crush review

Videogames have quite the reputation for treading an often bizarre path. Over the years we've made a little yellow man gobble dots, rolled up entire islands with a cosmic royal from outer space and battled creatures with little monsters contained in tiny balls. Videogames are seriously weird. But, until you've played CRUSH, which features the most bizarre gameplay and storyline we've seen, you don't know what weird is.

From the moment CRUSH kicks off, things immediately take a turn for the strange. You play as a young lad called Danny that's having trouble sleeping. But instead of having a nice cup of warm milk before he goes to bed to cure the problem, he gets hooked up to a peculiar contraption that allows the user to delve into their subconscious. As you get further into the game you learn more about the troubled past of Danny and venture deeper into his skewed mind.

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Danny's subconscious actually takes the form of 40 different platform-style puzzle-filled levels that you must navigate your way through to reach the exit. Scattered throughout each stage are Danny's marbles - yes, we get the joke - which you must collect before the exit opens up, ready for you to explore the next part of Danny's frontal lobe.

However, the ingenious twist in CRUSH is the way you go about collecting the marbles and reaching the exit on each level. Although stages can be navigated in 3D and feature typical platforming gameplay elements - including jumping across chasms and pushing objects around to reach higher areas - levels can also be flattened into 2D using Danny's 'crush' ability… and this is where the fun begins. Unfortunately it's also where the game gets complicated, so bear with us.

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Although movement is controlled by the analogue nub, pressing a direction on the d-pad flips the camera 90 degrees around where Danny is standing or selects an overhead view. Depending upon the angle you've selected, crushing either flattens the level sideways, which compresses faraway platforms into one 2D Mario-style platforming level or, if the camera is above Danny, it flattens the entire stage so you can easily walk across platforms that were previously at different heights when in 3D.

On paper it sounds a lot more confusing than it actually is in the game - just trust us on that one. Thanks to an informative tutorial explaining the art of crushing, you're soon whipping between 2D and 3D in an unholy matrimony of dimensions. But the best thing about this crushing technique is that it gives you an incredible amount of control over the level and totally changes the way you'd normally go about getting from 'point a' to 'point b' in a videogame. Something that feels extremely refreshing and exciting.

This is helped by the excellent level design, which always makes it clear which areas can be crushed and which can't - indicated by different coloured blocks. Without this clear definition the game could have easily be a frustrating process of random crushing. Instead, each level is an extremely enjoyable test of your grey matter, as you attempt to work out the where and when to use your crushing powers.

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Thankfully, after establishing it's intriguing premise, developer Zoe Mode doesn't just sit back with a smug grin on its face. Instead, more and more obstacles are introduced, ramping up the difficulty. At first you only need to deal with boulders that can be pushed onto switches but, as you progress, you've got to deal with killer cockroaches that need crushing against walls, infinitely thin platforms that can only be seen at certain angles and power-ups that stop time or increase your jumping ability. These new elements are added gradually so you're never overwhelmed by lots of new obstacles to deal with. What's more, each new addition ensures the game feels fresh, even after the 2D/3D crushing has been well established.

However, the downside to all this innovation is that sometimes progress in CRUSH relies on plenty of trial-and-error. Although the basic concepts are explained well in the tutorial, that certainly doesn't mean the game's brain-bending puzzles are simple to grasp. As a result, you can sometimes find yourself idly running around levels crushing at every available opportunity in the hope that a solution is magically revealed. Of course, the moment you do realise what you're supposed to do, a light bulb the size of a melon suddenly flashes above your head and you feel pretty smart. In fact, the sense of accomplishment when you fathom each of the trickier stages is almost unrivalled compared to any other puzzler on PSP.

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As you get better at fathoming trickier sections, you can attempt to collect secrets contained within stages. On each level there's a hidden puzzle piece and trophy to find. Collecting the puzzle piece unlocks an image for the fairly pointless gallery and really isn't worth the additional hassle. Trophies, on the other hand, are much better as it unlocks the stage in Trophy Mode. Here, you're given a certain number of crushes and a time limit to contend with - while also trying to collect the marbles, puzzle piece and trophy. Although it doesn't add much to the overall package, Trophy Mode is still a welcome addition for those masochists looking for an extra challenge.

Closing Comments
CRUSH is a largely unique game concept that’s executed well and challenges the way you normally think about videogames. The crushing ability adds a new dimension to puzzle games and the addition of extra obstacles and items always means there’s something new to overcome in the 40+ levels. But the most important aspect is that, although CRUSH has a bizarre core it never crumbles under the weight of its innovation, and it's always fun to unwind the puzzles and teasers. On the downside there can often be too much trial and error in the more difficult levels and the mind-bending concept may be too hard for some to get their head around. Plus, longevity is an issue as there's very little to do once you've cracked the crushing.
IGN UK Ratings for Crush (PSP)