Cubed3's Reviews
Townsmen: A Kingdom Rebuilt is a fine experience to check out for those who wish to dabble in the fun and thoughtful process of setting up supply lines. While completing and overseeing a thriving supply line is quite a fulfilling process, and resource production becomes an automatic system, this is all that this seems to have going for it. Beyond ensuring that the cogs keep turning, there is a real lack of drive or motivation to keep progressing beyond keeping bandits and avalanches at bay. Despite the deep system that underlies the kingdom-building aspects, it's still missing a few ingredients that could've elevated this experience. However, for those searching for a new resource-management city-builder set in the medieval ages, this title is worth considering.
Strobopahgia certainly has a lot of potential, with a strong aesthetic and some good core concepts, but it plays as an unfinished experience. With more polish in the later acts of the game, expansion on some of the weaker endings, and fleshing out of the music and ambient sound throughout, the game really could stand out. As it is now it would be hard pressed to impress more casual gamers, but for the more horror inclined player looking for something different it would be an interesting hour or two.
The Kombat Pack 2 introduces Rambo, Mileena and Rain in the gory fashion typical of the Mortal Kombat brand. They all bring something unique to the table in their play style and are so passionately designed that it's impossible to ignore the thought and care that went into bringing them to life. As fun as they are to play, though, there's scope for improvement. The ever-shifting meta has been a joy to follow over the course of this title's lifespan, so they'll no doubt become further ingrained and balanced imminently. Regardless, this latest batch of fighters proves that Mortal Kombat 11 is, for all intents and purposes, alive and kicking. And punching, grabbing, throwing, decimating, devouring… You get the idea.
You can draw the hero of this tale… and that's about all there is to say about this. Fun and mildly addicting as that part is, it's not enough to hide the fact that Drawn to Life: Two Realms lacks the necessary depth expected from a puzzle-platformer. Besides the lack of polish here and there, as well as the unexciting level design, the bland story one has to endure adds to the general feeling of boredom. It's also sad that aside from the character creation window, painting doesn't really feel like a big part of the whole experience.
The most important thing in video games is the fun factor. Forget the visuals, forget the story, forget everything else; it's all about fun, fun, fun. The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos isn't aware of that, which makes you think whether its developer even had any people test it out. The storytelling bit that mocks D&D tropes tries too hard to be funny and fails while at it, with the playable characters being a bunch of completely unlikable "heroes." As for the actual, turn-based strategy affair, while definitely the better part, it has some severe issues of its own, with the most game-breaking one being the existence of an aggravating RNG that frequently ruins one's plans.
Codemasters truly are the experts of their craft. DIRT 5 is a step in a different direction that will be met with some fans not enjoying the rather arcade-style gameplay, but it is absolute joy for those do like this type of fast-fluid party action. There is enough variation in track diversity thanks to the dynamic weather and track terrain conditions to help keep DIRT 5 fresh.
Regardless of which ending is first discovered, Yumetsutsu Re:Master is a fascinating visual novel that throws light on life within the gaming industry and the complicated relationship of two sisters. The hours spent lost in the tale are rewarded with a gallery of scenes and a few videos to collect which necessitates further play, an act that will not become boring with the mystery of whether the sisters will reunite in the best ending to aim for.
The price of Evoland Legendary Edition is worth it for the first game alone, which is legendary in its own right. Mileage on the second one may vary depending on a player's tolerance for frustration if they are not so good at platformers. With over eight hours spent completing the first game and six hours attempting the second there, is a lot of fun to be had in this special edition, which is the only way to get both titles on the Nintendo Switch.
Telling a tale as sweet as its graphics, the aptly named Strawberry Vinegar is a positivity-boosting read, with food and friendship at its core. Living with a demon is far from easy, but Rie learns to live with, and even like her, and ends up playing a special role in her life that changes it for the better.
Yumeutsutsu Re:After is a fantastic sequel that delivers the possible futures of the characters of the previous title. With top-notch voice acting and amazing writing, this is a must-have for anyone that enjoyed the prequel. While this title would have also sufficed as a simple add-on to the first game rather than standing alone, this also allows the chance for new players to discover the interesting world of Ai and her friends.
