Coming to a PSP next March is Cube, a new puzzle/action game from D3 Publisher and Metia Interactive. Cube is a quirky, unique game that has you playing, well, a cube in a world of cubes who must reach the exit. Along the way you've got to beat a certain time and collect enough keys to get either a gold, silver, or bronze grade.
Of course, other cubes and a few other geometric shapes seem to be jealous of your ability to move about freely, and you'll find that there are plenty of obstacles - over a dozen different types - in your way. As your cube flips around on top of other cubes, there will be switches that need to be hit, moving cubes that must be activated so you can ride on them, and even traps and bombs you'll have to avoid if you want to get to the exit safely.
As you might guess about any puzzle/action game, there are plenty of levels included here that gradually increase in difficulty. You'll start off simply collecting a few things and hitting the exit, but soon you'll have to start bridging gaps with your cubish body and then will have to find the things to activate to bridge them yourself. Eventually, you'll see large puzzles with tons of goals and little things to get, and even a few bonus items that you'll need to race to pick up if you still want that Gold achievement.
And what makes Cube unique is that all this is done in full 3D. Most puzzle games go for 2D gameplay even if they're drawn in 3D, but here you don't just go forward and backwards or side to side. You can climb around on the bottom of the board or go in any direction you want, and you'll have to learn how to do this quickly and efficiently to get through some of the tougher stages. This means you'll have to start learning the 3D space all around you and where your cube can and can't go, and quickly get to your goal in order to beat out a fast-moving bomb or trap.
Beyond all this, Cube includes ad-hoc multiplayer modes on every stage in the game (130+ in total) that can be played both as versus and as cooperative. In versus mode the first cube to get to the exit wins, while in cooperative mode you're still trying to get there as fast as possible but you'll be working together. You'll even be able to use the game-sharing PSP feature to play the game with someone who doesn't have their own copy of Cube.
All of this is brought together with simplistic but stylish graphics and an original soundtrack that fits the whole theme nicely, and as you play you can unlock more music to hear in-game. I was reminded of Tron a bit while playing, although you'll find here that you're not a human trapped in a world of geometric shapes - you're a shape too! Cube should present a fun puzzle romp when it's launched for the PSP in February 2007.
