Q.U.B.E 2 - Lost Orbit DLC Review

If you read my original review of Q.U.B.E 2 back in April, you’ll remember that I mentioned the Director’s Cut edition of the first game caused something of a stir with fans of the game. Some people loved the addition of voice acting and a story into the minimalistic, soundless world of their favourite puzzle game, but some people felt that the lack of explanation from the first incarnation made the game more ominous. If you were in the latter camp, then you might find this DLC to be right up your rhombohedron.

Whilst Lost Orbit uses the same engine as the new game, it’s got a visual feel much more like the first episode. Gone are the reflective glasslike surfaces of the newer cubes, and the lush greenery and colourful vistas have been banished. Instead, what we are left with is a very art-deco styled collection of matte grey cubes, interspersed with some windows showing the Earth floating in the distance. Without music and plot, this is a return to where we started and will be sure to please those who wanted something more like they remember.

There’s almost no music, which is probably intentional, but I miss the atmosphere which the score brought to the main game. Sound is, just like everything else here, very restrained and used only to add the occasional punctuation. It’s all very Kubrick-esque. I’m not a fan of Kubrick myself, but I’m aware that I’m in a minority there so your mileage may vary.

From a subjective point of view, I can see how this new style would be encouraging to many players. If you are one of the people who bemoaned the transition to a story-based title, then you’ll no doubt have read all you need in order to get this DLC. Personally though, I preferred the narrative-driven approach taken with the second game so this feels like a step back to me. Whilst the gameplay is largely the same, the return to the stoic and mute style didn’t do anything for me.

Whilst I’m not a fan of the atmosphere of Lost Orbit, I’m definitely a fan of the puzzles. The main game was a bit simpler than the first title, with a few tweaks to the mechanics making it a bit more accessible. This didn’t necessarily detract from the game, but it did mean that there weren’t any real head scratchers in the game. This DLC ramps up the difficulty, giving a much more cerebral challenge akin to some of the more onerous puzzles from the 2011 game.

There are also collectibles added into the puzzle rooms now. I don’t want to include any spoilers, but the use of these will become clear as you progress through the game, with subtle changes to the mechanics of puzzle solving coming as a result of their acquisition. I thought this was a nice little touch, and reminds us that Toxic Games are still capable of coming up with fresh ideas seven years on from their first entry in the series.

I might not have had the same amount of enjoyment from this add-on as I did from the main game, but I would still recommend picking it up, especially as the season pass will net you this, a new glove skin, and a second puzzle pack at a later date.