Puzzle Dimension Review | Successor to Kula World
Publisher/Developer: Doctor Entertainment AB
Platform: PC
On Puzzle Dimension’s official website it states that “There have been people asking for a puzzle game like Kula World for modern hardware” and it’s clear that this game hopes to be the answer to that. Directed by Kula World developer Jesper Rudberg, this relatively unknown game came onto my radar through researching the cult PS1 title but now with its spiritual predecessor fresh in my mind, it’s time to find out if Puzzle Dimension was worth asking for.
Puzzle Dimension shares more than just some of its developers with Kula World. It's a physics based puzzle game featuring floating platforms where you must guide a surprisingly fragile metal sphere to the exit. Several flowers must be collected for the portal to open and many traps and pitfalls will stand in the way of the goal. Obstacles include springboards, crumbling platforms, flames, invisible platforms and switches which can perform various functions. Some levels, such as one where you follow a looping path with spring boards all the way around are even lifted directly from Kula World, but each of Puzzle Dimension’s clusters (which is a set of levels built around a specific type of platform) soon move on to form their own ideas & challenges.
Traversal can be done over vertical, horizontal or diagonal platforms with gravity reorienting itself as you go. The addition of angled platforms makes for some really intriguing and also visually interesting level design. It is however, sometimes unclear whether a platform can be jumped to or not. Also, with the increasing complexity of the levels as the game goes on, you would expect these angular platforms to be utilised in a few more ways but the same idea of reaching the underside of an above platform is pretty much the go to setup in puzzle dimension.
There is no time limit to completing a level, nor are there any pickups or power ups to speak of which is unfortunate considering the clever hourglass mechanic I mentioned in my Kula World review. While the game doesn’t have a score system as such, you are graded on the speed at which you solve each puzzle. Each stage starts off with a pixelated overlay to everything and by moving near to platforms the pixels disperse. In turn, this fills a bar which once full increases your grade, wait too long however and the bar will start to gradually decline.
This leads me to what is by far the most innovative and intriguing element of Puzzle Dimension. The dynamic soundtrack begins as a full on chiptune rendition, then as you gradually unpixellate the areas of the stage, the same thing happens to the music. This smooth transition between musical styles has been similarly used in the recent game Nier: Automata and it holds a lot of impact. Not to mention, the soundtrack to Puzzle Dimension is generally decent as it is, but this elevates the music, and in turn the game, beyond the otherwise simple concept by adding style and grace.
The puzzles themselves don’t quite feel as rewarding as Kula World & the reason lies in the trial & error nature of the game. In Kula World you could usually work out what you had to do by keen observation but the gradually declining bar in Puzzle Dimension de-incentivises this kind of caution. Instead I found myself stumbling through each puzzle, dying multiple times before I finally found the solution, either by chance or simply from memory. This, in my opinion is not a particularly fun way to play a puzzle game.
Otherwise, it’s unfortunate that Puzzle Dimension is one of those games that is hard to find a lot to complain about but on the other hand it simply doesn’t do much to impress. It’s no surprise that the game proved to be far more obscure than Kula World, its Playstation 1 cousin. In terms of game design, the dynamic music is notable but in everything else this feels like a budget title which the developer admits was a simple & cheap first attempt by the then new company Doctor Entertainment. You might find it’s worth checking out but you’ll more likely find it’s worth passing up.
Pros:
Innovative dynamic soundtrack ties with the gameplay.
Customisable visual style by way of "themes."
Cons:
Mechanics push you towards trial & error.
Doesn't do much to surpass its inspiration, Kula World.
