Magnetic: Cage Closed (2015)

Magnetic: Cage Closed isn't an amazing game but it isn't terrible either. It's a decent puzzler which fans of the genre should enjoy and is a good puzzler for the Xbox One. If you love these types of games, I would say go for it, but for those who aren't, it's nothing really that you need to check out.

The simple and easy to grasp control system of the game made for smooth gameplay

Puzzlers exist in an interesting genre. From Tetris to Bookworm to Angry Birds to The Talos Principle, they all add unique dashes of panache to the classic game type. Portal made a seismic impact onto the puzzle platformer subgroup, proving that teasing the mind's critical thinking quality could be just as commercially viable as the usual "action" release. Magnetic stands as one of the more blatant attempts at recapturing that magic, even down to story lines. I don't necessarily dislike the basic idea here, nor do I think it's exponentially inferior to Portal's gimmick. Electromagnetism is one of the four forces of nature, and the magnetic field could play host to a great number of interesting gameplay possibilities. The problem is that the puzzles don't consistently deliver the complexity needed for them to be considered challenging. After completing the first several events and learning all the tools of the trade, identifying the test elements and stringing together the solution in one's head takes just a minute or two. Primarily, the challenge comes from simply executing the steps, being careful not to fall and get burned, hacked, or gassed to death. Magnetic works best as a platformer, which may be disappointing for those who wanted intermediate to advanced puzzling.

All in all, the game is a novel way to pass an afternoon but is unlikely to have you clamouring for more.

Magnetic steps just enough outside of Portal's shadow.