Cubed3's Reviews
With some rebalances, polish, and work, the shortcomings of this game can easily be fixed. For those looking for enjoyment in this growing genre, Narborion Saga is easily among one of the better options and still quite fun despite its shortcomings. It's just that said shortcomings also can't be overlooked when trying to be transparent and give a good and sincere opinion, either.
It plays like Tekken, it feels like Tekken, it looks like Tekken… and that's because it is Tekken, therefore, don't go in expecting something new and exciting. Thankfully, that doesn't mean that this isn't a very good fighter, as it's actually one of the most fun and balanced available in the genre, as long as you don't mind its strong mid-'90s 3D fighter vibe.
Injustice 2 packs a powerful meaty punch and has enough content crammed into its superhero trunks to put a lot of its genre sharing peers to shame. NetherRealm has delivered a satisfyingly robust package that tightens up and expands on pretty much every aspect that made its predecessor so great, while remaining true to the DC source material, and making a game that looks, sounds, and plays incredibly well.
It is unfortunate, because the atmosphere that Uncanny Valley conveys in every room, and around the intrigue of the vague story is spooky enough that this could've been a good game. However, the poorly executed gameplay mechanics really lets the title down. Once the game does away with the exploration, and becomes more of a survival horror, the health and gun mechanics fall completely flat, as uninspiring shootouts occur, and Tom more likely than not succumbs to the darkness due to the poor button mapping of reloading and shooting a gun. The story has enough intrigue to get the adventure started, but unfortunately Uncanny Valley just isn't worth it to replay multiple times in order to achieve the different endings.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind is an expansion whose additions won't be enough to take this MMO to new heights, but those that are already on board will surely enjoy it, especially if their love for the original trip to Vvardenfell (or Tamriel in general) still burns strong.
A Rose in the Twilight has plenty of charm with its fantastic macabre design and style, but it's lacking the substance beneath. While the puzzles are enjoyable enough, they rarely offer enough of a challenge to require much thought and end up feeling like something seen a million times before.
Mantis Burn Racing: Elite Class adds four hovercraft racers to the mix in their own unique season. Race around in the same old tracks, but with added bonuses, such as extremely high speeds, and not having to worry about the surface of the track influencing the tyres or turns. However, the same core mechanics otherwise apply to these racers, as the turned up dial makes the already-frenetic game even more out of control!
While it is annoying that the Endless Dungeon farming option is unlocked extremely late in the game, that is a minor annoyance in an otherwise good edutainment title. The wordplay is wonderful, and the light RPG elements do just enough to keep the player hooked. It is a great arcade experience, as well as a learning experience. This makes Spellspire easy to recommend to both veteran wordsmiths, or just people who look to sharpen their pens and tongues.
VooFoo Studios' free DLC pack Snowbound for Mantis Burn Racing is a handy addition to have. Featuring four new snow-based tracks that can be troublesome to learn, as well as the ever-frenetic 'Spotlight' event, this is a great pack of content. There is plenty of fun to be had here, though it is not for the faint-hearted. There is a reason these tracks are packed into two additional seasons for the Veterans. It isn't supposed to be easy, so coming in with plenty of experience in the earlier races, as well as plenty of upgrades, is required to try to at least contend with the best.
The Count Lucanor is a clever little horror game that succeeds in avoiding cheap scares in favour of some truly disturbing moments. In an ironic twist, most, if not all, of the actual "jump scares" are caused by Hans rather than directed towards him. Additionally, the game features several shiver-inducing moments, varied endings (most of which can be seen by saving right before the final area), and a lovely presentation that includes chiptune covers of classical Bach pieces. It's nothing revolutionary, but for a few unsettling hours of addictive puzzle solving, Hans' journey through Tenebre Castle is worth a look. Plus, that kobold is just so darn cute!
One of the most famous Neo Geo shmups, Blazing Star fetches a pretty high price online these days for a full copy, so its inclusion at such a comparatively low price on a digital platform, on a system in which it is actually very playable (unlike the release on smart devices), both at home and on the go, is hard to miss out on for fans of the game itself in particular, or shmups in general, or even Neo Geo far and wide. Even those who already own a physical copy should not find it difficult to consider rebuying. Indeed, if anyone can afford a physical copy of this, then the small price of this digital rerelease, which comes complete with online leader boards for them to show off their skills for the world to see, should not prove too hard to swallow. It is a great classic that deserves to be experienced today just as much as back when it just came out, if not for history's sake, then for its intrinsic quality alone.
