the user must make, and the subsequent consequences they entail. Hopefully, Daedalic Entertainment will keep the thrills coming with the follow-up chapters, and maybe the load times and slowdown will be addressed by then, as well.
With its surreal visuals and quirky character design, Original Journey has little trouble drawing attention. Determining whether or not it can retain that attention will depend entirely on the player. On its own, the platforming and shooting aren't all that tightly designed. Relying on level-ups and gear to maintain interest only goes so far. Given a long enough period of time, most gamers will feel like they're just going through the motions.
Even with its flaws, Defenders of Ekron is a fine title for fans of both action and adventure. The campaign is filled with fun scenarios and thrilling boss battles. Controlling the Anakim is an effortless process. Players will quickly adjust to its many forms and abilities. While it is very much a double-edged sword, the massive amount of variety still works in the game's favour. Every stage is different in its own way, ensuring that the player is rarely bored.
The Girl and the Robot has a lot of heart, which is why the myriad of issues are so upsetting. Rough movement, clunky combat, frustrating puzzles, and unresponsive controls make this a tough sell. It's sad, because there's a lot of potential here hidden under all the rough patches.
Despite some irritating writing, and some difficulty balancing issues, Cat Quest is an amazing RPG. It takes the best features of other RPGs, and distils them down into a simple cocktail of fun mechanics and memorable moments. This should do good to scratch an itch for those who have never played a game like it, and those who swear by them. In short, this is a solid title, with few issues really holding it back.
There's no doubt that Kunos has delved into the JDM driving scene with a meticulous sense of craft and attention to detail. This is an excellent representation, with a great selection of vehicles from legendary to modern, each of which feels very distinct and authentic.
Mononoke Forest is difficult to recommend, because the learning curve is difficult to describe. Honestly, it's enough to make many gamers turn away, and for good reason. If one were to get past the obnoxious controls and the initially confusing gameplay, however, there's something enjoyable buried here - it's a shame that it's so frustrating getting to it, though.
This Is the Police should be applauded for taking a concept such as police work and making it into a unique, yet somewhat flawed experience. The tale of Jack Boyd and his struggles to escape the trappings of his troublesome life make for an interesting story, but like his state of mind, the constant back-and-forth between work and contending with ambiguous morality choices through each passing day makes it seem like a never-ending cycle of success and failure.
More than living up to the "rhythm violence" tagline, Thumper leaves a lasting impression. Presenting a distinctive and adaptive score, together with an insane visual style and a difficulty level that rarely shows mercy, Thumper is a very effective showcase for the hardware abilities of the Switch, and a highly engaging experience on its own merits.
Strictly as a collection of hard-to-find games, Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 is largely okay, but from a gameplay point of view these games simply do not stack up to modern conventions in the slightest. Even the "modern" 9 and 10 go back to when the series was at its worst. The lack of dashing, wall slides, and anything to reduce the annoyance of edges, and "trial and error" style gameplay, all serve to remind of the progress the genre has made. As a historical piece, this compilation is interesting, but for any sort of recommendation, this does not get it - even from a fan of the series.
Some will be disappointed that there is no story progression, or revelations of any sort, with this first DLC release for Little Nightmares, but even the way The Depths is selected from the in-game menu screen implies "prequel" or "side-story" and that is exactly what this is. If the tense run-and-jump sections of the base game were appealing, and the thought of a few more jump scares sounds right up your street, then dropping a few quid for another hour's worth of intense action is certainly well worth it.
Sudden Strike 4's biggest takeaway is that market saturation means nothing in the face of a good game. Kite Games might not bring anything new to the table, but it does offer a refined RTS experience that sincerely has fun with the World War II premise. Five separate campaigns for a total of 25 missions give the single-player a considerable amount of longevity. The inclusion of the Battle of Dunkirk from both sides is a surprising, but welcome addition. A lack of base building traditionally found in most RTS titles gives each unit weight. Side missions, likewise, create a sense of urgency that feels right at home with Sudden Strike's aesthetic. While multiplayer does admittedly feel scarce, there's more than enough solid content in the single-player to make up for a lack of online material. World War II is far from the most original setting at this point, but that doesn't mean it can't still be fun.
Dr. Kawashima's Devilish Brain Training: Can You Stay Focused? is an admirable attempt to mix up the formula, and there are glimmers of greatness here - the dynamically adjusting difficulty is fantastic, for instance - but it just can't measure up to its predecessors and the new ground that they broke. The decision to wait five years to publish the game in Europe is to its detriment, too, making the formula seem even more dated than before. It does its job well, but it lacks Brain Training's focus and accessibility, making it a difficult recommendation compared to the past iterations.
The story of blurred lines between life, death, and imagination is actually really interesting, and enough to keep the player enduring for a while in what is otherwise a simple grind and unfun combat system. While the story is compelling, eventually there is simply too little to keep players going through what is an incredibly frustrating dungeon crawler with little sense of progression and too frequent combat.
The Norsca expansion is pretty much exactly what it says on the tin. The beast hunts are a nice and interesting way to deviate from the traditional building and recruitment structures, while the mechanics of the four gods is very distinct and allow for some potentially interesting choices and decisions to be made. However, it likely won't persuade anyone outside of the franchise to join in, and is pretty obvious in both what it provides and what said provision will do.
Moero Chronicle is just straight up disappointing. It's a lacklustre dungeon crawler, with time consuming, wasteful mechanics that pad out dungeons. It's a subpar ecchi game far too invested in its own subpar story to excel at the fanservice it offers, and it does all of this with creepy undertones, frustrating interfaces, and an overall aggravating vibe. There might still be a niche Compile Heart fanbase that gets something out of this, but even then, it's a stretch.
Asdivine Cross turns out to be a surprisingly pleasant adventure to plod through. It is not too expensive and not too long, either, so it can easily fit in between meatier titles played at home and in shorter sessions on public transport and the like. Its shortcomings in terms of presentation may make it harder to grow fond of, especially early on because it does not do quite enough to make its interesting characters and story stand out. It is nevertheless a title with enough good qualities and even some surprising efforts that wouldn't normally be expected from a smaller title such as this, which all contribute to make it a recommended buy for people yearning for a 16-bit style RPG that is not a remake of something already existent.