Cubed3's Reviews
Manual Samuel sounded great on paper, with the weird and wacky control scheme promising a tonne of potential for some fun gameplay elements. Unfortunately, the misses really drag down the overall tone. From the unresponsiveness of some button presses, to the cumbersome deaths caused by forgetting to breathe out while trying to control a manual car, to the humour-filled moments that seem to forget the humour - it just seems like a frustrating experience from beginning to end. The story is also weird, with each character playing a caricature of a usual stereotype found in other stories, but they do not seem to come together well at all. The only thing that does flow from scene to scene is the aggravating control scheme, coupled with the equally as annoying characters, and, as such, Manual Samuel is a tough game to sell.
It's not uncommon for a video game to borrow ideas from other titles. However, it is very rare to see something like Xanadu Next. It takes full advantage of every influence to deliver an absolutely terrific adventure. The engaging combat is bolstered by a variety of sub-systems. These ideas are seemingly disparate in their inclusion yet harmonious in their execution, which is exactly why they work together to create something very unique and impressive. Despite being released in 2005 by a developer that didn't have a lot of experience with 3D graphics, the game has aged quite gracefully. Falcom's sound team delivers an atmospheric soundtrack that is simply stunning. Altogether, this makes for a classic game that genre enthusiasts should pick up immediately.
Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin is a phenomenal game, taking the spectacular original and giving it fresh lease of life. Creator Hidetaka Miyazaki's grim and beautiful world is truly a wonder to behold, and this new journey into that world is filled with fresh challenges that will test even the most experienced Souls players. You will die over and over and over again, but the key thing is that you will love every minute of it.
Trillion: God of Destruction is a weird mix of good and bad ideas that makes the game this bizarre, fairly entertaining slog to get through. There is a lot to like here, between the fun characters and pleasing mixture of different gameplay features. At the same time, though, there is no denying the management features really start to drag after a while, and the combat is not nearly as entertaining as it could be. There is absolutely a target audience for this that will eat it up, but it is not really a broadly accessible title considering all the niggling little imperfections. The God of Destruction surely offers up plenty of challenge, but it would have been better if one of his more effective tools was not mind numbing repetition.
Infinite Warfare is very much the same slick, expensive looking/sounding, finely honed product that crops up every year, regular as clockwork. No surprises there, really. Maybe it's the COD fatigue talking, but the multiplayer just feels a bit regressive, all told, and the 'pay to win' aspect does a great job of killing any residual enthusiasm to persist with it. In direct contrast, the campaign is the real surprise here, as Infinity Ward has exceeded all expectations and delivered an action-packed sci-fi epic that elevates itself from the usual 'military contractor gone rogue' narrative that the series is known for. Zombie lover? The Hoff is in it... 'Nuff said.
Bears Can't Drift!? is not a bad game. It is actually quite interesting, mostly due to how bizarre the design choices are, which give it a weird mystery box quality to it. It engages curiosity and invites to keep on playing and see how deep the bear hole goes. While the hole is shallow, it is a compelling hole that looks cute and has up to four-player split-screen. Bears Can't Drift!?'s core game is just really boring at the end of the day, and as it turns out, nobody cares if bears can drift.
The knock-on effect the game's various problems is a somewhat hollow driving experience overall. WRC 6 is valiant in terms of its content and its knowledge of rallying, and fans of the sport and of the genre will find an enjoyable package here. However, the simple reality is that this year fans are spoilt for rallying games and there are many better experiences to be had. It targets neither DiRT Rally, on the sim-side of the spectrum, nor the more all-encompassing, centre of the road experiences such as Sebastien Loeb Rally Evo. The result is a somewhat diluted rallying title with plenty of substance, but less than ideal execution. This is yet another driving series that needs to go back to its roots.
Here They Lie is likely doomed to obscurity and it probably is for the best. This is a weird and cult type game that may one day find its fans, but limiting it to VR may not have been the best choice, since there really is nothing here that demanded it. If Here They Lie is ever on sale and you need to get use out of the PlayStation VR headset, it will make for an interesting experience, just not a deep game.
Stellaris is great for a play or two, but the content simply lacks the replayability. The Leviathans DLC fixes some of the issues of content being light in the midgame, but does nothing to remove the bog that inevitably comes mid to late game. As fun as a single play is, even a grind through the later portion of the campaign shows enough that little changes the player can make, such as the empire customisation or content added in the DLC, do nothing. For fans of Stellaris, the DLC will be pretty interesting, but those who have side-lined it are not going to be lured back by this.
