I’ve all the time been fascinated by video games that concentrate on constructing and creating relatively than telling a narrative. Between video games like No Man’s Sky and Minecraft, there is definitely a large variance in how the style might be executed. Cubic Odyssey is one other entry into the house exploration/mining/crafting scene, however does it have sufficient new concepts to warrant a spot on the desk?
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I went into this assessment with minimal expectations, seeing as the sport appears extremely just like issues I’ve already performed on the floor. It may be a tough line to stroll for a sport when confronted with these sorts of speedy perceived inspirations, but it surely appeared Cubic Odyssey wasn’t afraid of these comparisons, both.
After getting began, the sport actually shocked me with a whole lot of the adjustments it brings to the style as a complete, however together with these adjustments got here some drawbacks that I am unable to say I am a fan of. After greater than 20 hours with Cubic Odyssey, this house fairing sport was enjoyable, however some odd design decisions make the start of the sport a little bit of a slog.
The Dice World
One factor that basically caught out to me when enjoying this sport was that, visually, there’s a whole lot of magnificence type of strewn about on the bottom. However house is the place the sport actually shines. Trying up into the sky at an unbelievable skybox is admittedly one thing superb, however out in house, surrounded by huge swirling nebulas in each route, it is simple to get misplaced in all of it.
That is to not say the planets themselves lack any type of visible enchantment, however that got here extra from the stark variations between every world. Cubic Odyssey does not have worlds with varied biomes. In actual fact, the maps are all pretty small, so every world acts as its personal, self-contained biome.
Which means that every world you go to has its personal type of quirks, from being largely water, to nearly nothing however magma. Past that, every world is made of various supplies, so you would have one planet with mushroom bushes whereas others have coral bushes.
It actually makes for some extremely distinctive environments that each one have their very own charms. This additionally signifies that every planet comes with its personal wildlife, some cuter than others.
Essentially the most visually gorgeous factor, although, are the planets themselves in house. Every one is a dice, and as you strategy its floor, the planet will start to warp and develop earlier than you are thrust into the planet map.
Every time I landed on a planet, I used to be blown away by this visible. Watching the planet itself bend and shift as I approached simply made for the best entrances I’ve ever seen.
It wasn’t extremely demanding on my PC, though some occasional spots would make it drop a number of frames, however nothing severe. Some lower-end PCs could wrestle, however nearly everybody ought to discover this sport runs properly on their setup.
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Journey Throughout the Universe
Whereas the narrative right here will not be breaking down any type of limitations, you will nonetheless just about be pressured ahead to harder planets for particular gadgets. Every planet may have varied completely different ores and gadgets that you just use to craft your wanted gear.
The sport appears to need to encourage you to arrange store on different planets, however there’s actually no want, since you possibly can simply arrange on planets with an abundance of sources and reap the rewards. The one motive it’s good to press ahead is to unlock a brand new store merchandise, which you will completely must improve gear.
It isn’t precisely the most effective motive to maintain transferring ahead, but it surely does a minimum of forestall you from sitting on one planet your complete time. Nonetheless, you will possible be spending an excellent chunk of time on planets that you have not related with warp portals.
You may spend a while on a planet gathering sources, then head via the warp gate within the system to take you to any galaxy you’ve got visited beforehand with out the necessity for a warp core, an merchandise that may take a while buying on the very starting.
This can be a nice upside, because it means you possibly can journey to galaxies which have Historical Temples with built-in warp portals, and clear them so as to add a brand new place to warp to. Warping is just about prompt too, so it makes it a lot simpler to get between your bases.
With some artistic design, the crew has introduced a whole lot of new concepts to the style that can have some lasting impacts.
Apart from the minimal story and the necessity for improve gadgets, there’s not a lot of a motive to push your self to journey the universe, however you will possible do it regardless to fulfill your curiosity, very like I did. Getting higher gear actually made the sport a lot simpler, however in a means, it will definitely made the sport too simple.
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Welcome to the World of Tomorrow
One of the best elements of this sport are the baked-in ways in which make it a lot simpler to do all of the mundane duties that the style is understood for. With some artistic design, the crew has introduced a whole lot of new concepts to the style that can have some lasting impacts.
