Cubed3's Reviews
In many aspects, Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 reiterates all the good things of the first instalment, and goes beyond just enough to justify its existence. All qualities of its predecessor are in place, with an extra dose of wackiness and originality on top. The classic Castlevania 3-inspired recipe works just as well now, and the retro-stiff but tight and satisfying controls are a joy to experience for any fans of the genre. Inti Creates did it again!
Codemasters has delivered a masterful racing experience with F1 2020. Despite the heavy jargon-filled opening, there are plenty of helpful tutorials that break down everything to make this easy-to-understand for those who may not necessarily be car enthusiasts. For those who are after a deep and engrossing racing experience, the My Team Career mode is a joy to play through, with plenty of features to deep-dive into that extends across many hours. Whether playing online or offline, the developer has put forth one of the best racing experiences that can be enjoyed by F1 fans or newcomers alike.
Fans of Eurojank (critic guilty as charged) can generally stomach low production values and lack of polish, but Everreach: Project Eden is just plain (and incomplete) junk. It fails as a Mass Effect-esque RPG, and fails far more as a shooter. One has to wonder why the developer still charges so high for something as badly-made as this, especially since it has obviously abandoned it.
While the game took a few steps forwards, it also took a few steps backwards by abandoning features that were very helpful and appreciated in the previous versions.
A shoddy port of an already poorly built game, Deadly Premonition Origins isn't a definitive re-release that fixes its source's many issues - but it's still worth playing in full.
If Naruto has a nostalgic place in your heart, then Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 Road to Boruto is a must-own.
The Last of Us Part II's purposely bleak, pessimistic narrative spares no one, and offers a deeply engrossing tale of vengeance that grabs and never lets go. The production values, and overall attention to detail are insane
An, initially fun, mix of a pachinko and pinball machine, Pachi Pachi On A Roll won't stay with you for long, especially due to its - mostly - luck-based gameplay. Throwing some busty anime cuties in there doesn't help much either. This clearly belongs in the world of free mobile games.
A post-apocalyptic road trip that offers a fantastic, riveting experience, where destruction and beauty, and hope and despair, get entwined in a way that’s nothing short of genius, The Last of Us is so good that its somewhat repetitive, and occasionally dull gameplay isn’t enough to rob it of its rightful place amongst the video game greats. Therefore, if looking for an unforgettable action-adventure, with strong cinematic sensibilities, and a heavy emphasis in adult, character-driven storytelling, look no further than Naughty Dog’s classic, especially now that the remastered version has made the original even more stunning.
It would be remiss to not point out some severe flaws, notably how boring the actual combat is, or the lacklustre exploration. Despite this heavy criticism, there is something definitely charming about the whole experience. The de-levelling novelty is notable, if nothing else, and there is a feeling of being pulled into the game that many modern JRPGs sort of lack nowadays. This is the type of game that shows heart and passion can trump huge budgets.
The developers deserve accolades for trying something new, but the game is just rife with far too many problems to recommend. Pathfinding and controlling is a mess, difficulty swings are incredibly wild, and despite all the cool pictures of stats and equipping stuff, none of it really matters. It was clear what it was going for, it just fell short of the mark.
It gets all the basics of the genre right, but it simply lacks any depth, and becomes an incredibly grindy only a few missions into the campaign. Interestingly, all the basics are there, it merely is lacking any exciting options, choices or selections; this is in addition to a very bad 'dead zone' tactical problem that is a huge contributor to the slog. Very rapidly a player will have seen everything there is to offer and there just isn't much beyond it. The game just starts to become frustrating the more it is played.
This is a type of game that, while experimental for the studio, really represents missed opportunities. Ranging from the extremely limited move set of the characters, lack of any new skills/moves, and a bit too much repetition, it leaves a strong feeling of how much better it could be. A heavy reliance on multiplayer likely dooms this, as the online population is relatively small, and the match-making is atrocious. Sad, as the graphics are great, and it could have been really fun with even a little bit more depth.
A slew of extra items and features making Pokémon breeding and training a bit better are also included, along with enough bonuses to warrant the existence of this DLC... but not much more than that.
One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows is unfortunately not the hero this city deserves… or needs. While it does a good job of capturing the aesthetic and charm of the One Punch Man universe via its cast of recognisable characters and suitably ludicrous character customisation, it doesn't quite hold its own as a video game. Instead, it stumbles in its presentation, content and, crucially, it's combat. With more of a focused vision on what it wanted to be it might have been able to set itself apart, but this is sadly not the case here.
The reality when it comes to games like Pro Cycling Manager 2020 is that any conclusion is ultimately going to be viewed through the eyes of those it is appealing to. For cycling fans, this whole package is probably the ultimate dream of combining everything that is great about the sport into one extensive management sim. The level of detail in rider stats; the amount of control over races; the strategic plays during the heat of action. All of these things mean for fans it is absolutely a must own. That said, niche genres always have to be balanced to also allow for the introduction of complete outsiders to the field.
Beyond a Steel Sky brings old school point-and-click adventure into the 21st century, with an action, and humour-packed plot, and a compelling sense of character.
he atmosphere created here; a plot that pulls the player in with compellingly designed and voiced characters; an addictive and highly polished gameplay loop; and a fantastically realised visual world.
Players with a passing interest aren't going to put the hours in to get past the initial chapter, and in doing so, are going to miss out on an enjoyable experience with a lot to offer for both casual players and hardcore fans. Stick with it.
There are many, many ways that NAMCO MUSEUM ARCHIVES Vol 1 could be better, but as a whole, fans of retro gaming will definitely love this. Apart from the greedy idea of separating 20 super-old games between two collections, the only thing really holding this back right now is its price. So, put it on your wishlist… and wait.