THE BASICS

Synth Riders follows a similar concept to the other music/beat-based VR games on the market now. You have a red and blue “ball” (one per hand); Before you are orbs you must blast through to a triumphant victory. Be alert as you’re gliding through each level. You may have to combine both hands for certain orbs or duck and dodge obstacles in your path.

HOW IT PLAYS

The concept is simple: Glide through the “level,” Hit orbs to the beat, dodge obstacles. Similar in style to games such as Beat Saber, this is not a foreign idea. But despite multiple “skins” or maps, and many songs to choose from, it all feels relatively the same throughout. Somehow every level feels the same and feels repetitive after a while.

FEEDBACK

Every game needs to give you a certain sense of accomplishment to be enjoyable for long periods. This accomplishment is what keeps you going and going, trying the level over and over and over again until you finally complete it perfectly. That “ahh” moment is something I am always searching for in a game. For me, I have a hard time finding that in Synth Riders.

In my opinion, for a game in this genre to work well, it needs top-notch level development. What do I mean by this? If I can look back at Beat Saber for a moment; What is it about this game that everyone loves? Beat Saber is the Guitar Hero of VR. It gives you the feeling that you are actually “drumming” to the beat. When you miss, you get an audible disappointment because you are missing that “thump” that you get when you hit the right block at the right time. That is what makes the game so rewarding. When you hit the blocks just right, you feel as if you are the one making the song progress. You become the musician at that moment. For me, that feeling is missing in a big way for Synth Riders.

As you are riding through the level and hitting the orbs, it never feels like they quite line up with the beats, and you never really believe that you are driving the song. It feels more like you are just along for the ride. If you miss an orb or don’t hit it just right, there is no real feedback, and therefore, no real sense of how well or badly you are doing at each level. I don’t think this makes Synth Riders a lousy experience, but for me, I can’t get behind it if I can’t feel that sense of accomplishment after each level.

More on that later..

A game for a different type of player

I’m aware there are multiple types of gamers out there. As I previously stated, I need instant feedback. I need to know how I am doing at any given moment, and I need to “feel” that I am driving the progression of the game. Others are more laidback and want more of an experience rather than a serious game. And that is precisely how I would classify Synth Riders. If you want a game that allows you to lose a little focus and enjoy your surroundings and the beautiful music, this is the game for you.

HOW IT LOOKS

Synth Riders have nailed the graphics. You genuinely feel like you just fell into Tron. Bright neon colors are all around you as you surf through vibrant digital landscapes surrounded by everything from mountains to skyscrapers to complex wireframes. I never once noticed a stutter or graphics tearing or any other glitch that would take me out of the moment. The developers have done a great job optimizing this game.

GLORIOUS BASS AND CUSTOMIZATION

The tracks are the big selling point of the game, in my opinion. In my playthroughs, I didn’t hear a single track that I didn’t like. Pro tip: I recommend playing with headphones or earbuds to take full advantage of the immersion and the buttery bass-filled tracks. As I mentioned earlier, one downside is the lack of feedback when hitting (or missing) the orbs in your path. A large part of this feedback is, of course, controller feedback, but audio feedback is just as valuable. Unfortunately, I feel this is lacking substantially throughout the game. The good thing is, this is an easy fix should the developers wish to fix it in a future update.

[Since the initial review, we have had a conversation with the Devs in which they acknowledge the feedback issues mentioned above and have plans in future updates to add these requested features. Thanks, Kluge Interactive!]

CUSTOMIZABLE TRACKS

Something really great about Synth Riders is its native beat editor! It has an official editor that they have built and open-sourced and you can simply drag-and-drop a beatmap and a song you want to play to your Quest! The easiest way to start with custom songs is to look at the guidelines that come with the editor. You should also join the Synth Riders’ Discord and Synth Riders Mod discord. They are two very supportive and loyal groups of VR and Synth Riders enthusiasts who will provide lots of useful tips and answer any questions you might have.

LOTS OF POSSIBILITIES

With multiple maps, over 25 songs on release, various difficulty levels, and the ability to upload custom song maps, Synth Riders should have a long shelf life with plenty of ways to replay each level. This plus any changes or alternate game modes the devs might add in the future make this game a strong contender for anyone who wants a game they can keep coming back to.

LAST WORDS

I believe Synth Riders a great experience, but for me, not necessarily a great game. If you want a visually beautiful adventure that is stuffed full of nostalgia and buttery smooth EDM and doesn’t take itself too seriously, then this might just be the experience for you. If you are looking for a competitive game with a real sense of feedback and accomplishment, you may want to look elsewhere.

THE BASICS

During the long voyage to your new home, you accompany the ship’s captain, a fumbling yet lovable robot, and his crew of minion-like companions. As the game starts, you’re introduced to a few key issues.