Monster Sanctuary is a charming take on the monster raising formula, albeit not without its faults. In spite of this, Monster Sanctuary is an addictive RPG that is hard to put down. Monster hatching is an incredibly simple process, every single monster has its own skill tree, and combat has been balanced enough so that just about any team can get through the main game in the hands of savvy players. Monster Sanctuary is a diamond in the rough if there ever was one.
Yes, the main character is über-sexy, and that makes it hard to pay attention to everything else. Look past the giant boobs, though, and you'll discover something great here - plus some giant boobs, obviously. This is actually an awesome action-adventure, with a fantastic survival horror atmosphere, and an intriguing setting - one that offers a fantastic balance between unrelenting difficulty, and plain, old-school fun. It's important to note that it is different than the original in some ways, and that may anger fans, but this sequel mostly feels like an improvement. All in all, a very big recommendation, especially if tired of modern gaming "trends."
A distinct lack of game modes, no means of playing offline, and even the inability to make a private game with friends overshadows all of Rumble's innovations. Faster paced gameplay centred around a single worm is a breath of fresh air - and implemented quite well - but it's held back by a stripping away of Worms' most identifiable qualities: turn-based gameplay that emphasised strategy, destructible environments that continually redefined stages, and a never-ending stream of charm that kept matches as entertaining as they were engaging. Worms Rumble resembles its predecessors superficially, while failing to carve out a clear identity by recycling what little content there is in-game ad nauseum. Rumble will almost certainly be updated with new modes over time, but franchise veterans are bound to be disappointed and newcomers are better off waiting until then.
While deserving accolades for trying something different and having two separate campaigns, ultimately they both end up feeling repetitive. Melee-focused combat is a fun idea, but there are too many problems and glitches. Though there are different classes, the combat is too repetitive and too much of the same thing to be fun for long. Something new was tried here, and that's commendable - it just did not hit the mark.
Whether it's the influence of all the shapes and all the colours, or the enjoyable "clack" sound of cubes tapping along staircases, Manifold Garden is totally hypnotic. It's easy to get lost in a flow state while traversing between cubes to switches and other cubes, imbibing in the phenomenal, ever building soundtrack. It has none of the script or context of a title like Portal, but one would easily suspect that that would conflict with the undiluted audio-visual treat that this experience proffers. Manifold Garden builds a compelling, meditative world, and easily stands on its own merit as a highly recommended first person puzzle. It is short but sweet, as they say, and paced excellently. Jumping off into the abyss, and thinking about how to solve the next puzzle will never fail to reward - it makes one feel clever and always fits within the framework of rules which were previously set.
PositronX feels as if stuck in that awkward game development phase where the title is ready… but also isn't. In other words, it feels as if it wasn't sufficiently tested in order to make sure that, apart from being a working product, it's also a fun product. As a whole, a pretty average rogue-lite FPS.
Sam & Max Save the World is notable for starting Telltale's reign over episodic games that lasted for nearly a decade. Upon a revisit, it's easy to understand why. The writing oozes in charm and wit, and solving some of the trickier puzzles requires quite a bit of detective-work. While a few quality-of-life upgrades introduced in later Telltale Games would have been appreciated, the visual enhancements are still welcome. Hopefully, Skunkape Games remasters the other two seasons of Sam & Max, as well, because this is a case that deserves to be revisited for years to come.
Croteam has yet to surpass its first two Serious Sam games, with Serious Sam 4 basically being one more entry; one that is great fun, but far from an evolution of the series. The flaws are aplenty, although they are rarely very serious (pun not intended), making this fourthquel more disappointing than bad - because, make no mistake, this is very good. Sure, it's not the best Serious Sam game… but still a Serious Sam game. Fans of serious action will understand.
Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate does an incredible job at showing where the roguelike genre started. Fans of this series and its 'all or nothing' gameplay will adore this port and all its new content. However, players new to this genre or this series will find very little good here. There has been no effort to reach out to a wider audience or bring this game forward to a level of modern quality. Although it is still the Shiren the Wanderer that fans know andlove, it is more than obvious that this is a game stuck in time.
While the gameplay can be a little bit slow in Wintermoor Tactics Club, the battles are amazing and the story is very intriguing. It is a small, charming little tale that is very enjoyable and has obviously had a lot of work put into it. This title is recommendable to anyone that enjoys strategy table-top games like Dungeons & Dragons. It is wonderful when played on-the-go.