A Tale of Two Games

Behemoth casts you as Ren, a lonely warrior travelling cursed lands to battle giant monsters and save his people. The narrative, while predictable, is well-delivered through an engaging mix of environmental storytelling and voice-overs. Unlike many other narrative-driven VR titles, the game respects player agency during exposition, allowing you to move and interact while absorbing the story rather than trapping you in static dialogue sequences.

The game’s lore is cleverly distributed through interactable items throughout the world. This optional approach to narrative depth works surprisingly well – you can engage with as much or as little of the background story as you wish, with voice-overs playing seamlessly as you continue your adventure. It’s a thoughtful solution to the common VR storytelling challenge of maintaining immersion while delivering plot.

Let’s Fight!

The majority of Behemoth plays as a medieval combat adventure with satisfying physics-based melee combat at its heart. The game offers a reasonable selection of weapons, from swords and daggers to axes and bows, as well as 3 special weapons that stay with the character and are upgraded throughout the campaign. Each of the weapons feels appropriately weighty thanks to a solid physics system reminiscent of Saints & Sinners. This physics system, along with great sound effects and crisp animations, delivers satisfyingly impactful combat that drives the action sequences throughout the campaign.

In addition to the standard array of melee weapons, Behemoth also provides a grappling hook, which is a lot of fun to use. While initially finicky, it quickly becomes an invaluable tool for both vertical traversal and combat. Grappling an enemy’s leg and yanking the rope will pull them off balance, opening new opportunities to attack. The grapple can also quickly reposition the player during fights, pull enemies off ledges, or pull distant health pickups to you during intense battles. This versatility adds a welcome layer of depth to the combat system.

Combat in Behemoth employs a stamina system that, while not overly restrictive, adds a tactical element to combat. When depleted, your arms become notably weaker, the weight of your weapons becoming far more tangible as you can barely lift them to defend yourself. The system feels well-balanced and fair, giving you enough stamina for aggressive play while preventing endless flailing and encouraging a tactical dynamic that serves the game well.

All that said, the combat definitely struggles to find balance in other areas. The “strength” ability feels massively overpowered from the start. Once you get used to relying on this power, most combat encounters become trivial. This is compounded as you upgrade your weapons to the point that late-game human boss fights that should be climactic challenges can be defeated in under a minute.

The power in and of itself isn’t bad, but its implementation highlights a real misstep in progression. While the skill can be upgraded over time, all of the enhancements feel superficial when compared to the abilities base power. Had this been a skill that grew from more humble beginnings throughout the campaign, then waltzing through late-stage combat would have felt empowering and hard-earned. Instead, Behemoth effectively provides a built-in cheat code that makes every encounter almost game-breakingly easy from the outset.

Behemoth also undercuts the tension it otherwise creates by providing generous health pickups throughout combat areas. This abundance means you’ll rarely feel pressured in combat by the game’s latter half, knowing that healing items are always readily available.

The game includes an arena mode in beta, offering additional combat challenges for those seeking more action after the main campaign. While it provides a pure test of the combat mechanics, including encounters with the game’s human bosses at higher waves, its repetitive nature and inability to use upgraded weapons from the campaign may limit its long-term appeal.

Hardly a Head-Scratcher

Behemoth’s puzzle elements represent one of its weaker aspects. Most puzzles boil down to simple box-moving exercises that feel more like busy work than genuine challenges. While there are occasional clever moments – such as using the grappling hook to create swing points for objects – even these more innovative puzzles lack complexity and can typically be solved in just two or three moves. Compared to contemporaries like Asgard’s Wrath 2, the puzzle design feels particularly underdeveloped.

In fact, overall, there seems to be a noticeable decline in polish and performance as the game progresses. The first two-thirds of the game provides a high-quality and broadly stable experience, but the final third feels rushed, with technical issues occurring more frequently. Combat becomes less reliable, visual glitches become more common and things generally begin to feel a bit repetitive.

This sliding scale of quality is particularly noticeable in the later Behemoth encounters, where the combination of ambitious scale and technical instability creates frustrating experiences that fall short of the game’s early promise.

The Bigger They Are, The Harder They Oof

The titular Behemoth battles, which should be the game’s crown jewels, deliver mixed results. Of the four major encounters, only one or two truly capture the epic scale these battles promise. The second Behemoth battle, featuring a massive flying creature, stands out for its ambition. The concept is thrilling – fighting atop a giant bat-like creature as it soars through clouds, requiring careful climbing and tactical thinking. However, even this highlight suffers from scripted sequences that limit player agency and technical issues that break immersion (if you let it). Our team had mixed responses to this sequence, but I found it one of the coolest things I’ve ever done in VR.

Other Behemoth encounters prove less successful. The third battle, for instance, reduces what should be an epic confrontation to a relatively simple platform/climbing exercise. Where you should feel the tension of scaling a massive, dangerous creature, you instead find yourself comfortably hopping between static platforms or dealing with short, easily manageable climbing sections that never test the stamina system and so never actually feel like a threat. Couple this with excessively forgiving waypoints, which make dying almost meaningless, and you end up with an encounter that feels more pedestrian than the desperate battle against a colossal beast it should have been.

