Cubed3's Reviews
There's nothing new to say about Guerrilla that hasn't been said before - its gameplay is solid and enjoyable enough to hold up its shortcomings in the story and graphics departments. They just don't make games like this anymore, and perhaps with good reason. Nevertheless, this is a robust cult classic that houses some thrills up its sleeve. It's intriguing that Red Faction has even made a reappearance… Is THQ Nordic gauging interest for a sequel, perhaps?
For an action-adventure title, inaccurate hit-boxes and level-design that's even slightly off can be a deal-breaker. Rather than get dragged down by its deficiencies, Blasphemous rises above to create a uniquely engaging experience.
Gamers may not remember Turrican. Thankfully, Gunlord X is here to fill that gap inside everyone's soul, which only fast-paced 2D action can fill. Not since Sonic Mania has a throw-back retro style game been pulled off with this much panache and style. While it may not be lengthy, it is hard to let go of the controller because playing as Gunlord just feels so good and the wake of destruction he can leave feels so satisfying.
A brilliant remaster that has wiped the dust off the original Spyro trilogy and given it a lease of new life in the hope of introducing Spyro to a new generation of gamers. The Nintendo Switch feels like the most suitable home for a family friendly mascot platformer where so many primary colours are at full bloom, so it is a shame that it has taken such a long time for a port. The low level difficulty will be quite off-putting to seasoned gamers, but charming characters, varied worlds and a number of items to collect will keep younger players entertained for quite some time.
Home to an incredibly immersive world and the best combat on the Nintendo Switch, Astral Chain is a must-play not only for fans of the genre, but the medium as a whole. It is a title that understands the importance of balancing gameplay, story, and style without ever sacrificing substance for anything else. It's more accessible than most PlatinumGames titles without ever having to compromise its core mechanics. The slower start may alienate potential fans but sticking with Astral Chain leads to a surprisingly thematic script, incredibly deep combat, and what might be Platinum's best game to date.
Children of Morta is an exceptionally well made ARPG, where the same amount of attention has been given to all its aspects, from the way it plays, to the way it's story is told, to the way it looks. Those in search for something with hundreds of hours of additional content should better look elsewhere, but the pleasure of combat (solo or co-op), and the addictive nature of rogue-likes, combined with the strong narrative, and the fantastic ultra-detailed pixel art style, gives a pretty good reason to put this on your wishlist - NOW!
Catherine: Full Body's narrative contributions may ultimately serve to hinder what was an otherwise thoughtfully written story about self-discovery, but the overall improvement when it comes to gameplay is almost staggering.
Altogether, Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors is an exemplary update to the 1994 original. Both the new and returning characters have impressive move-sets. Discovering how to implement these techniques is very rewarding. The eight stages aren't especially creative, but they all have strong fundamentals. If players want a spot on the online leaderboards, then they have to take as little damage as possible, and accurately gauge threats. While it is fun to mash on hapless grunts, targeting elites is the only way to survive. This is one beat em' up gem that you don't want to miss.
This is, for the most part, a disappointment. By no means a terrible game, Vambrace: Cold Soul plays it a bit too safe with its concepts, as most of them are straight up copied from better tactical rogue-likes and RPGs, and especially Darkest Dungeon. Gorgeous character design can only get you so far...
While just a 10 to 15-hour adventure, more crazy things happen in Anodyne 2: Return to Dust than in any other 100-hour RPG. What starts as a simple 3D explorer/platformer and Zelda-esque dungeon crawler, soon turns into a journey through a realm that is otherworldly beyond any doubt, and yet manages to feel so familiar... like a faint memory, or a place you paid a visit in your sleep. It's not a game that was designed to be experienced by everyone, yet everyone is advised to experience it, if only for its beautiful, vintage PS1 visuals.
Lucah: Born of a Dream is the type of game that starts off great, but the more someone plays, the more they realize it isn't really so. Combat ultimately is repetitive, the graphics are bad enough that important scenes are lost, and the largest problem is that the 'deep' story is so vague that this becomes an annoyance every time some dark concept is dropped on the player only to never be seen again. To allow a player to finish a sizable play-through and have zero idea on the story is unforgivable.
For the spiritual sequel of the Momodora games, Minoria doesn't really do much to separate itself from them, or add some new mechanics. For some that won't be a problem.
On a scale of best to worst Final Fantasy titles, XII sits somewhere in the middle. It exists in a bland limbo of mediocrity. The best qualities lie in its art direction, music and animation. Being able to play with a high speed mode truly illustrates just how slow and tedious the combat actually is and by circumventing it entirely, a huge portion of the experience is compromised but also the overall product is made more enjoyable.
Wreckfest is at its best when you don't take it too seriously. It features a great handling model that's sufficiently deep and rewarding to master. The wild and dirty races tend to be quite enjoyable too. Of course, the chaos can sometimes become frustrating. There are few things worse than getting knocked off the track at the last possible moment. It's even more agonizing when it's not entirely your fault. Those who persevere, despite the occasional bout of unfairness, will get a lot of mileage out of this.
MetaGal is the store-brand version of - any - Mega Man. It has all of the elements from said franchise, but none of the charm - competent, but unremarkable. The pieces are there for a good experience, but the potential is withheld, and the result is a title that's merely serviceable. With the much better-made, and entertaining Mega Man 11 out, there's no need to bother with this one. Like Mighty No.9, it attempts to be a spiritual successor to the classics, but past the retro aesthetics, there is a game that's simply run-of-the-mill.
Control is in turns silly, satirical and solemn, combining an underlying existential dread with a triumph through heroism in a way that no other superhuman tale ever has.
Strictly as an adventure-type videogame, Sagebrush is as simplistic one can get. As an experience, though, it's an unforgettable journey to the bizarre world of religious fanaticism, and, more specifically, suicide cults; one with an incredibly immersive, hair-raising atmosphere, in great part courtesy of its incredibly fitting, 32-bit era visuals, and minimalist approach to sound. If a fan of short, narrative-driven, psychological thrillers, this is a must-buy.
Picross S3 definitely improved since its predecessor Picross S2. Especially the newly added colour picross mode is a lot of fun to play and makes a real difference in the gameplay experience. This entry offers more variability, making it easier to play longer and harder to get bored. However, it still has a variety of flaws that could be tended to in the future.
Offering three of the best action RPGs of all time, in one complete package, Collection of Mana is a must play for fans of the series, the genre, and the medium.
Oninaki is a welcomed trip down memory lane to the glory days of Chrono Trigger, fully capturing the nostalgia of the time. However, like Tokyo RPG Factory's previous creations, while there's a lot to enjoy here, the flaws cannot be ignored.