Quantum Conundrum

Overview

Quantum Conundrum is a first-person puzzle game from one of the lead designers of the original Portal, Kim Swift. The game was developed by Airtight Games and published by Square Enix. Quantum Conundrum was released on June 21, 2012 on PC through Steam, July 10 for PlayStation Network and July 11 for Xbox Live Marketplace.

Story

The player controls a 10-year-old boy who has been sent by his mother to spend a weekend with his mad-scientist uncle (Professor Fitz Quadwrangle). However, when the protagonist arrives, there is a large explosion that is the result of an experiment gone awry, causing Professor Quadwrangle to vanish. He doesn't remember how he got trapped in the other dimension, having suffered minor amnesia due to a bump on the head, but seems to have retained all his other scientific knowledge. In order to rescue the Professor, the player must explore the professor's large mansion/laboratory, solving their way through a series of physics-based puzzles.

Along the way, players will find the Inter-Dimensional Shift (IDS) Device allowing movement between multiple dimensions. As well as this, players will interact with the professor's pet/lab assistant IKE (Inter-dimensional Kinetic Entity).

Like Portal, the game relies heavily on both puns and black humor. Books with science and math-related punny titles (like Of Mice & Mandelbrot) can be found strewn across each level; also, every death is followed by a message stating "things you'll never get the chance to do" now that the boy's dead, such as "watching your favorite childhood show get turned into a horrible movie", or "accidentally hitting Reply All".

Professor Fitz Quadwrangle

John DeLancie plays Professor Fitz Quadwrangle, the protagonist's uncle, who starts off being slightly wary of children, but slowly becoming more friendly towards the protagonist as time goes on (although he still hates when his stuff is broken - it's still his mansion, after all). He appears in portrait form, but is never seen in-person in the game itself. He appears to have a fondness for cute animals, judging by his companionship with IKE (the 'Interdimensional Kinetic Entity'); as well as this, he has many portraits of his cat; his pug, Thing; and a dachshund that has been modified to be super stretchy. Quadwrangle claims to be good at shotput and basketball, having played them in school.

The name "Quadwrangle" is a pun, both referring to the word "quadrangle" (a four-sided polygon) and "wrangle", referencing his ability to wrangle his way through four different dimensions.

The Protagonist

The protagonist (Quadwrangle's nephew) is silent the entire game, and his name is never given. The game's cover artwork suggests that the protagonist is blonde boy wearing a blue sweater vest. Throughout the game, he uses the IDS device to navigate through the mansion in order to save Professor Quadwrangle.

Gameplay

Each dimension that can be reached via the IDS device has its own unique attributes, allowing the player to essentially manipulate physics in order to solve the game's puzzles. The dimensions that the player can travel between are:

• The normal dimension - The default dimension.
• The fluffy dimension - Everything is made from a plush material and is consequently ten times lighter. All items can be picked up; all objects are affected by fans and lasers.
• The heavy dimension - Everything is ten times heavier than normal. Items cannot be picked up; nor will they be affected by fans or lasers.
• The slow-motion dimension - Everything moves twenty times slower. Allows the player to perform actions that otherwise wouldn't be possible due to timing (eg. jumping onto a moving safe).
• The reverse gravity dimension - Gravity is reversed, causing all items to float to the ceiling.

The game is separated into discrete levels, however it will also encourage players to explore and find optional collectables. These collectables will come in two forms: "awkward noise generators" and blueprints. The latter will unlock dimensions which can be used in the 'R&D Lab' - the game's sandbox area.

DLC

The game has two DLC packs forthcoming, both of which can be purchased individually or via the season pass. "The Desmond Debacle" will be the first DLC, involving Desmond, the drinking bird; it will be released via Steam on July 31, PlayStation Network on August 14, and Xbox Live on August 15. "IKE-aramba!", the second DLC, will involve rescuing IKE, the Interdimensional Kinetic Entity; it will be released via Steam on August 28, PlayStation Network on September 11, and Xbox Live on September 12.

Soundtrack

The game's soundtrack was composed by Chris Ballew (lead vocalist of the band, The Presidents of the United States of America).

The soundtrack's cover art is a parody of Nirvana's Nevermind album cover art. However, instead of depicting a baby with a dollar bill, swimming in a pool; it depicts IKE with a reverse gravity battery, swimming in 'science juice'.

PC System Requirements

Minimum

• OS:Windows 7 SP1.
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2 Ghz / AMD Athlon x2 64 3800+.
• Memory:2 GB RAM.
• Graphics:GeForce 8800 GT 512 MB / ATI Radeon HD 2900 512 MB.
• Hard Drive:1.75 GB HD space.
• Sound:DirectX9 compatible sound card.

Recommended

• OS:Windows 7 SP1.
• Processor:Intel Core 2 Duo 3 GHz E8400.
• Memory:2 GB RAM.
• Graphics:nVidia GeForce 9500 GT / ATI Radeon HD 2900.
• Hard Drive:1.75 GB HD space.
• Sound:DirectX9 compatible sound card.