Cubed3's Reviews
Weeping Doll is poorly acted, which clashes with the atmosphere, has 'baby's first puzzles' and is "completed" in less than 30 minutes. A working control scheme that won't cause motion sickness and below average visuals are the only saving graces. The story is told clumsily, mostly through narration, and there is no lose state, so there never is any real tension. No tears will be shed for Weeping Doll.
Hide and Shriek is a surprisingly fun little game. It couples a clever premise with charming ideas and an abundance of possibilities. Attempting to track an invisible opponent, who is just as capable at casting spells and setting traps, can also get really tense. Hearts are liable to race as the time ticks down, and one of the players is a shriek away from winning (or losing). There's a clear gap between professionals and amateurs, though, so it could get annoying for anyone new to the competition. The visibility curse could also stand to be nerfed, if not outright removed. It makes spotting and shrieking just a little too easy. Altogether, this is a game that's simply more enjoyable when played with a friend. Startling a random person halfway across the country is amusing, but scaring a best friend is just plain magical.
Earthlock is a beautiful and exciting RPG, being one of the best this decade. It combines aspects that make a game great, like a very well-written story, a beautifully composed soundtrack, and characters that stand out. However, the gameplay is sort of lacking, with most of it being battles. The game also loses its lustre fairly quickly after starting, as nothing really interesting happens until later.
There are few players out there that will fully appreciate this title, a crossover of two rather niche properties, with little to elevate it over the numerous other instalments in the series. The repetitive nature of the quests and the huge amounts of exposition are very off-putting. Hardcore Hyperdimension fans will already be picking this up, and long-time SEGA fans will find plenty of references to keep them entertained, but the core game leaves a lot to be desired.
Whilst lacking the open world from its predecessor, LEGO Batman 3 still offers plenty of content in the form of collectables and unlockable characters, although those who have little to no interest in the source material should probably steer clear of this and pick up one of the stronger LEGO titles.
Featherpunk Prime is a competently-made shooter, but its main issue is that it's too "safe." The level designs are functional, but bland. The unique and challenging guardian fights require dealing with a mundane collection of regular enemies. There are plenty of weapons, but there isn't much of a reason to use anything beyond the shotgun. The art direction is great, but it's part of a game that's entirely too traditional. In other words, there needed to be more forward thinking ideas and different approaches to basic concepts. It's a risky approach, but it's exactly what the game needed.
Some slack could surely be cut for Batman: The Telltale Series - Episode 3: New World Order if it wasn't the very middle of the whole journey - and, as one, it owed itself to be much better than that. The story is still good, the characters probably even better, and, generally, it's not a bad experience, but it pales in comparison to what most people expected from it. As for the cliffhanger ending, it surely ignites interest about how things will unfold, but that doesn't make this chapter any less mediocre.
Given the inexplicable yet continued absence of Left 4 Dead in this current console cycle, Warhammer: The End Times - Vermintide steps up to fill that festering void with gusto. Granted, it doesn't stray too far from the zombie slaying blueprint laid out by its undead inspiration, but given that it's one of the better co-op experiences currently available, it's easily forgivable. With that said, it would be hard to recommend this to any non-PS Plus/Xbox Live subscribers, as ignoring its online social aspects pretty much flies against its raison d'etre. The thin narrative and occasionally iffy AI of the bots just don't come close to replacing the sheer joy of surviving a vicious onslaught of Skaven with a well co-ordinated bunch of mates (or strangers, for that matter).
Sure, the title is long and the gameplay takes a bit to get used to, but this is a unique smaller experience that could fit into short breaks from the rest of life. Make no mistake, it's not the most inviting game, but it does make you feel like you are part of an exclusive club. An exclusive club that fought the base controls and found a fun little title hiding behind them.
In short, God Eater 2: Rage Burst is a brilliant game for fans of monster hunting. While the post-apocalyptic storyline has a surprising lack of death and suffering, the characters are interesting and decently written. The dealings with adversity are fun, and taking down an exceptionally large and dangerous foe is always satisfying. The PC version's poor online is easily its biggest failing, and experts might scoff at the abuse prone Blood Arts, but there's still a lot of enjoyable qualities. This game perfectly captures the addictive "one more mission" aspect, and for anyone it manages to suck in, free time is guaranteed to become a thing of the past.
