Reviewed: October 19, 2011
Reviewed by: Oscar Perez

Publisher
Laughing Jackal

Developer
Laughing Jackal

Released: September 20, 2011
Genre: Action-Puzzle
Players: 1-7

1
2
4
3
2.5

Supported Features:

  • 164 MB Hard Drive Space
  • DualShock 3
  • HDTV 480p/720p
  • Dolby Digital
  • Local Co-op/Versus (2-7)
  • Leaderboards

    		•  I’m not really sure who in their right mind could have come up with a game like Cubixx HD and then decided to charge people for it. The game seems simple enough, you are a laser and are given a cube that you must cut away a certain percentage of each level. As you progress the game adds in enemies and obstacles for you to deal with along with power ups and power downs. Add in some upbeat European techno music and you have a blockbuster hit right? Maybe not...

    Like I said, the game is easy and also short with only 50 levels to progress through and if you can pass the first level, you can pass the 50th. The game starts out easy enough with you merely having to get your specific percentage cut out with your laser without any distractions or obstacles, the pinnacle of easy mode if I do say so myself. Right around the 5th level is where the game decides you have had way too much fun just cutting the cube up while evading maybe two or three enemies and starts to throw in something called “Laser Chasers” now the idea is that when you cut a line near them they attach to your laser trail and chase you and lose a life when they make contact with you. Unfortunately and annoyingly they are the same color as your laser and had a barely visible red tint to them so really, you can’t see them and they could be right on your tail half the time.

    Graphically Cubixx HD is nothing amazing, just a simple 3D cube floating in mid-air with red or yellow enemies floating on the sides of it. I can’t even say that its bad graphics because I mean how much better can someone make a cube look? What I can say is that maybe throw in a blue or green enemy would have made for a more interesting look rather than all red enemies.

    The music was, like I said in the beginning, just very upbeat European style techno that got you pumped up doing the simplest of levels although I could have imagined a more serene style of music from a game that really is more of a slow to medium pace. Along with the techno as you cut away more of your cube levels it reveals what I can only imagine was a beating “heart” that you could faintly hear and would seem to match the beat of the music in the background.

    What could have been an impressive collection of alternative game modes is inexplicably locked down by an idiotic unlock system that require you to play everything in the Arcade mode before they are unlocked for anything else. It's an unnecessary barrier that keeps you from experiencing all the game could offer, especially when you get stuck on some of the harder levels. There is also support for co-op and versus modes that have a slight TRON lightcycle feel about them, but what good is 7-player multiplayer with no online support. Personally, I don't have 7 controllers lying around, so I guess its BYOC for your next Cubixx HD party.

    Cubixx HD is probably a great game for people who like a challenge because as you get closer to the 50th level you have many more enemies on screen and tons of laser chasers following you so you really have to think on your toes or fingers, whatever the case may be. At the low price of 9.99 on PSN it’s not at all expensive, but just not the sort of game I would pay that much for.