Cubed3's Reviews
Howl's pace is a brisk whirlwind of quick turns and calculated moves. Its imagery is a charming blend of whimsy and violence, dancing across the screen with a playful ferocity. Yet, beneath this surface, a shallowness lurks. The challenge lies not in the depths of its strategy, but in the player's ability to exploit the predictable patterns of its adversaries. These creatures of the wilderness, though fierce in their appearance, are ultimately creatures of habit, their actions dictated by algorithms and predictable responses. Howl isn't a test of tactical prowess, but a puzzle of exploitation. A game of manipulation, where the gamers are mastermind puppeteers in the shadows, orchestrating the movements of their foes to their own ends.
Exploring the mountains of the Scottish highlands and having bizarre encounters are at the heart of A Highland Song, packaging up everything into a cute side scroller with rhythm action and fun dialogue that feels very unique. Not only is the game a love letter to Scotland, it feels like a very personal project full of talented individuals and while the game has occasional slow moments it is overall a lot of fun. If an atmospheric adventure featuring a wee Scottish lassie is on yer cards then this comes highl(and)y recommended.
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II is basically the first Dark Alliance instalment all over again. A super-simple, but at the same time, fun hack 'n' slash ride through a D&D realm. Not exactly a classic, but something that retro fans (and maybe only them) will appreciate. Unless it gets a really good discount, however, there's no point in trying this out, as there are far better alternatives available, both old and new.
Terror of Hemasaurus could not only be the next be the next Rampage, but a much better version of it. This city-demolishing simulator offers exciting and cathartic destruction, plus the welcome introduction of mechanics that Rampage and other likeminded games (all three of them) were missing… but these aren't really enough to help the fun last for more than two or three hours.
At its heart, Super Mario RPG is a hilarious and excellently written 12 to 14 hour RPG experience. Its beautiful music and art style ooze a unique charm that most Mario games can only dream of.
The Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Booster Course Pass is an electric, experimental, and effortlessly fun set of tracks to race on, with plenty of content to keep players busy! Plenty of nods to fan favourites of old and a lot of fresh ideas to invigorate the series going forward. With additional characters, costumes, and quality of life changes, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe becomes one of the best entries in the series to date.
Utilising the vibrant style of previous instalments, Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos accomplishes open world exploration with flair and delight. Natsume has made significant quality of life improvements that truly enhance the positive vibes encompassing life in Anthos. The elements that decrease the overall perfection level matter less once swept up in the whimsical melodrama of the chibi Harvest Goddess, who has a surprise for those who make it to the end credits and continue their farming life past the main story.
A decent Super Smash Bros. clone that clearly improves on the first iteration, but Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is rife with problems on Nintendo Switch. The 30 frames per second gameplay, unbelievable load times, poor presentation, and glitches that force reboots of the game mean this isn't going to be a joyful time unless playing on one of the more powerful systems. Underneath the numerous issues, there is a fun time here, and crossplay will at least help ensure match-ups when battling online, but it is difficult to recommend this version of the game.
For all but the most die-hard of fans, Fashion Dreamer is very much a 'play a bit regularly' experience rather than binge-play-for-hours-at-a-time type of game. Aside from some seemingly odd filter menu choice omissions and other minor issues, the promise of regular updates means it's a title worth having on Nintendo Switch, and is certainly going to fulfil a fashion lover's dream, with everyone being able to live their best model life in the easy to play environment.
WarioWare: Move It! is a return to form for the barmy microgame curator Wario. With his group of familiar friends, odd concepts and motion controls, it's back to basics! There are some slight teething issues with motion controls, but one that may come with practice. A whole host of fun microgames, multiplayer modes and new ideas build on what's made the series a hit with fans. Those who shy away from motion controls would likely prefer Get it Together!, also on Nintendo Switch, instead. Fans of that classic WarioWare feel will be right at home with WarioWare: Move It!
It has taken Nintendo almost 30 years to get its flagship side-scrolling series back on top, but that is exactly what has been achieved with Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Not since the days of the SNES has 2D Mario felt this original and fun, with the bizarre hallucination-like gameplay elements contributing to both the joy and hilarity all at once, coupled with brilliant character animations and a multitude of ideas that makes every level unique. Stages could have stood to be longer, and it may have been a good opportunity to go a bit wilder with the story and villains, but those are small complaints for what is an absolute blast from beginning to end.
