Cubed3's Reviews
DISTRAINT certainly seems to understand that the things that go bump in the night are less scary than the deep-rooted horrors that you can inflict on yourselves. This surreal-meets-the-mundane short story about a man's descent to metaphorical - and maybe literal - hell will keep you invested in the two and a half hours that the journey will last. Just don't expect any decent gameplay.
Despite its age, obvious budget limitations, and, yeah, lack of popularity, CHAOS CODE -NEW SIGN OF CATASTROPHE- is a surprisingly fun fighter, with a pretty varied (albeit typical) roster of characters that will to everyone needs.
Even one amongst the games included is very enjoyable to play through, and having two in the package makes it that much better. Despite the huge battles of so many characters, it actually goes quick and, gives a much more chaotic yet satisfying experience rather than the "perfect" style Fire Emblem requires to play. This lacks many newer conventions, like managing relationships, as an example, and feels somewhat aged, but despite all this, it is still fun to play. The bundle is just so polished, that it's hard not to recommend.
The new UI is ugly as sin, and the animation added to the boss sprites is laughably out of place. The new background art is a mixed bag of some decent work and a couple examples of soulless imitation that fails to capture the intent of the original. All of this applies for those who are familiar with the original Romancing SaGa 3. For everyone else, this is an excellent RPG that has a lot of content and replayability. A vast cast of weirdos and miscreants to recruit, and shenanigans to get into await in this saga.
Overpass is a double edged sword by design.
There are some really cool ideas here, and potentially a really good game hidden under a mess that seems like it needed several more months of playtesting and hammering things out. There are just too many things like a lack of polish, a mess of a UI, the camera is hard to control, and bugs/glitches make the experience frustrating. It is sad because, while there are some cool things in here, it simply is not ready for release at this point. It needed way more time actually making sure the core experience is enjoyable, rather than fighting through nearly everything except for enemies.
The visual novel format, animations, and cultural references all end up creating something that feels incredibly Japanese. There's even an anime-style opening to boot. It's recommended for those that wish to learn about Japanese culture, or practice reading Japanese, but it may not be a game that appeals to the masses.
Although the newly designed buildings and overall aesthetic differences to Cities Skylines are a welcome change, one cannot help but feel there is a large degree of missed opportunity and overall lost potential, with the aforementioned designs changes as well as the disappointing, and limited new set of maps.
While hindered by the frustrations of a confusing tutorial, and at times clunky controls, Parklife still manages to provide something fans of Cities: Skylines will enjoy.
If you are invested in FFXIV, this DLC will probably excite and please you. It's a fun but forgettable romp that runs just the wrong side of boring during its hours-long retelling and bland A-B mission style. If this tickles your fancy, be sure to start and play with a team of friends - it will easily be 10 times more enjoyable, if infinitely longer.
EarthNight is really a product of its genre. It's rare that auto-runners feel truly unique, and while this does a decent job of introducing new mechanics regularly, it does such a poor job with enemy placement that you will have to run through the same kind of courses over and over before you get to see them - unless you skip on through the fray, and that only works so long. Even when you find these new ideas, they are often just one tweak shy of something a lot better than they ended up being, and it's a shame such an original idea feels so flat.
No, THE LONGING isn't perfect. It could definitely be so much more than what it is. More specifically, for something that's supposed to last for more than an actual year, you won't exactly swim in content while playing it. On the other hand, of course, this was never about "content," but about getting engrossed into it all, and letting the dark, empty caves become part of you. It's hard to verbally explain how something so… non-gamey achieves that, and, yeah, it won't satisfy just about anyone, but lovers of indie titles with unique concepts are advised to try this out.
The Fire Emblem: Three Houses Expansion Pass currently retails at practically 50% of the base game price, and considering the sheer amount of content in the core title, it has to brought into question how much Cindered Shadows segregates itself from the core experience.
The original Persona 5 was already a joy to play; however, this version definitely steps up to the plate and knocks it out of the park.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps definitely has its downfalls, from a lack of dungeons and performance hiccups to abilities that needed to be fleshed-out more, but comparing this to all of the amazing feats that it reaches, these gripes feel nothing more than nit-picks in an otherwise wholly enjoyable and immersive experience. While it may not meet every expectation set by the almost perfect Ori and the Blind Forest, it's nonetheless a worthy successor and is easily one of the best metroidvanias on the market right now.
DOOM 64 is considered a cult classic, meaning that the people who love it, really love it. The one writing this doesn't though. It is way too slow, tries to have a horror atmosphere (and almost succeeds), although it is in no way a horror game, and, most importantly, the level design is mediocre at best, as its more about flipping switches than killing demons. Those who loved the original will be glad to know that this a very good port, with FHD resolution and an improved frame-rate - just don't expect any new content.
In spite of featuring less content than the title's 2013 remake for iOS and Android, that doesn't change the fact that this is the best version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 currently available for a home console. Knuckles is included as a playable character, Super Sonic and Super Knuckles have their own unlockable modes where the Chaos Emeralds are collected out the gate, and the inclusion of the Drop Dash only adds depth to already excellent platforming. With a fantastic set of levels, and plenty of quality of life additions, SEGA AGES Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is one of the line's better offerings.
Aside from lacking any new content and the slightly roughness of Vanquish's presentation, Platinum Games 10th Anniversary Bundle is well worth the purchase for those who missed either of these classics. Returning fans will be undoubtedly disappointed by the bare minimum that has been given to both games, but that should not deter those who have not experienced the splendour of two of the most energetic and invigorating 3D action titles of all time.
The concept of "push-forward combat" is even better this time around, forcing you to be in the moment every moment.
A fantastic collection of some of the best Megaman titles!