Cubed3's Reviews
A brilliant, dark, twisted tale reminiscent of the phenomenal Steins;Gate, and one that will get players digging into every possible branching pathway to experience every facet of the story and finally understand the truth beneath this marvellous tale.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is a hilarious, fun, and attractive looking title, despite some technical flaws here and there that are quickly overlooked due to all of its intrinsic qualities. If anything, this is perhaps the one Rabbid game that will truly push the critters into the realm of mainstream on a worldwide level, more so than they have ever been so far, simply because they are such a perfect fit with Mario in that universe, in a way that nobody would have ever expected. It's challenging, for sure, so fans of Mario who are wary of strategy games beware. If even ever so slightly interested in strategy, though, and willing to sit through it all, persevering as much as it takes to see it through to the end is a complete blast. Well worth checking out.
Agents of Mayhem is an uninteresting experience that has been offered in far better ways throughout the history of open-world shooters. That's not to say that it's bad - in fact, for a mediocre game, it can certainly be a fun distraction for a couple of hours. Unfortunately, its potential was thrown from a window, and what we got here is a repetitive shoot-fest that's enjoyable only when there isn't something better to play.
In theory, Songbringer should be excellent. As a procedurally generated take on the original Legend of Zelda, there's plenty of room to innovate with old and new ideas alike. Unfortunately, the old ideas feel derivative of better games and the new ideas are hardly revolutionary. The overall aesthetic and sound design do a great job at creating atmosphere, which makes it all the more disappointing when the level design falls victim to the typical procedurally generated pitfalls. Without attention specifically given to enemy placement, how areas connect, and dungeon design, Songbringer never sustains a consistent level of difficulty or quality. Procedural generation is a handy tool, but not when it's used as a substitute for actual level design.
Last Day of June is a frequently beautiful experience, with a likeable cast, gorgeous visuals, lovely music, and an ending that feels like both a logical conclusion and a tear-jerking finale - yet it stumbles when it comes to actually being a game. Its core concepts are sound, but the constant repetition quickly erodes much of the gravitas, especially for players who get stuck and need to spend some time jumping back and forth between characters. It says something that the game was at its best in its final fifteen minutes or so, where much of the "real gameplay" was thrown out in favour of an "interactive movie" approach. Of course, throwing out that gameplay altogether wouldn't do the title any favours, as its narrative and mechanics are intrinsically tied together and designed to play off one another. It's just a shame that one of those halves is decidedly weaker than the other.
More Than a Feeling is not a bad game when compared to some of the other titles clogging the market. However, when compared to Telltale's other series, it fails, lacking the drama and heart that made many of them so endearing. When compared to the films that it draws inspiration from, it can't compete with the likeable cast, crackling dialogue, and exciting action scenes. Once again: if you want to spend two hours with the Guardians, you're probably better off watching one of the movies again.
A thoroughly enjoyable little romp that hardcore One Piece fans need to pick up. It's even worth double-dipping for those who originally bought it back on a handheld during its original launch. There's an enjoyable story to experience that feels like it belongs as part of the One Piece canon, a simple but fun combat system, addictive collection elements, and the fantastic Coliseum, which give plenty of replayability to the game.
Masquerada: Songs and Shadows doubles down hard on building a world of enlightening lore, but forgets to do the same for the combat and gameplay, giving the game more of a visual novel impression, which will leave a lot of players wanting if not a fan of the mentioned niche genre.
A brief couple of minutes' long test is what Blasting Agent takes to convince the player whether or not it's worth playing for much longer than that. It offers some robust and snappy gameplay on the one hand, but, on the other one, it just doesn't seem to perform at its very best on the Nintendo 3DS. In such a competitive scenario - where solid alternatives don't seem to run low - it's hard to recommend to anyone else than those action-shooting maniacs who want them all in their collection.
MidBoss got the bare essentials down for 2064: Read Only Memories. The gameplay is functional and solid, even for an indie adventure game. However, it takes quite a bit of skill to write a scenario that can highly irritate with such extremely holier than thou attitudes. This is a game that has the remarkable ability to push people away with just how self-righteous it can be, but for people who can soldier through that, they might find some affection for this game. 2064: Read Only Memories claims to be cyberpunk, but, really, there is nothing punk about being moralistic.
