Cubed3's Reviews
République Episode 4: God's Acre may not quite hits the highest of highs set in Episode 2: Metamorphosis, but it does attempt to freshen up the core concept, as well as bring in some more puzzle elements, as well as heap on plenty of extra layers for those already engrossed in the story. Ditching the multiple guards approach for one where there is just a solitary big monster with lots of surrounding noise hazards was a risky move, but it has been pulled off very well indeed.
Tales of Zestiria, despite its pointless attempt to reinvent the wheel, holds its own very well and is a solid and enjoyable RPG. Some longtime fans may end up being disappointed due to the attempt to fix what wasn't broken, but it all ultimately fits together and works well enough. This might not be the King Arthur of the Tales series, but it's still at least present at the Round Table.
The harsh reality is that Nobunaga's Ambition: Sphere of Influence rewards patience, but quite a lot of patience is required in order to make the most of what is a difficult game to recommend to others.
Tennis in the Face isn't an original idea, but that's not always a bad thing. It slowly becomes a matter of repeating the same basic tasks over and over, and largely similar room layouts, leading to a depressingly low amount of replayability. However, it's hardly going to stand out as a bad game, sometimes working very well, but often feeling like it's just short of working. It chooses to take a proven concept and make it work differently, and it ends up being both fun and frustrating pretty much simultaneously.
Halo 5: Guardians tries to be similar to a lot of popular features that other shooter games have, while managing to maintain its own franchise identity. The removal of load-outs, but, at the same time, adding the ability to aim down sights, is a very noticeable example. Farming Requisition Points is exciting, since pack loot is extremely varied, and in many cases, players will always have different unlocks thanks to this. The campaign is certainly not the strong point, but the multiplayer is another solid experience for FPS fans to play and enjoy until the next shooter or Halo game is available.
This is, regardless of medium, one of the finest time travel stories to have been told, and a superb example of a true artist plying their craft. The other titles in the Science Adventure series have all been great and worth experiencing, but Steins;Gate sets itself completely apart as something truly special. Not only is it a requirement for any visual novel fan, but it is also an ideal title to introduce potential new players to the genre.
BlazeRush is a solid, top-down fast-paced car combat racing title that succeeds in delivering an accessible and fun thrill ride to its audience. The only shortcoming is the lack of a substantial player base - an unfortunately self-replicating predicament. With versions on PlayStation 3 and PC, it may be that the PlayStation 4 version is simply the lesser experience. Then again, there is always the local multiplayer. Now, to make at least three real life friends… Hmm.
It's very short. Even getting all the main endings can be done in under 20 hours, but aside from that, Undertale is a tour de force to be reckoned with. It's filled with heart, humour, and raw emotion, while never forgetting that it's a game. Its gameplay is just as strong as its stellar writing. Undertale is a crowning achievement in RPGs and games in general.
Although in some regards a missed opportunity to celebrate the series with new content, Gunman Clive HD Collection is well worth its minuscule asking price, bringing together not only one, but two already classic-status titles from the portable world into one tasty -and delightfully gorgeous HD - package on Wii U eShop. It's one of the best 2D platformers currently on the market and a fantastic example of an indie hit.
For some, football is just a silly game where 22 men are chasing a ball, while for others it is the Queen of Sports. The same thing applies to motorcycle speedway, which may not be as popular as motocross, supercross, or superbike racing, but it's the most sensational pastime for its fans - apart from the umbrella girls, of course. In other words, those not really in the sport might find FIM Speedway Grand Prix 15 boring, forgettable, and even irritating due to its high level of challenge and attention to protocol. The real problem, though, is that, while it's a fine piece of software that will surely entertain speedway "connoisseurs" with its adrenaline-pumping heats and capturing of the stadium's mood, it is way too light on content to be considered something more than a great weekend rental.
Frustratingly, the first 10-15 minutes of Minecraft: Story Mode - Episode 1: The Order of the Stone is extremely dull. It's trying to set the scene but just very little happens to the point of it almost being completely off-putting. It then goes from 0-100 in the space of roughly five minutes, and from that moment onwards, the player will be hooked and craving more. Bring on Episode 2!