There are such a lot of quality-of-life adjustments that carry a brand new spin to the style, however a number of of the most effective ones will possible turn into new staples of the style as a complete. That is the place the sport is trying to separate itself from its predecessors, however in doing so, I worry that it has additionally fallen into some new sorts of pitfalls.
They’ve modified sturdiness to not be connected to the usage of your gadgets. As a substitute, they lose sturdiness whenever you die, like in some old-fashioned MMOs. This implies your gadgets and weapons can be utilized indefinitely in the event you’re cautious.
Bored with selecting up random items of stone and filth? Nicely, with the filter system, you by no means have to choose up these sorts of blocks except you need to. This made digging for ore considerably simpler, and it is contained in your stock display screen, so it is by no means laborious to vary.
Together with that, you’ve got obtained a trustworthy companion who will scan for any ore varieties you’ve got already discovered, making it simple to seek out what you are on the lookout for. When you’re down within the deep floor, you possibly can truly use a scorching key to focus on different close by ores.
Combining this with issues just like the jetpack and the power to teleport again to your ship actually brings the worst facets of the style into a brand new gentle. However after all, with many nice adjustments, one thing needed to give. For Cubic Odyssey, that one thing actually harmed the early sport.
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Higher Be Duracell
Since I’ve gone over a number of the larger positives thus far, I will cowl a number of the negatives. One factor that basically obtained my goat was that all the pieces on this house age society runs on batteries.
Each bit of substances or gear you’ve will solely function if in case you have the battery energy to take action. It is not very tough to make and even discover these batteries, however they do not stack within the menu, so every backup you carry knocks you down one accessible stock slot.
It is so extremely irritating to expire of batteries because it successfully kneecaps all the pieces you’re doing. Attempting to run? Oops, no battery. Must jetpack? Oops, nonetheless no battery. Teleport again to your ship? You guessed it — no battery.
This additionally extends to your ship, that means if you wish to actually discover house and have canine fights with different automobiles, you will need to get loads of batteries in your ship. It grew to become tedious on the very starting to hold them round or have backups in case of an emergency, however operating out of energy was a lot worse.
Ultimately, this turns into just about meaningless as each single humanoid enemy you face off towards drops a battery. After the primary few planets, I actually by no means wanted to make extra myself since I used to be now amassing so many.
It was disheartening to have a mechanic that was relatively annoying for therefore a lot of these first hours principally be tossed out as quickly as I may deal with myself. It made me surprise why it was so integral to the system in any respect.
Fight for Dummies
Fight wasn’t extremely deep, however there’s a minimum of sufficient there to maintain you in your toes. Enemies have entry to all the identical weapons as you, in order that they’re capable of snipe, shotgun, or melee relying on the weapon they’ve.
At first, fight might be irritating as you lack any actual safety, however when you get a number of kills and scavenge some weapons, most enemies will die in only a few pictures. Nonetheless, it is nearly not price it to make use of something however ranged weapons since enemies can do excessive quantities of harm in very small bursts.
Fight encounters actually boiled right down to wiping them out at vary earlier than slowly working your means nearer in an effort to not get instantly one shot. I’ll say wiping out an enemy base with only a few pictures feels unbelievable, however getting worn out in simply as many pictures makes you are feeling relatively lackluster.
Area fight finally ends up being a alternative of whether or not you’ve the sources to even deal with the battle, since every time you hearth your lasers you burn battery energy. You may add on weapons to your ship to make fight simpler, however they nonetheless require energy, so greater than something, you will want batteries.
Crafting Every thing
Since this can be a survival-type sport, you will be crafting a whole lot of your gear—however in a means that is way more just like the programs in No Man’s Sky than anything. As a substitute of utilizing your ore to truly make any gadgets or gear, you will use them to create different crafting gadgets that can then be used for extra crafting.
If that sounds complicated, don’t fret. It is actually a facet of the sport I struggled to take pleasure in, however the sport does its finest to make the method easy and straightforward. Any time you are crafting one thing that has different elements, you possibly can simply create these elements ought to you’ve the required ores and gadgets to take action.
