Cubed3's Reviews
Ico and Shadow of the Colossus set the bar ridiculously high, and years of delays didn't help, but The Last Guardian fits into the series and sets itself apart from the rest of the gaming world, rounding out the Ico trilogy as some of the biggest, prettiest, most unforgettable experiences anyone will find in gaming. Technical issues like framerate, glitches, and controls (most or all of which will hopefully be patched out as time goes on) don't stop this from being a gorgeous and highly emotional gaming experience—exactly what fans have come to expect from Fumito Ueda. The development team's vision was clear, if the execution was a little lacking, and the final product doesn't feel like one that should've taken ten years to hit shelves, but The Last Guardian is still an achievement in both storytelling and game development that gamers shouldn't miss out on.
Hatsune Miku: VR Future Live's second stage is great for those who want to go to a concert without the effort of getting up or leaving home. It is certainly cheaper than the price of actually going to a Miku concert and has more songs to choose from while the show is on. If there is one thing Hatsune Miku: VR Future Live does do well it is simulating the concert-going experience.
Hatsune Miku: VR Future Live is an impressive albeit pricey VR experience. It is not a terribly exciting rhythm game at all, since it is just relying on such a basic shaking gesture. Only those who are interested in a VR experience or are Hatsune Miku fans should apply here, since that is what its strengths are: a passive musical spectacle.
Final Fantasy XV is the result of the designers being out of touch and being unable to make any sort of connection with the players. It has a really rough start and is a game with high highs and extremely low lows. It is both a technical achievement and a game design disaster. It is capable of really clever storytelling and character development, while also failing at the basics of telling a simple story. Final Fantasy XV offers a huge amount of land to explore that feels ultimately small due to how few points of interest it actually has. More often than not, this hardly feels like an RPG at times, and yet because of how strange this game is, it might be worth a look. In the end, maybe Final Fantasy XV needed another 10 years of development considering how unfinished it feels.
It's a Final Fantasy straight out of the 90s and deserves the attention of every fan of the old-school games. World of Final Fantasy isn't a grand epic adventure, and its main narrative is probably a little too convoluted, but it uses its franchise's history to wonderful effect, blending iconic characters, a simple turn-based battle system, and a monster capturing mechanic that is sure to appeal to more than just Final Fantasy stalwarts to create a genuinely hilarious and enchanting RPG that might not warrant many replays, but fills a void that has been left abandoned in the series for too long.
The Little Acre's biggest fault is that it could be a lot better. The majority of the puzzles are stimulating, and the story has some very nice theme weaving in the narrative that's seldom realised in video game stories, but the pacing between Aidan and Lily detracts from the overall experience. Lily's concept works on paper, but her actual performance and underwritten personality falls flat next to Aidan's fleshed out character. Pewter Games' first outing is a charming one with a lot of ambition, but some restraint would have certainly led to a more cohesive package.
As far as point and clicks go, The Little Acre is a fair effort. The artwork and animation is great, and the attention to the smaller details is really appreciated. The soundtrack is splendid, and the voice actors deliver a quality performance. The simplistic interface is perfectly in line with genre standards. However, the game ends before it can really establish its footing. There are a few scenes that could have been expanded upon. More time spent exploring the other world and all its wonderment would have greatly benefitted the adventure.
This is a superb entry in what has become a remarkable platforming saga. The lush visuals are impressive to behold, and Jake "virt" Kaufman has outdone himself with yet another phenomenal soundtrack. The game itself finely balances both the action and adventure elements. With the amount of abilities involved, there could have been a little more creativity in how they're employed. Still, it's a mild complaint considering the amount of care that went into everything else. The pacing is efficiently handled. Shantae: Half-Genie Hero doesn't benefit from having checkpoints that must be repeated dozens of times, or thousands of shiny objects to collect. Everything has a purpose, and nothing wears out its welcome. All in all, this is a can't-miss title of the holiday season.
While the problems of previous episodes in regards to the slow story and the lack of influence on it based on the choices made remain, Batman: The Telltale Series - Episode 4: Guardian of Gotham is considerably more enjoyable. As is often the case with Batman, the villains end up stealing the spotlight here, and seeing both Cobblepot and Two-Face truly come into their own is superb. Then the finale delivers a decent cliff-hanger, and a branching option to set up the final episode. Maybe Telltale can pull this back after all!
