Info about Q.U.B.E. 2:

Official game description:
RTX AND DLSS ENABLED!
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About the Game
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Q.U.B.E. 2 is the sequel to the hit first-person puzzle game Q.U.B.E. You are Amelia Cross, a stranded archaeologist who has mysteriously awoken among the sand swept ruins of an ancient alien landscape. Together with the distant help of another survivor, Commander Emma Sutcliffe, you must traverse and manipulate the structure of this forgotten world to find a way back home.  
Waking up wearing a strange suit with attached gloves, you have no prior knowledge on how you came to be in this environment. Awaiting you is a maze-like monolith, a structure that you must navigate, solving mind-bending puzzles. Use your manipulation gloves to change and adapt the architectural structure in your search to rendezvous with another survivor, finding a way off the planet.  
As you explore and solve puzzles to progress, thought-provoking questions about your true purpose and the origins of the structure you are navigating will need to be considered, forcing you to come to terms with a devastating truth that will shake your world.  
**Features:**  
**Master eleven puzzle areas and solve over 80 individual puzzles:**  
**Explore diverse environments that expand the Q.U.B.E. world:**  
**Interact with new and improved game mechanics:**  
**Full colour blind support, using symbols as a colour aid:**  
*   **Experience an all new adventure and brand new characters**  
*   **Original musical score composed by BAFTA nominated composer, David Housden**

Release date: Mar 13, 2018

Categories: First-Person Perspective, Puzzle Solving, Environmental Interaction, Story-driven Gameplay, Single-player, Atmospheric Horror (Light), Precision Platformer

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 20; verdict: Mixed Value; summary: The reviews highlight concerns about the value and quality of the DLC content, with many users feeling that the additional content does not justify the cost. The main game and DLCs are also criticized for their short duration, which may not provide enough gameplay time relative to the price. Overall, while the DLCs offer additional challenges and puzzles, they do not significantly enhance the story, leading to mixed feelings about their worth.
- Proton/Linux: score 10; verdict: Works Well; summary: The game generally runs well with Proton and on Steam Deck, but there are minor issues with settings not being saved. The overall compatibility and performance are good, with minimal tweaks required.
- Steam Deck: score 40; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The game has notable issues on the Steam Deck, including the need for Proton translation and problems with text display. These issues require additional tinkering and affect the overall user experience.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $5.00 - $10.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence suggests that the community generally finds the game overpriced at its full price. Multiple reviews indicate that a fair price would be around $10 or less, with several mentions of waiting for a sale to make the purchase. The sentiment is that the game is enjoyable but not worth the full price, which aligns with a recommended price range of $5 to $10.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 7.0h
  - Story completion: 5.5h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides multiple data points regarding the total playtime to complete the game, the story completion time, and the session length. The quotes indicate that the game can be completed in approximately 5 to 7 hours, which aligns with the story completion time. There is no specific evidence provided for session length or endgame content, so those fields are marked as null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game starts with a tutorial phase that can feel tedious, but the fun increases as puzzles become more complex and challenging. The initial phase can be slow and repetitive, but the game picks up after the first few chapters.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: Complex puzzles
  - Time to anchor: 0h 30m
  - Friction: Slow movement speed; Repetitive puzzles; Tedious tutorial phase
  - Unlock drivers: Increasing puzzle complexity; Introduction of new mechanics
  - Conditions: Patience for tutorial phase; Enjoyment of puzzle-solving; Tolerance for repetitive tasks
- Player Archetypes:
  - Casual Puzzle Enthusiast (sale)
    - Motivation: Enjoyment of puzzle-solving and cerebral entertainment.
    - Playstyle: Casual, enjoys a moderate challenge without extreme difficulty.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: casual player; puzzle fan
    - Reference games: Portal; The Talos Principle; The Witness
  - Puzzle Genre Veteran (buy)
    - Motivation: Seeking challenging and immersive puzzle experiences.
    - Playstyle: Strategic, enjoys complex puzzles and immersive environments.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: veteran player; genre fan
    - Reference games: Portal; The Talos Principle; The Turing Test
  - Hardcore Puzzle Master (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Seeking highly challenging and complex puzzles.
    - Playstyle: Intense, enjoys difficult and intricate puzzles.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: hardcore player; puzzle master
    - Reference games: Portal 2; The Talos Principle


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Well-designed and enjoyable puzzles (weight 0.96): The game features a variety of puzzles that are well-thought-out, challenging, and enjoyable. Players appreciate the balance of difficulty and the creativity involved in solving them.
- Great graphics and atmosphere (weight 0.62): The game is praised for its high-quality graphics, beautiful visuals, and atmospheric environments. The lighting and textures contribute to an immersive experience.
- Improved storyline (weight 0.38): The storyline is considered better than the first part, with interesting and well-developed narrative elements. Players enjoy the story progression and twists.
- Improved soundtrack and sound design (weight 0.23): The soundtrack is mesmerizing and improved, contributing to the overall atmosphere. The sound design is also noted for its high quality.
- High-quality voice acting (weight 0.23): The voice acting in the game is praised for its high quality, with outstanding performances that enhance the narrative delivery.
- Introduction of new mechanics (weight 0.18): The game introduces new mechanics and gameplay aspects, such as magnets and oil-soaked cubes, which add fresh elements to the puzzle-solving experience.
- Worthwhile DLCs (weight 0.12): The DLCs are considered good and worth playing, adding complexity and value to the game.

