Cubed3's Reviews
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.
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga has not lost any of its charm over the past decade and a half, plus looks better than ever now on Nintendo 3DS thanks to its new lick of paint. Humorous, addictive, inventive - everything that made the Game Boy Advance original so addictive returns, with some handy touch screen shortcuts added into the mix, and a pleasant side game in the form of the Bowser's Minions RTS quest. With this, Paper Jam Bros. and Bowser's Inside Story, the Mario & Luigi series shows it is still going from strength to strength thanks to the genius team at AlphaDream.
Frustrating gameplay aside, Telltale games are still primarily about the story, and episode four shows that it is possible to throw some interesting twists and turns into a narrative that seemed dead in the water. Getting to those points can feel a bit tiresome, and many of the connecting elements feel completely superfluous, but at least there's a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully that light grows even brighter as the series comes to its conclusion.
With a complex design system expertly hidden behind an inviting and easygoing experience, people can find peace within the expansive landscapes and that is a rare thing in what is usually a high stakes and stressful simulated experience.
For fans of the board game, and indeed more slower, seasoned tactical play, Blood Bowl 2: Legendary Edition offers a unique and inviting gaming experience. It's a statistical conundrum wrapped up in the familiar, which makes learning the rules and expansive options much less daunting. It definitely suffers from dips in pace and rhythm, which at times threatens to suck the life from within. However, the turn-based play is consistently engaging and brutal.
Light on story, heavy on gameplay, and more than enough content to wade through, this is one of the finest RPGs available on the 3DS.
Although Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony borrows heavily from the entries that have come before it, feeling like more of the same, it does a great job of staying engaging throughout the majority of the story, thanks to the appealing characters that the series has always been known for, and due to the murder cases that continue to keep players guessing right through each trial. The ending is going to be a talking point for the foreseeable future, but while it is probably time for an evolution of the franchise, devotees to the previous games will find just as much enjoyment here as before.
Darkestville Castle never hides the source of its inspiration, but it matters not as this is no mere cheap imitation, instead proving to be a love letter to the classics in the point-and-click genre. It easily matches some of the best of yesteryear, whilst retaining a fantastic fresh feeling, bringing along very inventive puzzles, plus a humorous and engaging script, all wrapped up in a gorgeously presented package. Hopefully, this is not the last time Cid Threep…sorry, Cid the Demon gets to go on a zany adventure.
BUTCHER is one of the better 2D shooters for the Nintendo Switch, and, undoubtedly, the goriest, despite its super-tiny pixel art style. The problem is that it hasn't really exploited its potential. As a result, while definitely a title worthy of your time, it means very few will continue playing after completion due to the low replayability.
This is an experience that needs to be discovered and savoured by any PC gamer, but especially any role-playing fan.
It is difficult to not get pulled in by the insane humour and fun, solid, gameplay delivered with Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder. It is both a perfect solo player game to play through once or maybe twice, and a great multiplayer game to pick up with friends on social gatherings. The simple, yet fun nature of it is like a good joke everyone gets and rolls along with, even if they have heard it before.
LEGO Worlds is so close to being a fantastic idea that all the little hang-ups feel way more annoying than they should. The creation mode is fantastic, but extremely touchy controls-wise; and it's gated off by necessitating the player to complete the same missions dozens of times each if they want its best tools. The idea of a digital LEGO sandbox is the stuff that dreams are made of and, honestly, it just hasn't been done justice this time around.
Teased as a prime title for the demographic aimed at in the Nintendo Switch reveal trailer, NBA 2K18 achieves that goal of serviceable console play in the portable space, but with notable compromises. Questionable micro-transaction placement and downloadable requirements aside, NBA 2K18 is the truly authentic basketball experience, and a strong sign of things to come.
Philosophical and bittersweet, yet also uplifting and wonderful, Bad Apple Wars is another fine addition to any Otome fan's library. This title's greatest quality is its storyline. While it is a slow burn, it's also well constructed and thought provoking. The protagonist does a great job of figuring out her place in this strange world, and doing whatever she can to help her friends out. The supporting cast is sometimes quirky, sometimes a bit dangerous, but they are all interesting. Aside from a few nit-picks, the aesthetics are pleasing to both the eyes and ears. All in all, it's a solid effort.
Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns could have been a repetitive and tedious experience, and indeed the first few days playing it seems to deliver exactly that, but this breaks expectations in the long run. It manages to keep a steady flow of new gameplay elements and mechanics to continually keep the action interesting. This is the perfect title to chill out with after a long stressful day, and thanks to its addictive gameplay and huge amount of things to do, it's one to keep returning to again and again.
Fans of the previous two entries, though, will be overjoyed to see their favourite characters again in this well presented point-and-click adventure, and the desire to see how it all ends will keep people going, despite the flaws.