Cubed3's Reviews
Superbly atmospheric with some truly chilling aspects and moments, The Evil Within: The Assignment further explores the twisted world that Shinji Mikami and the team at Tango Gameworks have crafted and opens the door for more with its upcoming follow-up. This is definitely a great example of Survival Horror done right and, equally, a perfect show of how DLC should be done.
DmC Devil May Cry: Definitive Edition even has a fair amount of content that is impressive and even pretty glitch-free, but when the core game is so poorly thought out, it's best to just skip this altogether. Best to wait for Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition for PS4/Xbox One later in the year.
OlliOlli is a fantastic indie title that fills a great void for anyone with a love of skateboarding titles. It contains a tonne of content and anyone will easily get their money's worth with this 2D runner title. The main major drawback is its extremely frustrating controls - there are dozens of buttons on the One controller, so at least use more than three of them!
The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 constantly runs back and forth between greatness and mediocrity, yet it manages to generally be a fine piece of software. Its most serious flaw is the chore-like style of many of its puzzles, which force players to solve lots of them in return for a measly amount of progress. Luckily, the beautiful graphics, good gameplay, great characters, and well-written and humorous dialogue sequences can severely outshine this problem. While it would be best for newcomers to the genre to try something else, fans of it are advised to not let it pass them by.
Although this version of the game changes very little and only really adds in a bit of Nintendo fan service, the quality of the original still shines though in Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy+. A true example of how the 3D effect can enhance games, with both a compelling narrative and gameplay structure, and plenty of reason to take back to the skies after finishing.
Monster Hunter 4: Ultimate offers the most complete experience in the series to date. Playing it is like coming home after a long holiday to find that someone has sold the house and bought a mansion with the money. Capcom's latest has all the best elements that the series has offered up to this date, mixed in with new and interesting features, proving the development team still has what it takes to make great games. With all that said, though, it is not without some flaws. For newcomers to the series, for instance, a steep learning curve filled with difficulty spikes awaits and while it is better than in previous entries with regards to this, it is something that might very well turn off a lot of new players. It is important to understand that Monster Hunter 4: Ultimate is not a game for everyone - far from it - but for those who it is aimed at, it might very well be one of the best games ever made. If Monster Hunter 4: Ultimate sounds appealing, then welcome aboard! Hundreds (or thousands!) of hours of monster slaying and a big online community await. A newcomer bonus is that all of the 98 monsters, 75 of which are boss battles within, will be entirely new experiences.
Minecraft is still, without a doubt, one of the best games available on the Xbox One, even after the ridiculous number of hours most will have invested into it on every platform under the sun. It contains an unbelievable amount of content and it's only going to get better over time as more features are added. The simplicity of Minecraft: Xbox One Edition's gameplay constantly brings players back for more, and inviting a bunch of friends into the game at any time to help on a creation never gets old as the only limit is the imagination.
Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1's comedic narration isn't perfect, yet it's a nice change from all those RPGs that attempt being "serious" only to end up being generic. The visuals, which consist of extremely cute teenagers, half-naked goddesses, busty ninjas, gothic lolitas, and other anime-inspired stuff, will put off some people, but will please the rest with how good all these look. Finally, underneath this repetitive hunt for levels and crafting materials, lies something very entertaining that has a nice pick-and-play simplicity and fast pace. It's not the best of the genre, it's not for everyone, but it's also a unique and really fun game.
For non-Wii U owners who are unfamiliar with the NES era of games and want to take a step into the foray, this is a good starting point as it serves itself as a taster platter of Nintendo's golden IPs from the 1980s. However, the omission of more than half the games featured from the original two releases could have been sweetened if Nintendo had added to the experience, but it hasn't. Not only that, but some games could have gone a lot further to add more levels considering the vast amount of source material Nintendo has at its disposal. Just six levels from Dr. Mario or eight stages from Kid Icarus is not impressive. To add more mustard to the sugar, the experiences are over all too quickly, especially given that the game's short challenges have actually dumbed the difficulty down, which is saying a lot given the context of a game like Kid Icarus. Nintendo would have been better off renaming this 'The Best of NES Remix 1&2' - admittedly not the catchiest title but it is not misleading unlike the actual name of Ultimate NES Remix. It is almost surprising that it's not called 'NEW NES Remix.' Ultimately, with the lack of value in this full priced release, nobody could ever deem this the 'Ultimate' version of NES Remix.
