If you are expecting “Magnetic: Cage Closed” to be a smash hit 3D first-person puzzle game like “Portal,” scratch that idea because it’s not even close.
Due to its first person point of view, hands on puzzle solving, use of a weapon to move objects and in some cases, our protagonist, the game has gained a lot of comparison to “Portal.” Although the two games are similar, it doesn’t automatically mean “Magnetic: Cage Closed” is a great game. The Valve classic’s gameplay is so far superior in the sense of control and making objects move into the positions you want them to while “Magnetic: Cage Closed” is not able to measure up. With smooth graphics, a decent back story, and very cool gun, the game seems promising, but those few positives aren’t enough to make the game a hit.
The whole premise of the game is to try to figure out how to get one door in a room unlocked so that you can get out and move on to the next. You are often informed that there is always a way out of each room like the game is hinting you to take your time to process everything. Considering this is a puzzle game, you would think the game provides ample time to critically analyze and solve the puzzle; no. If you take too long to solve a puzzle, the game threatens to generate toxic gas and to fill the room with.
First you are given a backstory of how you’re an incarcerated criminal and due to your crimes, the Warden, and his crew maintain the rights to run any kind of experiments on you and your fellow inmates. This is good because it sets the dark mood for the rest of the game. As you make your way through rooms, or “chambers,” as they call it, which all look like rooms out of an old, abandoned steel factory. Come to think of it, some of the rooms you’ll see look like rooms that would be in 2K Interactive’s “Bioshock” series. I’m not sure if that was the intention of the developers, but it sure can play towards the subconscious and familiarity of the fans of that series.
At least when it comes to the graphical detail the game is really good. The rusty bronze pipes in each tunnel passing from chamber to chamber, along with dry old maroon-colored blood stains and bizarre statements scratched into the walls by deranged inmates, gives this old gritty insane asylum feel. Even the light and dark steel tones along the side of the magnet gun look great and realistic. Adding a constant glow and pulsing rays of light sparking on the front of the gun makes it look as if you are really holding an electromagnetic power source. While the visuals are enough to keep you interested to really give this game a chance, you’re just giving the game a chance to eventually aggravate you.
Once they give you the magnet gun, here is where things start to go downhill. This part becomes trial and error because although they tell you how to push and pull the boxes with the gun, they never tell you how to throw them. It takes you through three chambers and a practice stage before you have to figure out, with no instructions, how to lock the box onto your magnetic gun and throw it at the target button on the wall. Now let’s say you somehow could not figure that out, that is only the third level and you are now stuck. Way to discourage gamers. Retooling the opening training stage would do this game some justice.
Another issue with throwing the boxes is there is no targeting system. You basically toss the box and hope for the best. You can never tell if the box you throw is going to end up being tossed too high above or falling too short of the button. Sure, early on the button targets are pretty easy to hit, but once you get deeper into the game, the box tosses become tedious and annoying as the boxes become placed on higher walls and difficult spaces.
As far as the puzzle aspect goes for this game, it captures the essence of any simple brain teaser test. Unfortunately, the game at mid-way through can seem a bit too simple. The game captures your attention long enough to have you just going through the motions and addictively playing as hours pass you by in a flash, but you will get to a point where you realize the game just is not that challenging.
“Magnetic: Cage Closed” falls short in the challenge portion because, though they throw a few physical obstacles your way (alternate flame blowers from the walls, spike trap floor tiles, poison gas and electrical shock waves) it just becomes a code too simple to break unless you are a pre-teen. By the time you reach the third set of levels, you can easily solve each room in five minutes or less and it just seems repetitive. A game can be simple and still be great, but with the simplicity you need the right amount of challenge to keep players interested.
All in all, “Magnetic: Cage Closed” is a visually stunning game, but a lack of challenge for a puzzle game, sluggish gameplay and lack of total control, it is only good enough to sit through one maybe two play-throughs. The game is worth the $14.99 price tag, but anything higher would be a too much of a stretch. Since the game is so much like “Portal, ” you’ll be expecting “Portal” only to be disappointed. Minus the visual presentation, there just isn’t enough bright spots in order to make this game an unforgettable classic.
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