Gameplay
In Quantum Conundrum you take the role of a young kid dropped off on his uncle’s doorstep for the weekend; his uncle just so happens to be the brilliant, eccentric inventor, Professor Fitz Quadwrangle. Upon entering the Professor’s vast manor home full of crazy technology players quickly realize their uncle has gone missing. Fortunately, you soon gain access to Professor Quadwrangle’s latest invention, the Inter–Dimensional Shift Device, which, at the press of a button, will shift the world around them to an entirely new dimension. In order to find him, yous must use the newly found IDS Device to dynamically change the world to and from a variety of different dimensions to progress through the complicated Quadwrangle Manor.
You play from a first person perpective and have to solve puzzles that their solution lies on physics laws. What you do basically in the game is toy with the four dimensions in the game which are Fluffy, Heavy, Slow Motion and Reverse Gravity. When you begin the game you experiment with the first two dimensions, Fluffy, and Heavy.Flufy allows for Heavy objects to be easily be carried or blown by the wind, while Heavy makes light objects become paper weights. Useful for pressing switches.
In the game’s second part Slow Motion is added, a dimension that time slows to a crawl but you move at normal speed. In the third part of Quantum Conundrum you will be able to mess with Reverse Gravity a dimention that makes anything not tied down, float to the ceiling.These dimensions work together in a number of ways, but figuring out how they play off each other is half the fun of solving Quantum Conundrum’s brainteasers. As you proceed through the house your uncle rambles about the dimension he’s in, explains photographs on the walls or gives the occasional clue about how to approach an area. The dialog is funny, and there are quite a few science jokes scattered around.
The objective in just about every room is to find the exit without worrying about time constraints. The way to the exit isn’t exactly straightforward, so you’ll spend most of your time manipulating switches and objects as well as avoiding hazards.J ust like the co-op sections in Portal 2, you’ll have four wings of the house filled with these types of rooms, and the end of each wing culminates in a generator room, where the energy source needs to be activated so you can come one step closer to rescuing your uncle.
With the similar structure, voice instructions, first person controls puzzles and the same designer, it’s inevitable not to compare Quantum Conundrum with Portal. In addition to the dimension shifting dynamic, Quantum Conundrum distinguishes itself by placing a much heavier emphasis on platforming than either of the Portal games and drive your patience to its limits.
The most dificult part in Quantum Conundrum is not finding the right solution to the puzzle, but the game’s platforming elements. It would be more appropriate to have to perform some tiny jumps, after you spend hours in trying to solve demanting puzzles, instead of having to cross bridges with moving oblects, and not knowing where you should land. Unfortunately,the platforming isn’t as polished as the dimension-altering mechanics.
Quantum Conundrum is not just a lovely game it is also very funny. The pictures on the wall change with each dimensional shift, which alters the subjects of each painting with fluffy outfits, gravity-defying situations, or heavy medieval armor. Little collectibles on each level deliver inappropriate sounds, like dolphin, eagle, or cheetah cries. The written dialogue can be hilarious, and the death screens detail the numerous things you won’t be able to experience now that they’re dead. Each one is a true joy to see.
Conclusion
Quantum Conundrum might not be the perfect game Portal was but it is still a a very good one. Though many people will probably pass this off as a Portal ripoff, it is definitely not one.
There are many different things in Quantum Conundrum to make it new and fun while keeping the difficulty at a good steady pace.Also, the writing is witty enough and funny enough to keep you entertained the whole way through. With Kim Swift (the creator of Portal) at the helm, you cannot go wrong.
What makes things even better for Quantum Conundrum’s future is that Airtight Games just after a month of the game’s launch have announced two brand new DLCs for Quantum Conundrum. On July 31st players will explore a new wing of Quadwrangle Mansion with Desmond, self-professed “drinking bird” and guide through these new puzzles. While on August 28, followed by PS3 and Xbox 360 on September 11 and 12, the IKE-aramba! DLC which tasks players with rescuing an Interdimensional Kinetic Entity, the titular IKE. Players will “leap seemingly endless chasms” launches.It’s nice to see a developer who promises to frequently expand the game, to do that in just a month off the game’s launch.
Both casual and dedicated puzzle fans will have fun with this title, especially considering the $15 price point for the game. Quantum Conundrum is available on Steam, EU PSN, and XBLA .
Gameconnect Rating: 8.0
