Cubed3's Reviews
Sine Mora EX is a lot of fun, with the occasional eye roll-inducing moment. Perhaps it's the weird story, or the irritating environmental hazards, but something is ever so slightly off here. As a whole, though, this is one of the best shooters on the market. Everyone should pick it up, unless, of course, you're not "one-eyed-bison-with-no-legs-flying-a-killing-machine" enough for it.
Despite trying to harken back to a simpler and fun time in gaming, Interplanetary: Enhanced Edition adds unnecessary complication to a game that is broken to begin with. The style is unique and enjoyable, but the root of the game - firing shots to kill the others - is so broken and frustrating it is recommended to stay away. The simulation part is simply too complex, too prone to random luck, killing everything anyway, and shot placement is so horrendously bad the only thing keeping a player going is perhaps wanting to beat it once to never touch it again.
Puzzle Adventure Blockle is one of the better puzzlers, and, luckily, one of the cheaper ones, too. Its only major flaw seems to be its disappointingly low replay value, as well as the absence of a decent "bait," which would force players to try and reach its end.
There is sadly almost nothing to like about Ninja Pizza Girl.
SkyScrappers is a fun game that taps into the spirit of 2D classic fighters well, whilst also being truly unique. Unfortunately, while many of the concepts work, there's just not enough content or character to discover, so once you've gotten over the dynamic setting for the fighter, plus its rather specific challenges, you realise that there's not much to invest in. This is a shame, since, had the series been given more resources and a more pronounced sense of identity, it could have been a real classic. Perhaps a second instalment might fix a lot of these grievances, but for now, this is a fun title that lets itself down because there's not much to pick at.
With all its reference, heritage and lineage, what Demetrios loses in consistency it makes up with heart. It's clear that the person behind the ones and zeros is in love with the genre, albeit a genre that leaves no place to hide. It's difficult to ignore the dips in an otherwise generous and gracious video game. The puzzles are involving and interesting, and the mechanics are well integrated into the weave of the design. For fans of the genre, there is a lot to like here, but there is also a lot that might put some people off. Luckily, it turns out that the developer may have done enough to stop putting many people off, but only just.
It's impressive how the minimalist approach cultivates such energy with so little, and also how sustaining that approach is for Ellipsis in its design. While this game is not technically a piece of minimalist art, it is a very coherent marriage of the methodology behind it with the creative domain of video games. For this reason, it absolutely can be valued for its aesthetic qualities, just like a painting hung on the wall, and perhaps used for inspiration, or just to chill out after a long day. Whatever is abstract is also open to many different interpretations, so different gamers may respond differently to its creative ethos, but overall there's no doubt that Ellipsis should be recognised for its accessibility, polish and purpose. This is a simple game with a thoughtful soul. Much work has gone into it, and for those who appreciate great game design, it is certainly one to check out. Fingers crossed for a Nintendo Switch edition one day, as well.
In a fair, yet plausible attempt to establish which kind of audience Defend Your Crypt seems targeted at - or more appropriate to recommend to - it's honestly quite difficult to go beyond those who want to try every single decent-to-good puzzle game available on their 3DS systems. The inherent simplicity of its core mechanics is at the same time a quality and a limit, and while it's perfect for short bursts - making the 3DS its ideal home - monotony lurks in the depths of this crypt during more prolonged play sessions.
Smashbox Arena might be amusing for some multiplayer shenanigans, but it is very rare to find anyone online to play with given the niche base of VR (with PS Move sticks, no less). The story mode is very deceptive and is really just the multiplayer stages with AI enemies and partners, with no story at all. Even the announcer for the matches sounds like he is extremely bored and is about to yawn. There is a complete lack of appeal and energy, and the overall presentation just feels like it was made by an amateur programmer and not a designer at all. The lack of controller options really hurt this - not that they would make Smashbox Arena much better, since it is nigh empty of content.
Astervoid 2000 earns a lot of points for its local multiplayer spirit, which, when tapped into as prescribed, does lead to quite a bit of fun. The problem is the mechanics are so shallow ultimately, that even a group will probably turn their attention to something with more depth and detail before long. The overall sense of value for this game isn't particularly good, since it's hard to see anyone returning to it on more than a handful of occasions. Overall, then, while it's a nice nod to sci-fi and space-themed arcade games, it's also too frugal and underwhelming in terms of content and inventiveness to be considered as anything other than an average space brawler. Sharing it with friends is its best mode of consumption.
