Cubed3's Reviews
Playing Hitman: Absolution on Switch is a great way to replay it or give it a second chance. The gyro aiming improves the playability dramatically and may get veteran naysayers to accept the game on its own terms. It's a flawed and sometimes dumb experience with situations that make no sense, but still manages to be one of the better third-person action-adventure games, and a lot of it has to do with the gritty signature Hitman ambiance, presentation, and 47's impossibly cool dialogue and wit. He's a fun character, and getting any chance to be him is worth a few instances of sloppy design.
A personal penchant for SNK’s works will be one of the biggest factors in purchasing Picross S: SNK Classics & Neo Geo Edition, but with the amount of content on offer, with hundreds of puzzles of varying difficulties crammed into one package, this latest iteration can be recommended to any Picross fan.
The move to a 3D presentation came out well for R-Type Delta, and it looks great all these years later in this revamped format. An excellent soundtrack makes every stage more exciting, and the variety of spacecraft to choose from keeps playthroughs fresh. Like most shoot ‘em ups, this is a tough game, but it is one that sits right up there in the genre. That said, more features, unlockables and screen filters could have really elevated R-Type Delta: HD Boosted.
Cosy games really don’t get much better than PowerWash Simulator 2. The premise is perfect, the execution is simple but inspired, and the satisfaction of clearing away grime never gets old. There’s some fairly expansive level variety on offer despite the one-note formula, and the inclusion of split-screen multiplayer sweetens the deal even further. If you fancy some simple, turn-off-your-brain fun at the end of a long day (or can’t get enough of your real-life chores), PowerWash Simulator 2 is for you.
A good third-person shooter but a bad Tomb Raider game; that’s what Crystal Dynamics’ reboot for Lara Croft boils down to. When you ignore the inconsistencies between the story and gameplay, as well as the annoying characters and poor writing, Lara’s survival adventure on Yamatai is a worthwhile distraction that plays smoothly and has plenty to do. The great price that others could learn from means this is well within impulse-buy territory too.
With its boost‑and‑drift mechanics and chaotic action, the concept may take some time to fully click. Once it does, Kirby Air Riders becomes an exhilarating, stylish racer with plenty of depth. Road Trip brings real longevity, the returning modes are better than ever, and the wealth of unlockables keeps the momentum high. It’s a colourful, technically impressive showcase and a passionate revival of a cult favourite. Kirby Air Riders is a Nintendo Switch 2 essential, built with passion and unbound fun at its core.
Stray Children is like a meteor blazing through the sky, meant only for those who truly appreciate the pure sincerity and childlike wonder of video games. No nonsense attached, just a game brought to life by those who understand the magic of classic RPGs, reminding all that creativity is what makes a game truly special, beyond tropes or clichés. It’s not a game for everyone. While it might seem warm and cuddly, it's unfair and unintuitive, much like life itself.
Some of the things Football Manager 26 implements are a step forward for the franchise, such as the shift to allow tactical tweaks for every moment of the match, and the match engine is also noticeably improved. However, FM26 does not feel like an upgrade on 2024’s edition and that is down to a combination of the removed features and UI decisions. Too much information is hidden away, and the gameplay loop becomes about going from one fixture to the next and ticking them off, as opposed to before, when it became impossible not to get sucked into the drama of the world. This franchise has a fantastically loyal fanbase and they are good at seeing the bigger picture. Nobody can question the work ethic of the team at Sports Interactive and they deserve the time and space to ensure FM26 can become the first step in another successful evolution for the series.
It is easy to fall in love at first glance with Lego Party. It is a game that many have unknowingly been waiting for, and its presentation and first impression are on a whole different level. It feels like a perfect match for anyone seeking an exceptional digital party game. However, once the honeymoon phase is over, all the flaws start to appear, and they become too much. Poor controls, extremely small boards, and a mix of mini-games that feel disjointed make this a challenging title to recommend. It has some wonderful ideas and a solid foundation to build upon, but it falls short in executing the details.
Spindle is a delightful little action‑adventure that wears its retro influences proudly while layering in thoughtful narrative, expressive characters, and a surprisingly weighty theme about death and what comes after. The controls are responsive, and the visuals are quite nice to behold. If you’re a fan of top‑down 2D adventures, keen on something both light and meaningful, this is a worthwhile play. If you crave groundbreaking mechanics or very long playtimes, you may find it a bit short and familiar, but there are hidden trinkets to find and side quests to help pad your play time if you want to go for the completionist route.
