Cubed3's Reviews
Beat Saber feels like the title that has propelled VR gaming into the mainstream and its effect on inspiring a whole host of other developers to enter this space cannot be underestimated. The core gameplay loop here is one the whole family can get involved in and it is not an over exaggeration to say this game can consume hours once it gets its hooks in. The BTS tracks are a welcome addition and if there is one band whose music seems to fit perfectly with this, it surely has to be theirs. Energetic, bombastic and addictive - prepare to be replaying Dynamite a lot to perfect its tough beat map. While some will argue the game itself and subsequent packs are ever so slightly overpriced, with multiplayer now active and the ability to add as many custom songs as one desires, for any VR owner this is simply a must-buy.
Football Manager 2021 is a continual improvement over its predecessor. While not doing anything that radically shifts the dial, this latest addition further improves the user experience and gives even more ways to set up and run a successful football team. With a 3D match engine that is really starting to do a great job at bringing the action to life, and further touches of realism to player and media interactions, there's enough innovation here for fans to jump onboard. Social life be warned, FM21 is a fantastic time sink and once stuck inside, it's hard to get out.
Strife is basically a prototype first-person RPG/Adventure, and as such, is nowhere near the level of polish of the games that were released after the late '90s. Boring, repetitive, not as non-linear as it thinks it is, and easy to break by not doing what it wants from you, this is fans, and old-school aficionados-only material, as there are better representative of the genre nowadays.
Space Invaders Forever is a three-game package, where one of them is downright excellent, one of them is an interesting and fun concept, but isn't the most comfortable to play with on Switch, and the last one is only a bit of fun in multiplayer. The first of the bunch itself could justify the purchase if the package was priced a bit more sensibly, but this should really have included more of the excellent updates to the Space Invaders formula that have been released over the years. Furthermore, people who have purchased the digital package at launch on the eShop had issues getting Arkanoid vs Space Invaders to install on their system. We're told this is not a problem anymore though.
Tight frantic gameplay, accompanied by a thrilling score and an awesome campaign with a ton of upgrades and collectibles. There is plenty to be positive about with this port, as having DOOM Eternal portable and with gyro controls will please many. It is hard to not notice the downgraded textures and lower performance which set it aside from the sublime PC, Xbox and PlayStation versions, but Panic Button must be commended for putting together such an ambitious project for the Switch, one that runs incredibly competently for downgraded hardware. The price is somewhat of a sticking point given that a superior version can be purchased for much less and is also available physically, whereas the Switch is digital only. These minor issues aside DOOM Eternal is well worth the investment of both time and money and should be a welcome addition to any Nintendo Switch library.
Tetris Effect Connected is one big psychedelic trip that Xbox owners were previously missing out on. There is such a variety in themes, music, and game modes that it is unbelievable that developers still find a way to innovate, iterate and make, ostensibly, a puzzle game from the 1980's feel new and desirable to play. There is enough depth here in the multiplayer modes to retain the attention of Tetris players beyond the relatively short Journey and Effects modes, albeit many will chase their own tail to better their rankings and high scores. At the time of writing Tetris Effect Connected is available on Game Pass Ultimate so there is no real excuse to give this a chance.
Picklock has the foundation of a good experience. There are brief moments of actual fun spread throughout, but these are in spite of the game's quirks, not because of it. The awkward controls remove any possible precision, and the sloppy, typo-ridden presentation makes these flaws hard to overlook. With a bit more polish, Picklock could have been a very good stealth title, but as it exists now, players are better off picking a different lock.
It constantly feels like the bad outweigh the good stuff, but it's hard to deny the charm of this highly atmospheric, dark, and almost Lovecraftian fairytale. If you are looking for a great shooter, this isn't it. Clive Barker's Undying is, above everything else, an experience. It's an adventure that carries some of the titular novelist's flaws, but also plenty of the things that make him so awesome.
Chicken Police - Paint it Red! is a total good surprise. It hits every nail squarely on the head and leaves the player with a satisfying sense of accomplishment, while being a ruddy good time all the way through. Yes, the English written script leaves something to be desired and should totally be fixed as soon as possible, meaning it's not perfect in that sense. It is also somewhat short for the price but this is something we can more easily let it slide when a game is just consistently enjoyable all the way through like it is here. Lovers of animals, film noir, adult humour, police mysteries and point n' click adventures... all of the above are likely to find a lot to be liked about this piece of software.
Appreciating the narrow focus on the game they sought to deliver was one of the better points of the experience. By stripping away a lot of excess systems it allowed a better core experience. The issues are bad optimization that leads to heavy lag and frequent crashes. Additionally the gameplay is too fast for the 'art' style of attacking to truly be effective resulting in a major loss of what was the initial draw of the game to begin with.
