One of the games released is this puzzle game called the Z Axis: Continuum. There are not many puzzle games like this these days and that is a shame, if pulled off correctly then it can truly put your mind at work, kind of like Portal by Valve (if you’ve never played Portal then stop reading this and go play them). Now let us begin.
How would I describe this game? Mind challenging, sometimes stressful but also time consuming. Your goal in this game is to reach the white glowing orb to pass the level, these levels include things like colour switches to unlock areas of that puzzle, movable objects that move when you change the axis of your screen and also spikes that if you touch will kill you and restart the level but the biggest core mechanic is with the press of LB and RB will rotate the axis of the level making any objects that move fall or slide depending on the direction of the axis. After you complete the level it shows your time for that specific level. Now seeing these times make you feel 2 ways, either “30 seconds? That was easy” and the other way “15 minutes?! Why was this game made!”
The art style of this game is quite a nice nostalgic kind, you don’t need Battlefield level graphics for puzzle games like this. It is actually nice to see a game that does not make top end graphics a priority and even the graphics for this are nice and simple but also really nice to look at as well. However with this game the graphics are the last thing on your mind, you see the glowing orb, lots of coloured doors. Why does this give me a nostalgic feel? When I loaded this game up for the first time I honestly thought the Xbox Live Arcade logo was going to show and that’s not a bad thing at all, I loved Xbox Live Arcade like Outrun Arcade with the Ferraris, Marble Blast Ultra, just so many great games.
Would I recommend this game? I would recommend this game for people who like puzzles and using your head, also people who are obsessed with speed runs. Now I am useless at these types of games, I couldn’t complete the first Portal game without YouTube, I’m just awful. Let me give you an idea, I’ve had this game for about 3 weeks and I still haven’t completed the game. When I struggle on a puzzle I tend to try a few times, have a pout and then come back to it after I’ve played a game to make me chill out.
This is the kind of game that I wouldn’t personally purchase myself but would definitely give a go if it was on the Xbox Game Pass or Games With Gold. It can be really fun to play with friends, complete the level, mark your time and then take turns to beat that time however you all get one turn and are not allowed to look unless you’ve had your turn. It may not sound like much fun but it can get your mind and blood going.
My verdict is quite a challenging, entertaining sometimes stressful game but not the kind of game I’d load up once I come home from work. If I asked my colleagues of they heard of this game they would say no so maybe this game can be a kickstarter to a bright future. After a while the levels tend to lose atmosphere, which is a shame but there may be a kind of mood the developers were going for. Kind of like a Limbo style all silhouette style with the odd colours now and then with the switches. So overall is quite the impressing game but there are a few links or tweaks that could improve this greatly
Developer: Lazerpants Studio
Publisher: Lazerpants Studio
Release Date: 30th July 2018
Price: £8.39
File Size: 362MB