The characters in Batman: The Telltale Series - Episode 3: New World Order are interesting and the gameplay is decent enough, but this episode again feels like a let-down in some ways.
MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune VS Zombies suffers from the same problems as its predecessors, with a clunky battle system and convoluted storytelling. It's gratuitous fan service for Neptunia fans in the form of a rough and unpolished hack and slash, but it amounts to little else. The robust cast of characters doesn't do much to mask the bigger issues with the combat, and while there are differences between the characters, there are few meaningful choices to be made when selecting one. Even the most devoted Neptunia fans will have a hard time swallowing this one.
Given that its oddly timed publishing schedule saw it emerge as the filling between a COD/Battlefield sandwich during the busiest release window of the year, it's fair to say that Titanfall 2 certainly had its work cut out to get noticed. Despite this, Respawn Entertainment has delivered a solid package that ticks all the right boxes for fans of the first-person shooter, and does so by forging a unique identity in an overcrowded genre that seemingly ran out of fresh ideas some time back. With the promise of free DLC for the duration of its lifetime, here's hoping that Titanfall 2 has a long tail.
Rock Band Rivals is set to appeal to the fans who most wanted a competitive side to Rock Band 4. Other than the addition of the new campaign mode in the form of the Rockudrama and the titular Rivals mode, there aren't really any major changes to the core Rock Band 4 experience. There have been some definite changes to the game for the better in the past year, and if that competitive drive is what players were missing the last time around, this might be the reason to dust that guitar and drum kit off for another show.
Ever wanted to fight "The Powa" and be cute while at it? Then try out this awesome bundle of arcade-like simplicity and plain ol' fun, the adorable riot sim, Anarcute. It's not perfect, and it has some strong replay value issues, but indie aficionados will surely have a blast with it.
The most advanced, most detailed and deepest Pokémon experience to date can now be found in Pokémon Sun and Moon. Perhaps the last big mainstream first party Nintendo franchise to grace the Nintendo 3DS as the next generation is almost upon us, it is an indispensable addition to anyone's game library, even those just remotely interested in Pokémon.
There's very little that can actually be said about how brilliant OneShot is. Be sure to stay well away from streams or a YouTube playthrough before getting the opportunity to experience it. Just expect to be treated to a thoroughly wonderful tale. Definitely consider checking it out.
Let it Die is a trippy brawler with a unique vision. Alongside its cool atmosphere and stellar soundtrack is thoughtful game design. Exploring and obtaining gear is entertaining enough on its own, while the twists on the rogue-like formula add a lot of spice to the spelunking. The online features are creative and offer a nice break from the horrors of the Tower. The F2P elements are nicely handled, and don't take much (if anything) away from the game. Although, as it becomes more difficult, the costs of everything from elevator rides to revivals gets more expensive, sometimes an investment of dollars might be necessary, just to maintain the pace. If nothing else, a pocketful of death medals might lend players the necessary confidence to challenge the higher floors. In any case, Let it Die deserves a look.
The main attraction to Carmageddon: Max Damage is the variety in running over pedestrians while also ramming into opponents' cars. While there are five more game modes that are just different variations of the formula, the graphical limitations hold the game back from what it could've been. Carmageddon: Max Damage is a perfect throwback to fans of the series wishing to take another nostalgic hit, but there is nothing here to draw newcomers into the franchise. It feels more like a glorified side story of a larger Grand Theft Auto title, which makes it difficult to justify a purchase, coupled with the roughness of the gameplay and the animations.
10 Second Ninja X is a short platformer that is fast paced from the moment it begins, and it never really stops. With the interesting game mechanic of clearing a stage in ten seconds, the difficulty is increased by achieving the required stars to open up more stages. While it is a clean platformer in terms of fine-tuning the mechanics, it is a frustrating one that seeks to appeal to the platforming purists hungry for a hardcore time sink. The hours will fly by as the ninja dashes across countless stages; however, because of the difficulty, it's a tough sell for casual gamers or those not well versed with chaotic platformers.
Surgeon Simulator: Experience Reality is improved over its vanilla version. Clearly, playing with the DualShock 4 controller is just not the best way to play this game, and the PSVR and PS Move controllers were a step in the right direction. Sadly, the lack of polish keeps it from being a worthwhile purchase yet again. It is slightly more playable than it was before, but the new problems of faux feedback and bugginess stop this "sim" from being more than just an ironic joke on the customer.