These sections also suffer from various and occasionally severe technical problems, including screen jittering, glitching grab points, and accidental holster triggers. These issues are particularly problematic during climbing sequences, where precision is crucial.

The disappointment is made so much worse by the fact that the Behemoths actually look amazing. At several points before battling each of them, you will see them ponderously moving through the world, and they are a sight to behold. Spotting a massive Behemoth in the distance while completing other objectives creates thrilling moments of anticipation – anticipation that isn’t seldom satisfied when you finally face them.

Pretty With a Side of Jank

Graphically, Behemoth is impressive on the Quest, particularly when compared to other Quest fantasy titles. The environments are varied, from snow-covered landscapes to lush castles and the striking Red Forest. Character models and animations are well-executed, though the lighting can sometimes feel murky, especially in underground areas.

The sound design stands as one of the game’s strongest elements. The score knows when to swell for dramatic moments and when to remain understated. Combat sounds are particularly well-implemented, with weapon impacts carrying satisfying weight through audio cues. Environmental audio adds depth to the experience, with footsteps and echoes changing appropriately based on your surroundings.

However, there are technical issues with the sound implementation, particularly in music transitions. Tracks can cut off abruptly between areas, breaking immersion with jarring silence before new music begins.

A Tale of Diminishing Returns

Behemoth presents a challenging case for reviewers. The first two-thirds of the game offers solid entertainment with satisfying combat mechanics, a well-told narrative and well-crafted environments. The combat system complete with grappling hook provides a nuanced take on melee combat (when not overshadowed by the overpowered strength ability

However, the game’s quality noticeably degrades in its final third, with a less polished level of design and an increasing array of technical glitches. Most disappointingly, the Behemoth battles, which should have been the game’s crowning achievement, on the whole fall well below their colossal potential.

Note: If you’re a fan of Shadow of the Colossus coming to this specifically for massive creature battles, you might want to adjust expectations closer to 7/10.

About Laser Dance Laser Dance is a mixed-reality game where players move between two buttons on opposite ends of their living room, navigating a sequence of laser patterns that adapt to the room’s size and layout. The gameplay is easy to learn but hard to master, making it an ideal party game for both newcomers and seasoned VR players.

Key Features:

• Transform your living room into a laser obstacle course.
• Intuitive gameplay perfect for newcomers to VR.
• Levels adapt to your living room’s size and layout.
• Dance, dodge, and crawl your way to victory!

For those with a Quest Pro or Quest 3, playtesting opportunities are available. Sign up here.

About the Developer Thomas Van Bouwel is a former architect turned XR developer, known for his critically acclaimed VR puzzle game Cubism. His new title, Laser Dance, continues his tradition of innovative and accessible game design.

About Creature Creature is a video game studio and label focused on releasing games on new and innovative platforms. The studio supports independent developers by offering business development, production consulting, and release strategy services.

Starship Home allows players to use the Quest 3’s passthrough cameras to blend their physical environment with the virtual world, turning ordinary living spaces into starships ready to explore the galaxy. Players will engage in hyperspace travel, gather and nurture alien plants, and communicate with friendly extraterrestrials—all while uncovering the mystery of a blight that threatens plant life across the stars.

The game is being developed by a team of industry veterans, including Mark Schramm (SUPERHOT VR, Gravity Lab) and Ashley Pinnick (Tilt Brush, Slimeball), under the direction of Doug North Cook, the founder of Creature. Starship Home is set to launch exclusively on Meta Quest 3 later this year, with pre-orders now open.

Key features of the update include:

• Improved display resolution, increased by approximately 30%.
• Support for a high refresh rate of 90Hz.
• Enhanced ambient lighting within buildings, particularly from stained glass windows.
• More complex reflective surfaces for realistic visuals.
• Addition of shadows cast by enemies, enhancing the overall immersive experience.
• New intricate floor patterns and high-quality materials.
• Other technical improvements to optimize gameplay.

The update focuses on delivering a visually richer environment, with particular emphasis on lighting and reflections. The first chapter to receive these enhancements is Purgatory, with more updates planned for release in 2024.

If you haven’t seen our review of In Death: Unchained, you can watch it here:

In Death: Unchained has undergone nearly 60 updates since its launch in 2020. These updates have included new game modes, seasons, tournaments, weapon skins, and graphic upgrades. The game challenges players to use their focus, speed, and agility to defeat enemies in a medieval fantasy setting.

Key features of the update for Quest 3 include:

• New graphics options: Quality Mode, Clarity Mode, and Low Power Mode.
• Mixed Reality (MR) Mode: Players can now defend their real-life space against virtual enemies in a wave shooter format, offering an immersive MR experience.

For Quest 2, the update brings:

• Improved Level of Detail (LOD) and overall enhanced performance.

