Cubed3's Reviews
This is an average romp for a simple JRPG. There is no new ground treaded, and the battle system gets to be pretty repetitive. The voice acting is really well done and the battle effects are pretty good, even if you see them a lot. The major problems are that nothing new really happens, some very minor upgrades, but ultimately the same thing happening in the beginning is still happening hours and hours later.
Umihara Kawase Bazooka! is a niche title in a niche genre featuring a niche franchise. As arcade-style single-screen action-platformers go, this is a good one with a unique gameplay so fans of that sort of thing should go for it if they can swallow the steep launch price. Anyone else though, including fans of said franchise may have reason enough to be on the fence as this is definitely way different from the rest of the series. This is a rather unique game that will appeal most to score chasers and not the core speedrunning fanbase of the series, although one could imagine speedrunning this all the same of course. There is a demo available but, at time of writing, only on the Japanese eShop for some reason. Players still on the fence with a Japanese eShop account may check it out and decide for themselves.
As an expansion to the main game, The Crown Tundra offers perhaps even less varied distractions than its predecessor, The Isle of Armor, and fewer rewards or strategic advantages to unlock. However, it also potentially offers more playtime, since Dynamax Adventures are sure to keep players invested in search of a sought-after rare or legendary shiny Pokémon with good IVs. Since both expansions can't be bought separately and come bundled no matter what, both ultimately complement one another rather well. It is therefore hard to scoff at what's on offer in the Expansion Pass, although it should only be considered indispensable by the most eager Pokémon fans, who are more likely to get the most value out of it.
Worm Jazz isn't an ambitious or largescale title. There's not a large amount of levels, there's no story or context to the gameplay, and there's only a handful of different mechanics, overall. However, it still succeeds in what it sets out to do; the levels are delightfully fun to squirm through, collecting everything requires some real puzzle expertise, and, most of all, the jazz score is simply entrancing. For its price, Worm Jazz on Nintendo Switch is very good value for fans of the puzzle genre, or for anyone seeking a relaxing way to spend a few hours.
For a title that is both modestly priced and was also developed by just a small team, The Guise is a valiant attempt at making a Metroidvania-esque title in a gaming world packed with similar efforts. It is a visually striking world that is memorable, with an enjoyable but maybe not so complex fairytale story. While the abilities Ogden can collect do mix things up a bit when it comes to combat, the patterns of enemies make things just a little too simplistic, while at the same time frustrations around the fluidity of controlling Ogden increase that. There is some good fun to be had here, and the boss battles are a highlight among a story that is simple but enjoyable. However, it is possibly not a game likely to stick in the mind over other better executed attempts.
Whether it's down to the sharp, intelligent writing, or fantastic hand-drawn style and animation, Spiritfarer has a charm that could be described as almost Disney-eque… well, maybe that would be true if the first passenger Stella encounters wasn't a chain smoking deer. That charm is without a doubt [i]Spiritfarer[i/]s best asset, and something that many will latch on to consciously or subconsciously when coming to their own judgement on its quality. Yes, it can be slow and repetitive, but that is also part of the point. The 2D take on a life-sim is a path less travelled for the genre, and unique in this instance. It creates an appealing world wherein the developer has gone to great efforts to flesh it out, and make it feel lived in. It all hangs together very nicely, indeed.
Children of Morta is a wonderful rogue-like ARPG, with a lot of deep layers in terms of gameplay mechanics, that does a terrific job of acting as an underlay to the simple, but dark, atmospheric story. Everything intertwines together splendidly, and seeing how each character can help to buff up their family members via their shared abilities, both in each characters unique skill trees, or the household's base stat upgrades, there are plenty of moving pieces here that all contribute towards the family's mission to end the Corruption. No run is ever wasted, with each failed attempt still rewarding the family with some positive enhancements for the next run, until that eventual stage boss is defeated. For those who are looking for a new rogue-like to jump into, this should definitely not be missed.
Fans of the series are going to adore Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Origins and Odyssey felt like Ubisoft trying something new, stretching out and seeing what worked, and Valhalla takes what was learned there and expands upon it. Some things, like the combat, don't feel quite there yet, still, but other elements absolutely have evolved for the better. There's a lot to love here, and not just in the frankly absurd amount of content available. The story is fantastically enjoyable, with Eivor really shining throughout (play Female for what feels the canon story!) - they are truly deserving of standing alongside the icons of this long-running series. This is a legendary tale and an addition to the franchise that is good enough for the gods.
It pains to criticise this remaster so harshly, because there was a great fondness for the original title that sprang to life if local multiplayer with friends was taken advantage of. Square Enix has shown little desire to give Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles the makeover it deserved, however, and its many dated issues only become more apparent next to the removal of local multiplayer and region-locked online play. There is still a case for chancing it for friends that enjoy dungeon crawlers and can deal with the limitations, but beware of the strange control schemes and tedious gameplay.
