Astro Bot Is a great VR platformer
- Thread starter Tirisfal
- Start date
Finally dived into this myself tonight and got through the first world. The production values are out of this world and with the quality of the animations are easily Nintendo-quality. It's also nice to see them also adopt Nintendo's propensity for having each stage present some little element in terms of a puzzle that won't be soon repeated, like that sneaky airplane in 1-2. The platforming is solid, too, and the challenge rocks seem to do a good job of highlight how tight (most) of the mechanics are. I do have a couple of issues, though.
-The controller seems to move out of alignment quite frequently. I know a good shake gets it back to normal, but I'm surprised that they didn't offer up a reset position button like every other VR game I've had. The problem lies in having to do it while in the middle of tougher platforming challenges, like the one you unlock that has you quickly darting with the rope launcher, which makes that aspect much more frustrating than it needs to be.
-This game really, really, really hates backtracking, as the camera is always pushing you forward like the slowest auto-scroller in the world. It's almost counter-intuitive to feeling like you're exploring the world when hitting the wrong checkpoint means you won't be able to see for yourself what you missed until it's too late. A very strange design choice, and one I'm surprised doesn't get brought up more often.
Right now, I prefer Moss between the two bundled games I got with my VR headset due to how terrific the puzzle design is in terms of asymmetrical gameplay, but this is very good stuff all the same.
-The controller seems to move out of alignment quite frequently. I know a good shake gets it back to normal, but I'm surprised that they didn't offer up a reset position button like every other VR game I've had. The problem lies in having to do it while in the middle of tougher platforming challenges, like the one you unlock that has you quickly darting with the rope launcher, which makes that aspect much more frustrating than it needs to be.
-This game really, really, really hates backtracking, as the camera is always pushing you forward like the slowest auto-scroller in the world. It's almost counter-intuitive to feeling like you're exploring the world when hitting the wrong checkpoint means you won't be able to see for yourself what you missed until it's too late. A very strange design choice, and one I'm surprised doesn't get brought up more often.
Right now, I prefer Moss between the two bundled games I got with my VR headset due to how terrific the puzzle design is in terms of asymmetrical gameplay, but this is very good stuff all the same.
Agree with the back tracking and the controller - iirc, the original demo allowed you to back track and that seemed much better.
I'd like a pro support patch personally - I don't think it looks any better than the demo in a way although I'm more than happy with the graphics (not taking into account the low res of the VR).
How blurry does Moss look in comparison cos I found the demo to be extremely blurry and low res looking?
What are you guys thinking lol? Its good because its in VR and makes use of novel mechanics that only VR can do. If it was just a flatscreen platformer with a standard 3D camera controls, you'd lose a lot of what makes the game special ie whats getting it recommended enough to bring it to your attention in the first place.
I was thinking I don't have VR so I'd only be able to play it without it. I assume it's still a good game without the VR, just that VR takes it to another level.
I'll take good 3D Platformers anyway I can get them.
What do you think about the soundtrack? It's so damn good imho :)
that's a lot like hoping for a 2D version of Mario 64 because you don't have an N64
Well if VR is that integral to the game then I guess I'll just have to pass. I assumed it was similar to RE7 where you could have a VR version and one without it. It's nice to see everyone else enjoying a platformer though, I hope it finds success.
I definitely would not call it a crystal clear game by any stretch, but I think the blurriness does feel somewhat intentional with the whole storybook vibe that it's going for, giving the game an almost colored pencil-like appearance that recalls illustrations from a book. YMMV, of course, but I think it looks great as a result of the art direction and certainly how immersive each scene is in terms of scale.
Thanks. I'm looking to buy it if it comes in sale. Currently £25 in UK.