It's hard to resist the world of Benoît Sokal's Syberia: The World Before. With its sweeping vistas, well designed machinery and unique charm, it's a visual joy. This joy is backed up with sublime music and an irresistible dialogue and story that uses ample sarcasm. This, possibly last, entry to the series is a love letter to all that came before and a much-needed return to Syberia. Highly recommended to all lovers of adventure titles.
Detective Pikachu Returns is a fun little Nintendo Switch adventure that is ideal for younger players, offering a colourful, eclectic mix of characters, Pokémon and storytelling. It does veer to the simpler side in places in both game design and visual fidelity, but the appeal of the Pokémon universe is strong enough to draw players of all ages into the tale. Those who were fans of the Nintendo 3DS game or simply enjoy a classic point-and-click adventure would feel right at home with Detective Pikachu Returns.
Assassin's Creed Mirage offers a return to the roots the series is known for, shedding the RPG elements and massive open world for a more intimate experience. Social stealth and traditional parkour are back, and while they don't offer anything the franchise hasn't seen before, they're complemented by a gorgeous recreation of historical Baghdad. The setting is the true protagonist and offers players something new to experience where the gameplay fails to do so. Fans of the series are sure to be refreshed by this calculated step backwards for the franchise, before it inevitably returns to its massive RPG identity.
Mortal Kombat 1 absolutely shines in its gameplay, thanks to some healthy tweaks to the formula, not least of which is the excellent Kameo system. There are flashy combos aplenty and some fresh takes on series staples, which are sadly let down by currently lacklustre online options and a less compelling single player experience, bar the riveting story mode. Still, there's so much fun to be had for players obsessed with optimising their combos and getting their fists bloody in the ring, but the amount of content falls shy of what we've been spoiled with in other modern fighters on the market — at the time of this writing, at least.
Silent Hope is many things, and none of these manage to be combined into a great experience. From the exploration and combat, to the customization of your seven heroes, and the whole crafting business, this just never manages to be any fun. There's no challenge or incentive to keep on playing. You just do whatever is needed to be done, so you can go deeper into the labyrinth. That's. It. A chore, rather than a game.
Adding a magical twist to agriculture certainly helps Fae Farm stand out from competitors, but unfortunately so does the myriad of glitches. These may yet be fixed in future updates, just like the latest one mended some bugs. For some, the cute vibe makes up for the aforementioned issues. It is still essentially an extremely fun life-sim, with a considerable number of quests to fulfil while sporting wings (after a set story point) and quirky characters to befriend, providing dozens of hours of gameplay for those with the patience to forgive the sometimes poorly executed parts that sorely need polishing.
Super Bomberman R 2 is an explosive romp. Classic Bomberman grid mechanics with neat twists in additional modes, with new rules to keep things fresh. In some ways it is a fitting celebration of four decades of bombs - fast, nippy multiplayer gameplay at its core, with cute, colourful characters to tie everything together. Does it push beyond Super Bomberman R? In some ways, yes, but there could well have been more to take this sequel to the next level. That said, those looking for a Bomberman adventure on the Nintendo Switch should hop on into Super Bomberman R 2 with open arms, preferably holding a bomb or two.
Despite its gameplay flaws, Red Dead Redemption is a classic on seventh gen consoles. Its well-crafted characters and script are among the era's best. It's a technological marvel with meticulous attention to detail. While the gameplay may require adaptation on the player's part, it's worth it because Red Dead Redemption's overall experience is greater than the sum of its individual parts.
Veteran or newcomer to the industrial world of the cybernetic Stroggos, and the hard-rock fuelled action that can be enjoyed on it, look no further than what is without any doubt the best version of Quake II. Improving both the look, as well as the gameplay of Id Software's classic, plus adding all expansions (and then some), Quake II Enhanced is solid proof that if you want an old-school title to get the remaster treatment, Nightdive Studios won't let you down.