Despite not being lengthy or containing any sort of story, Windjammers succeeds where many others do not in the simple fact that it is fun, is easy to pick up, has an addictive level of depth, and has that 'one more time' feeling to it that makes it great for playing locally. It also has an online feature, which really helps get the game out there. Even for players that never played it originally, its simplicity is part of what makes this so enjoyable.
While the experience that The Voice of Freedom offers isn't a bad one and has a couple of enjoyable moments, this reviewer would have a very hard time persuading someone to drop £4.79 on the DLC when the behemoth of performance issues is still an ongoing problem, and the content itself only lasts an hour if you make a conscious effort to drag it out.
League of Evil does somewhat scratch that itch for challenging 2D platforming, but it does the bare minimum to do so. The gameplay is as minimalistic as it gets to the point that it hurts more than helps, and the graphics makes it too obvious that this is originally an iOS game with some years on its neck. While it has a neat level editor, it does not solve the too basic gameplay, and there are far better options out there for people pining for a challenging 2D platformer.
Rabi-Ribi is a pretty epic Metroidvania... Much more expansive and challenging than its cutesy veneer would lead itself on to be. Some people may get put off by some of the insane action that comes with the many boss fights, but those who persevere will find this to be a profoundly rewarding experience. Even if the story is overly longwinded, the action holds the fun up on its own. This is an action game that comes highly recommended and proves that a game can't always be judged by its cover.
To say that personal frustration isn't involved would be a lie. To say that said personal frustration seems to come around because a game wasn't properly balanced between the multiplayer and single-player aspects, with it being tilted a bit too heavily towards the top dogs, would be true. As a single-player title, ARK: Survival Evolved can get quite tedious and annoying having to handle tasks meant for multiple people solo. As a multiplayer game, having to submit to survive and not have everything ruined is annoying, as well. Hopefully, a better balance can be found, but, for now, the game just feels wrong for what it's supposed to be.
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is everything an action RPG could and should be. Genre conventions and traditions are still in play, but they're handled with a delicacy that elevates what would otherwise be tired clichés into imaginative story beats. The narrative is as rich in thematic substance as it is in genuine human interaction, as every NPC is given ample time to grow, while solidarity is emphasized as humanity's best bet at surviving. Lacrimosa of Dana plays like an ideal marriage between Seven and Memories of Celceta, with an equal balance of character building, fast-paced combat, and exploration. NIS America's localization could have used another draft, but it's offset by the franchise's single best story and a host of content to uncover in the base game, along with New Game Plus. Innovative with just enough familiarity, Ys has never been better.
Knowing that Warriors All-Stars is only really going to appeal to Warriors fans, this is definitely a let-down when it comes to being a celebration of some of the best characters and franchises Koei Tecmo has to offer. There just aren't enough characters, the story is the only mode available, and it is pointlessly confusing in its explanation of reaching particular missions and endings. On the other end of the spectrum, though, the gameplay is some of the flashiest and fastest there is, with plenty of variety in move sets across the roster. There will be enough here when it comes to working through the endings for characters that appeal to the individual, but the lacking long term appeal and frustration involved in redoing missions to unlock the same allies and reach previous paths again hurts it.
When it comes to writing and storytelling, Pillars of Eternity is a class act. Obsidian had complete freedom to pursue their vision, and it shows in the impressively-constructed world and excellent characterization. Every side-quest, no matter how minor, has at least some significance in the development of the protagonist. Again, it takes time to adjust to the controls, but they work very well. Players can comfortably lean back, relax, and micromanage when necessary. However, the mediocre frame rate and long load times mar the experience. Still, fans of the genre will appreciate this fantastic game.
Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder is a satirical take on historical and mythological figures, and blends them into this weird and wacky tower defence game. Although the tutorial may do a poor job in explaining the mechanics of the game, this is still easy to pick up and understand. However, be prepared for some ruthless beginnings while messing about with the various obstacles to better understand what works. This game is not to be taken too seriously in terms of story and aesthetics, and it is great for a laugh or two, as they serve as a precursor to the amount of tears that come from some clunky boulder mechanics and some awfully hard AI opponents. Go off- or online with two players and have heaps of fun in what is sure to be a great way to pass the time in a not-so-serious environment of pure mayhem and carnage.
Xenia may have the heart, but it feels more like a student project than a fully fleshed out title. It lacks polish in every area, even to the point where it goes from feeling charming for it and moves right over into being annoying. It still manages to function as a game, though, and for that, it may be worth a bit of your time if this sort of game peaks your interest.