The Cub Review – A Suprise Masterpiece To Start 2024

[tabs slidertype=”top tabs”] [tabcontainer] [tabtext]Game Synopsis[/tabtext] [tabtext]Developer & Publisher[/tabtext] [tabtext]Platform & Release[/tabtext] [/tabcontainer] [tabcontent] [tab]From the creators of Golf Club Nostalgia and Highwater. Return to their whimsical, neon-lit apocalypse in a Jungle Book meets The Armageddon fusion. Parkour through the remains of humanity as a child being hunted, while catchy end-of-days tunes and curious survivor stories play on the radio.[/tab] [tab]Developer: Demagog Studio

Publisher: Untold Tales, Gamersky Games[/tab] [tab]Platforms: PlayStation 5 [reviewed], PC, Xbox, Nintendo Switch

Release Date: 20 January 2023[/tab] [/tabcontent] [/tabs]

The Cub is the tale of a child in post-apocalyptic Earth, where the rich have rocketed off to Mars and abandoned the rest of civilisation. The remaining citizens of Earth fight over the scraps and destroy each other. What remains is a bunch of Orphans raised by wolves and other wild animals.

The game starts with the narrator telling the tale of the world events. This narrator also turns out to be our protagonist and one of the orphaned children. They have no given name but traverse this world with ease, using parkour and a fighting spirit. The first level is used as a tutorial, familiarising players with the controls and an understanding of the platforming nature of the game. The first level is quick, and the controls are easy to understand; from here, it was time to tackle the first challenges of the world. Using the character’s parkour skills, I was soon dodging spike traps and beasts and leaping between platforms while getting my first good look at the beauty of the partially reclaimed remnants of the city.

The gameplay is fun and reminiscent of games of older titles, The Lion King, The Jungle Book and Aladdin, with a modernised approach. The parkour is paramount and plays a huge role throughout the game. Movement is fluid and gives the player a solid chance at completing levels and dodging enemies, traps, and pitfalls. Alongside this tremendous gameplay is some remarkable music; they perfectly fit hand in hand and make the game more enticing. The music fills the world as a radio station, introducing stories and music in the background. There are plenty of inside jokes and references to their other title, Golf Club Nostalgia.

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There are plenty of collectable items throughout the world, and they display their unique humour. News headlines, TV shows, audio messages, teddy bears, burps, and texts are included. They are filled with pop references and help fill out the world and add to the story. They also need help finding. Sometimes, I had to replay the level to collect them all.

The Cubs’ gameplay, level designs, collectables, and music are a solid mix of classic and modern. I enjoyed the game heaps, and although it is short, it has a great story. The parkour and puzzle-solving in the world always kept things fresh. 

(The Cub code provided for review)