Become a border security guard in this Horizon+ monthly title.
Have you ever waited in line at the airport and thought “they’re taking too long?”
Well now you can experience all the fun of being a border guard in virtual reality (VR), with a quirky game featuring robots. You might even find yourself sympathetic to the plight of airport security.
Originally released February 2024, Border Bots by Team 17 Digital has become the monthly title included with the Horizon+ catalogue. The game is also available on the PlayStation VR2 (PSVR2) and Steam.
For those who don’t know, Horizon+ – formerly Quest+ – is the VR equivalent of the Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus subscriptions, which provide benefits like monthly free titles and a rotating catalogue of games.
You are one of the last humans working in a city filled with robots. Your job is to become a border guard and check that all the robots in your line are cleared to go through.
You’ll check passports, see if they’re hiding contraband, and examine them closely to ensure that the robots haven’t been altered in any way.
It’s a simple game that takes a small idea and expands to build a full story. The developers have even managed to give you the chance to purchase cosmetic items for your home base, where you can decorate and play to your hearts content.
There’s a lot of good going on here, so let’s break it down starting with the mechanics.
There’s not a lot of crazy things to do here – sure you’ll be checking whether a robot can catch on fire by throwing a device to test flammability – but in terms of controls things are pretty straight forward. You move and grab the way you normally would, the triggers on the controller will activate items.
If you happen to own knuckle straps – or a similar accessory on the PSVR2/ Steam controllers – you’ll be able to feel even more immersion as you can use your hands without having to hold onto the controllers.
This is quite fun as you need to ring the bell at your booth to call over the next robot in line.
Speaking of the booth, it comes equipped with screens that you can setup to keep yourself apprised of information. Things like banned robots, contraband to watch for, and other rules you need to know will appear here.
You’ll get tools like barcode scanners, scales, hidden compartment detectors and more as you progress.
Your booth also comes with a 3D printer that can make models of all the robot types you’ll encounter. It’s highly encouraged that you print out each of these before you start your shift so you can better understand the robot types.
Also make sure you get acquainted with the different robot brands – detailed with logos on a little pad in your booth – as eventually you’ll need to keep an eye out for fake ones.
Now let’s jump to the story.
As one of the last human workers, you’ll quickly uncover odd goings on both in your job and personal life at home. You’ll have to work closely with your mentor, and against your rival colleague, to rise through the ranks and figure out what’s happening.
The story is deep enough to keep you engaged but doesn’t do so much that you’re overwhelmed from your job. The characters are an odd but funny bunch – especially the robots that live with you – that add depth to something that feels very much like a job simulator.
Your goal is to finish each shift with the highest score, while also ensuring you can accomplish some of the challenges they throw at you.
There’s also a home space where you’ll start each day. Here you can interact with your robot appliance housemates, buy new items
In terms of graphics, Team17 did a good job here. The Quest version looks pretty crisp, and while it’s certainly no Red Matter 2, it has an inviting cartoonish look that can be appreciated by all age groups. It goes without saying that the PSVR2 version has the best graphics between the two versions though.
The only thing that this game really lacks in more to the gameplay loop. It has its moments of humour and levity, but for the most part the cycle of checking robots over and over can eventually become tedious. If you’re escaping to the VR realm to get away from your job, this one may not take you far enough away from reality.
Overall Border Bots is an weird but refreshing title that brought something new to the VR space. Since the game was launched, the very similar I am Security game was launched and seems to have garnered far more attention – and while using early access to cover up its faults.
The game being part of the Horizon+ monthly titles is a great way to pick up and try something you may not otherwise be interested in; but this game is worth at least a few hours of zany work.
