As a seasoned gamer with years of VR combat under my belt, let me tell you about Skydance’s Behemoth – a rollercoaster ride that’s as exhilarating as it is frustrating. I’ve battled walkers and survived the apocalypse, but nothing could prepare me for this behemoth of a game.
“Behemoth, a production by Skydance for PSVR2 in 2024, ranks among the most significant releases of that year. The creators behind The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners franchise are now focusing on guns and walkers, shifting to swords and enchanted creatures instead. However, while Behemoth showcases a large-scale fantasy adventure in VR, it unfortunately demonstrates that size isn’t always an indicator of quality, as this VR game is fraught with fundamental issues.
Although it might appear as if we’ve dismissed the game entirely, that’s not entirely accurate. Throughout its approximately eight-hour campaign, there are instances where the potential magic Skydance aimed to create becomes evident. The initial scene of the game left us spellbound, as the colossal Behemoth moved away in the distance, with snow and fog shrouding its form and the powerful headset haptics enhancing the feeling of its immense size. In numerous Behemoth appearances, you can’t help but gaze up in wonder. It’s moments like these that virtual reality was specifically designed for.
Contrary to its name suggesting intense battles with colossal creatures, Behemoth largely involves wandering through typical fantasy landscapes and clashing with common bandits. To our astonishment, there are merely three boss fights featuring the titular Behemoths throughout the game.
As a devoted fan, I find myself immersed in the role of Wren, a humble villager embarking on an extraordinary journey to vanquish the fearsome Behemoths. These monstrous beings have cast a dark spell over the land, threatening my family’s safety and well-being.
In this game, you navigate through a series of platform puzzles, using your grappling hook to swing and reach high platforms. These puzzles are intermittently followed by combat or mini-bosses, eventually leading up to a grand battle with the Behemoth. The storyline is somewhat predictable, involving ancient kingdoms, dark curses, and characters hiding secrets. However, the atmosphere of emptiness in the game world overshadows any narrative significance.
As a devoted fan, I can’t help but feel a tad disappointed during my exploration in The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners. Although Skydance has added stunning skyboxes and well-lit hallways here and there, the overall environment feels repetitive.
Indeed, this game isn’t primarily centered around exploration; instead, it emphasizes intense sword-versus-sword combat, which is arguably its most captivating feature. However, there are areas where improvement is needed. The tactile feedback on controllers when executing a flawless parry is exceptional, and for those eager to delve deeper, the game offers numerous thrilling moments. We were particularly enthralled by the sight of arrows puncturing our shield or the stunned, bewildered gaze of our foes as we plunged our sword into their skulls.
Using the grappling hook’s traversal capabilities, you can effortlessly navigate through battle arenas, snatch enemies off ledges, intercept flying arrows, grab weapons just in time before they’re out of reach, and more. Behemoth offers a variety of swords, knives, axes, bows, and shields, but as you delve deeper into the game, it becomes evident that the axe is versatile enough to tackle almost every situation. There are also spiked walls to hurl enemies into, and your strength ability shatters shields. However, much like how you eventually figure out you don’t need to dance in Just Dance, you soon learn the most efficient ways to counter enemies, and combat strategies become a bit repetitive.
As a devoted enthusiast, I’ve noticed that Skydance isn’t afraid to introduce unique twists every now and then, like a battle in a toxic gas environment requiring me to cover my mouth with one hand, or another where I have to cup my ears to muffle the deafening enemy screams. Regrettably, these instances are scarce, and the cumbersome hand-tracking often turns them into more of an annoyance than an exciting challenge.
Additionally, you’ll encounter platforming puzzles, often dealing with moving crates or opening doors. Generally speaking, they are unobtrusive and tend to enhance the gameplay experience initially. However, it’s a bit disappointing that they become more engaging as the game nears its end. While they can showcase the capabilities of the physics system when you maneuver crates with your grappling hook, they often feel like additional content rather than integral parts of the game.
Switching gears now to discuss what makes this game stand out: the immense Behemoth battles. As previously mentioned, they’re colossal in scale and offer an impressive visual experience that can really pull you into the game. Remember our first encounter with a Behemoth? It was exhilarating! But upon closer examination, these bosses seem a tad underdeveloped within the gameplay mechanics.
During the three battles against the Behemoth bosses, we encountered numerous issues such as poor platforming, confusing directions, and an overall clumsy design that led to many deaths. The visuals in VR are impressive, but the rest of the gameplay elements made it painfully obvious that we were playing a video game with a headset attached. Frequently, we would fall to our virtual doom, grapple hooks failing to connect, or be squashed by awkward Behemoth movements – it all felt rough around the edges.
I can’t help but feel disappointed, especially considering the thrilling instances during these boss battles, such as clinging to a dragon-like beast in mid-flight or ascending the face of a colossal Behemoth while its enormous eye locks onto you. The ideas are fantastic, but the execution frequently leaves much to be desired.
In terms of performance, Behemoth is plagued with bugs. For instance, walls may appear to vanish and reappear, doors might not open after defeating enemies necessitating a save reload, and sometimes bosses become completely invisible. During our review period, several patches were rolled out (both before and after launch), but persistent problems continued to surface.
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2024-12-11 23:36