Game: The Last Cube
Genre: Platformer, Puzzle, Adventure
System: Nintendo Switch (also on Steam,(Windows, macOS & Linux) PS4, PS5, & Xbox One)
Developers | Publishers: Improx Games
Age Rating: US E | EU 3+
Price: US $19.99 | UK £17.99 | EU € 19,99
Release Date: March 10th, 2022
Review code used, with many thanks to Plan of Attack PR.
The Last Cube is a puzzle game developed by Improx Games. If you, like me, like puzzle games where you control a cube, this game could be for you.
Roll the Cube
You play as a cube and need to make your way through many levels with puzzles. It’s not just any old ordinary cube you control; this cube has special abilities once it encounters stickers. As you roll the cube, it can pick up abilities by rolling over the stickers that stick to the sides of your cube.
In each level, you’ll come across the sticker abilities; there are six different stickers in all. To use the cube’s ability that it picks up, the sticker must be on the upmost side of the cube.
Sticker Abilities
The abilities are introduced slowly as the game ramps up the difficulty and complexity of the puzzles. The Last Cube is really a game about managing which side of your cube is facing down. I found that it is something that seems simple but can be very tricky to do at times.
Each of the stickers allows your cube to behave differently. For example, a blue cross sticker allows you to spin your cube on the spot. In contrast, a plus yellow sticker allows you to boost the cube forward by four squares. The red circle sticker grants the cube the ability to cross gaps with floating steps. Finally, the green square sticker; allows you to create a clone cube that cannot make use of any sticker powers itself but is free to move around as normal.
Story and Lore
There are also sections on the floor that will remove the stickers from the cube, adding more puzzling as you roll the cube through the level.
The Last Cube may be a puzzle game, but it does have a story attached to it. You see, the cubes are a sentient race on a journey to save their race. It’s not much of a story, but it is there. There is lots of lore attached to the story on the levels that fill it out.
A Solution in a Flash
The puzzles are quite challenging, and solving each puzzle feels satisfying. The Last Cube is the kind of game you could spend a few minutes solving a puzzle or half an hour on one puzzle. I had many head-smacking times when the solution came to me in a flash. Usually, after spending longer on a puzzle section than I needed to. The game gives the player a great sense of satisfaction once you have solved a puzzle, with lots of ah-ha moments along the way.
Visuals and Controls
The visuals in The Last Cube are largely darker colours, with points of interest outlined in neon colours. The atmosphere adds a cyber feel to the game as you move the cube through the levels. The game’s atmosphere, music, and sound effects really play into the story’s lore.
Controlling the cube is done via the joy-cons; for the most part, the controls work well. However, I found that I had more control over the cube’s movement if I used the d-pad rather than the control stick. The game runs relatively well on the Nintendo Switch, but it does have framerate judders. Nothing too major, but you can see it while playing the game.
Conclusion
There’s nothing overly revolutionary about The Last Cube, but what it does, it does it extremely well. It is definitely a game that will give those little grey cells a workout and a feeling of satisfaction when you complete the puzzles. If puzzle games are your go-to genre, I recommend you give The Last Cube a look.
Final Verdict: I Like it a Lot 