Another roguelike, another disappointment for VR

There have been many bad games released on the PlayStation VR2 (PSVR2) over the last several months.

The fall was supposed to be a time when those who opted to purchase the nearly $1,000 headset, were rewarded with a plethora of games that would make the early adoption worthwhile. So far it’s been a continued letdown, as one highly anticipated game after another, has proven to be a truly pitiful waste of money.

Whether it’s Green Hell’s bad port from a lesser headset, the abundantly flawed Hellsweeper VR, problematic puzzler The 7th Guest, or even the overly hyped Firewall Ultra that let everyone down, the recent releases have been nothing short of pathetic.

In fact, the only games that really haven’t been a complete waste are upgrades from the original PSVR – Pixel Ripped 1995, Racket Fury: Table Tennis VR, Red Matter, and Crisis Brigade 2: Reloaded.

At one point, October was a month filled with so many releases, it seemed like there would enough virtual experiences to keep you entertained for weeks. With some high quality games being delayed – how we wish you were here Vertigo 2 – most went ahead as scheduled and continued the trend of not being the standouts they should have been – Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord and Journey to Foundation.

With the month now over, many hoped one of the games announced very early into the lifespan of the PSVR2, The Foglands, would break the current trend of disasters and bring some semblance of excitement back to the headset.

Sadly, it did not.

Developed by Well Told Entertainment (WTE), The Foglands was released for the PSVR2 – including a flatscreen mode for the PlayStation 5 – and other headsets on Oct. 31. Another roguelike game – this one with a western spin – sets players on a quest to save their home from a newly awakened monster – it’s a giant worm – after making a deal with some creepy dude who probably wanted to be a cowboy once upon a time.

Players are tasked as “runners” to head out into the fog and combat the creatures within it, ultimately bringing down the giant worm. In roguelike fashion, when you die, you’re reborn to head back into the fight and try again.

Equipped with guns you purchase, magical cards that can grant you different buffs, and other items – along with your fists – you can head into each run against a somewhat different experience. There are also special items you get from bosses and random spots through the map, that can improve your character in a permanent fashion.

Through each run exploration is key – which also adds some time to your overall completion – as you’ll need to search every possible space for scrap. This is the material used to upgrade your character and arsenal each run. Of course, when you die, this goes away – unless you find the magic chutes to save it after death.

The problem with this game is that aside from the look and atmosphere, there’s not much good to say about it.

The story is middling at best – figuring out why you’re the one who can defeat the monster – there are also many issues with controls – from the melee combat being atrociously broken, to problems trying to interact with some items on your belt or in the environment. Adding salt to an already gaping wound, most buff cards seem useless, enemies are bullet sponges, levels are hardly different run after run, and once the game is over you not only feel stupid for wasting $47 – to be fair you feel like this very early in the game – but there’s nothing that makes you want to play this again.

The game is relatively short, comprised of three levels with two areas in each – and a boss at the end of each level. You can probably complete a full run – and the game – in under three hours, and that’s with exploring to find as much to improve your character as possible.

For most people, the time you’ll spend in the fog is not at all worth the cost.

The game is the first major release for indie developers WTE, and it shows in the way it has turned out. Despite the passion they put into creating the game, it just can’t dignify itself as entertaining, forget being worth the wildly high cost that even GOOD games aren’t asking.

If you want something to do – and have money to burn – then by all means, play The Foglands.

But if you’re someone who doesn’t need another disappointing game ruining VR for you, then hold off on playing this dud. Honestly, until it goes on sale at a discount of at least 60 per cent, it’s not worth it in the slightest.

If you want a VR roguelike to play that’s actually good, get The Light Brigade or Synapse. Both are true experiences to the genre that offers not only a well put together game, but also unique runs and replayability – they’re also worth a bit of money.

The Foglands was reviewed after purchasing from the PlayStation store at full price.