For everything that Poncho is, it still remains stagnant. The interesting idea of an apocalyptic scenario not filled with zombies is met with great artwork. However, it soon gets humbled, and the gameplay that follows is somewhat painful to play. Understanding the mechanic of swapping between layers is simple enough, but understanding how the world works around it is arduous, and at the end of it all, leaves a bad taste in the gamer's mouth.
The blame should definitely not go to Night Dive Studios. It has, once again, done what it is best at, which is publishing various greats from the past, and with as little alteration as possible. The thing is, though, that Turok: Dinosaur Hunter was never exactly one of those "greats," something that is far more obvious after all these years. Of course, when it comes to personal taste, everything is subjective, right? That's correct, but there's a second problem with this version, even for those who loved the Acclaim's original release, and that is its current £13.39 price tag, which should be forbidden for such an old product, enhanced or not.
Satellite Reign had a lot of promise of a cool world, tactical combat, and RPG elements, to potentially make an immersive experience. However, the vast options and choices are overwhelming without an arcing narrative to guide anyone willing to experience it, therefore, all that is left is a world that looks pretty impressive, and with and elements of the game that are fun, but in the end it all feels somewhat lifeless.
Adventure Time: Finn and Jake Investigations is a game that takes the bad with the good, and mixes it all into a big sloppy mess. An obviously good choice for parents whose children love Adventure Time, or potentially even adults with the same affinity, assuming the occasional poorly designed puzzle system can be looked past. It's a dumb, fun game for people that like dumb, fun stuff.
Yo-kai Watch is definitely an all-ages RPG. Everything from the dialogue to the battle system feels very light-hearted, and that's definitely not a bad thing. With a huge amount of media related to it out there, being accessible to anyone who might want to play through it is a major strength. Despite its kid-friendly appearance, there's a lot to like here, either for fans of the animated series, or just for someone looking to pick up a low-stress RPG. With hugely appealing characters and highly addictive gameplay, Yo-kai Watch has really set itself up for long-lasting success as a franchise.
Curses 'N Chaos will appeal only to a very small niche market. Enjoying it requires an intact nostalgia bubble and a friend to play with, and even then, there are better options out there. Tribute Games have admirably captured the immediacy and charm of retro gaming, but they've also revived its unfair and ill-conceived design techniques, many of which died out for good reason.
Besides being true to the hard lives of cosplayers in between conventions, there are not many redeemable qualities in Cosplay Maker. It succeeds perfectly with capturing all the boring aspects of the hobby, while - and almost as if it was on purpose - missing every single enjoyable and rewarding aspect of it. When most of the game is made up of "loading screens" that can't be skipped, something is seriously wrong; furthermore, every single aspect of the game that might have been enjoyable is compromised or removed completely from the game. What would have been fun in a title like this would be the option to actually design something or posing on a stage acting out the character. Instead, what is given to the player is a bunch of horribly scripted and shallow cosplay friends. Cubed3 recommends staying away from this title, unless there is a genuine interest in what the boring everyday life of a cosplay maker looks like when not on conventions.
The different gameplay elements that comprise Tomb Raider are very well done, and they are a lot of fun. During the TPS parts, Tomb Raider is competent. During the survival horror parts, Tomb Raider is competent. During the survival crafting parts, Tomb Raider is competent. This doesn't leave the whole package as competent, though. Even if someone used the best noodles possible, the best chocolate syrup, a lavish Lamborghini steering wheel, and a $900 pair of shoes, a lasagne made out of these ingredients wouldn't be very good—even if all the different parts are high quality. Tomb Raider needed someone to stand up and tell the marketing department that disparate gameplay elements weren't going to be shoehorned in simply to increase sales by 0.025%. Lara Croft does a wonderful job of redeeming Tomb Raider, and is the only reason it's playable, but it's only marginally more fleshed out than the myriad of mini-game collections found for the Kinect and Move.
Even though the difficulty is extremely high, Super Meat Boy is worth the perseverance and dedication that it takes to become skilled. Completing a stage or collecting a bandage after dozens of attempts is tremendously rewarding. It is easily one of the best platformers to come out in recent years, and the effort and care of Team Meat shows in the final product; it's fantastic. Not very many games can nail that line, but Super Meat Boy is the magnum opus of "easy to learn, difficult to master."