Review for Death squared. Game for PlayStation Network, PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 13/03/2017 The version for Nintendo Switch came out on 13/07/2017 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 14/03/2017 The version for Xbox One came out on 14/03/2017
The indies are born in part to fill the desire of players to have titles that reward gameplay and content against the sheer display of video quality and stable 60 FPS. This does not mean that the pure aesthetic aspect is completely neglected, but it can take a back seat compared to a reasoned and compelling gameplay. The boys of SMG Studio they have well understood the needs of the gamer type and have concentrated on the indie vein, bringing it up Nintendo Switch e Playstation 4 their puzzle game Death squared, already consecrated by the crowd who tried it on Steam.
This title offers a constant, compelling challenge, with intelligent and well-exploited dynamics, without neglecting the multiplayer mode that can turn your evenings with friends.
The cube of death
The gameplay of this puzzle game is essential, practical and extremely intuitive, to the point of hardly needing a tutorial. On a fixed three-dimensional plane, with an isometric view devoted to seeing and not seeing, we will have to move our cubes from a starting point to the finish line without falling into the void or running into the traps placed along the way.
As simple as this premise is at first glance, things get hugely complicated on the first try. To begin with, in the single player campaign you will have to control two cubes, one blue and one orange. Not even to do it on purpose are the colors of your Joycons, but of course these are reversed: the blue Joycon on the right controls the orange cube on the left and the blue cube on the right is under the control of the orange Joycon on the right.
Now, unless you have obtained a second pair of Joycons colored inversely, this will cause you not a few annoyances, especially by virtue of the fact that the same color still corresponds to an inverted position.
Cube coordination
Each scheme is subject to iron laws of gravity: if you lean over the edge a little, the cube will have no problems, but a few millimeters are enough to fall into the cosmic void and die. Along the way there are also buttons, lasers, elevators and transparent blocks, which only affect the inverse color and retractable spikes: each of these elements is directly or inversely connected to a cube, which means that moving lightly without thinking leads only to certain death.
Studying the path and the steps to take is imperative to bring home the result; but unfortunately, SMG Studio devs did not foresee a mobile camera which would certainly have helped: We do not know if it is a deliberate choice to increase the frustration of the player, but it is certainly something that is missed.
Coordination is everything, then. In Death Squared it will often happen that you have to move both cubes at the same time and in different directions: taking the hand with this type of movement is an operation that occurs slowly but which in the long run gives the player a coordination that, if maintained in the time, it certainly develops an extra quality.
Of course, getting this talent is a frustrating operation: everything in this game seems designed to drive you crazy.. Physics, movement, colors, paths are a constant and continuous test with ourselves, with our skills and with our hand-eye coordination.: even those who love difficulties will find themselves invoking some saint after having died a hundred times in just ten schemes.
Home multiplayer
Death Squared offers multiplayer for two or four players simultaneously: in the first case just detach and split the Joycons in story mode, while for the four-player game it will be necessary to synchronize two other controllers. This is the true soul of Death Squared. The multiplayer sector is something fun beyond all measure: if coordinating your movements is certainly a difficult operation, coordinating with other players is a real undertaking.
Fun is guaranteed, of course as long as you take Death Squared for what it is: a game aimed at making you crazy. It is undeniable that everyone is involved in the game and there is no question that you can finish a scheme without laughter and teasing.: if you want to give an interesting idea to an evening with friends this is the title you are looking for.
The technical sector
Unfortunately, there are no interesting ideas here: as mentioned before, the studios that design indie titles often focus on content and gameplay in prevalence, or at least so it happened with Death Squared. As much as the graphics are fluid and clean and the colors bright and suitable for the context, there are no elements worthy of note. The backdrops are all the same and in the long run create a sense of déjà-vu that can lead to getting bored quickly.
Although it is basically a puzzle game with robots as protagonists, some more animation or some different scheme would have benefited the purely graphic aspect. Unfortunately, even the warpainting of the cubes in multiplayer makes you smile but nothing more.
Audio is basically flat and lacking in emotional depth. A few cues, a few jolting sounds and a light and steady music is all you will find: just enough not to anger the average gamer.
Death Squared is a very interesting title from several points of view: a fun gameplay even if at times frustrating is the fulcrum that dominates the entire videogame experience. The pleasure of success after a series of respawns is always an important inner gratification for the player, and this feeling, as well as the laughter, is exponentially enhanced by a unique multiplayer sector. A few flaws in the graphic and sound aspect certainly cannot devalue a very funny title.
► Death Squared is a Puzzle-type game developed and published by SMG Studio for PlayStation Network, PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 13/03/2017 The version for Nintendo Switch came out on 13/07/2017 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 14/03/2017 The version for Xbox One came out on 14/03/2017
