XLGAMES conducted a closed-beta teta (CBT) for their new game 'THE CUBE, SAVE US' starting from the 13th. 'THE CUBE, SAVE US' is a new extraction game first revealed by XLGAMES in August, set in a hypothetical near-future destroyed by a nuclear war. Players must enter the massive 'Cube' left by an alien civilization, defeat various mutated Monsters and other competitors within the Cube, secure various supplies for survival, and then escape.

Until now, XLGAMES has been showcasing a portfolio centered on MMORPGs such as ArcheAge, Civilization Online, and Moonlight Sculptor. As such, with the game's sudden announcement this year, it was inevitable to be curious about how they would tackle the unique post-apocalyptic theme and the extraction genre that they had not covered before.

Trapped in the Unknown: The Tense Allure of a Map That Feels Like Cube

Until now, Post-Apocalyptic Extraction has been set in a ruined city or its surrounding areas. However, THE CUBE, as the title suggests, takes place mainly within a space composed of enormous interconnected cubes. It’s a familiar setup reminiscent of the movie series of the same name, where characters try to escape from cube-shaped rooms filled with deadly traps. But THE CUBE differs in that its rooms contain diverse climate zones and cultural regions instead of traps. When I first entered, it was a prison guarded by medieval soldiers. Then, without warning, it transformed into a medieval-style ruin inhabited by Orc-like monsters. Beyond that, I encountered a variety of places — a Korean-style temple, a snow-covered supermarket in a zombie apocalypse setting, ancient Egyptian ruins, and more.

▲ After entering the game and Character Customization

▲ Instead of the Lobby Lounge, get supplies at the Survivors' Base and enter the Cube through matching

▲ In the cube, where each section presents a completely different environment, you must engage in a fierce battle to acquire the loot and escape.

Although a different section appears each time, the cubic structure allows you to find an entrance to another room by simply moving straight in any direction. Thanks to this rule, THE CUBE never felt frustratingly disorienting, even though the overall map was hidden except for the mini-map. In fact, it can be seen as an effective attempt to blend a roguelike structure with dungeon extraction. While the layout constantly changes, the overall atmosphere remains consistent — and this approach helps overcome one of dungeon extraction’s main weaknesses: its limited environmental variety. By introducing settings where multiple types of environments can coexist, THE CUBE refreshes the familiar formula.

The monotony that might come from a map made entirely of cubes is alleviated through thoughtful design choices. Some areas are structured like mazes filled with diverse objects, while others are layered vertically to add depth. Players encounter unpredictable situations — from monsters and loot chests to other survivors — all of which contribute to a distinctive sense of tension as they carefully navigate and attempt to escape the mysterious space.

▲ You can roughly know the location of the escape place, but it's easy and difficult at the same time to find because the inside is twisted in different ways.

Only Attacks After Evasion? Casual and Exciting Combat that Covers Everything

THE CUBE is an extraction game set in a post-apocalyptic world that emphasizes close-quarters combat (CQC). Since the setting is not medieval or fantasy-based, the complete absence of guns comes as a bit of a surprise. However, this aspect has yet to be fully addressed in the game’s current stage of development. The monsters inside the Cube are primarily melee-based — zombies, Orcs, spear-wielding soldiers, and deranged prisoners — none of which use firearms or ranged weapons. While this seems like a deliberate gameplay decision, it doesn’t appear to have a clear in-world explanation.

However, extraction games are not defined by story immersion or world-building, but by how effectively they capture the struggle to secure loot and make it out alive. In this regard, THE CUBE attempts to move beyond the typical extraction formula of quick skirmishes and straightforward close-quarters combat. While the core structure of CQC — the close-range fight — remains unchanged, each weapon comes with its own set of skills and evasive techniques. This allows players to actively combine and use multiple abilities, making battles feel more dynamic and engaging.

▲ When I first discovered another player, I tried to sneak up on them with transparency skill, but it failed

▲ Oh no, I'm caught. In this situation, you better dodge with a blink.

In fact, the weapons in THE CUBE are divided into several categories, and even within the same category, each weapon obtained features different skills. For example, among Survival Knives, some have a skill that applies poison, while others can slash an opponent’s legs to reduce their movement speed. Beyond basic stats and options, the addition of active skills further expands the range of possible configurations.

Special abilities such as invisibility and blinking also play a key role in combat. In THE CUBE, where players can’t view the entire battlefield due to the lack of a full map, using these abilities to exploit blind spots and outmaneuver enemies adds a distinct layer of strategy. At the same time, because enemies can also ambush from unexpected directions, players must stay alert when hunting elite monsters or searching for loot. It was also notable that the game’s classic MMORPG-style reward system — offering consistent compensation for quests and monster hunts, whether successful or not — was already well-polished even in this early test version.

