Q.U.B.E. 2 – Review (PC)

By Dave Lambden Last updated May 5, 2018

The aim of a solid puzzle game differs very little from any other game – it serves to create a rewarding sense of accomplishment. In this genre, that sense of accomplishment is usually generated by the player feeling smart. Q.U.B.E. 2 (Quick Understanding of Block Extrusion), the follow up to the 2012 indie sci-fi puzzler from developer Toxic Games, manages to make the player feel good about their IQ while not creating a sense of frustration. It is far from original, but this bite sized alien mind bender serves its purpose in challenging and rewarding its audience without a significant investment of time.

You play as Amelia Cross, a scientist tasked with analyzing a dig site on earth, who suddenly awakens in a sand storm on an alien planet. With no recollection of how she got there, the narrative kicks in to give obscure clues on Amelia’s location and what she must do to get home. Soon after arrival, the disoriented scientist finds herself trapped inside an alien construct, which is a seemingly long dead, but once living structure.

The player progresses through the structure with the help of a high tech suit used to manipulate the environment in order to progress. Amelia’s suit grants her the ability to control small square pads that generate blocks with different abilities. A blue block serves a launch pad, the orange extends outwards, and the green provides as a projectile and stepping stool of sorts. You will find a spattering of other uses for each of these blocks, and unique ways in which they can interact with one and other. While the end goal of each new area is clear upon entry, the solution is rarely as obvious. I never found a puzzle that felt too easy (save for the tutorial sequences) or too challenging. Puzzle games like this run the danger of frustrating the player into submission, but Q.U.B.E. 2 manages to balance problem and solution in a way that keeps it rewarding until the very end.

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As you progress through Q.U.B.E. 2‘s roughly five hour campaign, the game manages to find new and interesting ways to challenge the player. At one point, the environment splits into three and Amelia must find a way to power a trio of generators in the facility. I fully expected each of these areas to use modest variations of the others mechanics and just increase the size and scale. However, to my delight, the game is able to use these sections to introduce new objects and items for the player to manipulate and master their understanding of. It is able to stay refreshing and original throughout.

Controls are simple and intuitive. You’ll feel like a Jedi Knight using the Force as you push your left hand forward to place a block, and your right hand to wave to summon its abilities.

Q.U.B.E. 2 does not offer much in the way of replayability. A “Stats” screen is available from the Main Menu and allows you to track Distance Covered, Cubes Placed, Time Played, and more. Think golf with these stats – the lower the better. You could return for multiple playthroughs in order to reduce those numbers as low as possible, but this isn’t enough of a draw to keep players around for long.

The story plays out solely through radio transmissions, a la Metal Gear Solid’s codec system. The protagonist is able to speak primarily with her colleague, Emma Sutcliffe who directs her through the labyrinth and comforts Amelia on her mission. However the story only serves as set dressing and doesn’t do much in the way of providing purpose. Q.U.B.E. 2‘s setting itself doesn’t feel like an alien craft and feel much too similar to the derelict labs of Portal that this game draws obvious inspiration from. You often forget where you are and what your end goal is as you move through Q.U.B.E 2‘s puzzles. It’s only after you reach a new area and your science team member chimes in on the radio that you’re reminded there is an overarching story here. It’s not necessary and really just gets in the way of where the real fun lies.

Q.U.B.E 2 utilizes the latest iteration of the Unreal Engine, and it’s put to good use in some respects. With small confined areas this is not a graphically demanding game and, as a result, can be run at high settings with only a modest PC setup. Much attention has been given to detail and lighting effects, as bloom and glare effects can be seen interacting well with several different parts of the environment. The drab and sterile craft you are trapped in is occasionally interrupted by blasts of color from open areas and monuments sparingly placed throughout. These are meant to provide wonder and curiosity about the alien craft, but really only serve to add variety to the game’s limited color pallet.

Another notable aspect of the game is the music. It skillfully creates a somber yet slightly unsettling sci-fi tone. There’s not much to the music, but its simplicity lends itself well to the personality that the story is attempting to create. Serving as an audible queue when a new area is entered, the music also provides as a useful mechanic in a game that can be difficult to navigate with areas closely resembling one and other. I only wish there were more of it.

This is not a ground breaking entry into the genre, nor will it inspire a new generation of puzzle games. The original drew criticism for being far too derivative of the Portal series, and the sequel does little to quell those complaints. But that’s okay. With no Portal sequel on the horizon, this is the next best thing.

Q.U.B.E. 2 is at its best when all of its elements come together to stimulate the player into using their block based tool belt to the fullest. Its cryptic and confusing story gets in the way, but not enough to impede your enjoyment.

Recommendation: If you have a passing interest in the puzzle genre, or just loved Portal like I did, Q.U.B.E. 2 offers a rewarding experience, even if for just a short period of time.