CRUSH3D

Originally, Crush’s story focused around an insomniac teenager who was trying to come to terms with his condition. As such, the mood of the game was considerably dark. Crush 3D, on the other hand, opts to take a much lighter tone. Here we see a mad Doc developing C.R.U.S.H, an intelligent computer that allows people to unravel their memories to understand themselves better. Unfortunately, C.R.U.S.H happens to be glitchy and untested software, and Danny, Doc’s best friend (a rather odd pairing, it must be said), gets stuck in the system. This sets Danny across a whole host of puzzles in his subconscious in order to escape, the solution to which lies in the dimension.

The puzzles themselves consist of multiple platforms spread about the space with no visible way to reach them. Hitting L allows you to ‘crush’ a level in any direction you want from 3D to 2D, and vice versa. A platform in the distance can be crushed into 2D, allowing Danny to walk onto it, and then uncrushed to reveal that you have seemingly managed to cross a previously unfathomable gap. The same works if an object is too tall to jump onto. Simply bring the camera round so it is above Danny, and crush - voila! It is a simple mechanic that works well and is brought completely to life with stereoscopic 3D. The way the screen reacts accordingly by adding and removing depth is simply brilliant!

As expected, the levels get complicated (the learning curve can be a little harsh, however) as Danny has to pick up half his marbles to find the exit to the level, but meets all manner of obstacles along the way. Cans and bowling balls can be moved around to open up new routes (with a ‘crush flair’), and Danny’s subconscious has a habit of attacking himself with enemies which must be flattened in order to pass. Throw this in with panels that stop you crushing in certain areas, timers, moving platforms and switches, and even outside-the-box-thinkers will struggle. For the completionists, there are secrets to discover in each level that can unlock new dressing gowns and a sweet trophy collection that rely on you matching up two halves of a trophy in order to grab it.

 

Should you get stuck, though, Zoe Mode has thrown in a hint system to help players along. However, this can be triggered at any time and tells you exactly how to solve each item. Whilst this is good for the younger players, it lacks the subtlety that say, Professor Layton has, with hints that merely nudge you in the right direction. Alongside this, crushing can play havoc on the eyes as you are switching between 3D and 2D planes every ten seconds or so and can make the player a little nauseous no matter how used you are to the handheld.

Crush 3D is presented cleanly, with the dark sombre spaces that occupied the original a thing of the past. Instead, bright but simple colours are used to depict cityscapes, beaches and dream scenes across the forty-plus levels. Much like the music, the areas themselves are rather forgettable and it can be difficult to differentiate stages as it all looks rather bland in comparison to its predecessor. Speaking of its counterpart, there is little in the way of fresh content, meaning that if you played the original, you may want to steer clear of this title.

Overall, Crush 3D is a very strong puzzler at heart. Every stage brings something fresh to the table that will have you scratching your head and crushing in every way imaginable to find the solution - each time you’ve got to grips with one mechanic it throws another at you. It’s good, but the experience curve may be a little too steep for some. Taking the trip through Danny’s subconscious can be entertaining, but sometimes feels a little dull as areas can often feel repetitive. That said, the constant to and fro between Danny and Doc will make you smile and push on to find what other contraptions lie further on in his mind.