8.5
I mainly loved my time with Expand, but I do have some small qualms about the controls. I found one puzzle in particular to be nearly impossible to do with the analog stick, and had to switch to the otherwise confusing directional-pad controls to finish it. It’s a small issue, but the fact that the controls felt slightly odd and off until the very end of the game says a lot. When I wasn’t cursing at my television screen upon dying on the same puzzle for what seemed like 20th time, I was recognizing how brilliant Expand‘s design was. It’s rare to see a game this fully realized, one that sees all of its mechanics fully fleshed out, and when I finally escaped the maze after hours of play, it felt like a genuine victory. Expand may take joy in frustrating the player at times, but the true feeling of jubilation comes from overcoming its trickery.
