The controls take some getting used to, but once you get hooked then the game is really hard to put down.
+ You control a cube that must reach the colored exit. In order to reach the exit you must make your way through an obstacle course that has numerous perils and pitfalls. Along the way you try to pick up colored "prisms" which will increase your speed. Since this is a race to the end game you will be judged based upon your time. Besides moving your cube, the only other ability you have is to hang on to an edge of a wall, which will start an edge timer that is subtracted from your final time.
The first noticeable thing about this game is the controls. The virtual environment has an isometric view and a fixed camera so you aren't able to rotate and look around. If you are using a keyboard this can get somewhat tricky because you have to orientate yourself into think that WASD actually controls a diagonal direction instead separate horizontal and vertical directions. By default W will move your cube towards the top right of the screen, A will move you to the top left of the screen, S will move you to the bottom left of the screen, and D will move you to the bottom right of the screen. They did recently add an option to change the configuration of this, though, so that the W key can either lead you northeast or northwest. Personally I found it kind of confusing to use the keyboard to navigate. It's definitely an awkward feeling at first, but if you give it enough time then you might wrap your brain around it. But I would definitely recommend using an analog controller if you have one. Everything feels much more comfortable and natural when moving in a certain direct on an analog stick (at least for me).
There is also a slight problem with you cube trying to lock on to the grid within the level. Since the cube you control is exactly the size of each tile within the level, there are instances when you land halfway on a tile and halfway off. Some weird things happen in these circumstances but typically it is not favorable to you. In a few instances you may get temporarily stuck or it may shove you off the edge of the map, but since you have checkpoints then you'll instantly respawn at the last location. This really only affects people who are trying to get perfect ratings on the level anyway.
While the game may seem simple at first, it surprisingly has a fair amount of depth to it. Yes the first levels are rather simple, but by the end there are some pretty tricky obstacles that you really have plan out. And going through the levels there were many times when I thought I had seen everything that could have been done before, but then a new little facet is introduced and I had an "oh wow neat!" moment. Once you begin to play levels with complex moving blocks, moving platforms, and moving walls then you'll see what this game really has to offer.
One thing that I overlooked at first but has an incredibly important feature to it is the edge timer. By pressing against a wall your cube will begin to balance on the edge. It's sort of like a Tony Hawk game where you balance on an edge of a ledge using your skateboard, so you have to juggle the controls against the natural downward motion of the cube. The thing is, you should try to edge at every available moment because it will decrease time from your final score. So you should never be standing still and if you have a wall nearby and are waiting, just press against the wall and balance to get a few seconds of edge time because every second counts. Also, this technique is absolutely essential in later levels.
I really enjoyed this game. It doesn't do a real spectacular job at making a good first impression, but if you stick with it then it becomes extremely rewarding. It also can be pretty challenging if you are trying to get the best time. In a very broad sense it has the speed/obstacle features like Super Meat Boy mixed with the edging features like in a Tony Hawk game. There is a lot of fun to be had with this combination and the later levels really show the full potential of the game.
Story/Presentation: (N/A)
+ None.
Graphics: 4/5
+ Originally this game was developed for the iPhone, but Two Tribes adapted the game to be playable on the PC. The graphics are simple and tile-based but they seem to fit into the simple nature of the game. The graphics do a good job of presenting information on the screen without being distracting. And since your cube, the prisms, and the ending are the only colored objects in the game it is clear what the special and unique objectives are. If anything more was visually added to the game I think it would be too much and simply over the top.
Value/Presentation: 4/5
+ The value is really dependent on how much effort you want to put into the game. If you just want to complete all the levels it might take you a few hours (about 5 or less). But I really think you'd be missing the real point of the game if you did this.
Each level gives you a rating of D, C, B, A, S, and S+. The ratings D through A are based upon your time. If you collect all the prisms in the level you are eligible for a rating of S (but you still need to have a fast time). A score of S+ means that you collected all the prisms and that you completed the level in one of the fastest possible ways with practically no mistakes. I've gone back and got an S+ in all the levels and I felt truly satisfied with myself. Yes it will take some time and it becomes very challenging in the final levels, but it is totally worth it. Plus, now I have over 20 hours put into this game.
The developers at Two Tribes have released bonus levels and they say that they will release even more extended levels sometime soon, so that means you should have an even greater opportunity to play this game.
So I think $8 may be too high for some people but a completely fair price for others. If you are someone who just likes to beat levels and doesn't care about how good of a rating you get then you won't really get much from this game. If, on the other hand, you love race to the end games, trying to get the best time and rating, and competing on online leaderboards then this game should really appeal to you. Even if you are unsure about this game I would absolutely recommend that you try the demo because you may be surprised at how hard it is to put down once you get hooked on it.