Common complaints:
- Story is weak and unengaging (weight 0.96): The story is criticized for being boring, forgettable, and lacking depth. Players find it predictable, confusing, and not compelling enough to keep their interest.
- Puzzles lack challenge and variety (weight 0.89): Many players find the puzzles in the game to be too easy, repetitive, and not engaging enough. They feel that the puzzles lack depth and do not provide a significant challenge, making the gameplay experience less enjoyable.
- Game is too short (weight 0.26): The game's length is a common complaint among players, with many stating that it can be completed in just a few hours. This short duration is seen as not providing enough content for the price.
- Slow movement and elevators (weight 0.21): The slow movement speed of the character and the slow elevators are noted as frustrating elements that make the game feel tedious and slow-paced.
- DLCs are poorly received (weight 0.17): The DLCs for the game are criticized for being bad, buggy, and not worth the investment. Players feel that the DLCs do not add significant value to the game.
- Technical issues and poor optimization (weight 0.17): Players have reported various technical issues, including poor Linux support, buggy physics, and lack of optimization. These issues detract from the overall gaming experience.
- Music and sound issues (weight 0.13): The music in the game is criticized for being unremarkable and cutting off during puzzles. There is also a lack of ambient music, which affects the overall atmosphere of the game.
- Poor translation quality (weight 0.07): The Simplified Chinese translation is noted for having a lot of garbled text, making it difficult for players who rely on this translation to enjoy the game.
- Lack of community features (weight 0.07): Players express disappointment over the lack of a workshop for community-made levels and the absence of a multiplayer mode, which limits the game's replayability and community engagement.

Gameplay feedback:
- Diverse and challenging puzzles (weight 0.7): The game features a wide variety of puzzles involving physics, platforms, magnetism, and movement patterns. These puzzles are challenging and require skill, offering a satisfying experience for players.
- Inconsistent puzzle difficulty (weight 0.2): The difficulty of the puzzles varies inconsistently. While some puzzles are enjoyable but mostly easy, others may pose a challenge initially but become manageable with thought.
- Open-ended and story-driven gameplay (weight 0.2): The game offers open-ended gameplay with varied paths and a story-driven narrative, providing a rich and engaging experience.
- Color cube mechanics (weight 0.19): The gameplay involves the use of colored cubes with different functions. Players activate cores and manipulate these cubes to solve puzzles.
- Introduction of new elements (weight 0.19): The game introduces new puzzle elements like fans and magnets, increasing the complexity and variety of the puzzles. Players also manipulate architectural structures to solve puzzles.
- Improved mechanics from first game (weight 0.14): The game features different and improved puzzle mechanics compared to its predecessor, offering a fresh experience for returning players.
- First-person physics puzzles (weight 0.12): The game is a first-person puzzle game that involves physics and logic mechanics, providing a unique and engaging puzzle-solving experience.
- Short game duration (weight 0.08): The game has a relatively short duration, taking around 4 to 6 hours to complete, making it a concise and focused experience.
- Right difficulty curve (weight 0.08): The game features a well-balanced difficulty progression, ensuring that the puzzles remain challenging yet manageable as players advance.
- Story and visuals (weight 0.08): The game includes narrative elements and emotional story elements, although the story may not be engaging for all players.

Performance notes:
- Frequent bugs and crashes (weight 0.23): Players report various bugs, including platforming and physics issues, as well as game crashes. These issues significantly impact the gameplay experience.
- Positive performance on specific hardware (weight 0.18): The game plays well on Steam Deck and runs beautifully on certain hardware configurations, with good FPS on normal settings and epic settings with 120fps.
- Graphical issues and requirements (weight 0.14): Players mention lighting issues in some locations and moderate technical requirements. The game looks amazing with good graphics due to shaders.
- 4K resolution support (weight 0.04): The game supports 4K resolution, which is noted by some players.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for puzzle game fans (weight 0.64): The game is highly recommended for fans of puzzle games, particularly those who enjoy titles like Portal and The Talos Principle. It offers a modern and enjoyable experience with high-quality puzzles.
- Consider the first game (weight 0.18): Some reviewers recommend playing the first Q.U.B.E. game or starting with it for a better contrast and understanding of the series.
- DLC recommendations (weight 0.12): Reviewers suggest considering the purchase of DLCs for the full story or looking forward to future DLC content.
- Alternative game suggestions (weight 0.11): Some reviewers recommend playing other games like The Turing Test, The Witness, Linelight, or QBEH for potentially better puzzles and mechanics.
- Play in portions (weight 0.04): Suggestions to play the game in portions rather than all at once to fully enjoy the experience.
- Recommended despite bugs (weight 0.04): The game is recommended if players can overlook some bugs, suggesting that the overall experience is still enjoyable.

