WARNING: *VERY LONG* REVIEW AHEAD. |||| Stop me if you've heard this plot before: You're trapped in a strange place where science has gone awry. Your only hope to escape is to rescue the scientist who caused the issue, who happens to be your uncle. The only way to save him is to utilize a glove-like device which can bend space and time (specifically dimensions) and solve puzzles while being guided by your sarcastic, sometimes caustic and almost always holier-than-thou, uncle. |||| If you read that and thought, "This sounds like Portal", that's for good reason. Although developed by AirTight Games and published by Square Enix, the lead developer behind Quantum Conundrum is Kim Swift, who had formerly been one of the main programmers and producer for the DigiPen, student created, title Narbacular Drop. Narbacular Drop became Portal after the original team was hired by Valve and asked to re-write the game with the Source Engine. After Portal was created and became a sleeper hit, Kim Swift left Valve and accepted a position with AirTight Games. |||| Unlike Portal, where the player only gets two primary ways to manipulate the environment (blue portal and orange portal), Quantum Conundrum gives players four ways to manipulate the environment by making the plot of the game revolve around dimensions. Players are able to manipulate the Fluffy dimension, where everything is 10 times lighter, the Heavy dimension, where everything is 10 times heavier, the Time dimension, where everything moves 10 times slower, and the Gravity dimension, where everything is flipped upside down. This sounds like it would give lots of options for puzzle creation but, unfortunately, this is where Quantum Conundrum stumbles. |||| Although players are able to manipulate four dimensions in total, all four aren't always available. In fact, most levels only allow for 2 to 3 dimensional changes. This significantly diminishes the design of the puzzles almost to the point of linearity. In Portal, I remember showing a friend how I finished a specific test chamber or advanced test chamber, only to discover he had done it a completely different way and achieved the same goal. Such methods really aren't possible in Quantum Conundrum, with exception to one specific level late in the game, because most of the puzzles have only one solution while any other attempts to think outside of the box are met with failure. When you do happen to get access to all four dimensions at once, the puzzles end up being some the shortest in the game. This holds especially true for the final series of rooms. ||| Therein lies the biggest problem with Quantum Conundrum. If you're an analytical thinker, or if you are able to complete the advanced chambers in Portal or Portal: Still Alive, you will have no problem running through Quantum Conundrum in a matter of hours because the puzzles are linear and short. You will still likely die a lot and encounter a bit of frustration while playing the game due to the wonky - and often head scratching - physics engine. ||| There are some bright spots to the game, however. Playing the role of your uncle, Professor Quadrangle, is John de Lancie. Perhaps best known for his role as "Q" on Star Trek: The Next Generation, he does an admirable job playing a mad (and sometimes absent minded) scientist. Likewise, the attention to detail adds a degree of humor to the game, especially the paintings which change (sometimes radically) depending on the dimension you're in. If you're a literary geek, you'll find some laughs in the names of the books scattered around the house, such as "Great Exponentiations", "Henry^8", "Moby Dichromate", and "Star Shift Troopers", just to name a few. ||| Replay value is limited to gathering collectibles and trying to beat your previous time and dimension shift scores. Gathering collectibles is fairly easy and you will likely find most of them during your initial play through. Going back to beat your times or shift scores is utterly meaningless unless you're a completionist or absolutely must have the associated achievements. |||| Overall, while the game is enjoyable, it's hard to shake the feeling that we've played a better version of this game before. Given the derivative (or, at the very least, familiar) nature of the game, the short length of the title, and the limited replay value, I can't, in good faith, recommend running out to purchase it. If you have a friend who has purchased it, try it out before committing to it or wait for the inevitable Steam sale, if you don't mind playing it on PC.… Expand

Well. It is great puzzle game. But that is all. If you would like nice story, humor, interesting or varied locations or sharp writing... forget it. This game looks like Portal. But is missing that "certain something" that made Portal famous. But do not get me wrong. It is really good puzzle. Just nothing more than series of puzzles.

An all around solid game, it doesn't really do anything wrong. I loved the cartoony atmosphere. For some reason like others have said it just feels like it is missing something. I got bored quick. I guess maybe it takes too long for the puzzles to jump in difficulty and it feels like you are just going through the motions. A puzzle game shouldn't have you spacing out while doing the puzzles. Its a great game for kids maybe.… Expand

Why are there only 5 review and only one page when the user score distribution shows 9. I posted a review a while ago and its not showing. ??????????

Quantum Conundrum is a not too challenging puzzle game that puts you in the shoes of a 12 year old boy visiting his uncle, professor Fitz Quadrangle, who got lost in his own mansion. With a lack of background information and storyline, some obvious jokes may just make you giggle and seeing Ike pop up from time to time will definitely amuse you. Using the Inter Dimensional Shifting device, you can switch between the normal dimensions, the fluffy dimension, the heavy dimension, the slo-mo dimension and the reversed gravity dimension. What makes the game special, is that it is one of the few non-Valve games that runs on the Source Engine. The environments won't make you scream how beautiful things can be, but seeing portraits change in different dimensions and tossing stuff around to break glass keeps you busy untill the very end.… Expand

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Kumar
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