“The Light Brigade” challenges players to master physics-based gunplay and light-powered magic, climbing the ranks, mastering spells, and upgrading capabilities. The game offers a variety of player classes, weapons, and playstyles, adding depth to each run.

Here’s our review of the game before the update! Spoiler, we already loved it:

This update is intended to optimize the gaming experience on the Quest 3 with dynamic shadows, improved lighting, and higher resolution, while also enhancing the visuals for Quest 2 users. The new MR mode aims to blend virtual and real-world elements, providing a unique gaming experience.

If you’re new to The Light Brigade, you can watch our review here:

The update is free for players on Meta Quest 2/3/Pro. For more information about the game and the update, visit lightbrigadevr.com.

The Resurgence Update brings a comprehensive overhaul to the core gameplay of EVERSLAUGHT Invasion. Instead of the previous round-based waves, the game now features a new Survivor Mode where players face a continuous stream of enemies. This update aims to provide a more dynamic and engaging gameplay experience.

Key features of the update include:

• A new Survivor Mode with ongoing enemy challenges.
• A Weapon Ability System allowing players to upgrade their weapons according to their playstyle.
• The option to purchase permanent upgrades between rounds using blood vials.
• Introduction of five difficulty levels to suit different player skills.
• Support for seven additional languages including German, French, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese, and Russian.
• Visual enhancements with new VFX, shader effects, and improved resolution support for Meta Quest 3.

EVERSLAUGHT Invasion, priced at $19.99, is available for Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro. The Resurgence Update is aimed at enhancing the overall gameplay experience with its new mechanics and visual upgrades.

Mixed Reality Features

Today’s update introduces two groundbreaking mixed reality features aimed at seamlessly integrating the game’s puzzles with the real environment. The first feature allows for the use of Quest’s Space Setup to incorporate your real table or desk into the gameplay, making it a natural part of the Cubism universe. The second feature enables puzzle persistence using Quest’s Spatial Anchors, so the most recently played puzzle will be available at its last played physical location when you restart the game. Both features aim to enhance immersion and blur the lines between the virtual and the real world.

Quality of Life Improvements

Several quality of life enhancements are also part of the update. An improved render scale is introduced to take advantage of Quest 3’s higher resolution and computing power, providing a sharper visual experience. Additionally, a new recenter button has been added to allow easier positioning of the puzzles within the game environment, simplifying the experience for users.

Evolution with Technology

As Cubism continues to evolve, the new features announced today reflect the game’s commitment to leveraging emerging technology. Whether it’s providing table-top haptic feedback or allowing the puzzles to become a real part of your environment, Cubism aims to stay at the forefront of mixed reality gaming.

Screen Resolution

One of the primary focus areas for the update is the screen resolution. The current specs for Hubris on Meta Quest 2 sit at 980×1152 pixels per eye. The update intends to enhance this to 2064×2208 pixels per eye on Quest 3. The change is expected to yield clearer and more detailed graphics.

Texture Quality

The texture quality in Hubris is set to undergo changes as well. Previously, high-quality textures were exclusively available for desktop and PlayStation VR 2 iterations of the game. Cyborn BV aims to include these textures in the Quest 3 version. The intent appears to be standardization of visual experience across platforms.

Environmental Upgrades

The update will also address environmental details. For instance, the density of foliage within the game will increase. Likewise, there are plans to improve the Level of Detail (LOD), allowing for more intricate landscapes.

You can see the differences in this video here:

Industry Context

The update from Cyborn BV follows a broader trend with Quest developers to enhance older titles for performance boosts targetting Meta Quest 3.

Playable Heroes and Living Weapons

The update introduces players to unique Mortal Heroes and their associated Living Weapons. For instance, play as Abraxxas, a fiery warrior and tomb robber, or Alvilda, a rogue-assassin with ranged abilities. These Living Weapons are designed to encourage various playstyles, enhancing combat dynamics and player interactions within the game.

Followers with Unique Abilities

In a notable feature addition, players will have the chance to meet and recruit Followers, each equipped with distinct abilities to aid in combat. Whether you need Subira’s shadow shifting skills or Pa-akhet’s whirlwind blocks, these Followers add another layer to the already complex combat system.

Pre-Order Benefits and Quest 3 Bundle

For those eager to jump into this world, pre-orders for Asgard’s Wrath 2 are now open. Exclusive bonuses include an in-game weapon and armor set, as well as a free digital copy of the original Asgard’s Wrath for PC VR. Additionally, Asgard’s Wrath 2 will be bundled free with every Quest 3 purchase.

Availability

Asgard’s Wrath 2 is set to launch on December 15 and will be available for free with every Quest 3 purchase.

About Asgard’s Wrath 2

Developed by Sanzaru Games and Oculus Studios, Asgard’s Wrath 2 is touted as the most ambitious VR action RPG to date. With a rich storyline, detailed characters, and complex combat systems, it aims to set a new standard in virtual reality gaming.