All in all, this feels like a worthy sequel. It takes what made the first game click, and adds to that without feeling superfluous. It is very, very hard to put down once it gets going, and the added replay value means there are many reasons to keep playing after the ending. Robotics;Notes: DaSH is a better game than its predecessor, and a highly recommended science fiction visual novel.
The developers have done their best to offer Queen fans an unmissable experience, but it does mean that if Queen isn't a personal goldmine of song bliss, then it is advisable to steer well clear of this game. It's a serviceable karaoke experience but with the complexity and high notes of Queen this is definitely a hard one to recommend. If Queen are like personal idols, then pick this up without hesitation, otherwise there are more varied and interesting karaoke games out there.
If there is one easy way to describe Foregone, it is disappointing. It is on the edge of actually being a very great game, but all of its parts are just completely average. Combat is too slow, gear is too boring, skill upgrades are nearly non-existent and there is just too little that is 'cool' about the game to keep a player going. The game needs far more of its purported story, combat needs to be far more fluid, and the RPG mechanics need heavy expansions before this game can be recommended.
This year's iteration of UFC from EA Sports looks good, and feels good in parts - though the submission system just doesn't appear to be as much fun to play. The best parts of this game are the boxing and kickboxing elements, and the offline career mode is a fun mode to build and forge careers in. With really no other fighting titles to purchase this year, EA Sports UFC 4 will be unrivalled for those looking for another sports-like fighting game - and while UFC 4 is not a bad game, it doesn't do much to appeal to those who don't already have a love and appreciation for the sport or the brand.
The latest Watch Dogs does seem ripe for criticism, but at its core is a solid, fun title that is yet to leave the disk tray. Cruising through the London suburbs is a thoroughly enjoyable experience with a lot of replay-ability, if only to use the games camera mode to snap a selfie with a landmark. Some of the missions are also creatively designed and structured in a way that will live long in the memory and be the talking points with any friends on the fence about purchasing. The biggest downfall of Watch Dogs: Legion is the promise of something more. With no real incentive for recruitment outside characters given in missions, it remains very much a title for the generation. With a little more thought put into the mechanics and gameplay, focusing on how they could really have been revolutionised, this could have been an experience as future-proof as the world portrayed within it.
Compared to most visual novels Necrobarista is, without a doubt, a breath of fresh air… but sadly only concept wise, because the execution doesn't follow suit. Filled with dialogue whose only purpose seems to be to stretch the overall duration, and with the whole experience leaning heavily towards repetitive character encounters, it becomes increasingly hard to remain interested in this, otherwise, very original and exciting look on the subject of death. Long story short, this cup of coffee looks great, and has an inviting aroma, but the taste is decent at best.
By no means the worst in this unfortunate line of adventure games, Leisure Suit Larry: Wet Dreams Dry Twice has forgotten what makes a Leisure Suit Larry game fun. What's that? Well, apart from puzzles that don't drag out so freaking long, a Larry game mostly needs that kind of naughty humour that's less about penis-shaped props, and way-too-obvious dirty jokes, and more about the loser protagonist's lust getting him into all sorts of crazy situations.
Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee adds one more dimension, but throws what made the original a classic out of the window. Not only this doesn't have the beautiful visuals of the PlayStation duology, or its fantastic atmosphere and narrative strength, but it's also far from a fun, cinematic puzzle-platformer - in fact, it's not even a puzzle-platformer, but just a collection of boring tasks sewn together, and masquerading as an adventure.
The development team has crafted an experience that shows how while life can be filled with anxiety, worrying often proves to be a waste of time because the worst case scenario does not come true, even when an enemy gives chase. Journey of the Broken Circle on Nintendo is a mental journey through conquering fears, pieced together with impressive attention to detail, showing that just by trying hard - dozens of times if needs be - moving forward can happen and positive results can occur despite the person's apprehensiveness. The perfect mix of platform-puzzling goodness, and deep, profound story-telling.
This is the perfect example of "Games as a Service" done right. Marvel's Avengers offers up a superb campaign story to play through that is promised to be expanded on in the future. The gameplay may be repetitive, but it includes just enough to keep players interested and invested in the endgame content that is available now to keep this game going until the next step in its roadmap. The possibilities and potential in the future here are hugely exciting.
This is the Zodiac Speaking sets itself up as a moody and mature take on a series of still unsolved murders, but the game in practice lacks a considerable amount of finesse. Beyond running poorly on the Nintendo Switch - to the point where anyone who exclusively plays undocked should avoid a purchase outright - the script is as overindulgent as it is clunky and what few attempts there are at building tension are downright comical. This is the Zodiac Speaking might have been worth suffering through the flaws if the game had tighter controls and ran better, but the Switch release simply isn't worth the money.