Cubed3's Reviews
The Town of Light is depressing, and not just for the intended reasons. It's painful to see a project with such noble intentions squandered by such a profound misunderstanding of how to effectively utilise them. It is very possible to create an artistic work that deliberately avoids being fun while still keeping its audience engaged. This game gets as far as the first step and then just gives up…
Cities: Skylines - Snowfall adds some features that make sense and look nice, but for the price, there's just not much content here. The graphical updates are beautiful, but the content is severely lacking—those loading an existing file are likely to just dump all of their money into new pipes, while players starting anew can just build hot water pipes from the gate and might not know anything was even added. The changes make sense (excluding locking weather to certain maps) and they work well enough, but are so slight as to be almost offensive for their price tag.
Action Henk is definitely worth looking into for those who miss the long gone days and blistering speeds of, well, certain other platforming giants. While perhaps not quite as polished as it could be, with its definite lack of variety in level design and relatively short length, it's still a solid pick up for fans of those racing-like platformers. There's a lot of character built into the world, with references to other games and long-loved in-jokes. Even if it's not perfect, it's fast, it's fun, and it's a genuinely good time.
Action Henk is a fun little blast that proves to be the very epitome of 'just one more go' and possesses qualities that should appeal to fans of the Xbox classic Doritos Crash Course, Sonic the Hedgehog, and not forgetting, of course, the Trials series. The constant need to improve ensures regular returns in the short term, although the lack of the online multiplayer and level editor included in the PC version will no doubt impact on its longevity.
The biggest problem for Return to PopoloCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale rests in the fact that it tries to be two things, but is only going halfway with both, something that creates an experience that will leave most people longing for more. It is a problematic thing as that means many are just likely to start up their favourite Harvest Moon game instead of this if they want a farming simulator, and just about any of the hundreds of other JRPG titles if that is what they desire to play. The creation of Marvelous is by no means bad, just unfocused.
Although Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness was really the definitive version of the original game, Disgaea PC still holds up very well, particularly in a genre that isn't overflowing with competition. The graphics have aged reasonably well, and the improvements to the maps look great, even if they do make the character models look a bit flat and dull in comparison. Expecting players to rely on muscle memory for the controls is an issue, but these minor gripes aren't problems for long.
Yasai Ninja is an undercooked mess of a dish, with ideas that weren't implemented well. The entire game seemed to be against the player, from the colour palette and fighting style, right down to the annoying camera and silly AI partner. Nothing seemed to work as it should, and even the characters played as if they were being held down by weights, resulting in their sluggishness. The response time between the button press, and the resulting action was atrocious, and the story was so generic that there was no motivation to continue playing just to see how it would pan out. This title had gotten one thing right, however: the onion will make the tears pour, but for all the wrong reasons.
Gravity Rush may have been the must-play game on PS Vita but, in coming to PS4 it is now one of the top titles on that system, as well. Each platform has its selection of games everyone needs to experience, and Gravity Rush Remastered is one of those. It doesn't last too long, but from start to finish this is a joyous romp, featuring a charming set of characters in a fascinating world, with fluid, mesmerising gravity-based gameplay that controls that much better on PS4. Packed-in DLC content and fun side missions with online leader boards add to the already excellent value, so make no mistake in picking this one up and preparing for Gravity Rush 2.
After the undead Exo-based antics of Advanced Warfare, and the more recent Cthulhu-inspired 'Shadows of Evil', it feels like the zombies mode has gone back to its Nazi roots with 'Der Eisendrache'. This, combined with the four new multiplayer maps, ensure that Awakening is a solid first entry to Treyarch's planned content that should keep the armchair warriors busy until the next scheduled drop.
As a game, Tales of Symphonia is still the shining gem it once was… in regards to story, that is. The story that was so strong, the characters that became so beloved, and so much more, are all present and correct. However, as an update, this feels like it was lazily done, with only a small amount of effort put in.
King's Quest: Chapter 2 - Rubble Without a Cause presents a new environment, one that is attractive, if a little small, along with the same challenges as before, the same lovely graphics, strong morals, and goofy characteristics, along with a voice cast that is very talented, bringing a lot to the table. There have been some much needed improvements brought in for this chapter, thankfully, which bodes well for the next episode, although more emphasis could be put on actual decisions made throughout the adventure.