Other player notes:
- Chapter selection added (weight 0.05): A recent patch added the feature of chapter selection, which has been noted by players. This suggests that the update has brought a significant improvement to the game's user interface or gameplay mechanics.
- DLC mentioned by players (weight 0.05): Players have mentioned the DLC in their reviews. This indicates that the DLC is a notable aspect of the game that players are discussing.

Emotions:
- Disappointment (weight 0.23): Players are disappointed primarily due to the story and puzzle design, which are often described as mediocre, predictable, or confusing. Additional frustrations stem from the game's short length, lack of challenging or creative puzzles, and the necessity to purchase DLCs for a complete experience. Comparisons to other games, particularly the Portal series, also contribute to this sentiment.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.21): Players express satisfaction with the game's improved visuals, audio, and puzzle mechanics. The balanced difficulty curve, engaging story, and overall enjoyable experience contribute to this positive sentiment. Many appreciate the lack of bugs and the quality work put into the game.
- Joy (weight 0.1): Players find joy in the game's fun and engaging puzzles, beautiful graphics, and the sense of accomplishment from solving puzzles. The enjoyable story and overall meditative puzzle-solving experience also contribute to this positive emotion.
- Frustration (weight 0.08): Players experience frustration due to technical issues such as VR problems, slow movement speed, and buggy mechanics. Additionally, repetitive puzzles, lack of chapter replayability, and poor localization contribute to this sentiment. Some players also report motion sickness and tedious puzzle designs.
- Positive (weight 0.07): Players have a positive experience with the game's visual style, story, and puzzle mechanics. The game is seen as an improvement over its predecessor, offering a relaxing and enjoyable experience. The lighting, textures, and overall presentation are also appreciated.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.06): Players enjoy the game's story, gameplay, graphics, and puzzles. The atmosphere and music enhance the overall experience, making it engaging and enjoyable. The intuitive gameplay and puzzle design are particularly highlighted.
- Appreciation (weight 0.04): Players appreciate the quality improvements between the first and second games, including better storyline, developed puzzles, and a dreamlike atmosphere. The massive work by developers and interesting endings are also noted.
- Disappointed (weight 0.03): Players feel disappointed due to the game's lack of overall purpose, simple and linear gameplay, and weak puzzle design. Terrible writing and acting, along with childish puzzle mechanics, contribute to this sentiment.
- Engaged (weight 0.03): Players are engaged by the game's interesting representation of the first-person puzzle genre, nice level design, and successful puzzle mechanics. The fun puzzle game aspect keeps players interested.
- Bored (weight 0.03): Players feel bored due to the game's juvenile gameplay, minimalistic and boring environments, and tedious puzzles. The game is seen as a tedious time-killer with too easy puzzles.
- Frustrated (weight 0.02): Players are frustrated with technical issues such as problems with the DX12 version and controller support. Game crashes and the feeling of wasted potential also contribute to this frustration.
- Excitement (weight 0.01): Players are excited about the upcoming DLC and the improvements and new features in the game. The anticipation of new content and enhancements generates this excitement.
- Mixed feelings (weight 0.01): Players have mixed feelings due to the game's crashes, but acknowledge some good puzzles. The enjoyment of certain aspects is tempered by disappointment in others, leading to a complex emotional response.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Players are enthusiastic about the game's overall quality and improvements. The appreciation of the game's puzzles and graphics contributes to this positive sentiment.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Players experience boredom due to the game's simple and boring puzzles. The lack of engaging content leads to this sentiment.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Players are pleasantly surprised by the game's unexpected and pleasant ending. This positive twist contributes to a sense of surprise.
- Nostalgic (weight 0.01): Players feel nostalgic as the game is comparable to the Portal series. This comparison evokes a sense of nostalgia.
- Negative (weight 0.01): Players have a negative experience due to the game being boring and not engaging, especially in the second half. The lack of engaging content leads to this sentiment.
- Interest (weight 0.01): Players are interested in the game due to the enjoyment of the puzzle-solving experience. The engaging puzzles keep players interested.}