Cassette Boy (PS5) Review: A Quantum Twist on Perspective Puzzling

Forever Entertainment's Cassette Boy is a quirky puzzle-action RPG where you awaken in a darkened realm after the moon vanishes, because you stopped looking at it, prompting a surreal quest guided by a glowing orb to restore reality by hunting down the lost celestial body. What starts as a straightforward pixelated adventure spirals into a mind-warping journey through quantum-inspired oddities, blending exploration, combat, and brain-teasing challenges in a world governed by observation.

The game's standout features revolve around its arsenal of tools, each cleverly intertwined with the core "Schrödinger System" that erases anything slipping from view. The headphones let you "focus" to unlock world rotation, essential for revealing hidden paths or vanishing barriers. The bow fires precise shots to hit distant switches or foes obscured by angles only visible post-rotation. The sword delivers tight, Zelda-esque melee hacks against cube slimes and bosses, demanding quick pivots to keep enemies in sight lest they respawn. Bombs create explosive disruptions, clearing clusters or timed obstacles that demand perfect viewport alignment. Finally, the cassette tape serves as a rewind mechanic, replaying recent actions to glitch through puzzles or recover from misrotations, adding a layer of temporal strategy.

Central to it all is the isometric 3D view, rendered in deceptive 2D pixel style, which you freely rotate like a diorama. This isn't mere aesthetics, for example shifting angles makes walls block sightlines, instantly deleting enemies, platforms, or hazards behind them, while unveiling secret ledges, items, or triggers tucked in alternate perspectives. A locked door might block your path head-on, but a 90-degree spin hides the key behind it (erasing the door), or rotates to expose a climbable vine invisible from the front. Combat arenas transform too. Rotate to "unmake" a boss's shield, then spin back for the killing blow. Accessing high shelves or buried treasures often requires chaining rotations mid-jump, turning navigation into a rhythmic dance of perception.

Graphically, it nails a nostalgic Game Boy vibe with crisp pixel sprites that pop against moody, crumbling landscapes, but the 3D backbone shines through in seamless rotations and subtle depth cues like layered parallax shadows. The soundtrack, crafted by the solo developer, fuses retro chiptunes with ethereal synth waves, including bouncy village melodies give way to tense, echoing drones in quantum voids, perfectly syncing with rotation whooshes and disappearance poofs for immersive feedback.

The Verdict ...

Puzzles ramp up to devilishly challenging multi-step brain-melters that reward experimentation, while combat keeps things snappy without overwhelming the focus. Replay value shines in hidden secrets, alternate routes unlocked by perfect rotations, and boss rematches with new gear, encouraging multiple runs for full moon restoration.

I recommend Cassette Boy for puzzle aficionados and Fez fans craving fresh perspective tricks, or anyone seeking a bite-sized indie gem (6-10 hours) that respects your smarts without hand-holding, but skip if you hate rotation-heavy mind-benders.