Cubed3's Reviews
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.
Natural Disasters is the most interactive, exciting Cities: Skylines expansion yet. With each update, the game feels more alive and more complete, and those who perhaps don't find the content worthy of the price tag can take comfort in how much Colossal Order adds to this game for free alongside the paid content. All of these new features fit right in, and the disaster system adds a layer otherwise entirely missing from the game. The pressure is raised, gamers will have to think and act a little more on their feet, and Cities: Skylines remains one of the best city builders on the market.
For fans of getting together and playing with friends in the same room, Sombrero: Spaghetti Western Mayhem scratches an itch, but never really makes the itch go away. Even if none of the minor issues were present, there's still not enough content to justify sinking a lot of time into this. With more to do, this could be a must have, but right now, it's just not there.
There is nothing special about Xenoraid, but it keeps the basics solid. The shooting is fun, the dodging is good, and the upgrading is the best part, which allows for better ships to enter the fray. It is the type of game that could serve as a great platform for a really good game, but as it is, it is a fun romp that harkens back to old-school games. If it can be picked up cheap, Xenoraid is an enjoyable four-hour ride.
Severed is a game that benefits from hindsight, when all of the longueurs are forgotten and only the highlights remain. Those willing to put up with a bit of tedium and a high price point will find Severed to be a unique and memorable experience. Whether or not it's worth putting up with its shortcomings for the sake of the experience will differ from person to person, but with its vibrant presentation and interesting mechanics, this comes with a hearty recommendation for those looking for something a bit different.
Yesterday Origins is the reflection of the team behind it; a team with a deep passion for the genre that it has been serving for more than two decades, but also one that's not "there" yet. While generally a nice ancient mystery/crime thriller, and although the puzzle-solving is quite good, it certainly needs some fine tuning here and there, both when it comes to its characters, as well as its gameplay mechanics.
Despite a few minor irritations, such as the odd bug in a MyCareer training session or a slight oddity in the animations, NBA 2K17 is basketball at its absolute finest in gaming terms. While it's obviously difficult to rank it alongside games of yesteryear, like the more arcade-centric NBA Jam on the SNES, when it comes to simulating the game on modern hardware, this is the purest, most authentic experience out there, bar none.