Cubed3's Reviews
Fans of interactive story experiences, or just horror in general, would be wise to give this a shot. Supermassive Games has done a great job and hopefully they will have the chance to experiment more with titles of this ilk in the future.
Runbow is simply a pleasant and enjoyable game. Between the colourful and pleasing levels, good balance in difficulty, and solid multiplayer, it's a joy to play, and is outright beautiful in its simplicity.
For the price, Rocket League is a no-brainer. Some of the best fun of the year comes in the form of a radio-controlled car soccer mash-up, springing to life in local multiplayer, but with online options crammed in for good measure. It earns its place as a great little Easter egg arcade title for the PlayStation 4, and should go on to see many years of action.
The team over at Cococucumber should rest easily knowing they made something so vibrant and full of life. While it hits more than a few bumps towards its finale, Planet of the Eyes comes through the finish line as an excellent experience worth having. Almost like a short poem or brief jazz piece, it's an excellent way to spend an afternoon, feeling immersed in an experience that's truly one of a kind.
Don't Starve: Giant Edition looks great due to its gothic art style, and plays wonderfully, too, thanks to the easy-to-learn mechanics. Even if the interface is not best suited for a console controller, the core game is very solid, and though it can be a long grind, there is a sense of satisfaction to be had when a rhythm is struck.
Ultimately, anyone looking for a great RTS should look no further than this.
It's a great time to be an anime and manga fan... and a gamer, with Bandai Namco bringing some great licensed releases to the West, at long last. Although disappointing to see some major characters being absent, this is by far the best One Piece game out there. Tecmo Koei will be taking time off the series after this release so sadly it may be some time before we get Pirate Warriors 4 but at least it will give the source material time to introduce more characters and tell more stories.
For all its drawbacks in terms of relying on the gamer to actually put in the effort to enjoy the experience, Super Mario Maker is a fresh approach to the old 'RPG Maker' mould, taking the key elements that any 'build-a-game' title requires and then making sure that there are sufficient in-built goodies to give those less inclined to while away the hours making new content a sense of value for money. Additionally, the online element for stage sharing, as well as potential for new extras to be unlocked via DLC, ensure that Nintendo's anniversary project will certainly not be resigned to a fate of 'dust collector' or 'drinks coaster' anytime soon.
Although there are points where the grind becomes dull and seems to be quite endless, the highpoints of the combat, the great fan-service-filled story, and the amount of content, paired with the new translation and low price point make this a worthy purchase for any fan of SWORD ART ONLINE. Following on from Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment, the next release on the calendar to watch out for is the next Sword Art title, Lost Song. For now, though, keeping on enjoying this treat.
Submerged turned out pretty horrible, and while its concept sounded okay on paper, sadly, the execution is an unbelievable disaster. Ugly, extremely rough, buggy and boring; Submerged should be cast off and is not worth the asking price at all. Anyone who might be interested in a, atmospheric exploration game should just play the HD collection of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, or get Journey.
Dead in Bermuda is a game about solid characters that doesn't have any character of its own. It's an uninspired title with a warped sense of progression, most notable for the inevitably divisive conclusion waiting for users who stick with it for 15 hours. That probably won't be a very large percentage, because this is, at best, mildly fulfilling in the same way a run-of-the-mill MMO can be: because humans are instinctively fascinated by rising meters and numbers. Anyone who wants some engaging gameplay with their numerical Skinner box would be better served elsewhere.
With the imminent release of Black Ops III, there's never been a better time to pick this up, as frugal gamers that might have previously been on the fence about pulling the trigger can now pick this up for a bargain price.
The first entry on PlayStation 4, and the largest in the series yet, BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend may not warrant purchasing for anyone that picked up the original edition last year, but it is easily the go-to 2D anime fighter on home consoles right now, packed with fan service and enough crazy Japanese over-the-top plot to keep entertainment going for weeks outside of all of the challenges and network play on offer.
Only the diehard survival horror fans who missed this on Wii U would find enjoyment out of Zombi, and most other people will probably be appalled by the lackluster and shoddy conversion that Ubisoft dumped on digital marketplaces.
In spite of the older design choices holding back this game, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is one of the best remasters around.
Quite frequently in the industry, certain elements turn out to be far more important than all other ones combined. In the case of Nova-111, that certain aspect that more weight should definitely be given to is the level design, which is, unfortunately, downright disappointing for what is, otherwise, a fine piece of software, and that because it doesn't let the innovative turn-based-meets-real-time gameplay really shine.
Colonial Conquest is a fair attempt at making an approachable strategy game. It does tend to play mostly like a game of fast paced Risk, which, for certain types of people, will be a very fun experience indeed. What cannot be disputed is that it is possible to play very quick rounds, and this makes it an ideal title for when friends get round and are looking for some strategy action that does not require a dedication of many hours from some other titles. With that kind of mind-set, and especially the very reasonable price, it ticks all the boxes. However, the overriding impression is just one of too much simplicity, from diplomacy to the battle system, as well as the economy. It is no surprise a portable tablet version of the title is being considered, as it feels like a natural fit for those platforms, especially with the neat and tidy user interface. On PC, though, it lacks a compelling reason to keep playing beyond a few hours, especially as a single-player experience.
The Fall is the poster child for indie game development, and the start of what is sure to be an interesting trilogy. Over The Moon has successfully merged two genres and exceeded all expectations; all this from a Kickstarter campaign that raised 40,000 Canadian dollars. Yes, that's right; there is not a zero missing. Wii U owners hungry for Metroid Prime's atmosphere or Monkey Island's puzzle solving really can't go wrong with this one.
The Swindle is superb: a truly original entry to stand beside Spelunky and a great opportunity to test the player's ability not to snap their controller in half. The stealth combat is an interesting new take on the rogue-like genre, the gadgets and abilities are fun and interesting to experiment with, and - most importantly - there is a quality to the game that makes the player want to come back to play again and again. A trait system and an infinite mode would simply serve to make an already fantastic game even better.
Despite being let down by the unresponsive controls, Abyss Odyssey: Extended Dream Edition remains an oddly compelling experience brimming with a lot of interesting ideas. It's a real shame that ACE Team didn't use this definitive version as an opportunity to fix the numerous issues that plagued the last-gen iterations.