First, your captain seems entirely incapable of navigating this ship safely to its destination. Secondly, there’s a malfunction in the first scene that causes the majority of the ship’s robot crew to turn rogue. There’s trouble around just about every corner it seems. Each “mission” is a disaster scenario in which you must solve puzzles and manipulate your surroundings to save the captain and his crew.

Your options are surprisingly varied, from diverting projectiles to blowing up rogue robots or using the vacuum of space to your advantage. To “beat” the level and move on to the next, you must at least save the captain, but if you want to properly complete the level, you must also save his two robotic companions. This is what makes the levels challenging. I found myself playing most missions at least five to eight times before I got it right enough to be satisfied with the outcome.

GAMEPLAY

Time Stall is strictly a linear puzzle game. So if you’re not into those, be warned. That said, the developers have created a unique experience that takes the genre and evolves it. Taking advantage of time’s frozen state is a thrill and really did make me feel like Quicksilver in X-Men: Days of Future Past.

At the beginning of each mission, you see a scenario unravel in real-time and then just as things are about to go from bad to worse, you guessed it, time stops. This is when you take over, trying to set things up so that disaster is averted when time resumes its normal flow.

I was surprised at how many objects in the game you are free to manipulate. This flexibility makes each level particularly fun as there are countless different ways to save the day. You may see a bullet heading towards the captain and have to find a way to divert it. Or, maybe there’s a bomb about to go off! Do you try to disable it? Or, do you try and relocate it to a safer area? The multitude of options makes it challenging and enjoyable, and if you enjoy experimentation, does add some replayability.

For locomotion, you have the standard options of teleportation or traditional movement using the analog sticks. Optionally, you have the ability to use true room-scale movement. If you have a 6.5ft x 6.5ft play area, you can simply walk around each level, ignoring the movement methods altogether. This is the preferred option since it adds an extra layer of realism to the entire game and really helps sell you on the whole speedster experience.

GRAPHICS

The world of Time Stall is surprisingly real. Everywhere you look, you find deep attention to detail. From the lights and shadows to the screws holding down the decking, everything feels just right. The physics are exaggerated, but credible and add a lot to the immersion.

Visually, the game runs incredibly well. Throughout my entire playthrough, I never noticed any tearing or frame dropping. As previously mentioned, most of your environment is tactile and movable. Just about every object in the game can be used to complete your mission.

AUDIO

Whenever time freezes, a new set of soundtracks take over and, I have to say, they are fantastic. The tracks are operatic but with an eerie twist that evokes a sense of urgency. Not to beat a dead horse, but again, the physics, the movement, the music, all call back to that awesome kitchen scene from X-Men: Days of Future Past. When it finally clicks, and you figure out how to solve a level, moving around it with certainty, and placing things just where you know they need to be, Time Stall makes you feel like a true superhero.

LONGEVITY

This, unfortunately, is where the game disappoints. I was surprised to find myself at the end of the game after only about three hours or so. Despite an action-packed ending, it still didn’t feel quite right, like there was supposed to be more. I truly wanted more time out of Time Stall. That said, the developers did build in some replayability, limited though it may be. Each level can be solved in many different ways, which, as noted above, automatically adds some replay value.

After you complete the game, other challenges are also unlocked for each level. But, they are still the same levels. And there are only eight in total. You’ll need to decide if that is enough for you or not. It’s also worth remembering that it’s only priced at $14.99 – so even though it’s a short game, it’s priced accordingly. With any luck, maybe the Force Field Entertainment will add levels to it, much as Schell Games have lately done with I Expect You To Die.

LAST WORDS

If you enjoy puzzles, Time Stall adds a unique twist to the genre and is absolutely a blast to play. Despite its short duration, I found the game immensely entertaining and quite challenging. Running around like Quicksilver heroically saving the day is just as fun as it sounds. It’s up to you to decide if it’s worth the price, given the game’s length and limited replayability. All in all, good job to Force Field for making something unique to the Quest in every way.

THE BASICS

What problem are these headphones solving? Despite the convenience of the built-in speakers on the Oculus Quest, there are some games and experiences where you want more. Let me start by saying I am a HI-FI nerd, so I take audio very seriously, and I must say, these earbuds don’t disappoint! They have powerful bass and are very well balanced. I was afraid these would be muddy, bassy or harsh, but that’s simply not the case.

When I first received my Quest, I tried every manner of headphones I could: Over-Ear, in-ear, Bluetooth, everything. Bluetooth has its own issues, and the problem with most other headphones is cable management. I tried 100 ways to wrap, strap, and secure my headphone cables with my other headphones, and I wasn’t satisfied with the outcome. I was left with either too much wire, and it would brush up against me, or I secured it too well, and it became a stressful chore to remove the headset without yanking on the cables. For a reasonable price, these entirely solve that issue. Two individual earbuds, each with a short cable (one for each side of the Quest), is the perfect solution.