A good RPG has an intriguing story, likeable characters, appealing music that can be listened to for many hours on end, and a satisfactory conclusion. Alphadia Genesis by KEMCO ticks all these boxes, and then some. Any predictability in the RPG tale is countered with other plot twists that can make many to cry at the end, something countered by the plentiful humour throughout the tale. It will get replayed in due course because leaving the characters at the end was hard: their personalities are memorable, and being with them is an enjoyable experience.
A strategy game taking place in prohibition-era roaring '20s, which has players role-playing as a bigtime gangster, slowly building their enterprise, and doing anything expected in such a line of work, whether that's selling alcohol, running whorehouses, striking deals with other crooks, "renting" guns for hire, looting or ransacking establishments, bribing the boys in blue, and many, many, many more. Quite an ambitious title, right? Sadly, an assortment of technical issues, an annoyingly busy UI, a total lack of balance, as well as a lack of challenge, has led to something that just isn't fun. Potential, thy name is Empire of Sin… but potential is great only when met.
The realistic, in depth elements of rice farming combined with honing fighting skills plus surprising character revelations and development make Sakuna of Rice and Ruin a magnificent game. Sakuna's personal growth is a pleasure to watch. Her reason for living is tested to the limit, she learns to serve others rather than herself, and has to make a sacrifice that she would not have made if faced with the same decision at the start of the game. The balanced emphasis on farming and fighting provides a great variety of tasks to undertake, providing dozens of hours of fun. The delay in the game's original planned release was worth the wait.
Star Renegades is exceptionally fun to play and a great addition to any Switch library. With endless combinations of battles to fight and a ton of weapons and items to unlock, there is plenty of content here to deliver dozens of hours of fun. While the Switch version does suffer from some downgrades with load times and performance on occasion, the portability of this rogue-lite means it is ideal for playing on the move. Star Renegades has a lot of scope and ideas under the hood and the dynamic enemy promotions is just one that is incredibly impressive. Exceptionally tough, at times frustrating but always rewarding - this visual treat is definitely one to pick up - especially since the game is set to receive regular content updates over the months ahead.
The story in Cinders can and does veer off at unexpected tangents. Absolutely nothing is concrete, and what feels like the best choice can end up being the worst if a scenario is repeated a few times to see what will happen next. With a high replay value to experience different decisions, Cinders certainly provides a new take on a classic tale, with style and imagination that will impact gamers more than other versions of the tale can. A wide range of morals are presented to the gamer, making it their choice whether Cinderella is a kind girl, or one who looks out for herself, and is as selfish as her step-sisters initially seem.
Book of Demons takes Diablo's addictive gameplay (and visual style, music, story… and many more), and embellishes it with a set of cards that act as the abilities of your heroes. Thing Trunk's gem isn't a flawless one, sure, and the transition to the Switch removes one of its key components, which is the mouse, but this remains a pretty neat… err, card 'n' slasher that needs to be in the Switch library of every ARPG fan.
Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate is a fantastic collection and the definitive way to experience this title, particularly on the new consoles where it runs smoother (and is far gorier) than ever. Even on older hardware it still shines. While day one players who have already accrued the majority of the included content will have less incentive to splash the cash on the Ultimate edition, it stands as an impressive catalogue to the achievements of NetherRealm over the past year and a half. If you haven't played it yet, now is the best time to dive in. If you have, here above are all your reasons to dial back into the experience.
Despite this being far from a rushed indie piece of junk, like the hundreds that are plaguing the Switch library, Wallachia: Reign of Dracula is unfortunately one more retro-inspired game that fails at what matters the most. A love letter to SNES-style Castlevania, sprinkled with a little bit of Contra's fast-paced action, this should be something great. Sadly, due to some issues, like the way the main character moves, and how unfair some parts of the whole thing can feel, it soon gets from mildly-interesting, to downright annoying.
The best description for Haven would be that of a game developed by a very talented team of people, who dreamed big, but had a budget that was simply not enough, as the concept can even scare larger, more experienced studios. Due to all that, it feels as if stuck in the second chapter of a much, much larger game. Its alien world is beautiful, the gameplay is far from bad, and the way this focuses in the protagonist duo and their romantic relationship is pulled off quite well (for the most part), but in the end, the severe lack of content, as well as challenge, soon turns this into a repetitive, and painfully boring chore.
It's really sad that the learning curve is so massive that it acts like a wall that keeps most players from enjoying this. It's sad, because those who'll persevere, and manage to reach that 'Zen' level of razor-sharp precision, are the only ones who can really understand how exciting Absolute Drift can be. That being said, when a game is all about drifting, the fun factor won't last for long.