Moss Assessment (PS5 / PSVR2)

Returning with mouse companion Quill to Polyarc’s pretty fantasy world is a delight. Moss is a sport we had been fairly keen on again when it launched in 2018, and it’s solely gotten higher right here. Although the sequel, E-book II, stays the superior title, Moss’ Redwall-esque world and environments are as pretty as ever with PSVR2.

Considered one of our gripes with the unique was its brief runtime and unfulfilling conclusion, and whereas that is still true right here, the inclusion of the ‘Twilight Backyard’ growth helps to alleviate a few of these woes. Gameplay stays enjoyable and attention-grabbing, with its distinctive mixture of conventional fight and platforming with Quill, paired with you, as ‘the Reader’, actively exerting affect over the world.

Whereas each are sturdy in their very own proper, the gameplay actually shines when utilising them collectively. So, it’s good that your affect on the world is the place the improve takes the largest strides. Utilizing the DualShock 4 to manage Quill felt glorious, but it surely made interacting with the setting utilizing movement controls a ache, particularly if you wanted to stay in vary of the PS Digicam. The PSVR2 Sense Controllers simply treatment this downside, providing massively improved monitoring, in addition to the power to exert affect over a number of issues within the setting directly.

The artwork path was one other sturdy facet at launch, and right here within the upgraded model, issues really feel much more alive, with lighting particularly providing better nuance. The draw distance seems noticeably higher as properly, with environments feeling extra plausible and elaborate as you peek round corners and search for secrets and techniques within the sport’s distinctive diorama method to stage design.

Slightly than rotating the digital camera, you are introduced with static areas to navigate each Quill and your self by way of. Very similar to with the controls, eradicating the shackles of the PS Digicam permits exploration to be each extra satisfying and simpler: you now not have to fret about shifting your head too far solely to trigger the picture to start out freaking out. As such, the expertise is a way more steady one.

Throwing within the heart-melting cuteness of ASL fluent Quill, a career-best soundtrack from Jason Graves, and an emotionally resonant story, Polyarc’s improve exists to remind you why Moss was one in all PSVR’s should performs.