Cubic Odyssey: A Voxel Voyage Through Space and Simplicity

Crafting galaxies, one block at a time

Launch Day Larry

Welcome, fellow spacefarers, to the blocky universe of Cubic Odyssey—a game that promises to take you on a journey through the stars, one voxel at a time. It’s a game that combines the charm of Minecraft with the vastness of space exploration, but does it reach for the stars or get lost in the void? Let’s dive in and find out.

Gameplay: A Cosmic Sandbox with a Few Black Holes

Cubic Odyssey offers a tantalizing blend of exploration, crafting, and combat, all wrapped up in a universe that feels both expansive and intimate. The game shines with its smooth performance and a tutorial that gently nudges you into its core mechanics. You’ll find yourself mining resources, crafting items, and engaging in combat across a multitude of stars and planets. The crafting and base-building elements are particularly well-designed, with quality-of-life features like accessing containers from anywhere within your base—a feature that even Marie Kondo would approve of.

However, the game isn’t without its gravitational pulls. The flight controls are as simplistic as a paper airplane, leaving seasoned pilots yearning for more complexity. Shipbuilding, while visually appealing, is purely cosmetic, which might leave you feeling like you’re decorating a space-themed dollhouse rather than engineering a starship. And let’s not forget the gamepad button remapping system, which is about as intuitive as a Rubik’s Cube with missing stickers.

Graphics: Voxel Artistry Meets Modern Magic

Visually, Cubic Odyssey is a feast for the eyes, especially if you’re a fan of voxel-based design. The game takes the blocky charm of Minecraft and elevates it with modernized graphics that pay homage to voxel artistry. The lighting and atmospheric details are nothing short of exceptional, creating environments that feel meticulously crafted and immersive. It’s like stepping into a digital art gallery where every pixel has a purpose.

Yet, even the most beautiful stars have their dark spots. Some players with high-end hardware have reported crashes and video memory issues, suggesting that the game might need a bit more optimization for those with the latest tech. And while the voxel style is generally well-received, certain design choices, like the transition from cubic planets to spheres, might leave you scratching your head.

Story: A Tale as Old as Time, with a Few Twists

The narrative of Cubic Odyssey is a classic tale of heroism and adventure, centered around a mission to find a cure for the “red sickness” and rescue a princess. It’s a story that feels both familiar and charming, with world-building that rewards the curious explorer. Cryptic messages and environmental storytelling add layers of depth, making the universe feel alive and rich with history.

However, the story’s execution leaves much to be desired. The narrative is linear and lacks the complexity that some players might crave. The quests, both main and side, are simplistic and repetitive, which can detract from the overall experience. And while the world-building is commendable, the story’s logic sometimes falters, like a plot twist that forgot to check its own script.

Final Verdict

Cubic Odyssey is a game with a solid foundation, offering an engaging mix of exploration, crafting, and combat. Its graphics are a standout feature, creating an immersive experience that draws you into its voxel universe. However, the game is held back by control issues, pacing problems, and a story that doesn’t quite reach the heights of its ambitions. It’s a journey worth taking, but one that might benefit from a bit more polish and direction.

Score: 7.2/10