Cubed3's Reviews
The lack of stages isn't as big a deal as it sounds, as there is a lot of challenge to be had when it comes to picking up every collectible and mastering Noodle's snakey abilities. Expect a slow-paced puzzle-platformer, but one with a carefully crafted control scheme with levels that take full advantage of this unique set of skills. It won't appeal to everyone, and there will be a lot of frustration involved, but anyone with a penchant for Rare's old N64 hits would do well to check this out.
Another top quality retro game for Switch, NAM-1975 provides top tier multiplayer blasting action, a large range of customisation that the future Virtual Console would do well to copy, and classic pixel art. A short life span encourages quick bursts of play, but compliments its host hardware perfectly.
At the heart, the best thing about a co-op experience is just being able to sit down with a bunch of people and have fun fighting off a massive horde of monsters, and Warhammer: The End Times -Vermintide scratches that itch beautifully. It's just that going beyond that is a pain. Other than recombining and upgrading gear, here's little reason to play solo, between a relatively unimportant story and the random gear drops. Vermintide shines with friends; it's a bit too dangerous to go alone, so take three!
Marvel vs. Capcom 3 was a good fighter, and the updated Ultimate game is, undoubtedly… it's, well, the ultimate version… but other than that, it's not something that adds enough things to justify a purchase, especially if already having owned the console original. Capcom and Marvel fans will surely have fun with this somewhat lazy port. The rest can safely pass it by.
Honestly, the biggest draw for people in Crusader Kings II: Monks & Mystics will be the addition of secret societies and cults. They're a great addition and can certainly be worth it, but the feature can certainly not be worth it to someone uninterested with the features it brings. It will make every-day life more enjoyable and interesting, but it won't be some massive shake-up for those who aren't interested in what the cults and societies have to offer.
You'd think a game set around playing as a snake wouldn't have a leg to stand on, and yet this simple puzzler about a snake on a plane has no ereptile dysfunctions. Sorry, sorry… Snake Pass is a truly enjoyable, addictive and original platforming puzzler gem that really stands out. The only real issue is how short it feels. There are four worlds to complete, with fifteen stages in all, and an unlockable time-trial mode, but even with all that, there is a desire for more.
Overall, Revenant Saga is decent for what it is: a low budget RPG to help pass the time. It's not wholly unremarkable, thanks to its charming cast and solid battle system. The storyline also has a couple of interesting moments. Is that worth the ten or so hours it takes to see the main quest to its conclusion? That depends on if the player has the patience for dealing with stress free and mundane trips through towns and dungeons. All in all, this game is inoffensive, but not terribly compelling.
The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ is the most updated console version and features two-player co-op. With both Joy-Con, there is a lot of game here to play with someone friendly. With over 10 endings and a seemingly endless amount of unlockable content/features, expect to get far beyond 100 hours logged in. For its price, The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ pretty much has it all and more thanks to the Switch hardware. For some it may become a grind, and others may never be able to get past Edmund McMillen's wonderful sense of humour. Those who get beyond those quibbles will have one of the most addictive and creative indie games in their pockets and on their TV.
With games like Sakura Nova, it's obvious that Winged Cloud knows where their bread is buttered. Still, it's hard to ignore the lack of a compelling story and interesting characters. Mikage is nothing more than an everyday harem dullard, and his relationship with Arisa and Kaguya progresses far too rapidly. They go from awkward meetings in the changing room to best friends to living together in just a few short days. There's nothing to keep the player engaged, unless, of course, they're sticking around just to see the naughty pictures.
The fact that a game with this style of presentation works so well to make you feel uncomfortable and creep you out is a testament to how well written and designed it is. It would have been easy to put too much of one thing or another in it so that the subtle balance of it all would be lost and this adventure feel like a complete mess, but that's not the case. It's a truly disturbing story that demands using your imagination to perceive this as more than a bunch of huge pixels on a screen, and this involvement is part of what makes the cake lift at the end of the day, and that is a genuine tour de force. That's not to say that it's perfect, as some things are not always executed brilliantly, and yet, in the end, the atmosphere and immersion are not spoiled by such little shortcomings, and the experience ultimately still comes highly recommended.
