Cubed3's Reviews
Battletoads is a retro comeback that not only revives the much-loved series for fans, but one that elevates it to new heights! Truly, the development team has worked some magic to make this the best it can be, truly knocking it out of the park. There is very little wrong here that can stop from this being a star recommendation. The small amounts of missteps it does have don't hurt the experience in a meaningful way, leaving this to be an absolutely fantastic retro revival. It's great to see Rare credited on a game that is genuinely great.
While promising a cool twist on the platforming genre, Wavey the Rocket proved to be an absolutely miserable experience that is hard to recommend to just about anyone. Complex controls, ungratifying gameplay, and performance issues that significantly affect the gameplay, this simply isn't fun to play. For those looking for a genuinely fun and engaging platformer, this isn't one that's going to hold your attention for very long.
For a first pack in the New Frontier Pass, Maya & Gran Columbia is not a bad start. It adds a bit more variety in the selection of factions to choose from, which is always ideal, and there are a few new units and mechanics to play with that will keep things a bit more fresh for any Civ VI fan. The real standout in the pack is obviously the Apocalypse difficulty mode, and it injects a reason to think, particularly in the endgame state, which can notoriously get bogged down. That said, as fun as it can be, it probably isn't the kind of game one would choose to experience with every play-through as it can certainly edge towards frustration at being crippled by the hazardous effects of climate change.
Overall, there really is nothing fundamentally wrong here, but with its reliance on deriving humour from treating RPG standards as dated and ripe for mockery, Snack World: The Dungeon Crawl - Gold pretty much shoots itself in the foot.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 delivers a slick fresh coat of paint onto this Japanese epic tale, while keeping the same engaging and complex story that fans know and love.
It's easy to write this off as a 'baby's first dungeon-crawler,' but it's proven itself to be something more; something that transcends that viewpoint. It's a great exploration of the Minecraft universe, and shows what a developer is capable of outside of the creative block hellscape of the original survival format. It's fair to say that it's a real blast to play with responsive and chunky gameplay that is mostly unhampered by a couple of small flaws. Highly recommended to anyone who loves a bit of a bash, especially with friends!
Having Ulala back is a welcome return and, Space Channel 5 VR manages to capture the world perfectly, and tug at all the correct nostalgia related heartstrings. It would be great to get lost in the cosy bosom of that feeling... if there was just more to offer. The promise of new characters, songs, and DLC, should rectify some of these issues, but with the already high price tag it's hard to imagine anyone outside the already committed fanbase to take a punt. As nice as it is to see a return to the news desk, hold out for a possible GOTY edition.
Röki is a lovely game with strong characters and a fun, whimsical story. It shakes up its genres enough to be unique, but doesn't try to fix what isn't broken, and doesn't push itself past what it sets out to accomplish. Environment and creature designs are superb, while their human counterparts (of which there are very few anyway) leave a little more to be desired. It's a game just about anybody can pick up, play, and be immersed in a world they're likely not too familiar with, unless they grew up with the folklore this draws inspiration from. A few graphical glitches crop up here and there, but otherwise this is a solid and a fun adventure filled with puzzles, action, and intrigue.
On the Edge, the final Frostpunk DLC, offers one more challenging, and gripping strategy title that genre fans will love. When compared to The Last Autumn, it feels a bit limited in the things one can do when giving it a second try, and it's also not as original as you might have hoped, but it's still a solid recommendation to anyone who found the base game to be one of the best in its field.
This has some merits to it that can't be denied, such as its artwork and very good English voice acting. The problems are, for a horror game, beyond some parts of its plot, the story gets lost with far too much fluff about dorm life, and walking around the same town over and over. This could easily have been cut in half to deliver a better narrative. The 'pinball' battle system is such a break from anything horror related, it serves as icing on a cake that had good intentions, but the ingredients simply were not right for what was required.
Carrion embraces its identity as a "reverse-horror" experience, offering some viscerally violent action that is not for the faint of heart. Presentation here is top-notch: this is a polished title that Phobia Game Studio has taken a lot of care in crafting. Sadly, it stumbles in its core gameplay. The combat is poorly balanced and navigation can be a frustrating chore, but when Carrion does transcend these trappings, it does so with a sadistic glee that makes it unmistakable amongst its peers.
