Cube Escape: Paradox is the thirteenth game in the interconnected series of games that take place in the Rusty Lake universe. This game more than any other, really requires you to be invested in the ongoing story as it is fit to bursting with references to all of the other twelve games in the series. By this point the developers really know how to make a good escape room game, this is a quality experience that offers something a little new. Unavoidable spoilers for previous entries to follow, and the synopsis is based on what I assume is occurring (the story thus far been purposely obtuse).
Detective Dale Vandermeer to my knowledge was last seen descending into the supernatural centre of Rusty Lake. He awakens to find himself in a small room, the only exit being a locked door. With no recollection of how he came to be there, he searches for a way out, piecing together his history as he does so.
Paradox is split into two different chapters as well as including a short eighteen minute film. The aim of both chapters is to obviously escape the room, which is done by solving a series of puzzles hidden throughout the room. Chapter one is free to play and has the typical escape room shenanigans I've came to love. Things are spiced up in that there are not only puzzles to solve, but also little mini games which were fun to do. One has you charting your route across a map, using clues to figure out where you need to be. Another had you in a literal puzzle game. A series of rooms which could be swapped around to create a path through, Dale appeared as a character on screen you could move around by clicking. Once the room is eventually escaped you get a first person maze to traverse leading up to a finale that then loops back on itself for chapter two.
Chapter two has to be purchased, while it is as usual dirt cheap (a few pounds here in the UK), I did find it slightly cheeky that there was no mention of having to pay when downloading the game. In this second chapter you once again awaken in the sealed room with no idea how you got there, Paradox being a time-loop game, feeds back into you stuck in a cycle of repetition. At first glance the room may seem the same but there are completely new puzzles. This time around you get the ability to travel to three different periods in Dale's mind, the past, present and future. The past section in particular stood out as it takes you back to the events of Cube Escape: Birthday, having you relive the day that a masked killer murdered his parents on his birthday as a child. The call backs to previous games are so much fun to see. Absolutely everything is referenced, with a big part of the game calling back to Cube Escape: Case 23, where Dale was first introduced as a Detective investigating the murder of a woman. Having played all the previous entries I was delighted seeing so much of that come back as a reward for anyone invested in the shared universe.
Maybe it was due to be having played so many escape games lately but I never once really got stuck. I found the puzzles were often simple to do if you knew what you were doing. Chapter one in particular eases you in, thanks to a mirror which has Dale looking at his reflection and commenting on what he believes needs to be done next. The only puzzle I didn't get was one requiring you to set a clock to three different times. For that one I brute forced my way through so it still didn't present a stumbling block. Story wise this felt like it gave a lot of information, and while things didn't wrap up neatly it still felt like I was getting more of a handle on the story.
Throughout the game you have to interact with a TV, when tuned to the correct channel it shows a series of unexpected FMV sequences. I thought this was so cool having real footage mixed in with the cartoon like game. Available at any time there is actually an entire eighteen minute long short film to watch. Like the game itself, this film (directed and written by Sean van Leijenhorst) has Dale (David Bowles) attempting to escape from a strange room he has found himself in. It goes through similar style puzzles but from what happens appears to take place after chapter two. It was fascinating to see a live action version of the exact same room, and was a fun way to finish things off. Hidden in the game are two alternate endings which I confess I not only didn't find, but also didn't even know was there. I had a quick look on YouTube and they didn't seem anything worth heading back into the game to do. It seems clues to get these endings are laced within the short film.
Cube Escape: Paradox shows the Rusty Lake team at their finest. The escape room made sense and never featured puzzles that were as baffling as a few in earlier entries. Elsewhere, the love for the series is evident and I really enjoyed seeing the load of references to all the games that have came before. My favourite game in the series yet, though if you are heading in to this a virgin a lot of this may be lost on you.
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