Stranger Things VR review: A beautiful but hollow trip

Boasting a number of the coolest graphics I’ve seen in a standalone VR recreation, Stranger Things VR delivers on the demonic, trippy expertise you’d need from a horror-tinged expertise set on the earth of Stranger Things. Even as somebody who’s not a fan, there’s rather a lot to like about this brief jaunt into one other world.Being a sci-fi-loving member of Gen Z — the technology that inherited nostalgia for the 8-bit-laden, mall-going, synthy, Spielbergesque facsimile of the 80s that is been offered to Gen Z ever since our dad and mom confirmed us Galaga, E.T., and Madonna regardless of not even with the ability to keep in mind the flip of the millennia — it is shocking that I by no means received into Stranger Things. Netflix’s blockbuster sci-fi drama was focused at individuals my age when it first got here out, nevertheless it got here round only a bit too late. I used to be working my first job, studying to drive, and (most significantly) falling head-over-heels in love with video video games. I had larger fish to fry.I wasn’t certain if Stranger Things’ soar into VR would maintain up as a standalone recreation nevertheless it seemed cool sufficient that I needed to a minimum of give it a shot, even simply to see if it stands by itself deserves. What I discovered was that its visuals and sound design improve the in any other case easy mechanics to make this transient stint as a super-powered demon-child worthwhile. But it might nonetheless be a combined bag for individuals who have not watched an episode of the present.What we favored…You begin in a lab, strapped to a chair. An enormous, blinding mild obscures a mysterious man in a lab coat, who asks you to look inside your thoughts and dive down the rabbit gap of your unconscious. The lab rapidly fades as you begin taking part in round with Henry’s telekinetic skills and get accustomed to Stranger Things VR’s approachable controls.This is the place Stranger Things VR actually wowed me; even easy stuff like pushing and pulling objects with telekinesis seems and feels so rattling cool, because of the lighting and sound results used to transmit the sensation of telekinesis that loads of VR video games ignore.Instead of pursuing a practical look, objects and environments in Stranger Things VR are all cel-shaded, permitting for extra room for developer Tender Claws to play with what’s satisfying in a recreation, relatively than what’s true to the present. Holding an object in entrance of you along with your thoughts simply to listen to the low thrum that your powers manifest earlier than crushing it with a fast, easy flip of the wrist feels so cool. That’s all because of this recreation’s top-notch presentation.Both visible and audio results do lots of heavy lifting to boost Stranger Things VR’s largely uninventive mechanics and make even essentially the most rote gameplay sequences extra partaking. The cel-shaded fashion permits for far more experimentation with reality-bending results and spectacularly realized environments that look good as a result of they do not depend on excessive pixel density and high-resolution textures as a lot as they do on cool lighting results, permitting for tight corridors to ooze spooky environment. They additionally made the sport’s default, stick-based motion far more comfy than common, which is very necessary as a result of Stranger Things VR has you transferring by means of lots of tight, twisting corridors and smaller environments.As you run round Henry’s hellish thoughts palace, you battle handfuls of Demogorgon by utilizing your telekinetic skills to hurl something and every little thing you’ll be able to to kill them. After defeating the denizens of this alternate actuality, you may soar into their minds to expertise one thing that pushes the story ahead or references one thing from the present. These transitions and their environments are actually cool. One minute, you are along with your typical nuclear household; the following you are in a rotting front room riddled with sludgy tentacles. The entire factor’s very trippy in the absolute best manner, even when what’s occurring is not at all times tremendous clear.What we did not like…(Image credit score: Tender Claws)Stranger Things VR is not very compelling from a mechanical standpoint. While its sound design and artwork fashion could improve the sensation of pushing and pulling objects along with your thoughts, it is nothing very new to a VR recreation. At a fundamental stage, it executes these mechanics higher than most VR video games I’ve performed because of the aforementioned polish, however there is not sufficient variance or depth to how these mechanics are used like there may be in different video games.It’s additionally usually very troublesome to observe as a non-Stranger Things fan. Sure, there are many particular person scenes with cool path and good writing and performing, however in not figuring out the character and the lore, I misplaced the connective thread pulling every vignette collectively.What we’re combined on…Stranger Things VR additionally ships with a brief mixed-reality mode as a bonus. Because most of it is set in the actual world, it would not have the identical visible draw as the bottom recreation. However, it does see you opening portals into Hawkins, Indiana in your front room which is a enjoyable trick, even when it is nothing very new within the grand scheme of issues. As quickly because the novelty of seeing a diner by means of a gap in your wall wears skinny, there’s not a lot to see right here past a number of creatures flying round your front room.You will finally go away your 4 corners behind, nevertheless it would not end in something particularly attention-grabbing, particularly in comparison with the primary recreation. That stated, its story would not appear as hinged on figuring out what occurs within the present and feels far more approachable as a newcomer. A indifferent character delivers transient, comical narration by means of a tape recorder, which provides somewhat aptitude that makes this particularly brief 30-ish minute expertise price testing by itself, particularly if you have not tried out MR in different video games but.Did it get me to take a look at the present?Not actually. As a lot as I want I higher understood what was occurring right here, there is not sufficient occurring outdoors of its story and presentation to carry me again in. No shade to all of the Stranger Things followers on the market, however primarily based on what I might glean from the sport’s story (and a fast skim of the Fandom wiki), I’d want to look at all 4 seasons of this present to totally perceive the context, which is a bit too huge of an ask for me proper now.Should you purchase it?Maybe! At the top of the day, if you have not watched Stranger Things, this recreation in all probability is not for you. But when you like wandering cool environments and shutting your mind off to chuck round apples and suitcases as you battle off DnD-inspired enemies, it is best to positively test this recreation out. That stated, when you’re already a fan of the present, there is no motive to not give it a shot. No, it isn’t among the finest video games on Meta Quest, however whereas I can not communicate to the standard of this recreation’s story as in comparison with the present, I can say that its cutscenes are usually fairly enjoyable on the very least. I simply want I had a greater understanding of what is going on on.