SETUP

There’s not much to say here. One thing I will mention is when I first took these headphones out of the box, I plugged them straight in and was off to the races. However, I noticed that I was receiving the left audio channel in my right ear and the right in my left. Odd. After taking them out and analyzing them closer, I discovered that each 1/8th-inch jack has a small R or L on it. I’m not sure how these buds tell the Quest which ear is which, but if you switch them over, you will get spatially-reversed audio. Once I had this fixed, they worked flawlessly.

PLAYABILITY

Once I started using these, I found it very hard to go back to the built-in speakers. Aside from the increase in audio quality and isolation, you have the added benefit of a better multiplayer experience. At least for your friends. I’ve convinced most of my friends to get these for one primary reason. I’m sure most of you have noticed that if you are playing an online game with your friends, especially one with a lot of action, you will hear a substantial amount of “feedback” on your end. This comes from the fact that both the mic and the speakers are sharing the same space. What I mean by this is, whatever you hear from the game, your mic is picking up as well.

The Quest does a reasonably good job at masking game audio and only sending your mic audio to your friends, but as I stated earlier, there are some games that more action than the system can handle. That is where you get the annoying feedback coming through to your end. By using these earbuds, you separate the signals. The ONLY thing your friends here is your voice audio. The game audio is neatly tucked away inside of your earbuds.

USABILITY

Ergonomically, the Quest In-Ear Headphones are some of the most comfortable earbuds that I own. They are small enough to fit solidly in most ears and are very light. Once I have them in, I barely notice them.

LONGEVITY

This is the part that worries me a little. Although I’ve had no issue yet, I was surprised at how light these tiny buds are. Though convenient for usage, I feel they may have sacrificed longevity for weight. Only time will confirm or deny this, but I have found myself being particularly delicate with my handling of these earbuds. I’m not taking any chances.

LAST WORDS

The Oculus Quest In-Ear Headphones earbuds are a quality upgrade to your VR experience in more than one way. If you are frustrated with trying to make other headphones work, want better sound quality, better mic quality, or want a more immersive experience, these are a smart buy. If you can afford them, we highly recommend them. You can get them from Amazon (which helps us out a little) or from Oculus.

THE BASICS

Raccoon Lagoon is a curious, relaxing exploration-based game that tasks you with building a home for a group of marooned sailors. Overarching this is your quest to “repair the island’s, broken heart”. Not your typical cast, the “sailors” are a ragtag group of cute and cuddly animals that you must help as you rebuild the island together.

GAMEPLAY

From the start, you are introduced to your basic controls and shown how to navigate the island. Your main goal is to help the marooned sailors rebuild the island. You accomplish this using well-designed loot and trade systems. Essentially, every animal needs something; a sea shell, wood, a particular type of fish, etc. In exchange for finding what they need, they will give you something you need. The islanders can give you hearts, which you use to purchase items from shops or unlock other parts of the island. They can also give you additional items that you cannot get by yourself. These items can be used for a secondary trade with another islander. It might sound confusing, but it’s actually quite a fun puzzle. As you progress, you unlock additional “biomes” (there are eight in total) in which to explore in Raccoon Lagoon.

Issues

Despite having a LOT to do, I find myself getting frustrated with issues not directly related to the core gameplay. My first issue is one of optimization. I cannot seem to play this game for more than 20-30 minutes without getting noticeably nauseous. I should say that I don’t get nauseous often. What causes this is not the game mechanics, but the amount of stuttering and frame drops that I experience. In-game, you can choose to walk at an average pace, or “jog.” I prefer the latter, as I feel that walking is too slow. My issue with this is as I play, I experience constant frame drops and stuttering. It’s even worse when I am moving between biomes. I feel this is something the developer can optimize in an update. As the game is otherwise enjoyable, I sincerely hope that they do.

My second issue is where they position the character in-game. If you’re standing, it can be a bit uncomfortable at first as the “floor” in the game is at your waist level. I understand there are reasons they chose this mechanic, but I feel it would be more enjoyable if my height matched reality.

LONGEVITY

I have mixed feelings on this point. On the one side, the island is vast, and it takes time to unlock each biome. Additionally, the game launched with basic multiplayer functionality that allows you to play with random people or friends. At launch, there is not much happening with multiplayer, but there is potential for some fun mini-games with future updates. Both of these aside, the game mechanics can feel very stale at times as you’re mostly repeating the same task over and over until you unlock all biomes. Despite the size of this game, your enjoyment will depend on how much you like this style of gameplay. Personally, it begins to feel like a grind to me after only a short time.

