The World of Nubla Review

The World of Nubla is the weirdest game I have ever played. Which is strange, because it is not necessarily weird, it is just very different. It is most probably unlike everything you have ever played before. There is essentially no narrative and no real gameplay, which is a turn off for many already. In its most basic form, this is a 2D platformer where you explore Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, which is a museum in Madrid. See, I told you it was weird.

Nubla is split in to multiple chapters, all of which have a quote at the beginning that link to the contents of the chapter. Every chapter passes by so quick that it will take you about 5 minutes to finish it, unless you get stuck on a puzzle. I think the game is straightforward enough that if you do get stuck on a puzzle, it is probably just because you are tired and you will come back the next day and solve it in half a second. I read through a lot of forums on this game and there is a bug along the way, which affected some players but not all. If you come into contact with it, many have just recommended going back to the main menu and then re-entering the game, although some have mentioned deleting and reinstalling the game.

It is important to note that the game is of Spanish origin, so trying to find more out about the game takes a lot of Google translating. I have finished it and I am still a little confused. The game is beautifully designed, with a variety of colour palettes making every puzzle rather magnificent. The premise is that you make your way through the museum, solving little puzzles along the way while you follow little children. The children go inside the puzzles and you control them, but whenever you come out the puzzles you play as what appears to be a young adult, following the children around, who say that without you, they would not be able to go in to the puzzle.

The game is not exactly life changing. There is nothing to really draw you in, other than the beautiful backdrops. The characters themselves are drawn with muted colours, especially the children who are mostly shaded in completely other than their hair. I think the premise of playing as the young adult is that you are meant to see yourself in them, which is rather strange and does not really work, but there is not much else to comment on about the characters. They only speak through text boxes, so there is nothing to say about voice acting, which is quite boring as texts boxes pop up every time you do an action, but it is only to educate the player more about what they are doing. But I would not say it is very appealing to keep stopping and starting.

If you are a trophy hunter, always scouring the PlayStation library for an easy platinum, I am not sure you will find an easier one. This game is so very short, so short in fact that you could secure a platinum in under an hour if you wanted to. The game is a breeze, which you will work out pretty soon after you start it. It is definitely worth investing if trophies are something that matters to you, but you should probably wait until this game is on sale.

Is The World of Nubla worth buying? If you are a trophy hunter, yes. If you like beautiful game, yes. If you enjoy playing at the pace of a snail, yes. But other than that, no. There is nothing to draw the average player in, nothing worth mentioning other than the backdrops and trophies. If you are looking for something quick and easy, this is the game for you.

REVIEW CODE: A complimentary Sony Playstation 4 code was provided to Bonus Stage for this review. Please send all review code enquiries to press@4gn.co.uk.