Cubed3's Reviews
Namco Museum doesn't have a new hidden gem to offer or gimmicks to reinvent classic titles, but what it does offer is an experience that brings the arcade home. Quality of life features like save states and hints have been added to negate archaic design frustrations, and an option to rotate the screen to look like an arcade cabinet is an ingenious addition bursting with charm. Pac-Man Vs.'s lack of online does stand out as a disappointment, but the collection's roster is strong enough to make up for it. With so many unique ways to interact with the Nintendo Switch, the arcade hasn't felt this alive in years.
Skeleton Boomerang is a lovingly-crafted throwback to the 16-bit era. Hunter moves with all of the grace necessary to survive the horrors of the isle. Controlling his boomerang is almost a game unto itself. Every moment becomes so much more interesting when it involves the curved wonder. Exceptionally skilled players will get a lot of enjoyment out of maintaining combos. The soundtrack can't be praised enough. A playthrough will take around four hours, and it won't outstay its welcome.
Despite what seems like a sincere attempt at trying to stray away from the typical licensed game pitfalls at first, Cars 3: Driven to Win strays off course almost immediately and winds up just another disappointing movie tie-in. The amount of content packaged in almost feels illusory at times, as the presentation gives the impression of a deeper experience. The Hall of Fame mechanic promotes tedium instead of overcoming challenge, and a lack of online multiplayer severely holds the content back. Tracks with no discernible identity and mechanics that feign complexity only serve to make Driven to Win feel even more like a blatant advertisement. With Mario Kart 8 already out for the Switch and better than ever, there's little reason to give Lightning McQueen the time of day.
Theseus is a mixed bag. On one hand it takes a bold step in using a completely counterintuitive POV for virtual reality and makes it work, while on the other hand the game itself is extremely half-baked due to an unimaginative take on the scenario. It manages some stunning visuals and pushes some very strong animations for PSVR, yet there is barely any variety in every aspect of the game from enemies, environment or gameplay. When this game hits its ending, it is sudden and unexpected with very little fanfare. However, with all these flaws, Theseus is pretty compelling and even worth a try because of how enigmatic it is. It has a really creepy atmosphere and is just incredible to look at. There is some potential here, and maybe if the developers had more time to iron out the many kinks and add some basic features, then this would be more than a weird unfinished curiosity.
Sundered constantly tiptoes between mediocrity and plain greatness, but, despite the annoyingly repetitive and, many times, "unfair" horde attacks, as well as a couple of bad design choices here and there, it's definitely a Metroidvania worth checking out, especially for those who wanted something much more fast-paced and battle-heavy, as well as horrifyingly pretty and with lots of Lovecraft in it.
The desire to get just a little further is alive and well, and the mix of sci-fi and horror is unique in the genre. While not the best for platforming, those looking for a different offering will find one here.
It may not be for everyone, but for the more creative of players, Miitopia is a dream. It's genuinely funny, utterly engrossing, and worth the asking price just to see yourself striding valiantly through a forest with Professor Layton, Judge Dredd, and Lady Gaga in tow. Countless hours of playtime (with much more in store for those willing to complete everything there is here to offer, including the bestiary and the post-game content) ensure anyone, from the RPG-uninitiated to the Dragon Quest aficionado, will find plenty to love here - just don't expect anything too complex.
Hey! Pikmin feels more like a completely original piece of entertainment that just happens to stage the titular critters rather being than a true Pikmin title.
While the threat level system theoretically makes for some interesting moment to moment choices, it makes the campaign feel woefully unbalanced at times. Combat also lacks the smoothness one would hope for from the genre, with movement and aiming feeling choppy and imprecise. Between monotonous gameplay and a generally uninteresting story, Solstice Chronicles: MIA lacks the qualities that help shape a successful single-player campaign, and the co-op changes feel like a strict downgrade from its predecessor.
Aven Colony is overall a very enjoyable game with a beautiful soundtrack, amazing voice acting, and a constantly evolving world. If you enjoy city building games, it is everything you'd expect.
Detached is a tricky experience to make an individual conclusion on and the verdict given might not reflect what a lot of people may feel when they experience it themselves. As with so many VR titles, and as referenced above, the physical experience of the title reflects a lot of what shapes the opinion. Some people are better versed to cope with the demands that the movement and physics place on them. It is also fair to give props to Anshar Studios for taking a risk like this and not compromising on their vision. For some, that will give them a lot of goodwill. However, even accepting this debate, it still stands true that the experience of Detached is only ever compelling in a few all-too-fleeting moments, and the full potential is yet to be unlocked.
In short, Bullet Soul: Infinite Burst is a better structured and more confident shmup than its predecessor.
All in all, Graze Counter is a STG that's well worth checking out. The various scoring systems gel quite nicely, offering plenty of replay value. Admittedly, when it comes to grazing, I'm not a big fan. However, this is one of those rare shmups that gets the concept right. It incentivises risky play by giving the player agency. With every playthrough, the pilot will find themselves drifting closer to bullets, all in the pursuit of higher scores. This game is open-ended enough that anyone can devise their own routes. They won't be forced to navigate a constant ocean of projectiles, which gets pretty mind-numbing after a while.
The brilliant moments are just not frequent enough to overlook the avalanche of issues that overwhelm the entire experience.
God Wars: Future Past is a very traditional TRPG, and as such, it is built upon a solid foundation, and fans of the genre are going to like it. It does, however, do very little to stand out. It could also be helped a bit by balancing the jobs more. Some jobs just feel extremely underwhelming compared to others. The story and the gameplay in general are going to deliver what fans expect and desire, though: nothing less, and sadly, nothing more.
A worthy debut for not only the series but also the genre on Nintendo Switch, Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star combines a solid foundation of enemy wave eliminations and territory domination with a surprisingly developed and engaging narrative, despite the various camera issues and regular jargon blockage. It is definitely a slow burner that fits well into a mindless brawler or an intriguing fable on demand.
A long-forgotten joy that deserves to stand side by side with the best of the franchise. There are so many great elements that all combine for such a special experience. The soundtrack from Hitoshi Sakimoto is filled with such a wide variety of tracks, ranging from grand orchestral themes, like the self-titled "Final Fantasy" to the light cheerful tones played throughout towns and some fantastic battle music. All of these sound even better here, reworked with 7.1 surround sound. The models and designs look stunning. The story falters, but still tells a gripping tale. Most importantly, however, the gameplay is ridiculously addictive, with the quality of life enhancements addressing most of the problems with the original. A must-buy for both those who played the PS2 version and those who missed it. Fantastic.
Minecraft: Story Mode Season Two fails to capture both the creative freedom of Minecraft, and the meaningful storytelling of a Telltale Games series. While there's definitely some niche appeal for those who are extremely invested in the world and lore of Minecraft, the story and characters don't stand out enough to make this a super compelling title. If Minecraft is something people love playing, they're better off just sticking to it.
Overall, the design gymnastics Immortal Redneck puts itself through to blend free-form run and gun gameplay with unforgiving roguelike mechanics can be readily apparent sometimes. More often than not, though, it manages to stand up on its core combat loop. It's fun, it's fast - and that's kind of the only string to Immortal Redneck's banjo, for better or worse.
There is a slither of something within Get Even to enjoy. An intriguing story, narrative beats that hit hard, and a sound design that brings out the terror and peril of exploration. However, only those with the most patience will uncover these treats, as it all remains buried amongst basic puzzles, bad plotting, terrible combat, and awkward dialogue. What Get Even attempts to do is bring together several elements of game design to try and lift the walking simulator genre forward; however, it's a game that seems ashamed of its own inspiration.