By Adam Smith on January 26th, 2012 at 11:30 am.
*INEVITABLE COMPARISON TO PORTAL*
Now that’s out of the way, let’s all drool over Kim Swift’s upcoming Quantum Conundrum, which looks like what a computer game would look like if Pixar made computer games. That’s just a fact rather than a wild, hastily decided upon and ill-conceived opinion based on eight minutes of footage shown at CES 2012 and narrated by Kim. Now that I mention it, I did just watch just such a video and decided that anyone who didn’t have a massive grin on their face for at least half of it was probably a pod person. Now, smile. I expect to see the rictus grin of a terrified corpse when I observe you all through my periscope momentarily.
I can’t tell which bit I like the most, but it might well be the bit with the collapsing blocks that become a bridge. As well as being an elegant solution, there’s a fantastic glance back at the curvature of the bridge which highlights the unreality of the situation rather beautifully.
Also enjoyable is the brief glimpse of Professor Engelbert Felinestein Tupsbury.
That may not be his real name but it’s what he went by when I met him in a smoke-filled bar in Malaysia those many years ago.
Quantum Conundrum doesn’t have a firm release date but the last I heard was Q1 2012. So, soonish I suppose.
26/01/2012 at 11:38 mrwout says:
This article is totally missing the “Cat with monocle” tag.
And indeed this looks really Pixar-like. Periscope ? Does that mean you’re in a submarine ?
26/01/2012 at 11:40 wccrawford says:
It’s supposed to take place in his lab, and he invents all kinds of things… So I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s in a sub. We don’t know what that periscope actually looks at.
26/01/2012 at 11:53 mrwout says:
I was actually referencing to Adam who creepily said “I expect to see the rictus grin of a terrified corpse when I observe you all through my periscope momentarily.” not to the game locale.
26/01/2012 at 11:44 Kollega says:
It’s really nice to see that some of the Portal authors are now working on their own ideas. Healthy competition is good for everyone.
And on a (fanboy) side note, i think that PS3 installments of Ratchet & Clank also look Pixar-ish, though of course not as Pixar-ish as this game here.
26/01/2012 at 14:10 Suits says:
Competition /laughs fans of these games usually buy them all anyway
26/01/2012 at 11:46 SiplNico says:
Quantum Conundrum is my most anticipated game of this year, and that’s saying something.
The gameplay and aesthetics are what I find most compelling.
26/01/2012 at 11:46 sneetch says:
Nice, that looks fantastic, now I do not want to see any more videos until it launches *eyes closed and fingers in ears* lalalala!
26/01/2012 at 11:50 GetUpKidAK says:
Lovely. The art-style/engine is absolutely gorgeous, too.
26/01/2012 at 22:42 MellowKrogoth says:
Indeed.
26/01/2012 at 11:56 airtekh says:
I am so buying this. I love this sort of first person puzzle stuff.
26/01/2012 at 11:57 thealexfish says:
Gaben said no.
26/01/2012 at 12:04 Bluerps says:
This looks like I have to buy it the instant it comes out.
26/01/2012 at 12:06 Keymonk says:
This game looks nice! I liked the safesurfing bit the most.
26/01/2012 at 12:10 Creaturemagic says:
Look!
It’s TotalBiscat!
26/01/2012 at 12:49 stahlwerk says:
Affurmative!
26/01/2012 at 14:05 Suits says:
You appear T B right
26/01/2012 at 17:44 El_Emmental says:
You appurr T B right
‘there, fixed that for yarn !
26/01/2012 at 12:20 MeestaNob says:
Looks good, had to stop watching the video so I go in having seen as little as possible.
26/01/2012 at 12:21 Belsameth says:
I’m a pod person!
Looks fun tho. A lot!
26/01/2012 at 13:01 RaveTurned says:
Did anyone else hear the toilet-flush sound at the end of the Basketball level and think “Day of the Tentacle!”?
26/01/2012 at 13:27 stahlwerk says:
Yes. It’s the cron-o-john! That particular sound is used in a lot of movies and in television. The Wilhelm Scream of plumbing, so to speak.
26/01/2012 at 13:37 bear912 says:
“The Wilhelm Scream of plumbing, so to speak.”
That may just be the best phrase I’ve seen on the internet in the past month.
26/01/2012 at 13:37 Lars Westergren says:
That’s fantastic. This just squeezed into my top 3 list for most expected this year. Sorry Diablo 3.
26/01/2012 at 17:37 Gnoupi says:
Yeah, like if D3 would release this year!
26/01/2012 at 13:42 CaspianRoach says:
The way she says “yay!” is just too cute.
26/01/2012 at 20:46 SuperNashwanPower says:
I too have developed an instantaneous geek-crush. I am off to go and imagine her and myself, shopping at Zara and then talking about poetry and subtext in gaming whilst drinking ale in a small, little known backstreet pub.
26/01/2012 at 14:03 Suits says:
Demo spoilers!
26/01/2012 at 14:11 Cooper says:
Absolutely loved the safe-surfing. Looking forward to this now, more reasons to smile and laugh at that trailer than in any other for months.
26/01/2012 at 15:07 bill says:
it’s weird how this looks so much like portal – yet not.
26/01/2012 at 15:41 Skabooga says:
For some reason, seeing those two safes bonk into each other delighted me to no end.
26/01/2012 at 15:43 Brun says:
Also enjoyable is the brief glimpse of Professor Engelbert Felinestein Tupsbury
Clearly that is Schrodinger’s Cat.
26/01/2012 at 16:10 Tams80 says:
That dastardly Tupsbury! He told me he was Doctor Edgar Archibald Pawsingdon when I encountered him in the Himalayas.
26/01/2012 at 16:11 Hydrogene says:
Who could not love a “fluffy” dimension? That’s brilliant!
26/01/2012 at 20:09 Armante says:
“Yay, happy demo completion star!”
cute :)
26/01/2012 at 21:09 VelvetFistIronGlove says:
Does it have a fluffy release date? I hope it doesn’t have a slow motion one, not being a Valve game.
26/01/2012 at 23:04 eclipse mattaru says:
Such a mind-bending amount of clever and awesome in just 8 minutes. I need to be playing this game right now. NEED TO.
Also, I wanna marry Kim Swift’s voice.
27/01/2012 at 01:40 Gazanator101 says:
Looks promising, and like Portal, might have a personality tailored to it, unlike Q.U.B.E.
27/01/2012 at 02:09 Dances to Podcasts says:
…and this is why not every clever game idea needs to be added to Portal.
27/01/2012 at 11:26 TWeaK says:
I’m slightly concerned that the video shows Xbox controller icons on-screen. This isn’t going to be another 360 exclusive is it?
27/01/2012 at 18:11 Josh W says:
I think I’ve seen enough, if they continue like this, this should be an awesome game.
31/01/2012 at 23:38 RC-1290'Dreadnought' says:
Gotta like the casual inclusion of a shallow water simulation :P