Cubed3's Reviews
Like its predecessor, Rise of the Tomb Raider is fun, but many of the flaws have been ironed out. A few new shortcomings were introduced, but not nearly enough to really hinder the gameplay experience. There's certainly plenty to like, and not a whole lot to dislike, but having Lara pushed to the back after such a strong performance in the initial title may leave players feeling underwhelmed and dissatisfied. It's definitely worth picking up… once it's part of a Complete Edition at a reasonable price and with all the content.
When it was announced that the next Marvel game was to be based on the MCU, it seemed unlikely it could live up to LEGO Marvel Super Heroes and yet the team has managed to take each aspect of the previous entry and make improvements. This is easily the best LEGO title released so far, and also easily the best Marvel game produced, full stop. It epitomises an element of games that many seem to have forgotten recently: fun. The upcoming Season Pass also brings with it a significant amount of content for a surprisingly low price - a mere £8 for five packs that add new levels and an extra 40 characters.
While Final Fantasy Explorers isn't exactly a first, either for the series or RPGs, it's still an enjoyable game that can be experienced either alone or with friends. Some of the controls do hold it back, and there definitely could have been a bit more effort put into the storyline, but there are some very interesting and deep mechanics to experience here. Despite being a bit of a grind later on, it's definitely worthwhile when that perfect skill combination is found, or a flawless set of gear is crafted. Whether alone or with friends, Explorers is a worthy investment for those looking to scratch that RPG itch.
While the characters interact in amusing and interesting ways, they are one-dimensional. The few new shallow storylines hardly justify a repurchase. Buy this if the previous game was missed, or if there's a need for a cheap PS4 Musou release.
Despite a beginning that focuses a bit too much on archetypes, so that it can deconstruct them later and far too much fluff, CLANNAD pulls its act together rather quickly to present a beautifully written story about family and optimism within change. This visual novel is a big investment, but its status as a potentially life changing one makes it more than a worthwhile read.
It showcases classic gameplay in its purest form, demanding a level of skill and timing not present in many games recently. Defeat never feels unfair; if anything, it encourages the player to pick the controller back up and improve. The music is a joy, and the canvas the art is weaved through is testament to a team who have created a highly addictive and polished game.
Mushroom 11 manages to be fun, despite its few shortcomings. While there are parts that may prevent a second playthrough due to a frustrating amount of trial-and-error, it still manages to be enjoyable most of the time it's on. At the end of the day, its interesting concept and relatively good execution carry it beyond its shortcomings, and make it one of the best puzzle-platformers to come out of the indie scene.
This War of Mine: The Little Ones is not a happy game, or even a particularly enjoyable one. It's a painful, gruelling experience that really illustrates the horrors, choices, and atrocities present in war. It's not "fun" by any standard that is usually associated with playing a game. What 11 Bit Studios has done here, is create a masterful experience that lets players share, in a very small way, what it is like to live in a country torn apart by war. While it might be hard to think of This War of Mine in the same sense people think of other titles based on the subject of war, it might just paint the most vivid, terrible picture about what conflict does to those embroiled within it. It's a painful experience, but it's one that is ultimately worth having.
Unlike a number of remastered games that somehow tend to fall way off the mark, Bluepoint Games has crafted the optimum versions of each of the three titles in The Nathan Drake Collection, with Drake's Fortune, in particular, benefitting greatly from the work that has been put in in terms of visuals and gameplay. This is hardly a quick and dirty cash-grab; it is evidently a package that has seen a talented studio put effort into delivering the ultimate Uncharted trilogy experience, and the results are there for all to see, especially when going back to compare to the PS3 versions. There has been no better time to join Drake on his past expeditions and to prepare for his final adventure in A Thief's End.
King's Quest: Chapter 2 - Rubble Without a Cause is ultimately a good experience, but for a game with only two chapters so far, the drop in length is a concern. The writing is still good when dialogue sequences take place, and the humour is excellent for the most part, although the length and atmosphere really bring this chapter down.
The wonderful irony of The Magic Circle is that despite the extreme cynicism that informed its creation, it's actually representative of many of the positive aspects of modern gaming. Its biting humour and brilliant premise place it as part of a vanguard of indie titles keeping videogames more alive and engaging than ever, beneath the AAA mire. It's a very human product and, as such, makes some very human mistakes (most notably dreaming up amazing gameplay systems that vastly outstrip its own scope), but that's an acceptable price to pay for a work of genuine creative vision.
