Q.U.B.E 2 adds a puzzle pack. In case the base game was too easy…

Can you solve this Rubik’s Qube?

Earlier this year I took a look at Q.U.B.E 2, the impressive, puzzling sequel to Q.U.B.E The premise of both games was simple enough: manipulate blocks in the environment to solve puzzles and advance through an alien spacecraft. The puzzles were fairly challenging in each, but it seems that some members of the puzzle community are far more clever than I am and demanded more challenging puzzles. Enter Q.U.B.E 2’s puzzle packs.

Q.U.B.E 2’s developers have released a season pass, which includes a cosmetic item, soundtrack, and two puzzle packs. At the time of writing, the first puzzle pack has been released, and it’s tough! If you found the base game too easy, then prepare to have your grey matter tested.

Little has changed between the base game and this expansion, with this puzzle pack being exactly that: a puzzle pack. There is no narrative in Lost Orbit (the chapter’s title), with you being placed almost immediately in a large chamber with a number of smaller rooms coming off it. Your goal is similar to the main game, with you needing to solve the puzzles in the smaller rooms to access the exit to the larger one.

The smaller rooms have a larger number of moving parts than the base game, making many of them significantly harder as you try to determine what action will have what consequence. Solutions are often not immediately clear, and experimentation is needed as you enter each room. As you start to work out what you need to do, you’ll likely find that you’ll need to time your actions carefully to ensure blocks end up in the right place. This can be a little irritating when you know what you need to do but can’t quite launch this green block onto that switch. There does seem to be a greater reliance on these timing based puzzles in this pack, but with a little persistence, they can be overcome.

Each room, including the main chamber, also include hidden collectibles. These don’t add anything to the game beyond being even greater challenges, and many of them require some outside of the box thinking, even by this game’s standards. Whilst I didn’t manage to acquire all of them during my two-and-a-half hour play through, it was very satisfying to find myself working out how to collect one. Each room includes a large board that shows which collectibles you’ve managed to find, so there’s always that incentive to hunt around if you’re something of a completionist.

Everything about this expansion looks and sound just as lovely as Q.U.B.E 2’s base game. The environments are less varied this time, with pretty much everything being ‘large white room’. I get the feeling that this may be the point with these puzzle packs 一 functional rather than fancy. Far more time has been spent on perfecting the puzzles rather than beautifying the world. Put simply, if you enjoyed the original game and are in need of a greater challenge, then this is an excellent addition to an already enjoyable game. Be mindful that this is a lot harder than what has come before, but if you’re up to the challenge, then dive right in!

Q.U.B.E 2’s puzzle pack is part of the season pass. The base game is available now on PC, Xbox One, and PS4.