EDGE Extended Review

The original EDGE did quite well for itself when it was originally released in '09. People apparently dig minimalist cube-themed puzzle-platformers. And rightly so. Roughly two years on and now we have EDGE Extended, a game that by all rights should have a "2" in its title. It's got more of everything: more levels, more music and more cubes.

The core gameplay is pretty much the same as it was in the original ("if it ain't broke!"). Players roll their colorful little cube through each level, avoiding pitfalls and grabbing little flashing boxes on their way to the goal. While trying to make the best time, of course. Levels run the gamut from constantly shifting deathtraps to perspective-twisting deathtraps and races against an evil twin of a cube. The races are also deathtraps.

There are a bunch of little details that really make EDGE Extended shine. The simple shapes and shades look slick and provide some surprising mind-bending moments when they start to blend together and skew perspective like an M.C. Escher illustration. The way a stage can shift around and build upon itself also looks really neat and can keep players on their toes. I'm also a big fan of the ghost racing. What I mean is, players can replay a level and race against a ghost-image of their last run. It's a nifty little feature that I think more timer-oriented games should incorporate.

The only real issue I have with EDGE Extended is that the controls are a little sticky. And loose. Sticky and loose. At the same time. I know, it sounds weird. It's just that I'll find myself getting caught up on a step one moment, then overshooting it the next. Both have led to a checkpoint restart on occasion, which is annoying but manageable. Out of the three available control options (touch, tilt and swipe), I found the virtual arrow keys (touch) to suit me best. I still end up falling off of a stage every now and then, though.

With a current total of 48 levels (good luck trying to earn an "S" rank on each of them) and a brilliantly simple style, I think it'd be silly not to recommend EDGE Extended. It's one of those games that's obviously been designed specifically for iOS users, the current crop of iOS users that have grown accustomed to quality portable titles, from the ground up. It probably shouldn't be missed.