A Fragile Package.
Unbox: Newbies Adventure is a platforming game where the player controls a cardboard box named Newbie. Newbie is the newest member of GPS, the Global Postal Service, and it is tasked with defeating the Wild Cards, a rival, also boxed faction. Newbie can do normal, off the ground jumps, but can also “unbox” up to six times which are extra jumps that can be used while in the air.
There are 3 large islands to explore, each with many collectables and a required number of stamps to collect. Stamps can be found around the maps in hidden places or can be handed out by fellow GPS employees after completing their challenge.
Price: $29.99
Platforms: XB1, PS4, PC
Price I’d Pay: $10
Challenges usually involve getting to a place either quickly and timed, or carefully and untimed. Sometimes a challenge will have you fighting Wild Cards, which can be shot at by picking up fireworks or smashing them from above. There are some unique challenges like playing a game of hide-and-go-seek or solving a puzzle.
The controls take a while to get used to since you are moving as a box and not a sphere. I quickly learned that it’s crucial to just continuously jump the instant I hit the ground. Doing so maintains momentum and is much quicker than rolling around.
In the second map, which is a snowy mountain, there are ice paths which make newbie slide really fast. These control great and made me wish there were more things like this – fun and quick ways to get around the levels since there is no fast travel. Making the levels more wacky and playful would have gone a long way in making the gameplay more engrossing.
While I would have liked a wackier playground, the physics were too wacky sometimes. Getting stuck in geometry is common, and the camera will frequently freak out while platforming. Sometimes, the player is required to drive vehicles, which slide all over the place. When an enemy lands an attack, Newbie will almost always turn into a glitchy mess for several seconds.
There is a four-player multiplayer that includes battle arenas, races, and other ‘minigames’. These modes have slot machine pickups similar to what you would find in Mario Kart.
Despite the outside-the-box premise and the unboxing mechanic, this package is a by-the-numbers platformer with a few rough edges. ‘Feel’ is a huge part of a platformer and in that regard, Unbox: Newbies Adventure is fine for the majority of the time, that is, until the physics decide to freak out.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
