SUMMARY: 4.5/5.0
I did not play the original Q.U.B.E. game. However, it was very easy to quickly immerse myself in the world and understand enough of the story to enjoy the game without feeling I was missing anything. I would imagine that perhaps those who played the original may be more immediately invested in the characters if they appeared in the original. Otherwise, I don't think it's necessary to have played the original to appreciate this installment.
Developer: Toxic Games
Genre: Puzzle
Release Date: February 21, 2019
Platform: Nintendo Switch (Also available on PS4, PC, & XBOXONE)
Price: $29.99
MECHANICS
Q.U.B.E. 2 is a puzzle adventure game. This game is a great puzzle fix for fans of the Portal series. It follows a very similar level structure, and the types of puzzles are extremely similar. Rather than using portals to move through the levels, you manipulate the environment to generate and move cubes. These environmental puzzles are satisfying to solve, and generally just difficult enough to keep players challenged without being too obtuse or frustrating. There were only a few that stumped me to the point of seeking help from the internet. The mechanics are introduced gradually so that the puzzles build on an increasing number of player abilities, and this momentum felt well-balanced and well-paced throughout the game.
STORY
Q.U.B.E. 2 has a very minimal narrative, delivered through occasional dialogue, narration, and recordings. There's nothing particularly groundbreaking about the story, but it also doesn't interfere with gameplay. It's simple and unobtrusive, and the player gets this story in small, well-spaced intervals. and has just enough detail to keep players casually interested as they progress through the puzzles. There isn't any clever or funny dialogue like there is in Portal, but again, what is there is adequate for this game. At the very least, this game was one of the few that I didn’t feel over-explained the plot to the player.
TECHNICAL
The one aspect where this game truly falls short is technical execution, and here I only have minor complaints. The first half of the game ran smoothly, if not flawlessly, on my Nintendo Switch. However, past that point, I started running into a number of technical glitches with the environment. Foliage in particular would not render until I was in near-immediate proximity. However, from my research this may be an issue specific to the platform, and players on PC may not encounter this at all.
Conclusion
Q.U.B.E. 2 is light on story and perfect for fans of games like Portal and The Talos Principle. The graphical issues are minor and likely to be fixed by the developers, so I don’t have any hesitations about recommending this game, even at full price. If you’re looking for a quiet, beautiful, day full of puzzles, with an undercurrent of mystery narrative, culminating in a binary decision determining the fate of mankind, this game is definitely for you.