The term "walking simulator" tends to connote a certain freedom of movement -- that you can explore anywhere, in any sequence, at your own pace. In that respect, this game is less walking simulator and more rail-mystery-story. If you are the least bit observant, you will realize you need certain articles, only to discover the game obstructing your path. For example, at one point I observed that I was going to need a screwdriver. I knew exactly where The Screwdriver was located, walked from one end of the map to the other to get it, only to find that the game wouldn't let me pick it up, because I hadn't gotten to that point in the script yet. Likewise, some doors/passages are blocked by objects until you reach the appropriate point in the story, at which point the obstacles have magically disappeared. Because the game won't really let you do anything except what The Script Says You're Supposed To Do, there's essentially no real puzzle-solving. This game is essentially all atmosphere, relying entirely on the map design and the story. There is a definite spookiness wandering around an empty hotel in varying degrees of disrepair (complete with secret passages) and, as others have described, the map is fairly lovingly detailed (although, if this were a real building, the architect should be fired -- who puts the dining area and the restrooms at opposite ends of the building?). However, while the story isn't exactly bad, I didn't find it particularly compelling, either. That, coupled with the annoying restrictions imposed by the script logic, keeps me from awarding a higher rating. I don't want to hate on the game -- I bought it on sale, and I'd say I got my money's worth -- but this is probably for people who enjoy exploring atmospheric settings purely for its own sake.
This game -- loosely inspired by Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and having relatively rich visuals -- is completely let down by a single, fatal flaw: It doesn't work. As of this writing, there are only two VR headsets that matter: Facebook's Oculus Rift, and HTC's Vive. "Alice VR" only really supports the Vive (allegedly), although it offers a launch option for the Oculus. But it might as well not, as the moment you touch any of the buttons on the Oculus Touch controller, the game instantly crashes. The extent of Alice VR's tech support is, "Yeah, we don't support the Touch." Okay, put the Touch controllers down and drive the game through the keyboard (which I can't see). Nope. Although the help text says that you can change your viewing direction by moving the mouse, it doesn't work. No other buttons on the keyboard or the mouse were able to alter view direction. "Dude, just turn your head." I would remind you that I'm sitting at a computer, at my desk, driving using the keyboard. Physically turning around is a challenge at best. Finally, I gave up on the VR aspect of Alice VR and played it conventionally. This time I got much further, and was able to travel to the planet. However, shortly thereafter, I found myself presented with a dune buggy to drive across the alien landscape. I got in and attempted to drive off, but quickly discovered that -- all together now -- it doesn't work. Although I could make the wheels turn, nothing I did made the vehicle actually move. My guess is that I have to point at some control in the dune buggy to switch it on but, in non-VR mode, the pointer is locked to the center of the screen. The last update to this game was over a year ago, and while I could *almost* excuse not considering the I-am-seated-at-my-computer use case, it's abundantly clear this game has had very little formal testing. If you have an HTC Vive, and this game works for you, great. Otherwise, you should probably stay away.
Man, this was disappointing... Looking at the screenshots and videos, one might get the idea this is a first-person puzzle/adventure game in the style of [i]Myst[/i] or [i]The Witness[/i], promising rich, lush landscapes and underground complexes to explore. But, no. This is largely a third-person point-and-click adventure game in the style of [i]Syberia[/i] -- developer Microids' other, far better puzzle/adventure. Even so, puzzle/adventures can be quite good -- even small ones like this. Unfortunately, [i]Subject 13[/i] is let down by the terrible controls. The game was clearly designed for use with a gamepad, and keyboard/mouse users (such as I) were given short shrift. Navigating through the environment is a chore. Finding areas of interest is the standard wave-the-mouse-around-until-the-pointer-changes affair -- except that sometimes a changed pointer means nothing. But it's examining areas and items of interest where the game face-plants. Entering examine mode changes you to a first-person(-ish) view, then you start waving the mouse around again. Sometimes a crucial area is out of direct view [i]and can't be brought in to view except by noticing the pointer's changed and selecting 'examine' again.[/i] I often found myself clicking the wrong button, as I couldn't tune in to which button did what and when. The puzzles themselves hardly bear mentioning, as they are either too simple, tedious (sliding block puzzles), or absurdly obtuse (finding which way is north). I can't seem to shake the notion that [i]Subject 13[/i] was an experiment -- an attempt to use a full 3D engine to create a old style point-and-click adventure. Sadly, it just does not work -- not with the current UI, at least. The gimmick of being able to pan around each scene and shift perspective slightly added very little to the experience. All in all, I regret to say this is well below the mark Microids' past work has established. Unless it's on sale, I'd say skip it.
Okay, let's get the question you obviously have foremost in your mind out of the way first: Q.u.b.e. is not as good as Portal. But it's not bad, either. Qube's art design certianly makes you think of Portal, and is almost certainly inspired by it, but the similarity pretty much ends there. Your job is to solve puzzles so you can get through the current area to the next area. You have Magic Gloves (really, there's no better way to describe them) which you use to manipulate colored pieces of the room surfaces. Red blocks, for example, can be pulled 1, 2, or 3 units out from the surface. A trio of yellow blocks can be pulled out in various patterns depending on where you click -- either (1,2,3), (1,2,1), or (3,2,1). Blue blocks are springboards, and will propel you or other objects in whatever direction they're pointed. New elements are introduced in a fairly natural difficulty progression. It is not possible to die (near as I can tell), and none of the puzzles are "unfair," though a couple did stump me for over a half-hour. There are also some hidden puzzles but, apart from a happy sound effect, there seems to be no point in finding or solving them. The "plot" is actually an argument between two disembodied voices squawking in your ear -- one saying you're on a mission in space to save the world; the other calling the first a dirty liar, and that you're actually being led to your doom. There's no clue who's telling the truth until the very end. But, really, they're both entirely incidental and add little to the atmosphere, and nothing whatsoever to the game play. I found myself very much appreciating the soundtrack. A slow, thoughtful, almost melancholy piano riff accompanies you throughout, and I found it quite nice. I completed the main game in under four hours, and am now working through the included DLC "time limit" levels. In the shadow of Portal, overall I think Qube acquits itself well and, if it's on sale, is well worth considering.
