The Cub

83%
Game Brain Score Based on 157 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • graphics
The Cub Game Cover
The Cub is releasing early in 2024, but it's starting the year with a masterpiece and playing this has made me want to explore more games from this developer, Demagog Studio.
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"The Cub" is a platform parkour game inspired by classic SEGA titles, set in a post-apocalyptic world where a small child with immunity to the hostile planet must escape from humans who want to capture them. The game features challenging environmental puzzles and dangerous wildlife, offering a unique blend of exploration and survival. With modern twists on retro gameplay, players must outwit their pursuers and uncover the mysteries of Earth's ruins.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

83%
Audience ScoreBased on 157 reviews
story47 positive mentions
stability3 negative mentions
  • The art and sound design are exceptional, creating a visually stunning and immersive experience.
  • The game features engaging platforming mechanics that evoke nostalgia for classic titles while offering a unique narrative.
  • The integration of the radio station adds depth to the storytelling, enhancing the overall atmosphere and providing a rich audio experience.
  • The platforming can feel clunky and inconsistent, leading to frustrating trial-and-error gameplay.
  • The game is quite short, with a playtime of around 2-3 hours, which may not justify the price for some players.
  • Some sequences can become repetitive, particularly those that require memorization of patterns to progress.
  • story113 mentions

    The game's story is generally described as short and straightforward, with mixed opinions on its depth and execution. While some players appreciate the atmospheric and engaging narrative, others find it lacking in complexity and originality, often feeling it relies on surface-level themes. Overall, the storytelling is enhanced by strong visuals and a captivating soundtrack, but many players express a desire for a longer and more developed narrative experience.

    • “The story is interesting for a post-apocalyptic game: it's full of real-world references and surprisingly very political.”
    • “The story is a huge condemnation of our current trajectory in every way and it doesn't pull its punches.”
    • “An absolutely beautiful game with a well-crafted story, action-packed platforming gameplay, plenty of secrets, and a killer soundtrack.”
    • “The game is short and the story, the plot are definitely not the greatest.”
    • “There’s nothing wrong with this being the story, but it very much lacked any depth and was extremely surface level.”
    • “The story is told primarily in the form of collectibles, but cursory glances of these collectibles tell me that it's just another generic story about capitalism and greed ruining the planet.”
  • music103 mentions

    The music in the game has received a mixed but generally positive reception, with many players praising the soundtrack for its beauty and variety, often highlighting its ability to enhance the game's atmosphere and storytelling. While some found the radio integration and dialogue intrusive or annoying, others appreciated its unique approach and nostalgic feel. Overall, the soundtrack is frequently described as a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's immersive experience.

    • “The soundtrack is great, the talking is fun.”
    • “The cub is a beautifully illustrated platformer game with an amazing soundtrack with musical scores that are bound to get stuck in your head for a while.”
    • “As many others have noted, the soundtrack alone is worth the price of admission, but the integration of the music with a good story and some fantastic art is where this one shines.”
    • “Another mediocre limbo-like game where the only innovative mechanic (the radio and its music) I found annoying.”
    • “Sound - I get what they were going for with the music and the radio and it is like, close to getting it, but it's all just... off.”
    • “And the story/music didn't captivate me either, luckily the game is well optimized with no lag or bugs/crashes.”
  • graphics56 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals, vibrant colors, and unique art style, often described as hand-drawn and reminiscent of classic platformers. Many reviewers highlighted the atmospheric backdrops and detailed environments, which enhance the overall experience, despite some criticism regarding gameplay and level design. Overall, the artwork and visual presentation are considered standout features that contribute significantly to the game's charm and appeal.

    • “The visuals are stunning, creating a vibrant and immersive post-apocalyptic world that I couldn't get enough of.”
    • “The artwork is brilliant and colorful.”
    • “I think this is where the game shines; the art style and visuals are really cool, very colorful and bright.”
    • “The ambience, radio, and graphical style elevate this game somewhat, but gameplay-wise, it is not worth paying much for.”
    • “Not sure what is in for this game other than the graphics and music.”
    • “Nothing to add here except that graphics and details are somehow unique and pleasant.”
  • gameplay53 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is generally described as simple and basic, with many reviewers noting its short length and lack of innovative mechanics. While some players found the platforming enjoyable and the controls smooth, others criticized it for being clunky and underwhelming, with a few expressing a desire for more complexity and challenge. Overall, the gameplay experience is mixed, with aesthetic and audio elements often praised as highlights.

