Cubed3's Reviews
The Switch's catalogue of quality indie games adds yet another one to its remarkable line-up. Even better, it's something original - something to stand out against its peers. The combat and exploration elements are smooth and entertaining, the rogue-like elements dig addictive hooks deep, the presentation is surprisingly sharp, and the story is a pleasant surprise. Everspace deserves to be on more players' radars. Another hidden gem, and this one shines more than most.
'90s-inspired, card-building hack 'n' slasher, Book of Demons, is far from a perfect game. That's not the sad thing about it, though. The sad thing is that could certainly be perfect if the developer used the full potential of this fine take on action-RPGs. Having said that, fans of the genre should definitely give it a look, if only to taste what is a labour of love that just so happens to also be technically sound.
Amongst Deadfire's three DLCs, The Forgotten Sanctum is probably the best, as it understands the strengths of the core game much better, with a greater balance between battles, storytelling, and role-playing.
Apart from the wonderful 16-bit audio-visuals, Viviette turns out to be nothing more than a repetitive search for key-item after key-item, with a little bit of puzzle-solving thrown in, next to a simple horror tale that won't really creep you out that much.
There is more bang for the buck in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate than almost any other game - especially fighting games - since, well, probably the last Smash Bros. When you start lamenting a lack of new stages, hardly any extra music tracks from certain franchises, and a scarce amount of adventure cutscenes, you start to sound overly picky when there are nearly 900 songs, over 100 stages, and the solo quest is over 20 hours long. When so much of what's in a Smash game has been seen before, though, can a fan be blamed for expecting just a bit more? There always seems to be areas that Nintendo doesn't quite expand on - and with the removal of descriptive Trophies whilst using copy-pasted official art for Spirits, and the absolutely pitiful online mode setup and features contained within, it's difficult to say that this really is the ultimate Smash game. Regardless, it is a fantastic celebration of not just Nintendo, but video games in general, and it will provide months, if not years, of both solo and multiplayer mayhem.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a tour de force of a game. It says something that this very title inspired the creation of many similar turn-based styles, and probably helped push the rogue-like nature of permadeath even further than it had already started to become back in 2012. The sense of scale, and the equal sense of responsibility on the shoulders of the player to lead humanity's last stand, is immense, as, from USA to Australia, every theatre is covered, every front is battled, and every soldier's death is a tragedy that has an individual story behind it. That is the beauty of this creation, and that is the beauty of a game that feels like it is more than just a hobby - although it soon becomes an obsession. Of course, that was proven with its critical and commercial success, which spawned multiple expansions, a full-fledged sequel, and has, in many ways, turned the circle all the way back by inspiring future titles to build on the success and mechanics employed here.
Full Metal Furies can be fun with friends, but then again, what isn't? With some enemies becoming annoying and forcing a play style, compounded with visuals that have player-characters being a bit too small, playing this can be slightly irritating. At best, it is on the same level as something like Castle Crashers - not Scott Pilgrim VS The World: The Game. Expect a somewhat shallow guilty pleasure that has more pros than cons, but is otherwise forgettable.
Rainbow Skies has plenty of content, an enjoyable combat system that opens up the more it's played, and some memorable music. Unfortunately, there are countless other RPGs that also fulfil those criteria, plus much more. Couple this with the staggering amount of tedious combat animations, and it's hard to recommend this to anyone other than hardcore RPG fans. It's a (mostly) fundamentally decent game, but not much more.
Sheltered makes for an engaging time killer in short bursts, but very few of its survival themed mechanics serve in benefit to the overall experience. Where Scenario actually makes good use of the premise, Survive suffers considerably due to poor RNG, a tedious loop, and a difficulty curve that, while adjustable, does very little to accommodate newcomers. There is an admittedly strong thematic cohesion between the gameplay and atmosphere, but this doesn't do nearly enough to do its premise justice.