This is the Bill Bailey of golf games. An insane, surrealist experience that throws so much at the wall - often literally - that a lot of it sticks. It's inclusive, and enjoyable, to the point that anyone in the family can pick it up and play, while still managing to offer up a real challenge in later stages and on the online modes. Fun, funny, replayable, and certifiable. While this may not be everyone's cup of "Tee," no ifs, no putts, this is one you won't fore-get soon.
For what is a simplified and chibi-fied version of The King of Fighters '98, this is pretty neat. There are better alternatives in the world of retro game collections, though. In other words, since this has more of a collector's value, if SNK had included a few more titles from the Neo Geo Pocket Color, it would be a stronger recommendation, as this is somewhat to pricey for what's on offer.
The comic setting works great, and the story is an interesting take on the overused dystopian and Orwellian future. Liberated snatches attention with its premise and the neo-noir aesthetic, but ultimately ends up feeling unfinished. The dialogue choices and the puzzles feel tacked on and undeveloped. The style looks great in stills, but in action it's messy. It feels like this so close to being something truly special, it just needed a bit more time.
This isn't quite Portal 2 levels of co-op bliss, but it comes somewhat close, and manages to be a decent way to kill a weekend with a friend. The puzzles aren't quite as good as the previous two titles in the series, and they would occasionally vacillate between being too easy or too vague. That winds up hampering what was otherwise a perfectly enjoyable experience. Still, if a fan of co-op gameplay and puzzle-solving, this is a borderline must-buy, because there are so few titles out there that satisfy this particular niche. We Were Here Together falls just short of the snowy peaks it was aiming for, but it is fun and interesting, and really stands out for emphasizing co-op puzzle-solving in a way few games have. So, go out and have some fun. Together.
Creepy Tale certainly lives up to its namesake, courtesy of superb sound design and art heavily inspired by the works of John Kenn Mortensen, but it's a title which falls apart under scrutiny. A completely silent narrative is ambitious, as is designing puzzles exclusively around visual cues, but there's barely an hour of actual content in-game. Any puzzle-solving veterans are basically guaranteed to roll credits within 45 minutes. What's worse is that while the atmosphere is palatable (with enough mild scares that feel earned), Mortensen's "influence" borders on plagiarism. He's mentioned in the staff roll for what it's worth, but under a very specific "Inspired By" credit. Regardless of any involvement Mortensen may or may not have had, the fact the game is dripping in his style does it no favours - if only because it's a blatant imitation lacking artistic integrity. Creepy Tale is fine enough on the cheap, but it won't satisfy competent gamers, nor is it a suitable introduction to newcomers given its emphasis on gore.
EQQO is a really charming, interesting game that unfortunately all comes apart when you get around to actually playing it. The presentation is great, the story is wonderful, and it feels like this interesting little storybook is unfolding right in front of your eyes. It was a game that one will desperately try to like, but it keeps getting in its own way with awkward controls and boring gameplay. It is like sitting down and hearing a beautiful story that the storyteller keeps interrupting to burp every ten seconds, and it becomes harder and harder to focus on the story the longer things go on. It might be good enough for people that play video games primary for their story, or for those looking for a charming presentation, but those that actually want to play a solid game will have to look elsewhere.
A perfect example of nostalgia glasses. In short, this may be a hidden gem, but it is completely representative of its time. 2D Platformers have long moved on, and this deserved some overhaul to the core gameplay, instead of just a graphical improvement and a tacked-on multiplayer experience. The soundtrack is a perfect encapsulation of the game as a whole. Utterly charming for the first few moments, but then each track repeats again. And again. And again. One note. Those who enjoyed the first may find themselves questioning why they did, should they dive into the murky waters here.
It takes two hours or so to complete this, and it's a fun little experience, filled with some smart puzzles interspersed with the odd stinker
Similar music and graphics throughout the game may not be the main selling point, but the increasing difficulty level, at times almost impossible, means Super Box Land Demake is a must play for all puzzle enthusiasts, yet another success for Ratalaika Games.