(PSN) Cuboid

Blocks, Blocks and more Blocks

Posted 4 years ago By - Marko Djordjevic

If you have been looking around for something to stimulate the brain, then Creat Studios is hoping their new PSN release Cuboid is the answer. Is this puzzle game a fun stimulus for the brain or does it only give you a headache? Continue reading to find out.

Gameplay

The concept behind Cuboid is fairly straight-forward. You control two cubes that are combined to form a rectangular cuboid (or rectangular prism). Your job is to move the cuboid through various tiled mazes in order for it to fall into the end goal. Controlling the cuboid is done strictly with the D-pad and it moves one or two blocks depending on the position it is in. The levels begin fairly simple, where you’ll only have to make one or two decisions in order for the cuboid to fall into the hole. If at any time your cuboid falls off a tile, you will be penalized and have to start from the beginning. It is imperative to move the cuboid properly if you wish to advance through the game.

As the levels progress, will you encounter more objectives and obstacles, which will require proper positioning of your cuboid. Each time a new obstacle is introduced, a short tutorial will explain what you’ll need to do. In the first few levels, you’ll be introduced to wooden tiles that cannot support the cuboid when positioned vertically. If your cuboid lands on one of those pieces in the vertical stance, it will fall through and you’ll have to start again. Later levels will include switches that open or close paths and some that split your cuboid into two cubes, which you’ll need to reattach in order to finish the stage.

Along the way, you will also encounter levels that need to be completed within a certain amount of moves. These puzzles are a nice change of pace and features ’move extensions’, which are necessary if you wish to complete them.

In all, there are 30 Beginner, 30 Expert and 6 Special levels to experience. Those who easily grasp the game’s concept and figure out its puzzles will be able to breeze through the Beginner mazes in very little time. The Expert puzzles, however, will definitely be a challenge; fortunately you won’t be throwing your controller in frustration. It might take some people time to understand and get used to the movements, but once you get into a groove, completing levels will feel really satisfying.

Graphics and Sound

It’s really tough to describe the graphics of Cuboid since this is a fairly simple looking game. The tiles and the cuboid itself are done fairly straight-forward with no real problems and nothing worth mentioning. I will give the developers credit for doing a good job with the animations of the tiles especially in situations when your cuboid falls off the maze. Other than that, there isn’t much that you will notice while playing. This game is not about the graphics.

 

 

In the sound department, the sound of the cuboid and the environments are done well. Each of the various tiles and switches sound different. When your cuboid is on wooden tiles, you’ll hear a small crackling and then a snapping sound if you break them. There are also some nice ambient sounds playing in the background of each level. In a game like this, which can be trying at times, it’s nice to hear something that will not get on your nerves.

Value

The game’s 60+ mazes keep track of your time and moves. You’ll want to go back and play each level to see if you can better your time and/or reduce the number of moves you used to complete the maze. Unfortunately there have been some exploits that many gamers have already taken advantage. If you check out the online leaderboards, you will see people getting times and moves that can only be achieved through ‘cheating’. Despite this, you’ll still want to better your scores by completing levels as quickly as possible to obtain Gold medals for bragging rights.

Also, there is a flash-based game similar to Cuboid available online for free. If you’ve already played that game, you might not be tempted to drop 10 dollars for this. Regardless of that fact, this is still a game with enough value to please most PSN users.

Conclusion

I absolutely enjoyed playing through Cuboid. Once you get started, don’t be surprised if you lose track of time or want to replay certain mazes because you know you can complete it in less moves. The game is challenging but you’ll never feel cheated. While it’s unfortunate that some players exploit the online leaderboards by cheating, thankfully it doesn’t affect your experience; honestly most gamers won’t even take notice of it. So, if you are looking for a fun game that will test you and stimulate your brain, then you cannot go wrong with giving Cuboid a try.

 

4 weeks ago :: Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3
4 weeks ago :: (PSN) Fuel Overdose
4 weeks ago :: (PSN) Darkstalkers Resurrection
1 month ago :: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
1 month ago :: (PSN) Alien Breed
6 months ago :: Assassin's Creed III
6 months ago :: FIFA Soccer 13
7 months ago :: Resident Evil 6
7 months ago :: NHL 13
8 months ago :: (PSN) The Expendables 2