As far as the horror genre is concerned, Barrow Hill: The Dark Path is very quaint. It was made by a small team, who didn't have much of a budget to work with, but it's clear that they invested a lot of passion into their game. This adventure doesn't have a lot of hand holding, but the puzzles are mostly sensible, and even consistent with the lore. On the other hand, it's a little too easy to overlook certain clues, wandering in the forest gets dull, and it could have used a little more polish. Most of the serious bugs were ironed out, but there's still the occasional oddity, such as a screwdriver mysteriously appearing in one's inventory. Maybe a witch put it there. Who knows?
This feels like the natural successor to Senran Kagura. The ecchi elements of Valkyrie Drive: Bhikkhuni will be a deal breaker for many, but doesn't mean there isn't a quality game beneath the T&A. The combat is dynamic enough to make for addictive play, the story is decent, and most importantly of all, the fan service is fantastic. There are some problems—repetitive gameplay, long loading times and translation issues being chief amongst them—but they aren't noticeable enough to overly mar the final product.
One of the most surprising gems of the year. Every part of Dragon Quest Builders is a real joy, filled with the sort of addictive gameplay that just seems to make the hours disappear. While the hardcore Minecraft fans may consider this as sacrilege, this feels superior in many ways. The Dragon Quest style, the RPG elements, and the entertaining story, all elevate it over its progenitor. Absolutely superb.
FIFA 17 is still an incremental step up in the series, but considering the bold assertions about what the power of the Frostbite engine would make possible, it is a somewhat underwhelming package overall. While The Journey must be applauded for attempting to offer something genuinely new, it's also not particularly brimming with any new content, either, besides its cut-scenes. With Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 looking very competitive, it's disappointing that this year's FIFA couldn't do more. It rather settles for the top four, instead of illustrating its title credentials. There's always next year, though.
Headlander deftly delivers a smart story via a constant stream of varied, original ideas, to ensure a journey that feels remarkably vibrant and fresh from start to finish. Crammed full of Double Fine's trademark humour, and loaded to the brim with references to classic sci-fi, it pays loving homage to that corny, yet fun, era of film and television, that often gets overlooked in the age of the green screen and digital effect.
Fans of CiNG's previous works - such as the Another Code games and the duo of Hotel Dusk / Last Window - will be impressed by the tale told, as well as the audio and visuals found in Chase: Cold Case Investigations, even if only for the short time it lasts. The low price barrier for this Nintendo 3DS eShop release is high incentive for impulse purchasing, though, yet few outside of text adventure enthusiasts will find true value for money in this one.
Mario Party: Star Rush is a fresh take on the series, with new mechanics that keep things quick and unpredictable. The level designs are perhaps a little bland compared to the older titles, but the mini-games, boss battles and additional challenges bring together an enjoyable little package that can quite easily be played solo, with solid multiplayer and an eShop download option for those with a single copy of the game.
The world of Diaries of a Spaceport Janitor has a unique magic to it. Its alien world feels strangely familiar, and the mundane, everyday experiences of the cute, pixelated protagonist, will surely strike a chord with anyone who had suffered an even remotely similar fate. The problem? We get enough mundane in real life, and, unfortunately, this title has very little to offer besides that.
Mortal Kombat X remains a slightly inferior fighter compared to other titles, but mostly when it comes to depth, because, while very "old-school" and bare-bones, it's a very enjoyable experience, nevertheless. As for the XL upgrade it got, while not a game-changer, it fixes the many problems of the original, adds all downloadable content, and makes it a worthy purchase, even for those who were setting on the fence about it.
Tempest is enjoyable… for what it's worth. There are some issues that just feel like weird game design, but even though it's not perfect, it's still really exciting to manage every facet of your war vessel. It makes it feel like every victory was truly yours. It is clearly a war machine with some blemishes, but she's mighty fun to pilot.