If craving a punishing retro-style brawler, Slave Zero X has what it takes to test your patience - in more ways than one. While it nails the tone and equal parts stylish and grotesque aesthetic of ‘90s anime action, behind its cool look, strong atmosphere and neat ideas lies a failed attempt at channelling the spirit of a Devil May Cry or Bayonetta; one so weighed down by frustration, imbalance and sloppy execution that its brilliance struggles to shine through.
The story doesn’t deliver a whole lot of entertainment outside of a couple of characters, and it ends up a shame that more curveballs aren’t thrown in that regard, but Tears of the Kingdom fans will get some satisfaction from events that play out in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. Flashy moves and superficial depth don’t really change the simplicity of gameplay, but it is still fun, coming alive in co-op and catering greatly to franchise regulars that appreciate mindlessly wailing on hundreds of foes using characters from their favourite Hyrulean races.
With some truly interesting ideas and story at times, it is even more of a shame that it's the “game” part of Unknown 9: Awakening that drags down the whole experience. Worth a playthrough certainly, but also lacking in some fundamental areas for the era that has ensured this will probably be the last we see of Haroona and the hooligans.
Being flawless in its execution, a purchase all boils down to if the premise appeals. If a fan of the series, Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake cannot be recommended enough, with a beautiful reimagining that is hoped will continue in future releases beyond the first three games. If a newcomer to this and the genre as a whole, take comfort in how accessible this has been made, but beware: when those visuals and score fill the screen, being hooked for life is a real possibility.
Little Nightmares III is a haunting continuation that expands the series’ scope, but its execution stumbles. The Spiral is memorable, and Switch 2’s hardware ensures smoother performance, yet clunky controls, unreliable AI, excessive darkness, and uneven pacing weigh heavily. For co‑operative players, there are flashes of brilliance; for solo adventurers, frustration often overshadows fear. In the end, it leaves a creative but flawed sequel. The atmosphere endures, but the issues mentioned rear there head too often, and mixed with the overall muddled direction, it means the Spiral’s horrors are as often frustrating as they are frightening.
An amazing adventure story remastered in a slightly odd way, Syberia Remastered is not the definitive Syberia experience in its current form. The bugs and issues are overwhelming, but will hopefully be quickly patched up so it can function as intended. The new artwork and environments are excellent, managing to recapture the original art style and atmosphere of Syberia overall, but there are too many negative points to ignore. The core story will keep players invested, but perhaps Microids will need to go back to the drawing board on some of the ideas seen in this title before approaching Syberia 2.
Stray Children is one of those rare games that likely will be spoken about decades into the future among its cult following and in general cultural circles. Just like the game that most likely served as a foundational inspiration, EarthBound, it will likely not achieve widespread commercial success worldwide. It is like this great and now deeply recognised title used to be: too far ahead of its time. While not beneficial to the bottom line, it is probably for the better that Stray Children did not aim to be a crowdpleaser. As a game, it is great with some very odd and inconvenient choices. As a piece of art, it is masterfully and deliberately designed with atmosphere and worldbuilding in mind. All that is left to wish for is that it dared to take those final steps away from trying to be a great video game with some strange padding at the end, and instead fully embraced itself as a rebellious artistic experience, not giving a care in the world about boorish things like ”industry standards” and ”gameplay length”.
Although it preferably needs to be played as part of the Alphadia trilogy to understand all of the plot, Alphadia 3 is a solid RPG on Nintendo Switch. The combination of engaging battle powers, diverse team formation arrays and amusing group dynamics makes it an engaging experience for the ever-growing KEMCO library.
Detective Dotson would be a neat pixel-art screensaver that depicts the vibrantly coloured, densely populated world that is India. As an actual interactive experience? It’s a boring fetch quest and mini-game heavy kind of mess hiding behind a pretty face.
When in full flow, Star Overdrive gives a great sense of speed and fun from its hoverboard dynamic. It's unfortunate, then, that any reason for the exploration is missing, with similar bland puzzling and the same rinse and repeat scavenging mechanic. With the exception of some fun boss battles and hoverboard mechanics, this one doesn't stick the landing.