Cubed3's Reviews
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen has its rough spots, but it dreamed big. It has much better action in it than most others of its kind, and it won't push players into becoming a murder-hobo. This is Hideaki Itsuno's big Dungeons & Dragon's campaign, and he is the DM. Gransys is a sizeable world with a lot to see and do, and that can now be on the go.
For better or worse, Assassin's Creed III Remastered introduces the polarising Connor Kenway to current gen consoles. Aside from some impressive graphical reworking, it is in many ways a simple port: bugs and issues with the original remain largely the same outside of some much-appreciated quality of life improvements and a handful of minor tweaks. Those who enjoyed the original, as well as Assassin's Creed fans who haven't yet played it, will likely appreciate this remaster for what it is, as long as nothing revolutionary is expected of it.
Lapis x Labyrinth is all that a one could want from a rogue-lite. Countless hours will be spent engaging in simplistic yet also compelling hack 'n' slash action. The eight playable classes offer plenty of diversity in their skillset and play-style. Forming them into a squad and maximizing their effectiveness is lots of fun. The frame-drops are regrettable, but can be alleviated somewhat by skilful play. Oh and of course you've got to love the FEVER. Why is FEVER in all-caps anyway? It's because lower-case letters can never hope to contain its awesomeness.
A Plague Tale: Innocence is a stunningly beautiful, and finely-crafted… ok. It's an ok stealth/action-adventure, with ok characters and drama, and oceans of rats that add an ok survival horror vibe to it. Certainly a fun title, but not exactly a big recommendation.
Final Fantasy VII is a milestone in console RPGs in general, deserving to be played by all fans of the genre for its historic relevance. However, it has not aged quite as gracefully as others in some areas, which means it's not quite as timeless, like many games of its vintage, unfortunately.
The Division 2 may be making a mess on Tom Clancy's grave by betraying his highly conservative values, but what is here is a very competent and polished third-person open-world action game with a big emphasis on co-op. The value in this package is seemingly nigh on endless with the amount of things to do and see. Even the core gameplay loop, though simplistic, is satisfying enough to keep things stimulating, even when they feel monotonous at times. Just when things feel the most tedious, the end game content really mixes things up in a big way to reinvigorate the formula.
Snooker 19 is hardly the perfect snooker experience, but there aren't too many other options to help scratch that itch either
Finally bolting from the Sony Stables, the epic adventure of Cloud and company has lost little of its lustre over the years, retaining the complex narrative elements and magic customisation features that give modern games a run for their money. The sound bug issues are unfortunate, and inexcusable given the age of this version of the game, but what is retained remains as great in 2019 as it was upon release.
Anyone who wants a quality Zelda-style action adventure game on their Switch is going to be better off with Okami HD. Darksiders: Warmastered Edition is a polished and shiny bronze medal. Fighting monsters is as standard can be, and what keeps things stimulating is the variety of the environment, puzzle solving, spectacle, and the exploration to be had. It is satisfying to stumble on a hidden chest and find some upgrade that War could use as it is in most adventures. Often entertaining but not exactly emotionally engaging, Darksiders takes itself too seriously.
Given the title, Panty Party doesn't really throw a lot curveballs. Seeing as how each pair of undies has their own strengths and weaknesses, there's actually a bit of depth to the action. As long as players make effective use of cover and manage their stamina, they can avoid getting shredded to pieces. The three modes of play are also appreciated. However, the camera is a constant nuisance. Aiming is really unreliable, and the lock-on isn't great, either. Then there's all of the lolicon garbage, which has no place anywhere. Altogether, this is a strange and only somewhat amusing game. It just can't quite reach its full potential.
Alteric had the potential to be a good alternative to the difficult platforming genre. However, the various issues that rise up, from "sliding" off during intricate platforming sections, to respawning on top of a boss for another immediate death, can be very annoying.
A must buy. Case closed. There are so many reasons to pick this up. For those who haven't tried the series out, this debut on other consoles add up to a wonderful incentive. It's amazing that even 20 years on, these still hold up. The only thing that lets this collection down is that there is little extra to elevate this remaster, other than just a graphical overhaul. Regardless of this small bump, these remain some of the very best Visual Novels out there and with no end in sight for the series, this glimpse of them arriving on new platforms is very promising.
Outward isn't so much bad as it is outwardly bland. Bolstered by its genuinely endearing premise, and an emphasis on a more "human" approach to the RPG genre, the title is simultaneously held back by lacklustre presentation, an underwhelming combat system, and a main game that goes on far too long to justify the onslaught of hostility thrown at the player.
Deceptively simple in its concept, Ghostory's form-swapping mechanic provides all this needs to be a neat and challenging puzzle-platformer - and one that happens to provide some pleasantly ghos... ghastly puns. Unfortunately, the fun dissolves due to the subpar level design, which makes this 25+ level adventure feel the same from beginning to end.
SoulCalibur VI tries to go back to its roots and mostly succeeds. It is far from being the game expected after waiting so long for the sixth entry, with low quality visuals, long loading times, and not much improvement over the same old combat, but if the return of old character favourites and that classic gameplay is what is sought after, this will do the job, with plenty to do for the solo player in story modes, although there is a lack of options outside of that.
Not Yoshi's best adventure to date, but it does a sufficient job of being a kid friendly 2D platformer with an appealing visual style that lends itself well to crafting some interesting levels. Sadly, things can get a bit tiresome, and older gamers may find themselves rushing through to the end of stages in no time. Seek challenge elsewhere, because you won't find it with Yoshi's Crafted World. The quality is there, as expected of a Nintendo-developed title, but it is too simple for its own good.
While Dark Devotion is in no way a perfect Souls-like or metroidvania, it's definitely a pleasant mix of those two "genres." Some of the design choices at hand can make the experience feel a bit repetitive, and even annoying at times, but, as a whole, this is a pretty solid recommendation for lovers of challenging action-adventures with a dreadful atmosphere.
Both games still hold up well today, and, at the very least, Final Fantasy X alone can make this compilation worth the purchase, especially now it is portable on Nintendo Switch. Although this edition of Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster isn't as graphically impressive as other ports and is missing the PC boosters, it remains a highlight of the franchise and shouldn't go missed. Unskippable cut-scenes in this day and age is a huge negative, though!
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the breath of fresh air the "Soulsborne" sub-genre needed. It proves that stats, levelling-up, and equipment, is not what makes this kind of games.
The combat system has been tweaked just enough to keep things fresh for Dead or Alive 6, but there is this niggling feeling that the budget just wasn't there for this game, which is unfortunate, because there are plenty of modes and great characters to enjoy. A few too many aspects stand out as sub-par, though, leading to disappointment for many that have been waiting so long for the next entry in this franchise. Still a whole lot of fun and worth at least trying the free-to-play version out if curious, but it may be best to wait for the likely Ultimate edition.