Quantum Conundrum PC Review

Puzzles are usually made by making portals as in the game "Portal", maybe by giving you powers just to survive in the game as in "WARP", but the game i played recently beats all odds of physics where human beings like us would have dreamt of having them.


Presenting you with Quantum conundrum. QC is inter dimensional first person puzzle based game. Though much like portal, QC has this inter dimensional thing where we need to shift dimensions in order to solve puzzles which is quite exciting. 

You play as the 10-year-old nephew of Professor Fitz Quadwrangle, a scientist whose experiments with inter dimensional rifts have gotten him trapped in the dimension where our lost socks, cell phones, and all the other things that mysteriously disappear on us end up.Much like in portal where GlaDos guides you, here it is professor Quadwrangle who pretty much mocks you rather than guide you. But one should not be ignorant of his blabber cause sometimes he gives a hint which will help you in solving the puzzle. As the nameless kid, you must venture through the outrageously impractical Quadwrangle Manor, whose wings are crammed with dimensional experiments run amok. Professor Quadwrangle's stately voice is provided by actor John de Lancie, and though his dialogue is rarely laugh-out-loud funny, his smug yet jocular attitude makes him a pleasant presence throughout your journey. There's an appealing simplicity to the game's visuals, and the lighthearted sense of humour--the way paintings change to reflect whatever dimension you're currently in, for instance--keeps your predicament from ever feeling like a burden. 

The IDS device responsible for the dimensional shift.

Once in the manor uncle provides you with a glove called IDS device. To progress through the manor on your impromptu rescue mission, you must make smart use of four alternate dimensions in addition to the "normal" dimension we all call home. You can be in only one dimension at a time, and the dimensions you have available to you depend on a number of factors, like which part of the manor you're in and which dimensional batteries have been placed in the nearest receptacle. There's this creature called "Ike" which helps you in giving batteries, which is not much of a help though. But he is really cute, so i wouldn't blame him. However, after you complete the game in the main menu there is DO A THING button where i dint quite understand the purpose. It was about Ike so i thought i would mention it.

A generous and cute lab-assistant

The change in dimension-pocket to fluffy.

The first dimension introduced to us is Fluffy dimension. As professor says and i quote " It is embarrassingly adorable but one can any object ". The game is divided into 3 major wings-blue,yellow, red wing. In each wing you will introduced to a new dimension. Fluffy makes objects weigh 10 times lighter, Heavy does the exact opposite making 10 times heavier. Slow time and reverse gravity are the other dimensions present in the game.


The next dimension you gain the ability to enter and exit is the slow-motion dimension. Here, time slows to a crawl; lasers that normally shoot forth at imperceptible speeds can now be outrun, and you can give yourself ample time to leap onto that footstool you just threw over a chasm and ride it to safety, which feels like a spectacular feat. Slow motion is common enough in games, but this is slow even by slow-motion standards. You can toss an object from one room into another, slow down time, and then run into the next room and have seconds to spare before the object arrives. The numerous enjoyable applications of this dimension will have you wishing you could carry it with you out of the game and back into the real world.


In the final dimension you gain access to, gravity is reversed, and anything that isn't bolted down (except you) flies up toward the ceiling. With this ability, you can use safes as elevators and trigger switches on ceilings, among other things. Much of the time, Quantum Conundrum crafts clever puzzles around these four dimensions. Getting through a chamber is rarely a simple matter of using just one dimension; rather, you typically need to make use of the properties of two or three or four dimensions to arrive at the exit, and objects such as drinking birds (those toy birds that dip their heads periodically) are also sometimes essential to your success.

Prof Quadwrangle- Mastermind and quite a mocker

Blue wing is easiest wing to play. Contrary to that, yellow wing requires some brain skill to solve the puzzles. Well the last wing -red- is a pain in the ass. No whatever so skill in solving puzzles is required in this dimension except a lot of patience. I found the game quite frustrating in the end where i needed to commute between two places while using reverse gravity-real pain in the ass..i say :P . 


Though one solves puzzles using that IDS battery, ultimately it is the generator one needs to activate. Also the puzzles are in labyrinth of rooms, similar in looking. Though many of the puzzles may have you stumped for a bit, the solutions are always logical and fair, abiding by the observable properties of the dimensions you have available. As a result, the epiphanies that hit your brain like lightning strikes when the confounding suddenly becomes clear will have your inner mad scientist hopping with glee.

Dint understand the purpose of these so called 'hints'

Although puzzles seems logical, sometimes we need to be adroit and sometimes perform stunts to achieve what we want. QC is at its best when it requires brain, rather than your reflexes, to do the heavy lifting. But these flaws are always present in a game, particularly the ending. The ending was quite easy and not satisfying. 


Keeping the flaws aside, QC has much to experiment with, that dominates this quest makes putting up with its foibles worthwhile, and the twisting, puzzling halls of Quadwrangle Manor are substantial enough to justify the $14.99 price of admission. It doesn't always play to its strengths, but the clever ideas and confounding brainteasers of Quantum Conundrum make it a mostly enjoyable journey.


My rating is 8.5..