Planet Cube: Edge Review

Are you the type of gamer who loves challenging games that require a high level of precision and repetition to develop muscle memory? Developer Sunna Entertainment has delivered a game that more than meets those parameters; Planet Cube: Edge is a title that will frustrate you but make you feel accomplished simultaneously. This 2D precision platformer has you playing as a cube named Edge. The game starts on the first day of the unknown enemy's invasion of Planet Cube. These cube-shaped invaders look very pissed off based on the angry expressions on their faces. Why they are attacking this underwater facility, we don’t know from the beginning, but your boss Dr Quadratus wants you to take matters into your own hands and defend the research station.

We see cube workers trying to escape the facility as the enemy goes through every area, taking out everyone they can find. We learn that Edge is a researcher who has been working on developing a Photon Blaster; it hasn’t been totally approved yet, but there is no time to waste, Edge will test it out himself. So your first task is to find your way to the development lab where the blaster is stored. The problem is this will not be an easy task, there are tons of alien invaders blocking your way and trying to stop you. 

There are a variety of enemies coming to attack you, including bats and spikes. You can’t just simply jump on the foe to defeat them — if you try this, you will instantly die. To destroy, you will need to jump with A, then hit the B button to perform a butt drop. Some of the enemies you fight, like the bats, have a constant stream of enemies coming at you so keep your eyes open. Later enemies you encounter won’t come back once taken out even if you happen to die. The game is really good with constantly updating your save checkpoint since I’m sure the developer knew that players would be dying all the time and would give up if it felt like they didn’t make any progress and would have to start all the way back at the beginning.

Planet Cube: Edge is set up to be perfect for players who love doing speed runs. There is a timer constantly keeping track of how long you have been playing the current stage and how many times you have died in that level along with your best run time. To complete the first stage, I died 179 times in only 01:01:03. So I basically died at least once every three minutes. This game is not for the faint at heart, it will definitely make you feel frustrated! Though a lot of those times, I didn’t spend enough time just studying the stage figuring out what I needed to do to progress. Just running and hoping for the best doesn’t always work. Fortunately, things get a bit easier once you acquire the Photon Blaster. Instead of having to get right up in the enemy's face, you can take them out from a safer distance, especially when you charge the shot up due to the kickback from the blaster. When you do this, I died more than a few times from falling. You will still have to navigate through the level, dealing with platforms that crumble, drop, or move. Some even require you to shoot at a button that will trigger the block to move. Most of the time, it is not a smooth, and relaxing ride to get to the next area to jump on, you may need to jump, dash, and bounce off of enemies to get where you need to go. Edge will die an insane amount until you develop the muscle memory you will need to get through those obstacles. I am so glad that if you do make a bit of progress the game starts you off on the screen that you died on to attempt it again. If I was forced to have to start again from the beginning, there is no way I wouldn’t have given up!

Planet Cube: Edge has an interesting colour scheme made up of shades of a bluish-green hue. This kind of reminds me of playing games on the Game Boy but without the yellow colour since the pixels are incredibly sharp and crisp. Planet Cube feels like it’s an old puzzle platformer that has had a great remaster and HD update given to it, the game looks great! The music that you hear during your time on each level is upbeat and almost sounds like it was inspired by great gaming soundtracks like those from the Mega Man series, which is also known for its difficulty on the NES. I was very happy that the music and sound effects were good and not irritating because it's always a shame when you have to mute the music in the game because you can’t stand it.

The controls in Planet Cube: Edge work very well and let you perform the precise jumps that you need to make progress in these challenging levels. When I died, it wasn’t because of sloppy controls, it was totally my fault. This reminds me of playing Super Meat Boy, it wasn’t bad or faulty controls, it was because of poor timing or just misjudging what I needed to do so it’s totally because of me being a faulty player. Though it was fun getting achievements like “You’ll Be Fine” when you die 100 times, or the “You Just Don’t Learn” achievements that you earn by trying to stomp an unstoppable enemy five times. It really adds to the game when you are constantly falling and being defeated.

Planet Cube: Edge is a great game for people who love challenging precision platformer games. It is reminiscent of other difficult titles like Super Meat Boy that manages to make you feel defeated, yet accomplished at the same time. Even when I would get past an obstacle and to the next screen, knowing that I could just start from that updated checkpoint was a huge relief. There are leaderboards on the main menu that will rank you according to other players in the game. Currently, my best time earns a rank of 401, but I am in awe of people at the top of the list, they obviously have skills and great reaction times! If you aren’t traditionally a fan of titles like this, I don’t think Planet Cube will make you change your mind as you are sure to be frustrated. But if you love these kinds of games and the challenge they bring, check this game out!