Dark Souls III's The Ringed City isn't exactly the final piece of the puzzle that people have been waiting for, as it's just more of the same (albeit, very good), and not something that will be hailed as a DLC masterpiece, partly due to its short length. Buy, rent, or never play? Irrelevant. Soulsborne aficionados are already on it…
Monster Monpiece has a couple of interesting takes on the digital CCG genre, but it's completely hampered by the horrendous controls and its tasteless and aggravating upgrade system. There's understandably some issues with porting a title that utilised a touchscreen for many in-game actions, but the hybrid mouse/keyboard setup feels awful, and the deckbuilding interface is so clunky that it's pure trial and error to navigate the first few times. With so many amazing digital CCGs out there, there's few good reasons to play this one.
Old Time Hockey might not have the ease of entry to attract new players to the sports genre, but it will definitely make fans happy. While its barrier of entry is high, the rewards are a game that delivers enough charm and intrigue to keep you coming back for more punishment. Worst case scenario, put ice on your lip, and get back out on the rink.
There's no other JRPG like Nier: Automata out there. It blends all sorts of genres, although not flawlessly; it looks cool and has an awesome atmosphere, despite it being a tad rough around the edges; and its plot is simply an amazing piece of sad, thinking man's sci-fi storytelling, even though it disappoints quite a lot every now and then. Yoko Taro's newest creation isn't perfect… but this humble gamer is happy that it exists.
Without a doubt this is one of the most enjoyable arcade experiences on Nintendo Switch right now. Sure, it may be a classic and shunned by some purely on that basis, but the core gameplay of ACA NeoGeo: Metal Slug 3 has held strong over time, and proves to be just as addictive and challenging as it ever was...plus, it still looks mighty fine indeed. With the added benefit of other versions of the game included right from the off, a selection of control options, special extra challenge modes, and online leaderboards, the only thing that could top this is an anthology collection, similar to the one found on Wii years ago.
Overall, Waku Waku 7 is an almost perfect port, which more than successfully transmits the spirit of the original arcade hit. While it does lack an extra layer of effort, which would elevate this piece of content amongst some of the best on the eShop today, this is still a captivating and unique experience that is well worth checking out regardless of experience with the genre.
As an expansive compendium of tractor porn, Farming Simulator 17 is unparalleled, and has enough content to keep even the most ardent machinery fetishist titillated until their corn buds are ready to sprout. However, those hankering for a grittier agricultural experience encompassing the many problems faced by the modern day farmer will likely balk at Giants Software's relatively sterile approach.
Angels of Death will click with those who hunt through it's rough gameplay segments and take in its interesting story. While the gameplay may be rough, the story and the atmosphere are enough to recommend this to any fan of the genre, and the puzzle qualities found within are interesting, even when they falter. This is a small game that manages to be creepy, even if it stumbles slightly along the way.
ACA NeoGeo: Shock Troopers is an ideal game to add to anyone's Nintendo Switch library for playing while commuting, dropping into tabletop mode for some local co-operative action at a friend's house, or even diving into at home on the big screen to try and top the online leaderboards for that strong feeling of satisfaction. It may have a short playtime, but it is extremely enjoyable to go back to it again and again - a truly excellent dose of arcade fun.
Minus a couple hiccoughs here and there, ACA NeoGeo: World Heroes Perfect is a flawless, and 100% faithful version of the original arcade effort. However, this cannot change the fact that World Heroes Perfect was, and still is, nothing more than a generic fighter that pales in comparison to the strong competition in the genre, and even compared to SNK's more famous The King of Fighters line. In other words: this is nothing more than a collector's item product.