Written by Caleb Taylor, December 18, 2016, at 1:18 a.m.
DEATH SQUARED is multiplayer puzzle game about cooperation, communication, and robot explosions.
Death Squared stands out from other games in it’s genre. Death Squared has a certain feel to it that I noticed immediately, a combination of environment, controls and sound that didn’t rely on cheap gimmicks to draw me in. Plus, it’s a co-op puzzle game about 2 cute robots that explode a bit too often, which should be enough of a description to draw you in.
Death squared relies on teamwork, communication, logic, and a little trial and error to work through the levels. Death Squared doesn’t hold the player’s hand at all, immediately launching the player into the involved and complex levels. Death Squared control’s are solid, and are accompanied by addicting screen shake effects and other visual/audible feedback. It almost makes dying in Death Squared…fun! Most levels seem easy, but you quickly learn that that is not and never will be the case. New dangers are introduced and disappear almost randomly, offering a false sense of understanding to levels. For example, a certain configuration of lasers and switches from an earlier level show up in the current level, but in a completely different configuration.
The music and visuals of Death Squared are no less than amazing. For what it is, Death Squared’s music is impressive and fitting, and I actually left the music on when I typically turn video game music off. The visuals in Death Squared are what tie together flawless and fun gameplay. Death Squared gets increasingly fun the more players you have, but I think it’s the perfect co-op game to play, it’s not too complicated, not too frustrating, and rewarding enough that both players will find it hard to put down the controller.