Cubed3's Reviews
WRC 7 is a commendable rally game that does little to advance the sport on the video game platform. However, that's not to say that it has to be revolutionary to be good. It does provide plenty of adrenaline, filled tracks that span all the real world major events, with plenty of differing conditions and surfaces that are sure to be challenging to master.
Janky, ugly and unpolished is the best way to describe The Solus Project. It had a noble idea of combining the walking sim narrative game with survival simulation stats, and on paper this is a concept that definitely has appeal. It is too bad that this was executed so badly, and it can all be attributed to failing to get the fundamentals of control and playability just right. The simple act of moving in standard mode is an agonizing slog, and god help the poor soul who tries to contend with incomprehensible VR controls. This is great for anyone who loves to torture themselves.
Maize is a pretty rare kind of game. It is very unlikely it will reach cult status the way Deadly Premonition has, but this really is every bit as good and original.
Players going in to enjoy Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash for the fan service will find plenty awaiting them. However, the game itself is not worth the investment for that fan service alone. The core gameplay is fun for a quick blast, and the splash moments are just what fans will want, but the battles are far too easy and get horrendously repetitive very quickly. Peach Beach Splash would have been better served from some extra gameplay modes, or maps, or more weapon styles, or anything to give it a little more life. It's also a terribly greedy game. The amount of time investment required to actually level up the cards and characters collected is far too high - although, of course, there's always the option to buy the cards for real money...
Absolver is an experience shrouded in patience and unerring attention to detail. It ultimately rewards players who are happy to spend the time picking apart tiny parts of the title's deceptively simple combat and world building. It is atrociously difficult at times, but such is the framing of the game, Absolver's difficulty curve is designed to teach and inspire, rather than frustrate. Although rather short at around five to six hours, Absolver is still a delicate examination of martial arts and how game design can drastically impact the lessons the player should draw from the world.
Necrosphere is as brutally hard as it is satisfying. From its design to its pacing, there's little not to be appreciated. Platforming requires an equal amount of skill and thought, but never to the point where frustration becomes the norm. Overcoming an obstacle is genuinely rewarding because it requires mastery of the mechanics. With light Metroidvania elements at play, there are also secret screens that can be found, which serve as additional challenges. Necrosphere may not be the longest title out there, but this is one platformer that should not go unnoticed.
As far as Gone Home style first-person narrative-driven games go, Don't Knock Twice is decent. It has two endings, which is welcomed, and a couple of interesting puzzles to mix things up a bit, even if the solution is way too obviously spelled out. The story is told in a hazy way to keep a semblance of mystery about it, and the restraint with how the Baba Yaga is depicted keeps her scary. What is not scary is how the Baba Yaga is never a threat, and if it weren't for a few jump scares, she may as well not have existed at all. The deterioration of the house as it descends into a semi-nightmarish version of itself is quite effective, and the brevity of the overall experience (about two to three hours) ensures that Don't Knock Twice does not overstay its welcome.
Those who yearn for more of that type of interactive fun, this will likely be a blast.
Anyone looking for a weekend well spent can't go wrong with SteamWorld Dig 2; it is the very definition of a great sequel. Alongside the larger world and new features is a terrific amount of refinement, with each and every aspect given a little bit of extra attention. However, the basic formula remains unchanged. The bulk will be spent mining ore and selling it to buy upgrades, and although performing these tasks isn't required to progress, it's really not something that can be ignored entirely. For what it's worth, this entry does everything possible to make the process addictive and fun.
Ancient Frontier never fires on all cylinders, which is unfortunate as clearly there was a lot that went into the game. Some aspects, such as the story, and ships/equipment had a lot of time put into them, whereas the battle system suffers from an incredible drag in pacing, rampant RNG problems, and a feedback loop potentially leading to a campaign being unwinnable. Small changes, such as removing the forced ironman, or toning down the luck, would go a long way to fixing these matters. Despite the wreck that the battle system is, the game itself is still redeemed by its other qualities. Simply know you will need a high tolerance for the way battle plays out to enjoy the game properly.
Make no mistake: Morphite is a pre-alpha version of a title that was given a price tag. Overly simplistic in every way you look at it, this atmospheric "stylized FPS sci-fi adventure game" is just not fun, and not only because of the procedurally generated and insanely boring deserts its world is made out of.
While comparable to episode two, episode three of Minecraft: Story Mode is hampered by its technical problems. The audio issues could be forgiven, but its absentmindedness towards the player's choices completely undermines the core conceit of the experience. Thankfully, its isolated nature means it could be a one-off thing. Considering how enjoyable everything else is, it would be a shame if this episode marked the start of a downhill slope for the series.
The price and the RPG elements might be a turn off for some players, but it goes a long way to establish a feeling of it actually being post-apocalypse in theme. The new factions and skills breathe new life into the game, and the various new battle objectives are fresh. It completely changes the base game while not straying from its fundamentals, for those that liked the core title and are not put off by some 'anime RPG' aspects this will be an easy recommendation to pick up.
There have been some truly remarkable horror stories to come out of South Korea. Train to Busan, for example, is one of the best zombie movies ever made, along with Seoul Station, plus White Day is an amazing horror experience, as PSVR players will soon find out. The Coma: Recut doesn't live up to any of these titles. The gameplay is too easy and lacks the scares a horror game requires. The story has promise but it ultimately fails to deliver; if the wealth of supplementary information from the notes had been worked into the story itself, instead of just being text, this could have been much better.
The Lost Bear is a middling narrative platformer that can be too vague to really appreciate, and the really awkward motion controls do not do it any favours. If there was a standard, non-VR mode, then maybe this one might have been more tolerable. As is, this adventure fails to engage, and relies too much on its unconventional art style to give the appearance of personality, when really it's a dull Limbo imitator. Odd Bug Studio wasted the PSVR on this, and their insistence on relying on it held it back from being enjoyable.
Time Recoil's time travel gimmick is handled with much effort, as it is creative and does a lot to keep the action exciting and hectic, which is further enhanced by the catchy 80s-inspired music. Though the story is basic and the game isn't terribly long, clocking in at around three to four hours, its unique gameplay does a lot to carry it, and new ideas are introduced that help keep things fresh.
Samurai Riot is a wonderful arcade game, but a mediocre to, sometimes, bad beat 'em up. The arcade experience is very strong, especially in co-op, as the studio has nailed what people want in an such a title down to the letter, with unlockable alternative styles for characters, and multiple routes for higher replay value and routing for points to figure out where it is easier to rack up a neat high score. However, the core gameplay feels too simplistic, and the background could do a much better job at making it easier to see what is breakable or not, and thus make finding health and one-ups less tedious.
This is a game made by fans for fans, and while it's not perfect, it's unique, and a hell of a lot of fun.
Figuring out how to drive properly is all a part of the simulation, but it ends up feeling more tedious than anything. It might satisfy someone looking for a deeper challenge and added realism within the genre, but newcomers and less hardcore fans are better off sticking with Gran Turismo or Forza.
A passion project by a handful of very talented people, ECHO might suffer from a pretty low replay value, but the rest of it is simply fantastic. Beautiful to look at, deeply atmospheric, and with some very clever (and well-handled) gameplay mechanics, this might very well be one of the best stealth gamers ever - especially since it lets players face the greatest enemy: themselves!