Cubed3's Reviews
Shadwen's first few levels will surely give some amount of fun to those who like this type of games, and the fact that the main character has to keep a little girl out of sight will, initially, feel like quite the exciting concept. Unfortunately, gameplay-wise this is quite a flawed product, with its main problem being the fact that it requires doing the exact same thing for more than 10, almost identical, levels.
While Ninja Senki DX doesn't really add anything new or offer anything that can't be found in dozens of old NES titles, it strikes all the right notes and fans of retro style platformers will find plenty to enjoy here. There is some really clever level design and enemy placement, and enough challenge to keep even the most masochistic of masochists entertained for quite a while.
When considering the volume and frequency of Milestone's motorbike-focussed output, it wouldn't be too out of line to suspect that MXGP2 might have been 'dialled in' to an extent, though making such an assumption would be doing the developer a great disservice, considering that it does everything it sets out to do very competently. While the managerial aspects of the campaign do feel like an unnecessary dressing used to pad out the experience, scramble fans eager to release the throttle and churn up the tracks should still enjoy the wealth of content on offer.
What an absolute joy to play through. With Kirby: Planet Robobot, Nintendo and HAL have delivered not only a standard Kirby platform outing for Nintendo 3DS that matches the usual high quality levels found throughout the series, but have managed to bring many new elements into the mix to ensure that this the freshest Kirby to date, merging clever ideas from other genre stable-mates with the traditional qualities everyone knows and loves.
Anima: Gate of Memories is going to appeal to those who enjoy dark action-RPGs, as it has many of the necessities, along with some improvements that make it comparable within the genre. It's tainted because there are many inconsistencies between quality throughout it, which are notable and many times hard to forgive, and which drag the game down.
Dreamfall Chapters Book Five: Redux may well be the fitting conclusion to this episodic series for many in story terms, and leaves it open enough to see a return in the (hopefully not too distant) future, but it is not anywhere near as enjoyable on the gameplay front as its predecessors. Looking at all five books together would mean that Dreamfall would shine bright, but on its own, Book Five: Redux is nothing more than a lengthy interactive movie sequence to try and wrap up loose plot threads. Highly pleasing on one level, it sadly leaves a big question lingering: why did it take so long to release this given the lack of actual puzzles and adventuring included? Poor integration of past characters and confusion over how everything actually fits together during the final sequences only add to the already mudded waters.
After years of delays and broken promises, Mighty No. 9 still manages to disappoint despite having the lowest of expectations. It controls, looks, and sounds worse than any Mega Man. Everything about Mighty Blunder 9 screams "amateur," with homage turning into borderline plagiarism most, if not all, of the time. Inafune and Comcept would have been better off canceling the project and refunding the Kickstarter; it would have saved them all the embarrassment of being attached to one of this decade's worst titles.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE steals the spotlight with gorgeous visuals, memorable characters, and fast-paced, slightly over the top combat. While the gameplay won't exactly feel familiar to long time Fire Emblem fans, the characters and the relationships that they share will feel comfortingly familiar. While the developers could have gone a little further to stay true to the original inspiration for the game, there's still a lot to love about the brilliant and colourful idol-centric setting. Ultimately, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE delivers an encore worthy performance.
Gemology is a flawed game, with serious problems in its difficulty curve, which, as a result, makes for an unsatisfying playthrough. Its two modes aren't as addictive as a puzzle game should be, and its average presentation and handful of rewarding moments aren't enough to make the game worthy of a purchase.
In some ways, Resident Evil 5 is not as 'fun' as its successor. Its controls are slightly clunky, the A.I. partner is scatter-brained, and her inclusion in every situation reduces the horror. However, it's also more thrilling, and the survival aspect is implemented better than in Resident Evil 6, with tough ammo conservation and some inventory management.
While Infinite Dunamis does have the familiar, comfortable feel a lot of mobile RPGs have, it's saddled itself with a number of issues that really make it a chore to play. It's badly optimised for the hardware, and suffers from multiple issues during regular gameplay. The characters are bland and honestly annoying, and there's very little to make Infinite Dunamis stand out in a long line of already lacklustre titles.
MegaTagmension has grown by quite a few bounds, yet still hasn't addressed the core issue that plagued its predecessor. As a portable game in which things can be handled in bite-sized pieces, some of this is excusable and fits well, but only because the game was designed with short bursts of play in mind. While the story is fun to experience, for the more dedicated gamer, there are superior choices out there in volumes.
Considering how wildly different SteamWorld Heist is from its predecessor, this was clearly a bit of a risk for Image & Form. Fortunately for us, it is one that really pays off.
As a Total War game, Total War: Warhammer comes off as being a bit confined in terms of bounds, yet varied within said bounds. Boasting a lot of options, it is a genuinely enjoyable experience as it does take advantage of its licence. As a Warhammer title, it is a solid and enjoyable experience even if it's quite clear a lot was filed off either to make it work as a game or for future DLC. As a whole? It's a good new direction for the series to head in, and, hopefully, will let it expand beyond the confines of history into new, fantastical realms.
The gameplay is simple yet complex in a way that forces players to think about long-term goals rather than individual battles, making Grand Kingdom a natural choice for people who prefer the "tactical" part over the "role-playing" part of tactical role-playing games.
Problems with graphics and controls are hard to overlook, and there's no denying that this feels less inspired and more lifted from other series, although fans of those might still find it fun to play. Its gameplay elements are solid enough, despite being unoriginal, and overall the game does run and play well. There's nothing special about it, but besides the resolution and maybe the dungeon design, there's nothing unforgiveable about it, either. Mind Zero doesn't fail, but it also doesn't exactly try to escape the shadow of the titles it was clearly influenced by.
Aegis of Earth has one interesting idea and… that's about it. With its simple mechanics, okay story, and generally unimpressive presentation, it's okay for a portable game for quick bursts or killing time. However, those seeking more engaging tower defence titles best look elsewhere. This game has a place, but were it not on a portable console, would likely be in for an official reprimand. As-is, it fits in just well enough with the 'short spurt of play' ideology that makes it acceptable for a handheld title.
AIPD is a prime example of a good twin-stick shooter. The controls are easy enough to learn that anyone can pick up the game and play it, and the difficulty curve is gradual enough that a beginning player won't feel discouraged.
Genre clichés and visual glitches aside, this is a solid visual novel. It isn't likely to appeal to a wide audience; fans of BlazBlue (and fans of graphic novels or anime in general) will enjoy it, but it's hard to imagine that anyone else will. Still, there's something to be said about making games specifically for the fans, and Xblaze Code: Embryo performs solidly on that front.
Asdivine Hearts doesn't reinvent anything; far from it. But it takes the JRPG formula and balances the combat to perfection.