For anyone with a surplus of free time, Cladun Returns: This is Sengoku! is a fine way to exhaust it. The process of collecting gear and levelling up is familiar to action RPG fans, but this game introduces a number of ideas to keep things fresh. The Magic Circle system is very slick in how it offers a multitude of build varieties. New additions, like the option to take on quests, make exploration a little more rewarding. However, spending most of the adventure jogging through randomised dungeons does wear thin. This title's long-term value depends on how much its players enjoy the grind.
Fans of the Dragon Quest franchise will adore this game - and with good reason; it's packed with content tailored just for them. The story is enjoyable, the characters top notch, the music and art styles are amazing. If only the underlying aspects lived up to it. The gameplay gets repetitive and the enemy AI is horrible, the missions feel too short, and it's all too easy. That being said, there's still a very enjoyable experience here, but it could have been something so much more. It could have been something truly special.
Too bad this game was released in 2015. As-is it's just a stiff, broken, game with absolutely no reason to play it and many reasons to simply not play it. Its place is not in a game library but, rather, sautéed and served with spices as a side-dish.
Perception has very little going for it. It is well acted and has about three voice actors who do triple or even quadruple duty in some cases, and they all sound very believable. The sound design is strong and is the creepiest part of the entire game. There are many plot points that are hard to follow, since so much of the plot has to be found from notes picked up, or audio diaries. One plot point that is not made clear is that the story implies that Cassie might be psychic, but there really is not enough information to corroborate this completely, which is pretty much how every piece of story feels like. Every step of the way it just feels like there is something missing. Perception is a noble effort in its concept, but in practice this is one people should just close their eyes at.
DiRT 4 really does succeed in extrapolating new things from two different sides of the driving spectrum. The 'Your Stage' procedural track generator really does feel like a revelation, which will ensure that drivers remain on their toes even after clocking countless hours already. As stated, it's remarkable what this can do for drivers if they're willing to adapt and learn, and certainly helps to cultivate technical understanding and development. A more in-depth follow-up review on the PC version will be coming soon, but there's no doubt about it: DiRT 4 is one of the most exciting driving releases this year. A much-celebrated brand comes back with a bang.
Victor Vran: Overkill Edition is not much of an RPG. It is much closer to being a loud arcade action game that is best played with buddies online. As a successor to Diablo, it doesn't really work, but it is more than worthy to succeed Gauntlet Legends. The story in the core game is really inconsequential and generally cheaply presented, with heavily filtered stills, which is disappointing since the in-game character models look good enough. The action gets tedious after a while, and Victor will spend a lot of the game retracing his steps looking for missed loot or items. Victor Vran is only enjoyable in short bursts, and excessive play time will lead to zombification or slumber.
Drifting Lands is rare as a game these days in that it is actually fun and the hours slip by while grinding for better gear. Yes, considering this is a shoot 'em up, the gear aspect is the best part of it. While there are some repetitive issues that start to show themselves hours into the game, the entire package is so coherent as to be recommended. Fans of either shmups or RPGs will find a lot to their liking here, and the rare fan of both is highly encouraged to check it out.
The Town of Life gets credit for being willing to tackle a tough subject matter head on, and in such an honest way. It never concedes to being entertaining, so the player won't feel uncomfortable. It's a shame, then, that it's so difficult to follow the story and the few puzzles are so abstract. The real killing blows are the atrocious technical hiccups, though, and all of this mars a truly one-of-a-kind experience into a twisted shell of what it could have been.
MXGP3 is a very nice racing title. There's plenty of content, but the best part is easily the fantastic handling. The physics are superb and have a nice sense of weight to them. The deformation and weather effects add the right amount of depth to keep each race interesting. There's also a bevy of options that make the racing approachable for any skill level. However, the mediocre to poor frame rate and long load times really weigh everything down. There are some nit-picks, but anyone willing to look past those, as well as the other issues, will find an enjoyable Motocross game.