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.

Overall, it's not a bad remaster, it's mediocre. The game itself, however, is great. Pick it up.

Earth Defense Force 5 is a blast through and through. Blowing away insects and spaceships with a shotgun or energy blaster never gets old, and the various classes are diverse and worth trying out to see which one best fits your play style. Admittedly, 110 missions of non-stop shooting does get a bit tiresome, but just when you think you've seen it all, the game introduces a new enemy type or throws in a big set-piece level to shake things up. Even with the added improvements and changes, though, this is still a typical Earth Defense Force. Besides, who needs plot when you have giant mechs fighting giant monsters?

There is everything here to make a great game. The only thing it really needed was a few more months testing things out. Notably, the graphics need some upgrading, and combat devolves into repetition very soon. Smoothing some of these problems out would easily push this into a very high recommendation. As it stands now it acts as a novel throwback if nothing else.

Bash Party may become repetitive for some over time, but it does prove to be a far better package overall, offering a wealth of gameplay for those that get hooked by the formula.

While by no means revolutionary or necessary, the Fun Pack is a strong enough foundation to start a season pass on. Two new tracks and eight new vehicles add a hefty amount of freshness to the experience, and the Rallycross focus is a nice way of giving the pack a central theme. The new cars may not be a big enough grab for casual drivers, but more hardcore fans will certainly find themselves pleased with the additions. Time will tell if Project CARS 2's season pass will be a worthwhile investment, but the Fun Pack sets the stage quite nicely with plenty of content and focus to go around.

Titles like this are very rare, and are becoming less and less likely to be made with every passing year, as publishers are opting for more homogeneously designed releases. When Clover was around, it strove for interesting and eclectic action games, like God Hand and Viewtiful Joe. The team lives on in the form of Platinum Games, but even now it is a developer that plays it much safer than it used to. As far as conversions go, Okami HD is solid. Some aspects should be better when considering today's standards for remasters, but when the core experience is still able to hold up for over 10 years, it's hard to complain.

It might not capture the essence of the games it was originally inspired by, but by challenging those very genres and adding ideas of its own, it may well become a focal point in indie development, inspiring developers to create games in a similar vein.

At times, River City Melee Mach!! struggles under the weight of its own ambition. Attempting to balance a competitive brawler that features over 180 playable characters is a herculean task. It seems that the developer realized this, and focused its attention on making sure this is simply a joy to play. There will be times where nothing goes the way a player likes. Wins and losses aren't decided by chance, but random occurrences are bound to crop up. Nevertheless, Kunio-Kun fans will find a lot to like here. Even when matches devolve into complete disarray, they're still quite enjoyable. For best results, try and find a few friends to fight with.

For the fun gameplay alone, Iron Combat: War in the Air comes highly recommended. The learning curve is not too steep and it's a joy to play. However, it's not without a few flaws, so it is unlikely to appeal to everybody.

RPG maniacs who missed out on Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song Remastered due to the language barrier can finally check it out. International is the same remaster with identical QOL features, but now with additional language options to make it easier than ever for any Western gamer to enjoy this grossly overlooked, open-ended PlayStation 2 RPG.

It is a throwback and shows that gamers have not forgotten how fun it is to play games in the same room as others.

One Piece: Unlimited World Red Deluxe Edition is that rare licensed game with enough lasting power to please both fans and newcomers alike. Prior knowledge of the series certainly bolsters the experience, but the core mechanics are strong enough on their own where newcomers can hop in and enjoy themselves. The gameplay itself can feel repetitive during longer play sessions, but the mechanics aren't so simple to the point where they aren't at least somewhat engaging. At its core, One Piece: Unlimited World Red's MO is to be an easy to play adventure game set in the One Piece universe and, at that, it succeeds rather well.

Episode 3: Ripples provides the most harrowing story yet, as it greatly lifts the stakes in terms of life and death. While this started off as a meeting amongst political world leaders, it is clearly becoming apparent that there is a lot more in play than what it seems, and Louis does not know who he should trust, or even who is telling the truth. Unfortunately, the episode is plagued with glitches - one that can't be solved except for reloading the game - coupled with the choppy graphics and popping audio portions of the game that ruins what is otherwise the best story-driven episode of The Council yet.

Unfortunately, it does feel like a small step backwards after Marvel Super Heroes, with the missing open world being the biggest loss - this is LEGO Batman 3 and not LEGO DC Comics or LEGO Justice League, so there's still hope that an open world will come later, as this most certainly won't be the last in this franchise.

