Toxic Games Update 21st May, 2014
UK developer Toxic Games is proud to announce the release of Q.U.B.E: DIRECTOR’S CUT on PC and is set to release the title cross-platform on PS3, Wii U and Xbox One consoles throughout 2014.
In A Nutshell:
A new Director’s Cut of classic indie puzzler Q.U.B.E – the critically acclaimed game written by three students without any coding expertise – is coming, and this time the mind bending gameplay will be accompanied by a completely new story by award-winning writer Rob Yescombe.
About The Game
Q.U.B.E: DIRECTOR’S CUT is a brain-twisting first-person puzzler. Using special high-tech gloves to manipulate cubes in the environment, the player solves an array of conundrums – from physics-based challenges; to 3D jigsaws; to platform-based trials.
Players may already be familiar with Q.U.B.E – back in 2012, the original was released on Steam to critical acclaim. But for the multi-platform Director’s Cutversion, Toxic Games are spicing things up. Creative Director Jonathan Savery says, “We went through all the reviews and player feedback from the original release. People taught us about our own game, and we made sure we listened. Probably the biggest thing players wanted was a more compelling narrative – so we’re going all out to get that into this Director’s Cut.”
The All New Story
To reboot the narrative, Toxic Games brought in industry veteran Rob Yescombe, writer on franchises including CRYSIS, ALIEN: ISOLATION, STAR WARS and PS4’s upcoming RIME; winner of Best Thriller Screenplay at the Creative World Awards, and the screenwriting Award of Excellence at the Canada International Film Festival.
“The Director’s Cut is a single-location thriller” says Yescombe, “It’s about figuring out what the Qube is, and why you’re inside it. You’re told you are an astronaut inside some kind of alien structure hurtling towards Earth, but it’s also about something deeper than that.”
Under the surface, there is a subtext about games themselves – “We are conditioned to expect death and doom. We’re resigned to it. At its heart, this story is about that state of mind and how it effects the way we view our experiences, in games and in life. The Director’s Cut will feel either heroic or unnerving, depending on your own personal trust issues.”
The Cast
The new story stars Rachel Robinson (best known as Fang in FINAL FANTASY XIII) and Rupert Evans (last seen in Ridley Scott’s TV drama, WORLD WITHOUT END). Robinson is well versed in acting for games, but Q.U.B.E: DIRECTOR’S CUT was a unique experience, particularly because the part was written specifically for her.
Robinson says, “The challenge with acting is to find a way to bring truth into the performance. So having something written specially for you makes that a lot easier. But because of that, there are aspects of this story that are very personal to me – I mean really uncommonly personal – so the process was pretty intense“.
“Performing something this emotionally intimate requires a strong director to help you feel secure in what you’re doing. In games, actors often find themselves working in a vacuum and having to kind of guess what’s wanted. But when Rob directs, he creates a crisp and specific picture in your mind – he always knew what he needed, but always gave me the freedom to find a personal truth in it.”
The Poster Art
The poster for Q.U.B.E: DIRECTOR’S CUT was created by Hollywood concept artist Jon McCoy, best known for his work on Brad Pitt’s WORLD WAR Z, THOR: THE DARK WORLD, EDGE OF TOMORROW and the upcoming WARCRAFT movie, directed by Duncan Jones.
Who Are Toxic Games?
What’s unusual about Toxic Games is that founders Daniel Da Rocha, Dave Hall and Jonathan Savery built this entire first-person puzzle game for digital sale without having any coding expertise at all.
They began development on the original Q.U.B.E as a student project in 2009. The three founders were game design undergraduates – and thanks to the encouragement of academic mentors and industry veterans; and with the help of Indie Fund, Toxic Games went from student hobbyists to independent developers upon graduation.
The team used Unreal’s powerful visual scripting tool, Kismet, to bring the game to life. Managing Director Daniel Da Rocha, “To be able to create your own games without learning a programming language is an incredible thing. It smashes down the barrier – it means anyone can try it. So we gave it a shot.”
Awards
The original Q.U.B.E. has won several awards and was a finalist in various game competitions, including the Develop Editor’s Choice Award 2012, Ffresh Awards 2012, Indie Game Challenge 2011, Sense Of Wonder 2011, The Escapist Extra Credits Innovation Award, and IndieDB’s Indie Game of the Year award: Best UDK Game.
Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-C0M2nkGy0
Feature List
– Single player campaign with an all new narrative
– Challenging and unusual puzzles
– New time-trial mode with 10 levels
– Brand new original music score
– New achievements and leaderboards
– Oculus Rift support
Q.U.B.E. Website: http://www.qube-game.com
Indie Fund: http://indie-fund.com/games/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qubegame
Twitter: https://twitter.com/qubegame
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/qubegame
Blog: http://qube-game.com/blog/
