In the slightly surreal and wacky world of UNABLES, laziness reigns supreme, presenting players with a unique challenge. Because even though lazing about usually sounds like a great idea, you have problems to solve here. And if you can’t get the characters moving, why not just move the stage itself? Developed by 9UNZ, this quirky puzzle comedy game invites players to embrace chaos and take control of the environment to solve puzzles and complete missions across fifteen colorful and creatively themed levels. We played it on a PlayStation 5.
One of the standout features of UNABLES is its standout presentation, which immediately captures attention with its cartoon art style and classic animations and attractive dioramas. The attention to detail is evident, with each level meticulously crafted to create a visually appealing and immersive experience. From a busy cityscape to a prehistoric world that even features dinosaurs, the variety in level design keeps the gameplay fresh and engaging – though we would have enjoyed even more levels to play around with. When the gameplay mechanics click and puzzles are solved exactly like you intended, it’s a joy to see unfold. The ragdoll physics can also be a little frustrating, but at the same time they add a layer of hilarity to the proceedings, eliciting chuckles as characters are tossed around the stage in a frenzy of movement and chaos.
However, despite the game’s polished presentation and fun gameplay mechanics, the game does fall short in certain aspects. While the concept of manipulating the environment to guide characters is intriguing, it too often feels like there’s a relative lack of control – while dealing with objectives can leave players guessing at times and resorting to trial and error to progress. Part of that is that the interactions within the game world can be unclear, and finding out what items and obstacles do involves a lot of experimenting. This can lead to some frustration, even though the chaos can also be fun. Additionally, some levels suffer from imprecise controls and too much chaos, and we felt this is a game that would work great in VR as well – it would be a bit like the excellent Perplexus puzzles.
Even without motion controls, working with the environment in UNABLES is mostly intuitive, with players using the left joystick to tilt the world and the right joystick to rotate it, allowing for flexible ways of manipulating the environment. However, in some levels, particularly those with intricate objectives or fast-paced action, the controls can feel imprecise and a bit too sluggish.
In terms of audio, UNABLES delivers a mixed experience. While the quirky narrator adds charm and humor to the game, the layered audio can sometimes be overwhelming, making it difficult to discern important cues or dialogue because there’s too much going on at once – especially when playing with headphones.
Overall, UNABLES presents a promising concept with its innovative gameplay mechanics and whimsical world but falls short in its execution, struggling to maintain consistency and clarity throughout its levels. While the game’s presentation and moments of hilarious fun will appeal to players, others may find themselves frustrated by its opaque objectives and chaotic gameplay.
Score: 6.5/10
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