Q.U.B.E. 2 Is A Sequel Done Right

QUBE 2

Having played the first Q.U.B.E. game, I was eager to demo its sequel at Rezzed 2017. Unfortunately it was the very last game I had a press slot for and, as I mentioned in my reflection on the weekend, I had zero brainpower available to tackle its difficult puzzles. For all its flaws, and if I’m honest it did have a fair few, it still made for a fairly challenging experience in first-person puzzling with its interesting, if slightly underdeveloped mechanics.

Initially releasing in 2011 for PC with the Director’s Cut releasing in 2014/15 for consoles, Q.U.B.E. involved an amnesiac astronaut making their way through a deserted, clinical space station, solving puzzles in order to prevent the ship from destroying Earth. This was achieved through the use of special gloves worn by the protagonist, allowing the player to interact with and manipulate coloured blocks in the environment; blue blocks could be retracted to be used as a springboard, for example. The Director’s Cut addressed numerous issues, such as the lack of a story, by introducing additional story and gameplay elements such as a scripted narrative, a soundtrack and ten time trial levels known as ‘Against the Qlock’.

A collaborative effort between award-winning developers Toxic Games and Trapped Nerve, Q.U.B.E. 2 is a marked improvement upon its predecessor. The team really took aboard the issues and criticisms given after the release of the first game. Choosing to turn to the dedicated fanbase for inspiration, the team took on board the likes and dislikes of the players, as well as suggestions for puzzles and game mechanics they would love to see come to fruition. The result is a far more fleshed-out and fulfilling narrative, with refined controls, fully-voiced characters and a far longer campaign.

QUBE 2

A ‘friendly bunch of guys who just enjoy making and playing games’, Toxic Games started life in 2010 as the student project of founders Daniel da Rocha, Dave Hall and Jonathan Savery. Interestingly, none of the three founding members had any programming experience, meaning their debut title was developed sans programmer. Guided by Indie Fund, an organisation created to aid budding indie video game developers, Q.U.B.E. became the first Indie Fund title to see release. Collaborators Trapped Nerve provided key team members such as environmental artist Harry Corr (works include Dirt Rally, one of my favourite games), BAFTA-nominated composer David Housden (Thomas Was Alone) and writer Benjamin Hill, who has worked on projects such as Ether One, among others.

A sequel for Q.U.B.E. has been in development since 2014, spawned from the desire to improve on the first game and introduce new gameplay mechanics and story elements; the most notable change is the player’s choice over which coloured cubes they place into the environment. Gone are the visual clues to the solution of the puzzle, and with it any handholding, leaving players entirely on their own. Apparently, watching players sweat nervously as they try to find their way from A to B is highly entertaining. Ultimately, however, this leads to a far more fulfilling sense of completion for the player, no matter how frustrated they may have gotten in the process.

QUBE 2

Do Toxic Games have plans for the future, aside from the release of Q.U.B.E. 2? Not really; whilst the studio have many ongoing projects they’re looking into, nothing is to be confirmed as yet. Who knows, perhaps a Q.U.B.E. 3 may be on the horizon someday.

Toxic Games aim to release QUBE 2 mid-2017 for PC/Mac, Linux, Xbox One and PlayStation 4, with VR support potentially to be added in the future.

With thanks to Adam for his contributions.

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