Cubed3's Reviews
While it's admirable that Capcom tried to make the game appealing to the largest possible audience, it was unnecessary. Games should be made not to generate the most income, but to be as unique. The similarity of Chris Redfield's campaign to Modern Warfare and the like is inexcusable; we need a Resident Evil game, not a "third-person shooter, only this time with rocket launcher-wielding zombies." More importantly, Resident Evil 6 fails to deliver something skill-demanding, and is mainly frustrating and mediocre in most respects. The Resident Evil series: revived, surviving, or killed? Surviving, but pleading for death and reincarnation.
It would be easy to call Dear RED - Extended another case of "interesting concept, terrible execution," but the concept isn't actually as interesting as it thinks it is. With its half-baked themes and inoffensive presentation, it's really just a run-of-the-mill visual novel that happens to be condensed into the space of a lunch break. The fact that the plot is built around such an absurdly illogical surprise is just the biggest nail in a coffin already riddled with them.
Corpse Party will be a fascinating experience... but only for those who'll come for the story, the characters, and the spooky atmosphere, because, as a game, it's somewhat flawed, and even boring at times, since it focuses around "randomly" searching for objects, or going back to certain areas, for no other reason than to set an event in motion in order to move to the next one - and then repeat this a couple of hundred times. Finally, and as a side note, console users have had a far better version on their hands for quite some time now.
If this was released in the 90s, it would be a superb addition to the stack of truly memorable arcade titles. Today, though? Compared to titles like Castle Crashers, it comes up a little short. The design and aesthetics are fantastic, but ultimately, they alone can't carry the title. The repetitive nature of the combat, the low level of difficulty and lack of extra features or unlockables to expand the lifespan make this one just average.
Any Call of Duty: Black Ops III fans looking for a fresh excuse to swear loudly and frequently at their television set should definitely consider picking up a copy of the Eclipse DLC. Four great new maps to feel like an inferior gamer on, while repeatedly getting mown down at the hands of hyperactive kids with cat-like reflexes, not to mention the option of watching co-operative squad mates competently cut a swathe through a sea of the undead while regretting that decision to try and stab the oversized glowing zombie in a rash moment of madness... What's not to like?
Tinertia feels like a mixed bag of experiences. The short sections make everything manageable, but unless you have a controller, expect to get irritated more often than you get surprised. The game is challenging, and even with a controller, the controls could definitely be tightened. It's hard to say stay away, because the game really hinges on this single mechanic. Still, it manages to feel fresh, and perhaps being so different is why it doesn't feel quite right. Getting Tinertia is a paramount decision, and if you can find a demo, definitely see if it's up your alley.
TransOcean 2: Rivals achieves a level of complexity and interest deeper than first glance would give it credit for. There are actually interesting decisions to make and slightly different ways to chase victory. The major problem with is that the pacing cannot be slowed down or paused at all, and against A.I.s that are not particularly intelligent, but able to manage the hundreds of actions the player needs to be doing in a very short period of time, this leads to repeated losses. Most of the depth the game offers is simply lost because the player is forced into narrow paths to maximize their limited capacity to manage actions. There ends up being little 'strategy,' as nothing can be analysed or weighed or decided because strategy very quickly becomes a repetitious 'looks good enough' and victory feels hollow and losses feel random.
Infinity Runner sadly joins the ranks of the heaps of titles out there which had an immense potential with a great concept and great atmosphere. It starts off well but is marred by technical problems. In addition to this, the repetitiveness of the gameplay and environmental elements take away from the overall feeling of excitement over time, which the title would have provided otherwise.
A lot of the issues with Blues and Bullets come down to the pacing, both that of the story, and the gameplay itself. While it manages to execute them both well, it hasn't really grasped the best way to structure itself. There's a lot of information to take in, and piecing the information together along with Elliot doesn't always end up feeling satisfying. Despite its problems, however, it's a truly gripping story, and the style will definitely leave those interested looking for more.
Beautiful setpieces and a great atmosphere don't make up for the same old gameplay. While it doesn't need to reinvent the wheel, Layers of Fear should at least aim to do the same old thing as well as it can. It would seem that "as well as it can" is very much a "means justify the ends" approach, and the ends are stale mechanics done just well enough that they work.
