Eye of the Temple review: Spelunking like Indiana Jones

Most VR video games are handled as a extra private first-person expression of a pancake recreation — or one that you simply play solely on a flat display — typically integrating the identical kinds of digital motion into the management scheme. But VR wasn’t all the time like this, and Eye of the Temple proves that, with the suitable degree design, it does not all the time need to be going ahead.Eye of the Temple is a bodily motion puzzle recreation at coronary heart. Think of strolling simulators like Firewatch or The Witness, the place you stroll round fixing puzzles that match right into a sure narrative, and you may start to know how Eye of the Temple is designed. Maybe the most important distinction — other than being in VR, after all —is that you will be bodily strolling round your room always whereas enjoying as a substitute of pushing a joystick.This bodily motion idea is one thing we have not seen a lot because the early days of the HTC Vive when roomscale VR was a brand new idea. Players want a 2m x 2m (6.5 x 6.5ft) house to play Eye of the Temple, as there isn’t any option to nearly transfer your character. It’s a novel option to play that makes it the most effective Quest 2 video games (opens in new tab) ever, though some of us with motion difficulties may have hassle enjoying it.This evaluate was initially revealed on October 14, 2021 and was up to date on April 23, 2023 utilizing the native Quest 2 (opens in new tab) construct of the sport.Trust your Guardian(Image credit score: Source: Rune Skovbo Johansen)Much as you may anticipate from an Indiana Jones recreation, Eye of the Temple units gamers on a quest to seek out hidden treasure in a temple, armed solely with a torch and a whip. The whip itself has correct physics utilized, so you will really feel such as you’re cracking an precise whip whenever you sling it at enemies or seize levers from afar.The important schtick of Eye of the Temple is that you will be utilizing precise strolling actions inside your roomscale boundaries. That means you will bodily be strolling from platform to platform, balancing on beams, and strolling backward to make sure you do not fall off rolling platforms.You’ll continuously really feel such as you’re about to run right into a wall or fall again into your furnishings, but, you by no means will, due to the ingenious degree design that matches completely right into a 2m x 2m house. In different phrases, you will actually need to belief the Guardian you arrange in your Quest as a substitute of worrying about working into one thing.Moving blocks will transport you throughout the digital world of Eye of the Temple. All that you must do is step on them, and so they’ll take you to the following level. Stepping off of a block will lead to failure and trigger you to start out again on the earlier checkpoint, however these aren’t often too far again.There’s no digital joystick motion or teleporting right here. You’ll be doing all the pieces with your personal two toes.As you may anticipate from any recreation, what begins out as a easy train of strolling from transferring block to transferring block evolves right into a tougher process the additional you get into the sport. Rolling blocks require you to stroll backward with a view to keep on high of them. Rotating statues spew fireplace and require you to duck.Minecarts, rolling boulders, and timed ceilings that compress you into oblivion additionally match proper into the anticipated themes and obstacles that lay in your path to the temple.As you progress, you will accumulate small rubies that may be traded in for bigger emerald-like crystals, which open the pathway to the temple. Eye of the Temple is gentle on story however, nonetheless, presents an intriguing story of why these crystals are wanted for development.The base mechanics of Eye of the Temple are such an absolute pleasure to get accustomed to. During my time with the sport, one in all my son’s buddies was over, and so they have been watching me play. The preliminary “why do you have to move like that” questions shortly become “oh my gosh, this game is awesome” inside just some seconds of play.Something is mesmerizing and intriguing about bodily transferring your physique by means of a online game, and it is a novelty that does not appear to put on off within the a number of hours it’s going to take you to make it to the temple.The puzzles are sometimes intelligent, however you will need to be intelligent about the way to transfer about them to achieve success.The puzzles have been difficult sufficient, and I acquired caught a number of occasions all through the sport, particularly within the sections the place that you must time your actions with the actions of crushing blocks or different harmful obstacles. The actual talent of the sport is transferring your self the suitable approach slightly than the puzzles themselves, in my expertise.Once you full the sport, a number of collectibles may be garnered by additional exploring the temple. As you achieve new skills, you will have that “eureka!” second that’ll take you again by means of already-explored areas to seek out misplaced treasures. I all the time get pleasure from this Metroidvania-esque sort of degree design, and I think about anybody else who does may also get pleasure from how Eye of the Temple is devised.Given that you will be standing the whole time, it is probably that longer play periods will not be frequent. Thankfully, Eye of the Temple makes use of a fantastic checkpoint system that by no means appears to put you too far again.There’s one thing mesmerizing and intriguing about bodily transferring your physique by means of a online game, a novelty that does not appear to put on off even after a number of hours.Movement is the toughest half(Image credit score: Source: Rune Skovbo Johansen)The puzzles in Eye of the Temple are frequently fascinating and get your noodle considering, however the true problem all through everything of the sport is transferring your physique as a online game character would.Roomscale VR is all the time a bit difficult as a result of, whereas it is extremely distinctive and cannot be skilled another approach than by means of a VR headset, it is also a bit limiting for some gamers.The developer, Rune, has taken nice care within the degree design and obstacles for Eye of the Temple, guaranteeing that they are not too bodily difficult and, but, nonetheless match correctly in an actual 2m x 2m house. But that does not imply everybody goes to seek out these actions simple.Roomscale VR is all the time a bit difficult as a result of, whereas it is extremely distinctive and cannot be skilled another approach than by means of a VR headset, it is also a bit limiting for a number of gamers. Do you may have sufficient house to maneuver round in? Can you bodily transfer with sufficient velocity or agility to finish the puzzles?Numerous accessibility choices are current for gamers who may expertise illness whereas standing on transferring blocks, however with out digital motion of any sort, some gamers will merely be shut out of the expertise. I miss roomscale-only experiences and want to see extra, however I additionally acknowledge that it limits the viewers that wishes to play them.I do not need this to be a grievance as a result of I totally get pleasure from roomscale-only video games. This is solely an statement of actuality with sure bodily house and motion necessities.On the brilliant aspect, now that it is natively on Quest, there isn’t any worrying about getting twisted up in a cable such as you would have on most PC VR headsets.The whip, like its real-life counterpart, may be awkward to make use of at occasions.During gameplay, you will be utilizing your whip for a shocking variety of actions. Sometimes you will use it as an extension of your hand to succeed in in any other case unreachable switches. Other occasions, you will gentle it on fireplace to set a pyre ablaze or to wack enemies out of the air. The whip feels a bit awkward always, however, not less than in my very restricted expertise, that is additionally the case with them in actual life.Should you play it?(Image credit score: Source: Rune Skovbo Johansen)If you’ve got acquired a Quest 2 and not less than 2m x 2m of roomscale house, Eye of the Temple provides you with a novel expertise like no different. It’s a kind of video games that solely is smart in VR and makes much more sense utilizing a standalone headset and not using a wire tethering it to a PC.As there’s fairly a little bit of world traversal over the hours you will be enjoying it, I can see folks getting fatigued or perhaps even uninterested in the idea after some time. Most of the areas are sufficiently small that you simply will not spend greater than 20 minutes or so in every, main you to continuously marvel what’s across the subsequent nook. If you are a puzzle fanatic and love the concept of strolling for actual in a digital house, that is going to be the most effective $20 you will spend on a recreation this yr.