Qube 2... is one beautiful looking... first-person puzzle adventure thinga-mah-game.
Qube 2 is the sequel to... (you guessed it) Qube that was released back in 2010 by fellow classmates. Qube actually began as a class project which is another origin point for some indie games, so... that's pretty cool. Qube 2 places you in the shoes of an archaeologist by the name of Amelia Cross who finds herself... stranded on an alien planet. The ultimate goal is... to get off of this planet, but its a game, so it's not exactly going to be that easy. During your journey you are... sorta kinda accompanied by a fellow survivor via your comlink. Commander Emma Sutcliffe communicates with you throughout your adventure as you solve puzzles to not only progress through the alien planet but to also meet up with Emma in order to escape together.
At the start of this adventure (after Amelia passes out)... she wakes up in a suit with gloves that allow her to manipulate panels for the purpose of solving the puzzles in each area. One color (blue) allows for bouncing, another (green) allows for you to create blocks, and the third (red) allows for an extendable block. You start off simple... which is to be expected, and the puzzles get more and more complex as you move forward in your adventure.
You will be facing over 80 puzzles in this visually appealing adventure... that honestly (honestly... like seriously) reminds me of Mirror's Edge, minus the cityscape... especially when you land from high places. I would've done a bit more with the water (especially since the fire and oil are done so well) in certain areas but other than that visuals get a thumbs up.
When it comes to the audio, I listened with both surround sound, headphones, and standard tv speakers. Clearly, the standard television speakers didn't sound as good as the headphones and the surround sound, but overall good work on the audio. Price wise the game stands strong at $24.99, even though I would have aimed for a $19.99 price tag... but it's on point where it is.
One downside to this game that's not going to affect the overall score, and it's one that I like at the same time... is the first person action (but before you lose it... I'll explain). The first person view leaves something to be desired, and I know (I know... I know) it's a puzzle game, but perhaps the team can do something in the future where you take on an enemy and also solve puzzles in order to shake things up. I won't get into specifics (i'll hang onto my concepts) but you get the idea... it could bring something new to the table in a potential... Qube 3. The only con is the replay value. Yes, you have over 80 puzzles, and its a nice experience, but... replay value can be a plus (beyond the available achievements). A level editor works well to give replay value to puzzle games, but there could've also been a way to publish speed run times too... which is something to think about in the future. Statistics are available, but... that's not exactly screaming "challenge!".
Overall, this is a visually appealing first-person puzzle game delivering depth and a slew of puzzles at a good price. Will the team show off some new tricks in a potential third installment? Let's see, until then this is a job well done and I enjoyed the experience. I recommend this to fans of puzzle games with depth that doesn't require you to be... competitive, fans of variety, and fans of first-person games who want a change of pace in that genre.
Fun factor: 4
Visually: 5
Replay value: 2
Price: 5
"4 / 5 Cool Points"
Brought to you by the... Baby Fu Clothing Co!
