Cubed3's Reviews
Made out to be something bigger than it is, The Nightmare fails to deliver once again in what is a recurring theme for Shadow of the Tomb Raider's download content. The Croft Manor sequence could and should have been something much more than it was, and the tomb is another short and simple challenge. There are always signs of something good in each of these DLCs, but none have added up to anything great yet.
Wulverblade might not be the most innovative of titles, but what it does it does really well. This is everything you ever loved about the beat 'em up genre, put into one stylized little package. It doesn't reinvent the genre, or even really add anything new, but at the same time it doesn't really need to. Fans of the genre will love what this has to offer though, and it might even manage to draw some newcomers in as well. With some slick and enjoyable combat and a unique, interesting visual aesthetic, it is hard to not be immediately drawn in by Wulverblade. It really is a great title, so grab a sword and start slashing your way through medieval Britain.
Those without the calmest of dispositions need not apply. HoPiKo is the type of game that can quite easily cost the lives of a few controllers, and on Switch that could get a little pricey for those who like to play in handheld mode. Few will enjoy this, but those that do, will bloody love it this punishing, maddening, insane, brutal, and brilliant pain in the behinds. Those looking to be truly challenged, buy this now.
Despite a fairly strong lead in from Thicker Than Water, Episode 5: From the Gallows is unable to craft a wholly satisfying conclusion to A New Frontier's story. In many respects, this finale is exemplary of Telltale at its absolute worst: uneven character focus, forced cameos, rushed pacing, meaningless choices, and uninspired plotting. Although A New Frontier comes out thematically cohesive, that means little when the final product found itself unable to fully develop its cast before the finale while also refusing to commit to either Javi or Clem as the protagonist. As From the Gallows comes to a close, it feels as it season three still had more story to tell.
Remothered: Tormented Fathers is wasted potential. This is supposed to be the start of a trilogy, and hopefully the designers will learn from this mulligan and make something that has a bit more polish next time. Chris Darril's heart is in the right place, and he is proven to be a very capable game designer - the next effort just needs to be more carefully thought out and play-tested.
There are myriad good reasons why Marvel's Spider-Man is the best-selling and highest-rated Spider-Man title in years. While it has a few glaring flaws, they pale in comparison to all of the things the team at Insomniac got right. A well-acted, strong story serves as the backbone for an experience that just plain feels right for Spider-Man, and fans and newcomers alike won't be disappointed by this trip to the Spider-verse.
Cities: Skylines is one of, if not the premier city building sim on the market. The amount of detail it is able to cram into every facet of the experience can feel intimidating at first, but getting to know all of the features at their disposal will be both crucial and satisfying in the player's pursuit of the greatest city on Earth. Some performance issues place a damper on the experience, as does the absence of content available in other versions of the game. Regardless, for Switch owners wanting to get their fix of constructing their very own megalopolis would be hard pressed to find a better resource than this.
£3.99 might not sound like much, but it's still overpriced for what is a really boring bit of content, with a Challenge Tomb that isn't on par with some of the ones from the main adventure. It is over far too quickly, but the Time and Score Attacks and ability to tackle it through online co-op add some reasons to re-run.
Despite starting stronger than the previous DLC, getting right into the puzzling and platforming action, The Pillar doesn't really feel like a Challenge Tomb. It's more like a challenge leading up to a tomb, which is followed by some minor combat areas. Perhaps these additional missions really are going to be much smaller than many would have anticipated.
Chronus Arc is not a bad old-school RPG by any means, but after all the time since its original release, it now suffers from the comparison with other games from even the same developer that are already out on Switch.
Football Manager 2019 Touch is a fantastic package, that makes just enough incremental improvements to the UI, and the general flow and functionality of the experience, that fans who enjoyed and got plenty of mileage out of last year's edition, will be tempted to update. For newcomers to the series, there couldn't be a better time to jump in. The Touch series knows how to mediate the overwhelming nature of the experience, with a friendlier interface and some hand-holding that helps level out the initial complexity. With that said, the most avid of fans, who play the PC releases religiously, may find the spirit of this experience to be too watered-down. It really depends on whether they can tolerate the compromises, which have been made for the sake of functionality and accessibility, particularly with newcomers in mind. Overall, Football Manager 2019 Touch provides hundreds of hours of football strategy fun.
Yo-Kai Watch 3 is a fantastic last hurrah for the series on the 3DS platform, which is also an ideal jumping in point for new players. Although it's very much in the vein of a Pokémon-styled adventure, it's a franchise with its own interesting quirks. The battling system, which has been much improved here, offers something different, with its fast-paced special-attack mini-games and new Tactics Medal Board. On top of this, the universe of Yo-Kai Watch is very imaginative and vibrant in its own way. The concept of these creatures, influenced and based on Yōkai, is very interesting and with 600 Yo-kai in this version, that sense of discovery is palpable and ever-present. Although on a mechanical level, Yo-kai Watch 3 isn't as polished as a Pokémon title, it makes up for this in droves with its flexibility, not to mention its sense of charm and adventure. Great fun.
Sid Meier's Civilization VI on the Nintendo Switch is a huge success.
In an age where remakes and remasters are as hotly anticipated as the biggest AAA title, it's great to see yet another gem from yesteryear arrive, giving players who never experienced it the first time around a second chance and letting players who enjoyed it originally revisit just what made it stand out to them. The Mario RPG series is a perfect example. It is criminally underrated and deserves to be lauded far more. Any new opportunity to do that is a blessing. This was an awesome game almost a decade ago and now it has gotten a fresh lick of paint and it is looking better than ever.
A fun little throwback to a simpler time, and a fun bash in local co-op, but ultimately a little disappointing considering the lack of lifespan. The core Tour Mode is too short and too easy, and then the extra modes are far too limiting to give this sufficient replayability. For fans of the series that didn't already play this in its first release, it's worth picking up to relieve the original, but it's not worth a double dip.
AER: Memories of Old is a game for people that liked the sailing in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, but didn't like the actual gameplay part of it.
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate is an acquired taste that long-standing fans of the franchise will happily drink from. The formula for killing monsters and turning them into better gear to take on the bigger monsters is an addictive loop that is only broken up by the mindless and annoying 'egg delivery' quests, and occasional battle control limitations. Whether playing online with a group of friends or in Solo mode, this is a menu-heavy experience that may easily scare away series newcomers who are used to Monster Hunter: World. While Ultimate is not a streamlined experience, beneath the thick and scary exterior is an extremely deep system-based epic adventure.
Built to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Final Fantasy, this is a fitting commemoration. The story is wonderful, the writing regularly funny, the turn-based combat is a big reason as to why the series is so adored, and the raising and capturing of Mirages is joyous.
Project Highrise: Architect's Edition is a great overall package for any sim fan to enjoy. Thanks to the DLC, there is a lot of content here to enjoy, and a really addicting experience to have. The scenarios could be a little more varied, but they all have their own set of unique challenges to overcome - not to mention, for those that prefer, the sandbox mode allows players to enjoy building any way they want. Playing on the Switch is generally a good experience, albeit the UI can pose some challenges to clarity on the screen, particularly in undocked mode. This is a title to pick up, though, and is sure to scratch the simulation itch for so many.
Pikuniku's minimalistic visuals, wacky humour, overall happy vibe, light collect-athon mindset, and simple gameplay mechanics, make it a good pick for those who just want to kill an evening or two with something that's fun, but not that demanding. Sadly, there's a severe lack of content at hand, which is surprising given the length of it all.