By Anne Marie Beach
On the off chance you haven't already heard enough praise from me about this game, I have plenty of more where that came from. Brace yourselves. Here is my full review on Qbeh-1: The Atlas Cube, by Digital Tribe Games and Liquid Flower. Now available on Steam!
On the off chance you haven't already heard enough praise from me about this game, I have plenty of more where that came from. Brace yourselves. Here is my full review on Qbeh-1: The Atlas Cube, by Digital Tribe Games and Liquid Flower. Now available on Steam!
This week I had the pleasure of playing a little more in depth experience of Qbeh-1: The Atlas Cube. This puzzle/platformer was released last week amid much buzz from the gaming community, all of those who had the good fortune to play the original Qbeh. Whilst the the second installment of the series has no distinguishable plot, making it similar to Minecraft in a way, one can be easily drawn in by the obvious objective of navigating from point A to point B using a series of glowing blocks. While the idea seems simplistic it becomes much more complicated when the blocks can only be placed in certain spots marked in yellow or special symbols. The stakes are raised when you realise that you are suspended on a platform in the sky, and most puzzles require you to jump great distances in order to reach your goal.
Like in Portal, you must solve the puzzles with no hints and no explanation of what you are required to do to do so. The game starts on the first world, a fairly simple puzzle, that helps you get used to the different controls as well as what the blocks are needed for. You quickly learn that any missteps can result in falling to your death and getting the achievement “Can I fly Daddy?”. All the more frustrating is the intermittent, randomly placed, save points. The save points present as bird-like statues with their wings closed, when you approach the statues the wings open and the statue lights up, indicating a save. These sparse save points add to the palm-sweating experience of each different level.
Like in Portal, you must solve the puzzles with no hints and no explanation of what you are required to do to do so. The game starts on the first world, a fairly simple puzzle, that helps you get used to the different controls as well as what the blocks are needed for. You quickly learn that any missteps can result in falling to your death and getting the achievement “Can I fly Daddy?”. All the more frustrating is the intermittent, randomly placed, save points. The save points present as bird-like statues with their wings closed, when you approach the statues the wings open and the statue lights up, indicating a save. These sparse save points add to the palm-sweating experience of each different level.
The game is distinctly atmospheric, offering an eerie and breathtaking landscape that is vaguely reminiscent of Minecraft, even the music sounds inspired. The Atlas Cube is very beautifully crafted and gives one a sense of awe and wonder as you traverse the unique landscapes and maps. The world around you seems to crumble away with each step, making the levels more and more treacherous since you can never tell which blocks are going to break apart and go floating off into the sky. This adds to the immersion of the game, which becomes almost dream-like the further and further you progress.
Each block contains a special ability. Some create light in dark spaces, some open doors, others control gravity. Each block has a distinct colour that indicates its power. However, it is up to the player to discover just what that power is and how they can utilise it in the solution to the next puzzle. Each level has many such puzzles that you must solve to get to the next level, which in itself requires a lot of trial and error as well as critical thinking. One must have a grasp on how things work in the real world (stair-building is a big part of the game, for instance) and how it can apply to the puzzle. As you progress through the levels, and then through entire worlds, your grasp on reality tends to slip as the blocks give you greater powers to control and influence over the environment around you, giving a greater sense of scale and, again, raising the stakes.
You will be getting the best bang for your buck as the game contains several “worlds” each containing 6 levels that become increasingly more difficult and complex during your adventure. I highly recommend a playthrough if you enjoy this genre, especially if you are a fan of other unique puzzle/platformers such as Minecraft or Portal.
Give it a go this weekend. You won't be disappointed!
Each block contains a special ability. Some create light in dark spaces, some open doors, others control gravity. Each block has a distinct colour that indicates its power. However, it is up to the player to discover just what that power is and how they can utilise it in the solution to the next puzzle. Each level has many such puzzles that you must solve to get to the next level, which in itself requires a lot of trial and error as well as critical thinking. One must have a grasp on how things work in the real world (stair-building is a big part of the game, for instance) and how it can apply to the puzzle. As you progress through the levels, and then through entire worlds, your grasp on reality tends to slip as the blocks give you greater powers to control and influence over the environment around you, giving a greater sense of scale and, again, raising the stakes.
You will be getting the best bang for your buck as the game contains several “worlds” each containing 6 levels that become increasingly more difficult and complex during your adventure. I highly recommend a playthrough if you enjoy this genre, especially if you are a fan of other unique puzzle/platformers such as Minecraft or Portal.
Give it a go this weekend. You won't be disappointed!
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