For the most part, Citizens of Earth is a curiously addictive romp, with the ability to elicit the occasional chuckle. However, it would be remiss not to slap a 'Buyer Beware' warning on it, due to its many issues, which is a real shame, as when it decides to work, it's a fun little time sink.
Do not get this score wrong, Frenchy Bird is one of the worst games out there. It has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. It seems to have passed the developer's head, by a distance that has to be measured in light years to get a graspable number, that Flappy Bird was by no means made to be taken as a serious game. However, without that comedic aspect, Frenchy Bird just becomes a fool, and the worst thing with the fool is that it is painfully obvious to everyone but themselves that they are indeed a fool. However, those stamps make it impossible to simply give the game a score of one. Frenchy Bird could, however, become so much better if a patch was added that introduced a cheat code to just unlock the stamps from the off, making it into a way more tempting €1.99 four stamps pack.
The Order: 1886 has moments where it really shines and lives up to the potential shown in early previews of the game, but, sadly, the end product feels like it was rushed out before being finished. The story is full of unanswered questions, and there really is no replay value. Despite all its flaws, there is a story worth experiencing, and some great moments. Hopefully the studio gets a second chance, expanding the franchise and rights these wrongs, along with further developing the world in a sequel.
Intentionally uncooperative controls are one of the most difficult ways to engage a player, but Young Horses has pulled it off twice in a row as of Octodad: Dadliest Catch. Aside from a handful of gameplay missteps (heh), the game is sublime slapstick that never stops being funny.
There are a number of choices made that the consequence of which the player will be dying to see, which is bound to make the next two months pass awfully slowly until episode three hits, especially with the "Next Time" trailer at the end of this episode teasing. Bring on Episode Three!
When arguing in the almost defunct 'Are videogames an art form?' debates, Majora's Mask is amongst a handful of other titles that can act as a defence 'for' games as it clearly states and displays the most compelling reasons as to what videogames are capable of when developers are free to experiment and toy with ideas. Based on an almost perfect blueprint, Majora's Mask dared to be different at a time when it probably didn't need to and delivered a game so peculiar that it still stands out fifteen years after its initial release. Its ability to stir up such an array of emotions, whilst not shying away from a solid game structure, is something rarely seen in games, and the way it allows the gamer to dictate and influence each individual's destiny is a marvel to behold. To say that The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D is the stand out best game in the Zelda series is, indeed, a daring - and inaccurate - verdict, given the calibre of the series. However, there can be no doubting that this is the most alluring and positively tortuous game within the series, and for that reason alone, it is worth everyone's time.
Crazy. Unique. Fun. Addictive. Although Saints Row IV: Re-Elected is not much of an upgrade of the original, a low price point, tied together with all of the DLC bundled, makes this is well worth a purchase for both those that finished the original version on the previous generation of consoles, as well as those that missed out and are intrigued to find out what all the fuss is about.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 does things by halves; it is simply not polished enough, nor good enough. Konami needs to go back to basics, stop adding things to the game, and perfect the very foundation of it because, at the moment, everything seems to be flawed. For every 'Ooh that's awesome' moment, there is another, glaring 'Is that it?' moment. In the grand scheme of things, it is an average package but a decent football game.
As flawed as its gameplay may be, this game will be talked about for years to come, and anyone who can stomach it should try it, if only to join in the discussion.
Life is Strange Episode 1: Chrysalis is a good introduction to the game world and story. There's a clear direction, setting, and tone Dontnod is going for, but splitting the game into episodes means a lot of waiting to see if it can carry it through to the end. There's a lot of potential here, both for success and failure, but at the very least Episode 1 provides a great experience full of exploration and intrigue. The cliff-hanger ending serves the episodic nature well enough, but separating chapters by several weeks could prove to be the game's downfall.
This is a game that is not easily forgotten - its originality and creativeness is unheard of in modern games. Grim Fandango Remastered deserved better than this.