1 person found this review helpful
Recommended
1.1 hrs last two weeks / 122.1 hrs on record (30.9 hrs at review time)
Posted: 2 Oct, 2020 @ 11:37am
Updated: 2 Oct, 2020 @ 11:38am

Early Access Review
I have been playing this game a couple of weeks now and while i am still only up to about room 80 I have really been enjoying the game.

The scenario seem to be you have explored to deep into some mines and are now trapped in this strange building, a ghostly floating head guides you around the workstations and the mines.

One small negative here that should be fixed in an upcoming update i hear... The default movement style is quite unique. when you move your avatar, IT moves while you stay put so you watch your body wander off without you! you then press a button to move your head back into first person to catch up with your body.

I found this an interesting mechanic that could help people prone to motion sickness but as someone who is now quite used to VR I found it a little awkward.

Fortunately just at the end of the tunnel you start in is a handy book that you use to save the game and change the motion control. This book is later moved to what i call the Character Station (I don't know if it has a proper definition)

After entering the main room the first thing to do after a quick tour is to pick up the bow and equip it to your back, make sure your arrows are equipped then head to the "TIME CHAMBER"!

Here you get your first sword and shield then have to slice target and block arrows (You can slice or even grab the arrows too if you have the skill.

Sometimes it will switch to an archery section where you have to use the bow and arrows to hit targets as they fly towards you which you can earn some extra money if you get a bulls-eye.

Every 5th room (at least as far as i have played it) you get a crank that lets you start at the room you last completed (so start at 5,10,15,...)

After earning a bit of money you can go and buy crystals to use on the mining machine which generates ores over time.

You then smelt these ores in a crucible and cast them into ingots, heat the ingots and hammer them into weapon parts.

you combine these parts sometimes adding parts crafted on the lathe to build the weapons. These weapons can be sold or used in the time chamber to earn XP and to reach higher rooms.

And that's the basics of the game-play loop, Fight, Grow, Craft, Sell, upgrade working your way through the time chamber looking for an exit it seems.

<<<|||===TLDR===|||>>>

Ultimately I was surprised when i realised the game was early access. I saw it had the blacksmithing, something i had been looking for in a VR title and gave it a go. After spending a few day playing i discovered it was early access and wondered "why?" it still has some room for polishing but the core game-play is solid I have spent a fair bit of time playing and I am still eager for more. I cant wait to see what is next.

If you like the idea of a semi accurate portrayal of blacksmithing in VR then I recommend this game,
If you want a game you can really sink some hours into, I recommend this game,
if you like games like Beatsaber where you have to hit targets in the right way as they come at you, I recommend this game.

This game is now one of my favourite VR titles alongside Half-Life:Alyx, Boneworks & Raw Data but this is the only one where i feel i can sink a few hundred hours and still be entertained.

Given the price of the game I feel it is EXCELLENT value for money and they are still adding more features, If I wasn't broke i would be buying copies for any friend i had with VR to get them playing it!
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