Cubed3's Reviews
La-Mulana 2 ranks as one of the greatest metroidvanias ever made.
This is a game where the ending sequence saved it. As a platformer it barely stacks up to a lot of the competition; some portions of the art aren't that good; the combat is very wonky, with a "bouncy" feel; and, finally, the story doesn't deliver until the end. Adding some badly designed puzzle sections all pull Neversong down. The ending and the idea the title puts forth is powerful enough - even with some plot holes in retrospection - that is worth checking out if someone is into platformers, and has a few hours to try out something different.
The genuinely thought-provoking Ring Battle system, engaging puzzle design, and care given to Olivia's characterisation all make The Origami King the best Paper Mario since the series' Wii outing, but that wasn't a high bar to begin with and the series is still struggling to come up with an engaging gameplay loop in light of the lessened RPG elements. Without experience or levelling, random battles lose their lustre fast. Likewise, Accessories don't make up for a lack of Badges or traditional equipment, keeping combat relatively static and offering little in the way of non-Toad rewards for uncovering secrets. Worse is Intelligent Systems' love affair with bloated pacing holding back otherwise well-designed dungeons and set pieces. The Origami King is an overall step in the right direction, but it's emblematic of the fact that Paper Mario has no interest in honouring its legacy or living up to its potential. If nothing else, a direct sequel could easily unfold Origami King's many creases.
The premise is simple: shoot stuff, run towards the finishing line, and do these as fast as possible, with a meter acting both as a timer, and a health bar. It's simple, yet very effective at getting you immersed and addicted, however, while, the frenzy of Post Void is definitely thrilling, the visual "noise" can get in the way of your score-chasing fun.
While there's nothing terribly wrong with Waifu Uncovered, it's just a very average shmup, with the sexy art not managing to leave a lasting impression. There are much better alternatives out there for both.
Spirit of the North's enchanting journey is magnificent on the Nintendo Switch Lite's screen, as played on for this review, and is even better on a large TV screen. The, at times, challenging game, has collectibles that add to the replay value, and playing as an unlocked snow fox in the snow magnifies the immersion of the game, with levels that beg to be experienced again simply for the fun of enjoying their beauty.
There are three problems with Crysis Remastered: first, the game was never really that good, second, this isn't a remaster, and third, it's actually a heavily downgraded, flawed port. Sure, it's still an enjoyable FPS to kill some time (and other beings) with, and it's kind of impressive that you can now carry a photorealistic jungle with you, but it's still hard to stomach the audacity of calling this a remaster; in other words, an upgraded version of the original.
Building an evident framework for a "good ending" without detailing a clear path to find the requirements, Hotel Sowls struggles between being a true mystery, and holding the player's hand with clues.
It seems as though the limited budget available for Fairy Tail has been used in the right places, saving on unimportant parts, and spending on the important bits.
While impressive from a technical standpoint, Ultracore carries way too many flaws from the past to be a solid recommendation, whether you are a retro fan or not. Repetitive, unpolished, somewhat unfair, and very trial-and-error-y, it's pretty evident that the game's current owner didn't really do much before porting this interesting piece of old-school history to modern systems.
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.