Mobigame’s Edge has been the subject of much debate over the last year or so, but has now left behind any controversy and, in the process of making the transition from iPhone darling to the PSP Minis platform, has emerged a superior game, not least by virtue of its controls. The swiping gestures worked fine on Apple’s device but nothing beats a d-pad for accuracy, speed and precision; Edge is now an unmissable experience marred only slightly by its inflated price point.
A slick, minimal user interface belies a deep, evolving set of geometric levels that start simple and small before rapidly expanding into multi-layered, shifting set-pieces, all 46 of which must be traversed by a single cube that can move in just four directions. Getting from start to finish, then, quickly becomes an exercise in skill and planning, and whilst each course is expertly designed to remove any sense of ambiguity it’s always left to the player to discover the best way through.
Levels are timed, providing a rank for each at the end and a clear reason for replaying – although the game can be beaten in a relatively short period of time it’s the collectibles dotted around each of the puzzles and the game’s ability to suck you in for just one more go at that elusive S+ that keeps you coming back. Thus, rushing through the game to discover what lies ahead is one thing, but truly mastering the concepts to achieve the best times is another, and this is where Edge really starts to take hold.
At just before the half way mark Edge turns into something a little bit different, and whilst we wouldn’t want to spoil any particular aspect of the game it’s fair to say that what you thought possible in terms of physical limits just gets blown out of the water. It’s just one element of Mobigame’s flagship title that marks the game’s ingenuity and sets it apart from the crowd of block-based puzzlers, but there are several others, and when they’re passed to the player with the slick flair that the interface offers (ghost blocks show you the way the first time a new aspect is introduced) it’s nothing short of captivating.
Pros:
- Brilliantly devised, constantly engaging puzzler
- Lovely visual style
Cons:
- Online leaderboards would have been fantastic
- It’s a quid or so too expensive
Edge is a remarkably complete game, hampered only by the Minis platform’s lack of online functionality and a price point pitched too far above the mostly comparable iPhone version. Internet leaderboards would have been wonderful, effectively giving the game unlimited replayability, but as it stands this is still up there with the likes of Who’s That Flying?! and VectorTD as shining examples of what’s possible on the PSP. Utterly unmissable for anyone who games on the move and is looking for something a little bit unusual with a great sense of style and a (cuboid) heart of gold.
TSBonyman
Great, I’ve been tempted to pick this up as it looked my kind of game and reminds me a little of the Topatoi challenge levels but i was waiting to see a review. I’ll download it tonight!
BIGAL-1992
So it FINALLLY got released. Might get it now after reading this.
Person678
Needs a better name. How about, Edgy?
CrawFail
Take that Tim Langdell!!
gazzagb
You mentioned 3 times that it was overpriced but didn’t actually mention the price once…
The video does look good, and your review makes it sound good, but the price will be the deciding factor for me.
nofi
£3.99/€4.99.
gazzagb
Thanks. 4 quid ain’t too bad I suppose.
Kennykazey
I used to have this on my Nokia N95, it was a fancey game, but I never finished it. Guessing this version will be quite superiour.
Peter Rushton
when you play the game, does this song play in the background all the time??? if so then i’m sold!
bobandbunny
You can download the soundtrack from the game at http://mobigame.net/edge/iphone/soundtrack. The track Kakkoi! is the one from the trailer above. Sounds great – looking forward to downloading this to my sons PSPgo when he gets it for christmas – or is it mine..?
DJ-Katy
Grr, stop making me spend money on Minis to play on my PS3!
Who’s That Flying! was excellent.
iAvernus
Might pick this up soon!