Q.U.B.E: Director’s Cut review: it’s hip to be cubed

Valve’s Portal was the unintentional gem of the Half-Life Orange Box. The title was a sleeper hit and soon everyone — gamers and non-gamers alike — were singing the lines to “Still Alive.”

It’s been a while since we last had an entry in the series, and Portal‘s presence in LEGO Dimensions will take a while to hit us. Will Q.U.B.E., a first-personal Portal-esque game soothe our savage and ravenous needs?

Developed by a small UK-based game studio, Toxic Games, this is actually a re-release of the original Q.U.B.E. The ‘Director’s Cut’ includes a brand new story, voice acting, time-trial, and soundtrack over the original.

You play as an unnamed mute male protagonist (original, right?) and wake up in a strange white room with no real idea of what’s going on. Someone soon contacts you via radio and explains the situation: you’ve been tasked with destroying the Q.U.B.E, a large alien structure, which is on a collision course with Earth.

Of course, it’s not as simple as that and the story may have you questioning what your true mission is. I do wish the tale had more to it. It’s fun and interesting, but I didn’t feel as if there was enough of it.

Game information

Release Date: 21 May 2014
Developers: Toxic Games
Engine: Unreal 3 Engine
Genre: Action/adventure; puzzle
Platform: PC, Linux, Mac OS X (Steam)
Playthrough time: 6-8 hours
Price: US$9.99

How are you supposed to save the Earth? Well by solving puzzles, of course. I know what that may sound like, but the puzzle system is unique. The protagonist is equipped with gloves that allow him to manipulate different magnetic surfaces and objects.

Being a first person puzzler, everything is done within a 3D environment. Unlike the game I semi-compared it to, there are no sections which will give you motion sickness.

Within the Q.U.B.E different coloured panels, surfaces, and objects have different functions. For example, purple rotates a section of floor/wall and blue propels the protagonist or object into the air, like a spring. Each of the items plays a vital role within the puzzle you’re currently engaged with.

There were times when I needed to look at some YouTube Let’s Play videos in order to solve a puzzle or three. While the game eases you into the mechanic of each colour by forcing you to figure out what each item does, the difficulty can and will be ramped up.

Besides the standard puzzles, there are several hidden ones. If you manage to find of these, which is no easy feature, be prepared for some incredibly difficult puzzles.

Q.U.B.E runs on the Unreal 3 engine, which is always crisp, clean, and clear. There are, however, times when the framerate drops slightly or the video tears. These aren’t major issues at all and are negligible.

The game carries a very 60’s science fiction aesthetic look, which almost reminds me of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Oddessy, or Riddley Scortt’s Alien, except without feeling trippy.

Besides the colour blocks, cubes, and panels, most of the game consists of while walls, or pure darkness at times. Everything feels very clinical as opposed to the dark and gritty ‘realism’ of most of today’s media. This only lends to the game’s story.

It’s a short game taking 6-8 hours to complete it unless you get stuck in puzzle which may happen. Besides finding the hidden puzzles, a time attack mode is included to test your thinking skills. Q.U.B.E boils down to a weekend play and finish title which is a nice change from most epic RPGs, sandbox titles, or simulators on the market.

Coming in at 1.28GB, the game is both lightweight in its size and R129.00 price-tag. I do wish the creators had added a little more to it, but I can’t really fault them on the solid product they’ve created.

Verdict: Q.U.B.E is the type of game any Portal fan will enjoy. It has a decent play time, difficult enough challenges, and won’t bankrupt you like most new titles. Should you buy it? Absolutely yes.

Score: 9/10