The fact that there are a number of quirks still to work out with this kind of title is not really a surprise. This is a new medium; the early adopters are jumping on a virtual reality journey that will take many years to realise its full potential. That said, developers have a responsibility to do everything they can to make the experience as smooth and rewarding as possible. Alice VR fails to do this, with a movement setup that does nothing to persuade the player to endure the discomfort. For the price, if being judged as a non-VR title, the content and quality is extremely lacking. It is only the natural immersion that VR brings that elevates the experience. There is a very pleasant looking world here, and the outside sections are the best bits, but that alone isn't enough - gameplay is still paramount.
There's so much effort put into the actual gameplay and level design that Arkane Studios' laziness with everything else makes the unrefined parts stand out all the more. It isn't enough to ruin the whole experience, but Dishonored 2 absolutely suffers from its horrible story, voice direction, sound mixing, general lagginess, and sloppy optimisation. A video game's first priority should be the gameplay, but its other facets shouldn't suffer as a result. The actual game design is incredibly creative and the replay value is through the roof, but everything else is lacking in just about every other regard. As it stands, Dishonored 2 is certainly playable and fun, but never lives up to all its potential.
Destiny: Rise of Iron has absolutely given new life to a title which was dying for fresh content. As an expansion, it doesn't by any means feature anything revolutionary, but it surely brings plenty of fantastic missions, strikes, raids, and gear that players will be grinding away on for weeks to come. If a fan of Destiny's gameplay, this should absolutely be on your wish-list.
Just Dance 2017 is the most comprehensive entry in the series to date, and paired with the Unlimited selection service, it will become a centrepiece for any party. The songs and routines are varied, and the additional modes complement the experience well. There may not be enough to warrant a new purchase for those of you who own Just Dance 2016, but for newcomers Just Dance 2017 is the complete collection.
Sports Bar VR is probably going to be remembered as VR shovelware in the future, but despite that, it seems like there was some effort to make it fun by allowing emergent mischief. When alcoholics die, Sports Bar VR is their purgatory: a bar with empty bottles and cans that can't ever be opened, a bunch of games that nobody will play seriously, and creepy stock automatons that never leave. The mini-games just needed to be more fleshed out and polished, and the core package needs a much lower price.
An amazing ending to what has been a successful reimagining of an old classic. This chapter is so heartfelt and simultaneously heart wrenching; it is unlikely to be forgotten by those who played the whole season. This episode is great to play through, with its interesting puzzles, neat environmental touches and original King's Quest references and humour. It has some odd moments, but ultimately it is an amazing and fitting send-off for the series. It is thoroughly recommended to have some tissues ready for those harder hitting moments.
All in all, Inventory Manager: Future Technologies is just a lot of interesting ideas that don't amount to much. Perhaps as an idle or social game, it would work much better. As a so called "full" title, it just leaves a lot to be desired, almost like it's all the side dishes and none of the entree. It's easy to see there's clearly a game here waiting to bust out and scream "Play me", but this is merely the voice mail to that scream. It's almost like a large demo, and if fleshed out further, and the edges sanded clean, there might be more to recommend here. For now, it's just an idle numbers game, and it's not much fun to experience.
Senran Kagura: Bon Appetit! is what happens when scantily-clad ninjas face off to see who's the greatest chef. Whenever the lecherous judge yells, "Delicious!" clothes spontaneously combust. That's pretty much the extent of it. Not everyone is going to be thrilled by such a concept, and some might be entirely put off by it. On the other hand, this product has a je ne sais quoi that's oddly admirable. Even when faced with all of this flesh, players are liable to find themselves laughing more than anything else. Everything is just so blatant and extreme that it becomes commonplace, so one can't help but roll with the punches. Maybe it's just easier to defend a premise when it results in quite a good game.
It's easy to see why those who have a nostalgic link to Day of the Tentacle might enjoy this remaster a lot. It's full of character, the new visuals are like playing an interactive cartoon, and the voice-acting is pretty great. Unfortunately, the puzzles and characterisations might fail to gel with a modern audience despite the visual and audio representation. Far from a bad game, but it will definitely not be everyone's cup of tea.
Mad Father is a delightful surprise. It's rare to see a horror adventure that takes full advantage of its limited framework. The puzzles are easy, but they're also creative. They're appropriately themed, and they don't attempt to pass off leaving the player in the dark as some sign of depth. The sprite work is nicely detailed, and everything about the house exudes a high level of polish. The story is very dark and well-told, and gamers will probably experience a wide range of emotions. There are also plenty of genuinely scary and disturbing moments. All in all, this game is highly recommended.
Princess Maker 2 Refine is still capable of evoking feelings of caring, the ability to watch her grow from a child to an adult is engaging, the multitude of potential outcomes adds in a lot of replayability, and other such things means that it's a notch above basic shovelware. However, 'notch above shovelware' isn't quite the same as 'good,' but it is worth a recommendation to those whom can stand the games many, many flaws as the reward is certainly half-decent.