An interesting idea that is lots of fun given the right crowd, but despite its best efforts to make for intriguing level design, the more bells and whistles added to the kitchen layout, the more room there is for frustration to creep in. Overcooked! Special Edition is the best value version so far, with DLC already included, and those that enjoyed it before will enjoy it again. However, just be warned that solo players should steer clear, and those wanting multiplayer fun need to make sure those in tow are not inept at juggling numerous tasks under tense conditions or else the entire group will just quickly start to hate the game and each other…
It's Spring Again works wonderfully for what it is, but doesn't leave much reason to keep coming back after viewing it a few times, as it feels like a cute cardboard book from a thrift store. Children may find it wildly engrossing at first, but their elation will probably wear off as time goes on. Still, for an educational game, this is a nice treat for youngsters, especially those who aren't ready to start slaying dragons and saving kingdoms.
Looking for a fast-paced, patience-testing, platforming challenge that may well make you want to throw your Nintendo Switch across the room in frustration? Then Slime-san is for you! Fans of Super Meat Boy and its ilk will be right at home with this addictive, excellently presented piece of gaming goodness that will have players tearing their hair out, but unable to put down until every drop of juice (or 'slime') has been squeezed out of it.
Activision has played the nostalgia card like a seasoned Vegas pro, and will no doubt enjoy seeing the sales figures of N. Sane Trilogy skyrocket as a result. Vicarious Visions deserves major props for doing a fantastic job of eliminating the "Whoa… This is way blockier than I remember it to be" factor and delivering a 'coot heavy package that manages to enhance the core experience without straying too far from the original templates. That's not to say that it isn't without its issues, though, as the regular, jarring difficulty spikes can be frustrating at times and seem at odds with the needs of its primary target audience (kids), though admittedly this is an observation coming from somebody with the age-dulled reaction times of a gamer long past their prime. It's safe to say that we haven't seen the last of Crash yet...
Those who have played through each iteration of Sword Art Online titles will enjoy this, although it does little new in the gameplay section, and just feels more of the same, just with a new story for Kirito and his team, along with the introduction of what is actually a fun franchise, with the inclusion of Accel World. The problem is that the core mechanics are horribly flawed, and the gameplay quickly becomes dull and repetitive. One for the hardcore fans only this time.
Infinite Minigolf is a very simple, pick-and-play, casual minigolf experience. It will be interesting to see what kind of continued support Zen Studios implements into it in the coming months, and the core game does have enough unlockables to work towards to keep some kind of goal for long term users. Thankfully, this is a very polished title that makes, and thus a worthy recommendation for audiences who are into this kind of games.
Catacombs 1: Demon War feels as dated as many of the games it is inspired by. It also feels unpolished, and as if many of the mechanics are just being tested out. This series could be the homage to early RPGs fans of the genre have been waiting for, though, and despite the low score, this should not be considered dead in the water.
The Banner Saga 2 is thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end, and it is the sort of title that anyone with even the slightest interest in the genre should enjoy.
The best Final Fantasy XIV has ever been. Ever moving forward, Square Enix has managed to craft one of the most focused storylines in the game thus far, backed up by exceptional voice acting and a desire to keep quests fresh with great boss battles, characters and dungeons. The main area Stormblood suffers is postgame, where there is little desire to top that subscription back up once the main story and few unlockable dungeons and raids have been completed. Whilst it lasts, though, thoroughly engrossing from start to finish.
Tiny Trax set its goal fairly low and achieved it. It has very shallow and simple gameplay that is dressed up by stunning visuals and polished presentation. Soundwise, the experience is forgettable and leaves no impression whatsoever. After the initial wow factor of the VR implementation wears off, there really isn't much to this game, and, really, it could have been playable without it at all. The multi-player modes may not have strength to support it, either, given the core user base for PSVR headsets is really niche, making this a very hard recommendation. It is as exciting as actual slot car racing.