Let's Play: The Cub
1Disclosure: I received a copy of this game for free through Lurkit.com. Thanks to them for the opportunity!
#thecub #gaming #twitch #letsplay #adventure #latestagecapitalism #environmentalstorytelling
Surprising no one: humanity ruined the Earth. Less surprisingly: the solution was to send all the super rich to mars and "come back and fix it later," leaving the proletariat to die off and/or mutate. Strangely though, the children that were left abandoned not only survived, but flourished in this new hyper-colour nightmare world. You are one such youth, and whilst you were out hunting for a bug to eat, a bunch of rich folk come down to survey the planet. They see you, and the chase ensues.
Honestly, I have really mixed feelings about this game. On one hand it is all very pretty and is telling an interesting (if somewhat obvious) story. The music is... well it's not all to my taste, but it is a very bold selection, and I give credit where it's due. On the other hand, the difficulty spikes in this game are dramatic and off-putting. I know I'm not the most talented player out there, but the swap between interesting exploration and punishing puzzle sequences were jarring and frustrating.
I think my biggest issue is that The Cub doesn't quite know what it wants to be: is it a political art piece talking to the nature of late-stage capitalism? Or is it a challenging puzzle-platformer? There is a middle ground where it can be both, but I don't think The Cub sticks that landing, and that's a shame.
Overall I enjoyed my time with The Cub, but it could have been so much better.
Game info: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1941410/The_Cub/
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