Rebellion has done a splendid job with reigniting the Battlezone franchise, and if the Gold Edition is anything to go by, then there is a great foundation upon which to build. The main crux of the game is to complete a lengthy campaign by traversing across the gameboard and completing a series of different battlezones to knock out the AI Core, who is controlling all the robotic enemies. The story just serves as a cheesy context for which Battlezone is set - but the fun gameplay and the added Nemesis difficulty does make this campaign a worthy enough experience to keep replaying for many mixed results.
In spite of an ending that arrives too soon, Moonlighter manages to offer an engaging balance of commerce and action up to the very end. There is a natural rhythm to opening the titular shop during the day only to dungeon crawl once night falls. Progression is constant, emphasizing a design philosophy that prioritizes a lack of wasted time above all else. From enhancing weapons to upgrading Rynoka, every piece of gold Will spends is in benefit to not only the player, but also the flow of it all. With surprisingly tight combat and an economy influenced exclusively by the protagonist himself, this is one of the most endearingly creative takes on action-RPGs this generation.
At times, the secret to enjoying a video game is patience. Like a seemingly incomprehensible puzzle, it's up to the player to take their time, giving careful consideration to every aspect. However, as Noahmund proves, patience can have its limits. There is merit to be found in this strategy RPG, but it's buried under a number of issues, namely the uneven pacing, annoying combat, and progress-halting bugs. Some people might be able to struggle through them; others will feel that their time is better invested elsewhere.
From beginning to end, Vritra is sure to have the player's full attention.
Guacamelee! 2 feels just as good as its predecessor overall. Some of the hardest sections can be even more frustrating than the hardest challenges found in the original, but this is somewhat counterbalanced by the fact that it does streamline a lot of things that were more complicated than they really needed to be. The adventure has the potential for replay value, especially with DLC, achievement and multiplayer for up to four players thrown into the mix. The Mexiverse certainly feels worthy of being saved, despite the sometimes infuriating challenge proposed by Guacamelee! 2, and fans of the Metroidvania genre in general, but fans of the original, in particular, should definitely check this one out.
Rogue Legacy is an indelible game to play on the Switch. It has a very fast-paced, pick-and-play cycle to the action,which is perfect for experiencing on the go -and the seemingly endless puns and dad-jokes will make any cynical and tired gamer smirk warmly. This is one of the few indie titles which show the potential of rogue-lite game design and how it can be made appealing. While it may look a bit on the cheap side, it's is fun where it counts and is definitely recommended to every Switch owner.
Manual Samuel is a unique little adventure with some good moments and a bizarre (to its benefit) control scheme. It's notably short, and some levels do lean on the repetitive side, but it's rare to see something quite like this. It has a lot of soul to it, much of which is due to focusing so heavily on comedy. It's enjoyable overall and is worth looking into if you don't mind playing something a bit different than usual, even if it could have been executed better.
Sky Force Anniversary is an endearing, if a bit repetitive, take on shoot 'em ups.
Unlike the recently released PlayStation Classic, SEGA Mega Drive Classics has had the effort put in to ensure that there is enough depth and optimisation to keep all players happy. The huge range of popular titles at such a low price is hard to pass up - a budget option for fans to sink their teeth into. Those very particular about their emulation may want to consider buying the newer line of SEGA AGES titles available on the eShop, but anyone who wants some classic '80s and '90s throwbacks should look no further.
Super Destronaut DX could've been a lot worse, but it certainly could've been far better, too. If you're extremely attached to space shooters from the late '70s and early '80s, then you might get something out of this. Otherwise, though, there's nothing done here that hasn't been already executed much better by other similar titles, and the fact that it doesn't add anything particularly unique or interesting to the table makes it difficult to recommend, even despite its low price.
Like other Exe-Create developed/KEMCO released turn-based RPGs, Fernz Gate delivers an interesting enough narrative, fun (if classic) battle mechanics, and character customisation options. Sadly, like its predecessors, it gets let down by a general mediocre, generic, and soulless visual presentation. Looking beyond this hurdle, however, what remains is a thoroughly enjoyable homage to 16-bit JRPGs that won't overstay its welcome, and which, for its price, proves fairly acceptable - and suitable for short bursts of play on the go. Here's hoping Exe-Create dares to try more grandiloquent things, and craft something way more memorable, because there is clearly potential.