An excellent VR game brought down by a myriad of bugs.
Released in 2022 on the original PlayStation VR (PSVR), the original Wanderer was a revelation for virtual reality (VR) gaming.
The time travel premise of this game saw you take on the role of a young man, whose mysterious quest would take you to many places and eras in history. From the moon in the 60s to an ancient civilization lost hundreds of years prior, the game’s multiple settings were mixed with action, puzzles, and even a chance to showcase your drumming.
Considering how well the original played, it’s no wonder that the announcement of a remake was enough to get the VR excitement flowing again.
“Players returning to Wanderer will immediately notice a dramatic visual transformation – what was already appealing in 2022 has been completely reimagined with stunning new graphics that truly showcase the power of modern VR hardware. Beyond the visual overhaul, we’ve significantly expanded existing levels and redesigned many of the puzzles, meaning even veterans of the original will discover new areas to explore and fresh challenges to tackle. The VRAF framework has enabled us to introduce revolutionary gameplay mechanics. Players can now swim, jump, crouch, climb, zipline and swing their way through time with physics-driven platforming that feels incredibly natural. Our new full-body avatar system lets you see yourself as historical characters for the first time, complete with eye-tracking and advanced haptics that create unprecedented presence in these worlds,” said Sam Ramlu, co-founder of Mighty Eyes.
“We’ve also added three entirely new levels filled with rich content and expanded environments, alongside a completely overhauled persistence system that provides much better continuity as you travel between time periods. Even Samuel, your trusty watch companion, has received a major upgrade with new UI, improved storage systems, and the ingenious Echo Diviner feature that helps you locate lost items across timelines.”
Titled Wanderer: The Fragments of Fate, this version of the game boasts improved graphics, better physics interactions, a revamped user interface and even three new levels. On paper, this game should have been a lock for game of the year. In fact, despite some pretty significant releases, this should have been the biggest game to hit headsets since Batman: Arkham Shadow.
Then why is it that Fragments of Fate, feels unfulfilling?
Well, it probably has a lot to do with the poor launch it had – bogged down by far too many bugs for a game that was delayed way too many times.
If you played this game when it launched in early April, then chances are good that you were left with a bad taste in your mouth; after all, most VR users who were excited already had to wait through more than a year of delays.
But after waiting so long – and paying full AAA game price – being met with a broken, graphically challenged, and underwhelming experience, the number of unhappy gamers were legion.
After more than three months and a lot of work by the developers at Mighty Eyes the game is at a point where it’s playable – but by no means is it fixed. Instead, what you get as you make your way through time, is a fun but extremely flawed experience.
Yes, you can in fact make your way through most – if not all of the game – while only encountering a handful of bugs. From small things like the incessant sounds of a power tool going off when you return from a time jump – to larger issues like necessary items disappearing or traversal methods blipping out of existence when you get close – there are far too many issues that you can come across.
While not all of them will break your game, the two latter examples are something which thoroughly impeded progression through this game for the review. For the record, the first issue was something that appeared right at the start and kept going for the entire game.
Ramlu notes that the team has been working extremely hard since launch, including launching their first major patch within the last month. In addition to finalizing the game for other platforms, she says that the second patch will be worked on at the same time, to ensure players have the best experience possible.
So then the question gets raised: should the VR enthusiast who has yet to play this game, wait until the next patch is out?
Short answer: yes.
The first patch has solved a slew of issues and made the Quest version actually playable. However, there are still an abundance of bugs – many of which can trigger on a whim – and the less patient gamer may end up throwing a fit that sees the end of their VR headset.
This is a fun game, there’s no question about that. When it works, the classis Wanderer game that came to VR only three years ago, can be felt throughout. With the addition of new features and the more realistic – and physics based – interactions, the game has a layer of depth that was not felt in the first.
Of course, the biggest issues are not only still prevalent, but they’re also going to bring down your game at some point.
Truth is that the game needs more time. It’s surprising that the Wanderer: The Fragments of Fate was allowed to be released in the state it was in; after all it was basically still broken.
Since the PSVR2 launched in 2023, the user base saw bad launch after bad launch. Considering how often people wished for a game to be released when ready, it’s almost as if the developers just weren’t listening.
There are obviously business decisions that need to be considered in cases such as this, but there’s no doubt that waiting a few extra months would not have made the launch any worse.
Regardless, it took about three months for the game to hit a playable stage – and there’s still more work that needs to be done.
Here’s hoping that the sequel game – currently in the works by Mighty Eyes – launches when it’s ready. This is a cornerstone series for the VR space and it deserves the time to develop properly, before being released to market.
Wanderer: The Fragments of Fate, was reviewed on the PSVR2 and Quest 3, after purchasing from the PlayStation store & receiving a key from the developers, respectively.
