Mini Review: Reach (PSVR2) – Great VR Parkour Let Down by Dull Story

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Reach is the newest virtual reality game from nDreams, the team behind the popular VR shooter, Synapse. Because we enjoyed Synapse so much, we were really excited to try Reach.

Reach aims to recreate the immersive experience of Synapse and offer a cinematic feel, but it only partially succeeds.

In the game Reach, you take on the role of Rosa, a professional movie stuntwoman. She’s already good at climbing and moving quickly, but her abilities will be seriously challenged when an earthquake reveals a hidden city beneath the surface.

The game features an old race of stone creatures and a threat to humanity, but instead of exciting action, we were overwhelmed with confusing backstory after meeting Atlas, who’s meant to be an ally.

The weakest part of this game is definitely its story and setting – they just aren’t very engaging. Luckily, the fun parkour and climbing make up for it.

The game immediately feels good to play, with satisfying jumping and climbing. However, players sensitive to motion sickness might find the free-flowing movement disorienting.

The game starts slowly, but once it gets going, it uses a strong core of movement mechanics and adds a variety of helpful tools.

You have a few key tools to help you navigate. The shield not only protects you from damage, but you can also stick it into walls to reach higher areas. The grapple drone lets you quickly launch yourself upwards, and the bow isn’t just for fighting – you can use arrows as climbing points on specific walls.

Once you get the hang of how movement works, things like parkour and climbing will feel natural – and that’s what makes a great virtual reality game.

The combat starts a little slow before the game introduces interesting features like different kinds of arrows. Once you unlock abilities like leaping and grappling, it becomes much more fun. However, it doesn’t feel quite as polished as the gameplay in Synapse, and we did experience a few crashes while playing.

If you’re looking for a VR game with excellent movement, Reach is definitely worth a look. While it doesn’t have the immersive atmosphere of Synapse – the story is a bit flat and the levels can feel samey – it offers enjoyable gameplay if you stick with it.

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2025-10-29 20:07