    • “Each song perfectly matched with the varied gameplay, and the radio was fun to listen to.”
    • “Featuring varied levels, environments, and gameplay with a fantastic soundtrack and aesthetically pleasing visuals to boot.”
    • “An absolutely beautiful game with a well-crafted story, action-packed platforming gameplay, plenty of secrets, and a killer soundtrack.”
    • “The story looked interesting enough and the graphics are pretty, but I just can't push forward when the gameplay and level design are so bland.”
    • “The gameplay is clunky and frustrating.”
    • “Gameplay is the weakest point; it mostly consists of generic performing with several difficulty spikes in chase sequences.”
  • atmosphere14 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised, characterized by a haunting and beautiful post-apocalyptic setting that enhances the storytelling and gameplay experience. While the visuals and sound design contribute to this immersive environment, some players noted inconsistencies in sound quality. Overall, the atmosphere stands out as the game's strongest element, making it a compelling choice for fans of atmospheric platformers.

    • “The post-apocalyptic atmosphere is emphasized by every single step you take, that can mean death.”
    • “The atmosphere and animation is a haunting and beautiful look in a post-apocalyptic world.”
    • “A beautiful platformer with a bittersweet story, awesome atmosphere, great art style, and really good controls.”
    • “For a game centered around atmosphere, the sound design sure is atrocious.”
    • “The game focuses on variety, atmosphere, and telling a story through various means instead.”
    • “If I had to compare it to one game, it's most similar to Planet of Lana, including the atmosphere and vaguely sci-fi story.”
  • humor5 mentions

    The humor in the game is consistently praised for its sharpness and relevance to contemporary issues, blending dark themes with hilarity. Players appreciate the main character's comedic timing and the clever use of radio broadcasts that balance humor with poignant moments. Overall, the humor provides a welcome contrast to the game's intense and unforgiving environments, offering players moments of levity amidst the tension.

    • “It's as awesome as it should be and often hilarious while also being very on point to the way in which the world is today in real life.”
    • “The artwork is superb and the story is actually pretty dark as you progress but in a humorous way.”
    • “The unforgiving and deadly environments keep you on the edge of your seat, but the main character always gives you a moment to relax or laugh after he makes a joke or does something funny.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    The game's replayability is rated low, with users indicating that it primarily exists for the purpose of obtaining missing achievements, rather than offering a compelling reason to play again.

    • “The replayability value is primarily for achievements only.”
    • “I don't think there is any value in replayability unless you want to get the missing achievements.”
    • “Replayability value: for achievements only.”
    • “Replayability (1/5): I don't think there is any value in replayability unless you want to get the missing achievements.”
  • optimization3 mentions

    The game is well-optimized, running smoothly without any lag, bugs, or crashes, which enhances the overall user experience.

    • “The game is well optimized with no lag or bugs/crashes.”
    • “It runs smoothly and I love the storyline so far.”
    • “Performance, bugs, and user experience (5/5):”
  • stability2 mentions

    Overall, the game runs well on the deck and features enjoyable music, contributing to a fun platforming experience. However, players have reported issues with unresponsive and buggy controls, which detracts from the overall stability.

    • “Runs great on the deck, with cool funky music that adds to a fun platforming game that's not too difficult.”
    • “Unresponsive, buggy controls.”
    • “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
    • “I experienced constant lag and frame drops, which ruined the experience.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect tedious due to lengthy and repetitive chase sequences, which are further exacerbated by extended periods of silence, making the experience feel slow and monotonous.

    • “Having a chase sequence with 3-5 minutes of no sound at all made it tedious, not to mention that these sequences already felt long, repetitive, and slow.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, feeling a sense of reluctance to part with it once it concludes. Many wish for a longer experience, indicating that the game's narrative and characters left a lasting impact.

    • “I was not ready to leave when the credits rolled; I wanted to stay. This game left an emotional impact on me, and I wished it was just a little – no, I’m lying – I wished it was a lot longer.”
    • “The story resonated with me on a personal level, making me reflect on my own experiences and emotions.”
    • “Every character felt real, and their struggles tugged at my heartstrings, making me truly invested in their journeys.”
  • character development1 mentions

    While the game excels in visuals with striking backgrounds and character designs, the reviews do not provide specific insights into the depth or progression of character development.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

76% average critic score

Buy The Cub

Play time

3hMedian play time
3hAverage play time
3-3hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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