The backbone of any good VR game is the overall feel of immersion. If the game can successfully create this feeling, in many cases, it’s considered a success. Swords of Gargantua is one of the few cases that creates the immersion, but is then failed by the remaining factors that didn’t receive the same amount of polish.
Where it Comes so Close
Within the first few moments of the game play starting, SoG feels almost overwhelming. Game play tips and guidance is given slowly over the first few levels, and even then it comes as a slow drip. Much of it you are required to learn for yourself. Luckily the combat is explained up front and you are given some time to acquaint yourself with the expectations. I can honestly say I loved the feel of the combat. The weapons felt like they had weight and did the appropriate amount of damage. Tracking of the headset and motion controllers was spot on so parrying and blocking felt incredibly accurate. For me, this was the highlight. Not once did I die and have anyone other than myself to blame. Except for the controls, but I’ll get to that in a minute.
There are a variety of weapons and each feels fantastic. Swords, shields, nunchuks, and many other weapons are at your disposal. Beware, they do degrade over time and just when you need this the most they will shatter leaving you almost defenseless. I say almost for one reason in particular. You can carry several weapons at one time, which was an excellent design choice. One weapon, or shield, can be carried in each hand, one on your non-dominant hip, and there are two throwing knives/daggers on each shoulder. So, for example, if you’re in the middle of a fight and your main weapon or shield shatters, you can replace that empty hand with the main weapon attached to your hip, dual wielding to your heart’s delight. If your next weapon breaks, you can grab one of the knives from your shoulder to carry on. Blocking an enemy strike with your main weapon and using your free hand to remove the knife from your shoulder, the slipping that between your targets ribs is a glorious feeling that is hard to beat.
There is multiplayer mode that is also a good time. You and several friends can team up against the evil hordes that never seem to run out. This function works well, and I would consider it much more enjoyable that the single player portion. Having the ability to flank enemies, revive each other, and plan attacks adds a new dimension to the game play that was much needed.
Where it Falls so Far
Even though the combat feels excellent, there are certain aspects that don’t mesh with the overall tone. Mainly, it’s the aspect that going for head shots don’t make any difference. Striking the enemy on the head will do the same amount as striking their arm. There are combination moves, but they involve hitting randomly generated target areas on the enemies they glow at the appropriate time. Since these areas are entirely random, they can sometimes appear far out of reach, effectively eliminating any chance of completing the combination.
In many other fighting games the way to solve this issue is to maneuver around the enemy in order to get a better vantage. In this case, the controls on the PSVR make that virtually impossible. To move in any direction you have to use the four buttons on the face of each motion controller. Up/down, left/right, and pivoting left and right all require a different button press. This is, by far, the most detrimental issue with SoG. I do understand why it’s like that, the PlayStation motion controllers can’t hold a candle to any other motion/VR controller and lack any type of decent navigational thumb stick. So I don’t see this as much of a choice as a lack of options. In any event, fluid motion is nonexistent and the game suffers greatly for it.
The only other area of suffering I came across was the environments. There is a small diversity of arenas that rotate between each level, but each amounts to roughly the same concept. The color pallet, for the most part, remains drab and repetitive. Any levels that look like they may be in a forested area are completely green with only slightly different shades scattered around. Any that look like an old stone temple are a light beige. The floor of each arena is a different story. Normally this wouldn’t jump out at me, but in this case it was impossible to overlook. The best example can be found in the forested areas. The terrain of these levels looks exactly like and N64 title would. My first thought was the “grassy” areas from Ocarina of Time and Goldeneye. It’s possibly some of the worst environment texturing I’ve seen in a decade.
Where it Lands
Overall the game is an excellent alpha or early access. The core game play for SoG tries so hard to get out and shine, but unfortunately it’s buried beneath several issues that can’t be ignored. If you can overlook these issues, you will have a blast with this game, especially if you have the convenience of using the motion controls of the Oculus. If you’re on the PSVR like me, you may be better off spending the $30.00 on something more refined.
