Cubed3's Reviews
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.
Gunpowder stumbles, but finds its way back with grace. Many of these hiccups are largely forgivable, and amount to minor annoyances. When the ball is served and it's time to begin, it's a title that everyone should try. Innovation is not indicative of a good product, but when pulled off, as Gunpowder clearly has done, it's beyond being a good product. Many gamers forget the personal struggles someone goes through to make a game, putting everything they have into it. Fortunately, for developer Rogue Rocket Games, that paid off splendidly.
PlanetSide 2 is an amazingly good game for its price tag, or rather, the lack of one. The only price to mention is the optional one for buying weapons, mods, and abilities, and they're not overly expensive. Besides, it is fairly easy to get weapons without paying at all; it just takes some work to get that privilege. Anyone who likes online shooters should give this game a try, and should look past the designation of 'F2P game.' Not everything that's free is garbage - in fact, this is a gem.
This is not the remaster Legend of Kay needed nor deserved. Legend of Kay: Anniversary improves on many parts of the game except the one which held it back in the first place, namely the camera. It is a good title plagued with a horrible camera, which, even at the time of its original release, was problematic, and as time has gone on the standards have improved to the degree that it is unacceptable today. Unless able to stand the camera, stay away from Legend of Kay Anniversary. It is a fine game, but not fine enough to excuse the bad camera.
Overall, Ar nosurge Plus: Ode to an Unborn Star is fantastic. There are a lot of things it does better than most others in the genre. The characterization is on a level rarely seen outside visual novels, and the models are extremely pretty. It isn’t without its flaws; the weird difficulty spike right after the first third of the game sabotages the rhythm of progression, and the fact that the final boss is little more than a massive time-consuming wall is very apparent. The careless way Gust has chosen to play with the fourth wall (mainly in the second part of the Cass and Delta section of the story) makes it all too transparent that this story device was used as nothing more than a cover-up to excuse plot holes that were already of the nature that people expect and to a certain degree forgive. When the leaning of the fourth wall is used well, it helps improve the experience, but when it’s not, it damages more than it helps, and hopefully this will serve as a lesson learned.
The best aspect is that it does not hold the player's hand, and does grant a reasonable amount of agency the way a good adventure game does. Night Light had their heart in the right place, even if their intention exceeded their means.
It was quite a feat to top the last episode, but they've done it with Episode Four of Tales from the Borderlands. Quite honestly, this is possibly the best thing Telltale has done. It sets a very high bar for the final episode, and leaves Cubed3 desperately ravenous to get hands on the finale.
Despite any shortcomings it may have, Godzilla is a fantastically fun game for anyone who just wants to play as a radioactive monster causing havoc while fighting off humans and other creatures. The overall presentation is very cinematic and really recreates the feeling that long-time series fans will be looking for, making it well worth a go - but some people may want to wait for a price drop first.
Inside My Radio is an excellent example of taking the basic ideas of a genre, distilling them down to their most enjoyable elements, and executing it almost perfectly. While there are some hiccups, the game is still an instant piece of indie game mythology that anyone would be truly remised to skip over. What Seaven Studio comes up with next is sure to be a treat, because if Inside My Radio is any indication of their skills, they will be a juggernaut among their peers.
The newly-added characters with their unique playstyles make up for the fact that Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition is still carrying the burden of the original rushed development. This is one of the few games where it can be mesmerising to watch a pro play because of how advanced some moves can be, and that are also fun to look at. It can also be a motivator to some who wish to become incredible at the game, and since the skill-ceiling is quite high, it is no surprise that people still post their combos on YouTube. It is impressive to watch and fun to play, with a challenge that will make the devil cry.
Some of the games in here are real solid nines out of tens, and maybe even one of them is a ten out of ten, but they are held back by the otherwise sloppy conversion and that makes Rare Replay somewhat disappointing at times. Performance issues aside, this is probably one of the best game compilations out there and is at an unbeatable price.
There is nothing majorly wrong with F1 2015 but there is nothing that is really going for it either. It is simply 'another F1 racing game,' except this time following the 2015 season. Graphics are good and the cars feel fast, yet it feels very basic in its gameplay.
The comfort food of JRPGs, Alphadia Genesis is worth checking out for some classic genre conventions, but not really much else.
5bp has a very solid and well put together game with Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Overdrive. It is only held back by being repetitive thanks to the lazy game design of the stages and flooding arenas with unmotivated enemies.
At the end of the experience, it's one that wouldn't be worth missing, but getting to that point could be disappointing more than inspiring.