There's no denying that style is an integral part of videogames. The thing is, though, that when 'looking good' becomes the main focus, and throws substance out of the window in the process, things tend to start leaning towards the disappointing side of the scale; and that's the problem with The Deadly Tower of Monsters. While far - very far in fact - from being a terrible piece of software, without the B-Movie aesthetics and the funny narration from the Director and his unfortunate audio technician - which it nails - this is just an action game, and an average one at that.
A stumbling point for many reviewers is that headache-inducing moment when it's hard to decide whether a remastered title should be judged solely on its improvements, or rather on its actual value as a game, upgraded or not. The best course of action is, quite possibly, to do a little bit of both, but mostly focus on the core material, instead of the enhanced "wrapping." Therefore, going back to the previously asked question: is this title worth returning to? For those who loved the original GameCube version, Cubed3's three-step advice is simple: open wallet, give money, and scream for joy, because, although Resident Evil 0 is almost identical to the original, the HD makeover is marvellous. As for the rest: tread carefully, because the heavily chore-ish gameplay overshadows its few good aspects.
Mayan Death Robots is essentially the Smash Bros of ballistic missile games. Almost certainly best played in multiplayer, it's for anyone that loves thinking from moment to moment, and for the results of their actions to immediately fill the screen with unpredictable chaos. The game's single-screen, single-unit nature is what keeps this action fast paced and fluid. However, it also results in a game lacking both the longer term planning as well as the variety offered by the Worms series. Depending on what the player is looking for, this loss may be acceptable.
Documentaries aren't known for being the most exciting experiences in the world, and, therefore, it should come as no surprise that a documentary-esque "game" is only mildly engaging. That being said, compared to the mental illness emulation of Depression Quest, or the political surrealism of The Cat and the Coup, Never Alone is a highly accessible version of the form.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is a forgettable and shallow Metal Gear experience, and fans expecting this to be on par with any of the previous mainline releases will be disappointed, and, quite possibly, drop the game altogether before the lacklustre story decides to show up. It looks and plays fantastic, and the freedom to apply weapons and items to effective strategic use is second to none, but after hours of similar, tiring missions, with no incentive to drive forward or even return to once it's all done and dusted, it can't help but be wondered how on earth this turned out the way it did. This is no phantom pain, it's a physical one.
Dreamfall Chapters Book Four: Revelations continues where Book Three: Realms left off, keeping the action flowing quickly to prevent boredom creeping in, and upping the ante in the puzzle stakes. Locations change regularly, the mix of conundrum types is more varied than before, and the dialogue feels fresher than it ever did, with witty banter causing raucous laugh-out-loud moments, adjusting the tone appropriately to avoid the seriousness of some of the subject matter from becoming too sombre in the long run. There is talk of the 'Balance' throughout the game's story… Well, Red Thread Games has certainly achieved the perfect balance with this fourth book.
FullBlast is hard to fault entirely in one particular of its many aspects. It doesn't do much wrong: it controls well, the music is nice enough, the visuals, while not impressive, do look clean. It gets the action going, yet it fails to capture the attention because it's too repetitive and not engaging enough. It's neither good nor bad, it just feels dull. Nothing outstanding distinguishes one level from the next, and the lack of anything truly surprising or groundbreaking means that it feels more like work than entertainment to get through all the levels and see the ending. Online leaderboards, while they are a good addition (and are seriously lacking in the brilliant re-releases of old classics on Nintendo platforms), won't be its saving grace. The boring repetitiveness of the action, music, and scenery is likely to put off the most purist of fans, who will likely prefer to whip out an old classic rather than sticking around for too long in this newer title. Lack of content, replayability, and engaging factors hold back what could have otherwise been a much better home console experience, and proves that copy-pasting a mobile game onto a home console is not a good idea.
There are many upsides to Prison Architect. From its smooth and easy controls, strong gameplay, and the chance for anyone to test how they would react when placed at a position of power. Of course, the game is not without its downsides either, such as the way it can end up fairly monotone once the game is mastered, but, as a whole, it's very worthwhile.
Those who are interested in Sakura Swim Club will likely know already what it is and have their minds decently made up about if it should be purchased or not. As a visual novel it's flat and basic, but it does manage to avoid being frustrating and isn't really 'harmful' in any way for its audience. People not interested in this "genre" will be just fine skipping it, as it holds no desire to deviate from it.