PixlBit

My, that’s a polished turd!

Beautiful aesthetics, wonderful music, and just about perfect controls are all you could hope for in a platformer save one very important factor and this eluded me for a while.  I couldn’t figure out with so many great things going on in Pid why I hated it so very deeply.  Eventually I realized that its well-crafted elements were completely overwhelmed by the boring, mediocre, and at times maddening level design.  It’s a shame that the designers primarily focused on the window dressing bits instead of considering all the things you would actually be doing when you play.  Pid struggles with knowing what sort of levels it wants to present, switching from puzzles to difficult platforming to stealth to long periods of just waiting around or running in a straight line.  Each of these disparate level types (and more) are middling at best on their own and when combined are a complete drag.  Pid’s wonderful presentation can’t save it from the tedium packed into every single minute of its tortuous length.

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No need to wait on Portal 3 to get your first-person puzzle-solving fix.

When Portal hit the market, it took gamers by storm. Never before had the world experienced such a game – the unique portal mechanic was tied to a first person perspective, complex puzzles, and a compelling story and antagonist. Quantum Conundrum, the latest work of Valve alum, Kim Swift, captures at least part of Portal’s essence, but comes up short in the character and story department. First person puzzle solving takes the center stage and the Inter-dimensional Shift Device (IDS) proves to be an interesting tool/concept to drive the complex dimension-shifting puzzles; however, the lack of an overarching concept and vision disallows Quantum Conundrum from reaching the cult stature of its influencing material. Despite this, the interesting mechanics and the well constructed “test chambers” make for a fantastic game that shouldn’t be missed.

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All this pushing and pulling reminds me of another Nintendo puzzle game or two…

Pushmo, the first 3DS digital download title from Intelligent Systems, could easily be mistaken for an Art Style game, which are found by the dozen on the Wii and DS shops. Like those games, it takes a simple premise (puzzle-platforming) and graphics and makes an extremely in-depth and meaty experience. The result is one of the best eShop titles available right now, deserving of a download from all 3DS owners.

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A unique, but ultimately forgettable puzzler.

Imagine yourself as an alien, just captured and jammed into a testing facility deep under the sea with countless rooms dedicated to poking and prodding you in every way imaginable. Many others from your home world have been captured and are falling victim to the crew of scientists lining the facility's halls - but you have decided you won't succumb to their inhumane treatment. You rebel and break free from your shackles with the intent of escaping the facility altogether. Little do you know that the place is armed to the teeth – drones can be found in nearly every room, every door is locked, and there are a seemingly unlimited number of guards intent on ending you with a quickly fired bullet.

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