LAST WORDS

Do you like Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing? Raccoon Lagoon might just be perfect for you. Despite its repetitive gameplay and sometimes frustrating grind, this is a good casual game for lovers of the puzzle and building genres. If the developer can fix their optimization issues and add more multiplayer functionality in future updates, this game could certainly become a hit.

Update (August 10th, 2019) Raccoon Lagoon just got an update that could resolve some of the issues mentioned above. Read the release notes here.

Enter Sidequest, the Quest’s “other app store.”

THE BASICS

Sidequest is an open, free software that provides developers a platform on which to post their games and apps. Developers can choose to do this for many reasons. It can be a platform in which to alpha or beta test their game or application, it can add additional features to games and apps that are not present in the oculus quest versions natively, and it can even be used for full games that Oculus has denied in the app store.

SETUP

Sidequest is surprisingly easy to get running, even if you are not technically inclined. There are a few simple tutorials on youtube, but here’s my favorite, created by Virtual Reality Oasis:

Basically, you need to install the latest version of Sidequest, turn on developer mode in your Quest, plug in your headset to your PC or Mac, and you are off to the races. It really couldn’t be much more straightforward.

LIBRARY

Sidequest is continually getting new updates and new games and applications for you to enjoy. As I write, there are 22 games and 12 apps available for you to sideload. This number is going to continue to grow, and we will see more and more value from this amazing free application.

BEATON

Aside from the VR Games and Apps sections, there is much more hidden inside of Sidequest. A library of android 2d games, an NSFW section, and a few other hidden settings. But for me, the most enjoyable part of Sidequest is BeatOn. BeatOn is a beautiful application that brings an entire library of thousands of user-created songs and mods to Beat Saber. Yes, Beat Saber is nothing new, and neither is the modding community, but what this allows us to do is take full advantage of all of this content on the Quest, and very easily I might add. You simply browse the songs and mods you want, click the download icon, and sync to your headset. I’ve found so much enjoyment out of playing Disney songs, Michael Jackson, and 21 Pilots on my Quest. (“You’re Welcome” from Moana is a personal favorite)

USABILITY

Though there is a slight learning curve, and it took me a couple tries to figure it out, Sidequest is incredibly easy to use and very consistent. I’ve never experienced a crash and never had any corrupted files or trouble with my Quest playing sideloaded games.

LAST WORDS

Sidequest has SO many options and is only getting better with each update. My last words; what are you waiting for?

BASICS

What was the problem? Well, for some people, the Oculus Touch controllers either had the tendency to slip out of people’s hands when grip was lost or due to the loss of grip buttons and triggers would get accidentally pressed. That is where Mamut comes in. The rubberized grips not only help you feel, but the included straps can be used as knuckle straps and increase your confidence in the grip.

SETUP

The Mamut Grips require minimal setup out of the box. You simply slip them over your Oculus Quest controllers, tighten up the straps. There’s not much more to say. This is a testament to the user-friendly design that Mamut has created.

PLAYABILITY

I used to get frustrated at certain games as some of the tactile actions were not very intuitive. Interestingly, I’ve found that when I use these grips with the knuckle straps, many games feel more natural. Now I feel more confident in my grip. One such game is Beat Saber. As silly as it sounds, when my knuckles are tightly strapped to the grips, I feel so much more confident in my ability to swing wildly without the worry of the grips slipping from my hands. This is true for other games as well, especially shooters. Crisis VRigade is one of my favorite shooters, and with these grips, I find myself much more confident. Also, my movements feel more natural. With the ability to completely let go of the grips (thanks to the knuckle straps), these grab and drop movements feel much more intuitive, almost natural.

USABILITY

I have to say that these may not be for everyone. Everyone has different palm sizes, finger sizes, grip styles, etc. Mamut did a great job designing these to be ergonomic and functional, but that doesn’t mean that it is the perfect option for everyone. I have a couple of friends who have tried them and think they are uncomfortable. What I’ve found is they fit best for people with larger hands. You’ll need to decide for yourself if they are right for you.

LONGEVITY

When I ordered these, I assumed they would be a cool add-on that I would use from time to time and might work better for certain games and not so well for others. I was so wrong. Now that I have these, I could not imagine taking them off! I mean that. They make my experience many times more enjoyable in almost every game. What I didn’t expect is that I find myself playing for longer. After many games and many hours spent with these grips, I can say that the quality is wonderful. I don’t see them getting worn out for a VERY long time.

LAST WORDS

Although perfection is not possible because no two hands are alike, I find that these are a fantastic, functional product that everyone should try if their budget allows.

The Rendered Reality channel on YouTube have also covered the Mamut Touch Grips, watch Shawn & Tyler’s video here!