Not bad, not bad at all... just not great, either.
Strangely enough, even though the "Geometry Wars" type shooter has become more than popular amongst digital distribution networks, Death By Cube differentiates itself merely by using a bit of the ol' ultraviolence in spite of the it's genre's oversaturation. Ironically you aren't even shooting humans, or even humanoids, but mechanical boxes (or cubes) that 'asplode into red geysers. It's warranted too, as these cubes would like nothing more than to rip you, Leo the robot, apart, limb from limb. It's surprising just how much blood and gore (the game claims it's red oil) gushes out of even the smallest cube whence defeated... Brings new meaning to the phrase, 'painting the town red'.
Death by Cube does use a fairly light-hearted story as motivation. Leo awakens with amnesia, and the land/grid he loves is being invaded by hordes of evil cubed robots. His purpose (aside from regaining his memory) is to save the princess---errr, I mean reboot the heroine robot. I know, pretty bland, but it's enough to stave off the idea of completely random robot killing... and realistically, with most games of this type, the story is usually non-existent.
Just like GeoWars, the levels are seemingly floating in space...unlike GeoWars, however, the game boards actually change shape level to level (they're not just a square). It may sound like a small difference, but it actually opens up the strategy a bit, since many of the designs can be used as bottlenecks to make things easier on you. And every little bit of an advantage helps because things can get pretty hairy very quickly as enemies spawn. Especially if you have to defend a base.
Come to think of it, all the standards are here; weapons upgrades and player power-ups, different shields and defensive maneuvers, and action that is so fast-paced that reprieve from shooting rarely, if ever, happens during a level. Adding a different dimension though, is that you can buy different robot designs, each with different strengths, and it's not just a gimmick; it's important to familiarize yourself with the different robot designs, as there are more than a few levels where you'll be relying on your robot load out to survive.
And that's that... There's not much more to tell. The multiplayer (up to 8 players in both competitive and co-operative modes) can be fun if you're into that, but the game is a singleplayer-centric experience. Aside from than that there's nothing else that stands out.
You see, unfortunately, as much as Death by Cube is adequate, I found that that's all it is. Even as I re-read this review, I'm finding that it's very indicative of how Death by Cube plays; it's not bad - there's nothing objectively wrong - it just feels played out (teetering on generic). With Retro Evolved, there was a rivalry between my group of friends always trying to up each other score. So much so that I probably played it far too much for such a simple game. Since then, however, the dual-analog arcade game (including great examples like Super Stardust on PS3 and PSP) have had a tough time maintaining my interest. With DbC, I got bored quicker than any previous dual-analog game I've played, and it's far from the worst one available in terms of action AND visuals. Long story short, unless you still fantasize about the dually-analog genre, you may find your money better spent elsewhere.
