Cubed3's Reviews
There are some titles that have high replay value despite their simplicity, but Flip Wars is not one of them, as this is nothing but a simple mini-game turned full game. In other words, while this is definitely cheaper, better save that pizza money for Splatoon 2… or pizza.
If it was not for the music and the superior graphics, Half-Genie Hero would be viewed even less favourably for the simple fact it is not fun. Much of the goofy charm of the series has long been extinguished, and the main character is grating at this point. The platforming, despite having previous in the series that was great, is shockingly bad. Pretty graphics cannot hide the fact that after one too many trips to the bottom of the endless towers they climb, this game is simply not good, especially when the company, and the genre as a whole, offers so many better options.
While the difficulty might put off newcomers who never played Slime-san, Fabraz has gone above and beyond to make Blackbird's Kraken one of the most accessible and polished pieces of DLC this year. Being free for owners of the original and available for purchase otherwise, Slime-san's kraken intestine adventure maintains a strong precedent for affordable, quality DLC not too dissimilar to Yacht Club Games' recent practices. With 25 brand-new stages, at least 100 unique platforming scenarios, and a host of unlockables to discover, Blackbird's Kraken is gushing with hours of new content.
SteamWorld Heist is a decent length when factoring in the wide range of difficulty settings, and the fact you will be playing some missions a few times. Essentially, this is a well-made squad-based strategy that gives a choice: go in guns blazing…. or go in gun blazing. While the game is heavy on the tactics, it's never heavy on subtlety. It's nice it wastes little time, but it also suffers from a lack of diversity because of it. It's thus probably better for those looking for a game to play on/off rather than binge over.
Outside of the campaign and options for a single race, there just isn't much here. The eight tracks get old quick, and the online portion is dead - each time this was attempted, there were never any lobbies running. Free updates that include new tracks may extend the life value, and R8 Games has shown commitment to supporting the game since the weeks following its release, but there needs to be more to entice people to stick with it. As it stands, Formula Fusion is an anti-grav racer that looks and somewhat feels like Wipeout, but doesn't have the content and appeal of it.
With Nintendo having little experience with DLC, there was always a question as to if the developer could do it right, and it seems unquestionable that the team knocked this one out of the park, adding some new content, giving a completely new game mode, and also including cosmetic little bonuses for series fans out there. The next DLC has only been hinted at so far, but it has been shown to be based around the fan-favourite four champions, and if it's even half as good as this then fans are in for a treat.
There should be no reason to miss out on Steins;Gate 0 for anyone who played the first title. It might not have quite the same impact as Steins;Gate, but it succeeds in telling a fascinating story, delving into intriguing and poignant subjects of our time, and excellently developing the characters involved. Whilst it does go on a bit longer than it probably should do, many fans will find this to be a positive, as it's a universe impossible to let go of.
Like root beer, Neko-Nin exHeart is so bubbly and cloying that it's almost vile. Yura and Tama's antics will cause viewers to shift their feelings from uncomfortable to heart-warming in as little time as it takes to snap their fingers. Despite these sudden shifts, they're liable to stick around and see the story to its end. The most frightening possibility is that they're likely to enjoy it. Sure, the high-quality artwork and solid presentation make for a pleasurable experience. There's just something so insidious about the whole affair. How deep does this rabbit hole go? After witnessing this spectacle, can someone still admit that they're the same person as they were before? …Nin.
Operation Babel: New Tokyo Legacy is pretty much a complete shambles. It opens with a mass amount of confusion and builds on that until the poor player is completely overwhelmed, to the point that the only ones who will find any enjoyment here are those willing to invest a ton of time and effort to bust through the unapproachable nature of the game. The problem is, even those that persevere will find little worth their effort thanks to a poor story, lots of repetitive gameplay, exasperating mechanics, and mediocre dungeons.
Coming relatively cheap and offering interesting new characters to play as, and most of them being good units, too, the Cipher Companions Pack is arguably the best DLC pack to be made available for Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. It took a bit longer to come out, but the wait was well worth it, and this ends the onslaught of DLC for this latest Fire Emblem game on a high note.
To put it bluntly, Toby: The Secret Mine plays it too safe. It settles for a basic understanding of the fundamentals, and does little to push the player. The pacing is appropriate, the adventure never becomes monotonous, but there aren't any inventive or exciting elements. Trial-and-error game design has its own problems, but at least more effort could have been put into Toby's death animations. Usually, he falls over like a puppet that lost its strings. In some cases, he doesn't do anything, and gamers are merely kicked back to the last checkpoint. If death is such an integral part, at least make it fun.
Armikrog is often too old-school for its own good, and it's impregnable for those who don't know the genre for all its faults. Those that manage to scratch the surface won't necessarily be rewarded for their efforts, either, with a paper-thin plot and characters that are just too hard to root for. The art style (and opening song) may be enticing, but sadly that's all that this retro-styled point-and-clicker has to offer.
Currently, and, sadly, maybe forever, Gunscape doesn't become what it wants to. Besides the fact that the level editor included (which is, like, half the game) is not as versatile as it should be, the main gameplay mechanics aren't fun. They aren't terrible or anything, but they're also not anything that will make anyone put their [insert old-school FPS] aside.
It's not ground-breaking or genre-defining, but Electronic Super Joy masters the retro-style platformer. It's stunning visually and sonically, and the presentation is tied in directly to the arresting gameplay that's complemented perfectly by tight controls and super smart level design. Hardcore platforming fans will be completely at home here.
Playing as a genie has never been more fun. Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is a wonder to behold, and can be enjoyed by players of all ages.
Under Pressure does a good job of showing the cracks that are beginning to form in the Guardians' relationships, while ironically filling some of the cracks that were present in the first chapter's presentation. It still needs some work to make it something truly special, and it remains to be seen whether the consequences will be worth the yawn-inducing build-up. Luckily, things are looking up, and as the main theme suggests, Telltale's Guardians of the Galaxy is still very much a Livin' Thing.
For an RPG that's so damn short, SAKeRETSU turns out to be one the worst of its kind, with battles that are very repetitive and simplistic, and mechanics that simply refuse to work. As for the Game Boy art style, it's definitely nice and all, but style is no substitute for substance.
Valkyria Revolution has the confidence of a much better game. The story is presented in a historical lense meant to pull at the player's heartstrings, the gameplay combines action RPG elements with strategy features, and the cast is depicted so as to highlight the realities of war. While that all looks nice in concept, Media Vision's execution is seriously lacking. The plot simultaneously needs to let scenes breathe more, instead of dragging them out for minutes on end. What should be thought-provoking combat turns into mindless button mashing. The depiction of war, as poignant as it can be sometimes, never manages to hold onto its brilliance for longer than a minute. There are genuinely great ideas present, both from its narrative and gameplay, but Valkyria Revolution fails to live up to the potential of either.
Oceanhorn is a competent, budget, bite-sized Zelda-like experience that is not without its flaws, both in terms of glitches and in terms of sheer game design.
NBA Playgrounds plays well to the strengths of the Nintendo Switch, providing a fun multiplayer basketball game, with authentic players and commentary. Difficulty spikes in solo play are too steep to ignore, though, and the current absence of online play greatly diminishes long-term viability. A great game is here, but not yet at the surface.