Quatros Origins Review

Turning Puzzlers on Their Heads, or Rather 90°
​By Edwin Velez
Reviewed on Xbox One
Released on July 29th, 2016 for Xbox One and PC
Developer and Publisher: God As A Cucumber

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I want to start off by thanking the crew at LifeIsXbox.EU for bringing this game to our attention and hooking us up with a copy of it. It was very generous and considerate of them to reach out to us, and the pleasure was all ours to cover it. Check them out and give them a follow on Twitter!
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Quatros Origins is the budget friendly puzzler from the Belgium based studio God as a Cucumber. With a fun developer name like that, it is no surprise that their title is easy to approach. Quatros is a tetromino matching puzzler with clear inspirations from Tetris and other titles in the genre. With familiar controls and a snazzy look, it could have succeeded as a just another clone. The team at God as a Cucumber strayed away from that notion, and instead brought forward a fresh take on the genre that presents a fun twist. As opposed to matching up lines on a single grid, each move is followed by a 90° rotation, which essentially has the player working on four sides simultaneously. Each move effects the other sides, so it is all about perspective. Mastering the field is no easy task.

While playing much like Tetris would, adjusting to the actual playing field is a bit of a learning curve. Planning ahead for multiple lines and matches is much harder when you are working with 4 sides, but if you get the hang of it your skills will pay off. From matching lines off of a rotation, to successfully piecing out your fields, it’s a rewarding feeling to rack up those lines. Even if you are not able to master it, Quatros is still loads of fun as a casual title. Offering four different modes, there is plenty to do considering it is only $5. Normal and Hardcore modes are the essential endless modes where you play until you lose. Raid mode gives you only 40 blocks to make the most of, aiming for high scores with limited parameters. Last but not least is Fixate, where you cannot rotate your blocks, and thinking on your toes is an absolute necessity. All of these modes are also available in up to four player local co-op, which only further adds to the games value.
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If you have a nice monitor or tv, your eyes will be pleased with how crisp the game is. Smashing lines with special blocks on them is a lovely scene as colorful, broken pieces seem to fall right off the screen. Paired with a catchy theme song, the game is fairly easy to appreciate. Again, as a budget friendly title, you will get more bang for your buck than expected. As a core puzzle game for only $5, it is an easy buy. With multiple modes, a unique twist on a classic concept, and solid controls, Quatros Origins is a great title to add to your collection. Easy to get into but definitely hard to master, Quatros Origins a great shake up to other similar puzzlers in the genre. 

Final Score: 8/10

​+Fresh Twist on a Classic Genre
+Great Look
+Budget Friendly