Strawberry Vinegar might not be as emotive as the previous creations of Ebi-Hime, but it's entertaining nonetheless. The things that it does well? It's cheerful, well-written, oh so sweet and cute, has some heart-warming scenes, and is full of pictures of food that look so tasty that's it's hard not to experience a bit of stomach rumbling after a couple of minutes. The things that it lacks? Being the harmless easy-going tale that it is, it won't exactly shake the foundations of the genre. It's good… and that's just about it.
Imagine a novel that's little bit funny, a little bit romantic, and that takes an unexpected, yet great dramatic turn. The character cast is interesting, despite being nothing special, the accompanying artwork is pretty but generic, and story is pleasantly short, but it will be hard reading through it more than once, for the simple reason that the writing is subpar. That's the problem with No One But You; it's not "painful" to read, but it's a mundane experience nonetheless.
Mitsurugi Kamui Hikae had the potential to be a solid hack and slash title, but such potential has been squandered. What sours this game is that outside of combat, everything else, from the repetitive mission structure to the average visuals, feels lazy. If more time and effort had been put in, this could have been good but, instead, the experience completely falls down.
Level 22: Gary's Misadventures is a lot of different extremes, if the good to bad spectrum is a tangible thing. With a controller, all of the movement issues are completed resolved. The art work is absolutely stunning, even for a retro-styled title, and the music is impressive, yet wears thin after a while. As it stands, Level 22 is almost a casual game trying to be more. While the stealth components are inventive, there's just not enough to save the whole experience from being too cumbersome to be enjoyable through the whole of the experience.
Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition is an enhanced version of what was already a monumental RPG. With this release on home consoles, everybody now has the chance to enjoy what is one of the generation's best games. It does so many things that other RPGs do not, allowing more freedom to explore, fight, and build a character on the player's terms. The story here is neither revolutionary nor the best one seen in this genre. However, it is what is around the story that makes it such a compelling experience. An incredibly interesting battle system, great dialogue and general narrative development launch the title into the top tier. The fully voiced characters are the cherry on the cake. This is a AAA-level experience with a 60 hour adventure created using indie money, and that is one of the biggest compliments you can give to a developer and a game.
Hitman GO: Definitive Edition is a nice little detour away from the open-world stealth-based contract killings that the main games in the franchise have been known for. Instead, playing as a miniature Agent 47 on a chessboard-like setting in a turn-based game is an addicting process, where many hours can easily be lost trying to figure out the walking patterns of the Agent's next target. Its simple gameplay makes it easy for newcomers to jump in and play. With seven campaigns consisting of roughly 15 levels each, there is a lot of fun to be had in this minor deviation from the Hitman franchise - hopefully one that will be revisited in the future.
The Following should appeal to anybody who enjoyed holidaying in Harran during the original outbreak, and provides the perfect excuse to electrify a meat cleaver and slice up a few more shambling corpses for old time's sake. Those yet to witness the thrill of evading a pack of hungry virals by shinning up onto the nearest flat roof can pick up the Dying Light: Enhanced Edition which besides including both the full game and The Following expansion also includes a further two DLC packs of co-op zombie-slaying fun.
Players will be caught up in the wonders of Train Valley as quickly as they learn how to work its mechanics and lay tracks like a rail tycoon, all thanks to its accessible nature and engaging gameplay. The experience gets more challenging over the course of the 24 levels, yet the optional objectives and sandbox mode mean that it caters to a range of skills, so any budding train managers can play without fear of being overwhelmed or bored. The low price of £6.99 means that there is fantastic value of money for pretty much anyone who picks it up as it is easy to quickly get hooked on making the most lucrative and efficient rail networks possible to finish not only all 24 levels, but also all of the optional objectives. Anyone who remains to be convinced should try the free demo on Steam - it is highly likely that it will soon be followed by a purchase of the full version.
Anyone who has truly experienced the Great Wide Open will surely appreciate this gem of a survival-themed video game that independent developer The Molasses Flood has created; a gem that provides a world that is as immersive and beautiful as it is dangerous, and that gives new meaning to the term 'Survival of the Fittest.' It should be noted, however, that, as fun as sailing, scavenging, hunting (or running), and crafting is, The Flame in the Flood should be enjoyed as a whole because, while as a game it is flawed, as an experience, it is simply magnificent.