▲ Mutants that use ranged attack very rarely appear. It's troublesome if you leave them for too long, so you should take them out quickly.

Though It’s Only the First Test, the Sound, Server, and Matchmaking UI Still Need Improvement

▲ Currently, PvE is only available in Solo Mode and PvP is only available in Squad Mode.

In this way, THE CUBE demonstrated solid fundamentals in graphics, quest design, map structure, and reward systems — an impressive achievement for its first test in the extraction genre, likely reflecting the developer’s MMORPG expertise. However, despite these strengths in concept and execution, several issues made the gameplay feel somewhat bland in practice.

The first issue was the lack of impact and supporting sound design. This problem is common among many extraction games that focus on close-quarters combat. While emphasizing hit sounds too heavily can drown out other effects like footsteps, the impact noise and reaction feedback when striking monsters or other players in THE CUBE felt subdued, reducing the sense of power. Even though the game is designed to be light, with frequent skill use and low stamina consumption, the weak hit sounds made combat feel less satisfying. The problem was even more noticeable when taking damage — it was sometimes difficult to realize you were being hit unless you were paying full attention.

There were also noticeable issues with the server and matchmaking interface. For instance, to begin matchmaking, players must press the Del key to select the mode, but before doing so, the main screen already displays the message “Currently Matching,” which can be confusing. In fact, some international players even asked in chat when the game would actually start. The absence of clear matchmaking status information — showing only the elapsed time — further added to the frustration. While designing the lounge as a base area rather than a simple lobby was a nice touch that enhanced immersion, it still felt that greater convenience and clarity were needed, especially in UI and UX design.

▲ A base environment that even reflects the passage of time

▲ Crafting to obtain various high Grade Item

▲ The system that allows you to recover your losses with the Quest reward even if you fail to escape is definitely in place.

▲ It's a pity that they missed the basics, such as not letting the party go when they're already wiped out and have no means of resurrection.

Even after successfully matching and entering the game, players encountered various errors during the first day, including high ping, lag, and occasional crashes. In both the first and second rounds, players believed they had equipped special skills, but due to server issues, those skills were not properly processed, resulting in matches starting without them — and eventually ending in mid-game crashes. When attempting to start the third round, a maintenance notice appeared, and even after the update, the issue persisted, requiring an additional round of maintenance.

After these repeated fixes, server stability improved to some extent, but the UI and UX shortcomings remained. Although input lag — which previously caused attacks to miss — was noticeably reduced, several elements still disrupted the overall gameplay rhythm. For example, when an entire squad was wiped out, elimination was not immediate, forcing players to collectively wait for rescue before continuing.

▲ I didn't even think about such a rookie mistake like the UI being cut off at the top of the screen when comparing Weapon stats.

The Cube Aims to Dominate the Market in the Fourth Quarter, and Quick Feedback is the Key

Although several post-apocalyptic extraction games focused on close combat have been announced, none have yet confirmed a release date. In that sense, it was welcome news for players when THE CUBE not only announced a release window for the second half of the year but also began active testing.

While THE CUBE differs greatly from XLGAMES’ previous titles, the developer’s refined know-how and eye for strong design elements are clearly visible. Though not perfect, the game’s graphics quality and optimization already capture a realistic atmosphere even in this testing stage. And while the narrative context isn’t yet fully developed, the concept of using The Cube’s structure to randomly generate diverse environments is an impressive idea.

Although the gameplay still lacks a bit of weight in its core mechanics, it also shows an interesting attempt to balance the genre’s intensity with accessibility. By intentionally limiting player information while encouraging the use of varied skills and weapons to heighten tension, THE CUBE offers a glimpse of both challenge and creativity within its evolving form.

▲ Learn various skills and distribute them according to your cost and playstyle, and the feeling of playing differently each time

▲ They’re also preparing for the release of various cosmetic items and Battle Passes.

On the other hand, there are issues that must be addressed quickly before the second-half release. The immediate server and matchmaking problems were quite critical. During the key early testing period, THE CUBE’s servers were unstable enough to require two rounds of maintenance.

Although conditions have since improved, the focus on showing the base-like lounge to enhance the post-apocalyptic atmosphere has reduced UI convenience, making matchmaking cumbersome. Despite featuring various climate zones, terrains, and time settings, the lack of distinctive elements beyond visuals made immersion weaker.

In addition, issues such as being unable to leave quickly after a wipe — common in other extraction titles — were disappointing. While the game promotes free play without job restrictions, it was unfortunate that players couldn’t reset stats after leveling up to test different builds.

Still, it’s better to face criticism early. THE CUBE, which refines a familiar genre, shows potential to establish itself in the absence of strong competitors. What’s needed now is quick feedback on the unstable aspects and an extra push to highlight its strengths. Despite being only the first test, it already shows solid quality, leaving players curious about what the official release will bring.

This article was translated from the original that appeared on INVEN.