Robotics;Notes Elite is a great story and visual novel. It wraps everything in a very neat and slick package with little systems to keep the players brain from wandering, like the phones and encyclopaedia. This title moves visual novels as a medium forward with its CG and interactive scenes. If visual novels are of interest it would be a disservice to miss this Sci-Fi themed gem.

The old adage of less is more cannot be applied in this scenario as Nintendo Switch users are emphatically getting less bang for their buck. EA promised that the FIFA series on Switch would be the "Most immersive, social and authentic sports game ever created for Nintendo players," which is true, but it pales in comparison to its counterparts on rival consoles. If handheld gaming is the preference here, or Switch is the only option, then FIFA 19 will deliver strongly but, otherwise, it is best to pick this up on the Xbox One or PS4.

Soul Hackers is not a bad game, by any means. Shin Megami Tensei fans are going to find a lot here to enjoy. Dungeon crawler fanatics may enjoy themselves, as well. However, those unused to the genre or the series may find it an intimidating, difficult experience, and a dated one at that.

Fans of the series will feel at home with the handling model, which recaptures the feel and behaviour of the original in a new modern context with surprising success. It's not a sim-heavy experience, but it is an appropriate challenge that asks more of the player than the average arcade rally affair does. The car list is lacking in terms of modern options, but existing fans will have a soft spot for the classics on offer. It's just a shame that the career mode fails to distinguish itself, and the online multiplayer is sparsely populated. Any future iterations will need to be more inventive, but V-Rally 4 is a surprisingly fun throwback.

Considering Underground was developed originally as a simulator and will hopefully assist in the development of surgical skills, it's great to see it works well as a standalone game, too.

Whilst it may not be as polished as most games on the system, it's definitely worth checking out for anyone craving some hack 'n slash action on their 3DS.

Ubisoft's signature franchises continue to deliver on what the fans have come to expect and Far Cry 6 is no exception. A sprawling sandbox with tons to do and perfect escapism for a few hours… a few tens of hours. Fans of the series or Ubisoft's style, in general, will want to pick this one up, those who haven't ever clicked with them will find nothing new here to change their mind, with only a few changes that just do not push the boat out or move away from the formulaic. Most exciting though, is the upcoming DLC: a season pass that promises to give players a whole different experience. Stepping into the shoes of the villains of the previous games, starting with Vaas. Stay with us here at Cubed3, where we'll be covering it soon.

Today, much like mullets, the FMV is a niche prospect, but it is growing in popularity again. It's becoming a better fit for purpose in tandem with improvements in technology and streaming services, allowing for some more interesting and convenient delivery methods for the medium, blurring the lines of what a passive and interactive piece of media can be. The Gallery presents a compelling story, with some good tension, interesting concepts and even some decent jokes smattered in there, but it's the core concept of how the details shift through the two timelines that is its most compelling aspect. The marriage of content and the medium. Certainly, it would be recommended for an evening in with friends, which is a fair metric to judge it by.

However, Wii Karaoke U perfectly fits Nintendo's audience - it's clean, it's accessible, and it promotes fun, above all else.

There's enough thumb-centric entertainment crammed into Tesla vs Lovecraft to keep even the most devoted twin-stick aficionado occupied until the Shoggoths come home. 10tons has lovingly crafted (pun intended) a dangerously addictive time sink of a game that intrigues with its oddball setting and overwhelms with its vast, attacking waves of horrors, while simultaneously offering a raft of levelling-up options that ensures those willing to take the fight to Cthulhu are locked in for the long haul.

The Intrigue expansion breathes a lot of new life into Galactic Civilizations III with new story elements, governments, and other minor additions. Some of the problems still exist, such as the very vicious mid/late game grind it often falls into, and while changes were made to help this, it is still present. Those who have had little problem with the action up until now will find the new content a welcome addition.

Owlboy is impressive if anything for its amazing visuals and animation. The gameplay gets by thanks to it being competent enough, but won't really inspire anyone. This is a pretty straightforward 2D action-adventure game that does a bit more heart than the average. Do not expect much replay value since it seems the developers poured their heart and soul into the main story and could not spare much more to have side content or any diversions to mix up the action. Also, do not go in expecting a metroidvania, because it is not.

Zoë Mode has taken the Disney magic and sprinkled it successfully over the Sing It franchise, making Disney Sing It: Family Hits a thoroughly entertaining karaoke experience with a great selection of popular songs available from a wide range of classic movies. However, there are a few limitations that really hold it back from being an essential purchase, most prominently the lack of any download content.