While there's a lot of small improvements all around, the same issues that plagued the first episode are still here, albeit a bit less noticeable. It's an enjoyable experience, but one that isn't quite living up to its potential.
Ares Omega fills the niche appeal of overhead twin-stick shooters, but only in a very passing fashion. Despite the RPG elements of skills and various stats of weapons, these types of games ultimately rise or fall on their controls - of which these disappoint. The control and gun system is overly-complex, unresponsive, and the accuracy is unpredictable. The lack of being able to cleanly get to the business of killing robots only serves to remind the player of the rest of the flaws they overlooked by giving the game a chance.
Unique in more ways than one, Valkyria Chronicles Remastered should not be missed by any strategy fan, although is perhaps geared more towards those less experienced in the genre. The dark themes are contrasted through a slight anime-styled and humorous set of characters and gorgeous visuals that give off a comic book impression. It needs sticking with in order to reach the meat of the plot, because there is a decent story in there, even if a little predictable. An overreliance on luck and a gameplay design that goes against the nature of skilful strategy in order to achieve A ranks lets it down, but it is a title that is worth experiencing for its clever take on the SRPG formula.
Stellaris strikes the rare balance in the 4X space strategy genre of bringing enough new things to the table, while retaining what works from the past. An amazing amount of customisation in skills, traits, and abilities seamlessly flows into the background without ever bogging the game down. The single largest difference from others in the genre is a heavy focus of the early game and "eXploring," as you actually feel like you are leading a brave race into the empty space and the dangers there. All the subtle touches, decisions and excellent GUI make this a rare pleasure to play and an absolute recommendation to fans of the genre.
This is less of a video game and more like a slightly interactive screensaver for the Wii U. There is no strategy needed, no thought required, and no reason to play this. Skip it in favour of more entertaining paint related activities, like repainting an entire house, watching the paint dry, or drinking a gallon of it.
SpeedRunners is the very definition of couch co-op excitement. Getting together 3 other friends and racing around a track, with physics and controls this tight, is thoroughly enjoyable. While the art may be a miss, and some further explanation of the game would definitely help, this is a game that is definitely meant to be explored with other players. Get a group together, and get ready to take off, because SpeedRunners is doing anything but slowing down.
Langrisser Re:Incarnation - Tensei seems decent based on pictures or perhaps a short "on paper" explanation, but it quickly becomes apparent how rushed development must have been. Those who attempt to enjoy it will be stifled at multiple junctions with a slow, non-engaging story, strange-looking characters that can't be cared about, laughably bad graphics, and gameplay so simplistic that people will wonder why they wasted their money. Or, perhaps, will see the multitude of bad reviews, heed them, and save the cash.
In spite of having a quirky premise, Coffin Dodgers doesn't have much else to offer. The racing and vehicular combat work, but the overall product lacks refinement and polish. With unbalanced upgrades, a small selection of modes, with the open world option being a disposable choice, and graphics that are more in lieu with a mobile phone game than a PS4 title, this is a game that had strong potential to be good, but the end result, however, is a game riding with flat tyres and a jittery engine.
Absolutely fantastic! King's Quest Chapter 3 truly capitalises on its world and characters, with a fun and exciting script and the spectacle that was sorely lacking from Chapter 2. The world is vibrant, the characters are ludicrous, and the ending is heart-warming no matter which choices were made. Most of all, the overarching plot is starting to form, building intrigue for Chapters 4 and 5. Bring them on!
WWE 2K16 feels more like an expansion pack than a whole new release, but it's still a great package for anyone looking to experience WWE on the PC. The in-ring action has only really changed in terms of the reversal system, but it still does a good job of recreating the action seen in the real life show. There are still some match types missing from the free play mode, and the flagship Showcase mode, while, while it excellently represents Stone Cold Steve Austin's career, has been disappointingly reduced from five, to two different campaigns. Fans of the show or of the previous game are sure to find something to enjoy, yet it still doesn't have something that will recapture those who have already drifted away from the franchise.