This would not be so unhealthy if there weren’t so many gadgets to make that really feel pointless. As an example, in the event you’re trying to make some higher-end gear and home equipment, you will want a Capacitor, however to make that Capacitor you will want to mix 4 completely different ores.
It will definitely turns into cumbersome to must take your uncooked supplies to make into different supplies so you possibly can craft the precise merchandise you need. They make the method simple which is good, however there are simply so many gadgets to craft that you’re going to go insane in the event you attempt to memorize all their compositions.
The sport does allow you to pin recipes to your display screen so you possibly can simply ensure you have what you want, but it surely’s nonetheless irritating to must go gather a ton of ore and supplies to make gadgets to get the factor you truly need. You can also’t have a couple of recipe at a time pinned, so figuring out each merchandise you will want can turn into tough as you’re employed your means up.
Upgrades Individuals, Upgrades
One of many extra fascinating elements of the sport is that you’ve got the power to improve your expertise as you employ them, a la Skyrim. That is type of the principle development characteristic that permits you to craft, discover, and use different gadgets.
You will not be capable to mine sure ores with out an upgraded mining instrument. Nonetheless, the one means to have the ability to craft that instrument might be to extend your crafting talent. It’s going to occur fairly naturally and is an honest mark for a way succesful your character is, however once more, it looks like one other barrier that does not essentially match.
Every means does have enhancements they supply. For instance, Mining will present additional ore and shopping for gadgets may have better reductions. This can be a neat use for the system however in the end not often performs any half apart from hitting the required checkpoints for sure gadgets or gear.
The Cubic Vibes
Regardless of many of those negatives and complaints I used to be discovering myself having, the vibes on this sport are nonetheless immaculate. The background music, ambiance, and audio queues are unbelievable and completely suck you in to the sport.
The music adjustments a bit from planet to planet, however every change actually captures that interstellar ideology of exploration. A lot in the identical means that Halo utilized its rating, Cubic Odyssey actually needed gamers to really feel like they’re in a film with the background music making a much-needed environment.
Talking of environment, whenever you’re going mining, you will often hear a ‘PING’ sound as you break ores. Not solely does this make your monkey mind produce the blissful chemical, it additionally signifies that ore has dropped some additional sources so that you can decide up.
It is one thing comparatively small within the grand scheme, but it surely does assist to make the tedious job of mining a bit extra fascinating. This is not the one audio cue that basically stands out. Very like the Covenant Elites in Halo, the enemies in Cubic Odyssey make a reasonably distinct sound. It is just a bit janky because the audio appears to come back from throughout you, however the precise sound is pretty memorable, very like the sound of Zombies in Minecraft.
This all culminates collectively to create a mode and vibe that basically does stick out and makes Cubic Odyssey a sport you will bear in mind, even when it isn’t a utterly stellar house exploration and crafting expertise on a regular basis.
Closing Feedback:
All in all, Cubic Odyssey is an effective sport that will get slightly slowed down by its personal complexities, like character talents and battery energy. It is a strong sport due to all of the quality-of-life adjustments it brings to the style, together with the sturdy environment and fascinating visuals. Whereas it in all probability is not a sport that I will add to my repertoire, I feel it is going to actually make a reputation for itself within the trade. In the event you actually take pleasure in survival exploration video games, then this might be a sport you possibly can sink numerous hours into. Cubic Odyssey is a strong sport that merely will get dragged down by some odd design decisions that clearly serve so as to add issue, however that issue finally ends up changing into inconsequential at a sure level. Nonetheless, it’s pleasing, and all of the issues the sport does proper make it a significant addition to the style as a complete.
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Cubic Odyssey
Reviewed on PC
- Launched
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Might 14, 2025
- ESRB
-
Everybody 10+ // Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
-
Atypical Video games
- Writer(s)
-
Gaijin Community Ltd
- Multiplayer
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On-line Co-Op, Native Co-Op
- Variety of Gamers
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Single-player
- The QoL adjustments actually assist to take away the tedious elements of the style.
- The artistry within the sport is attractive and supplies some breathtaking views.
- Prompt ship teleportation makes getting again dwelling a breeze.
- The need for batteries means losing house in your stock.
- With so many gadgets to craft, it may possibly get tough to determine precisely what you want.
- Exploring the universe takes a backseat to useful resource administration.