Step into the boots of a guardian and tear your way through an army of robots.
Roboquest VR is another title made for the virtual reality (VR) space, by Flat2VR Studios (Trombone Champ: Unflattened).
Rebuilt for this medium with new mechanics that bring you closer to the action, the game is not a mere port of the original game which hit early access in 2020; it’s a brand-new way to play.
The original flatscreen game, developed by RyseUp Studios, saw its full release in 2023.
You are a guardian, one of the last lines of defence for the remnants of humanity. The story starts with Max, a scavenger who comes across your character abandoned and deactivated in the desert. Having been out of commission for more than 500 years, she brings you back to life with the hopes of taking on hordes of robotic enemies.
The story here is thin, as is with the majority of roguelite games. Max does chat – though she doesn’t actually use words, just text bubbles – and it’s in these moments where little tidbits are added to what’s going on.
Like all roguelite games, you’ll head out on runs which will take you across multiple settings – currently there’s four chapters to the game, and several different areas between them. In true procedurally generated gaming fashion, each time you head out on a new attempt, the levels change up so nothing is ever really the same.
To survive across each chapter, your character is outfitted with some onboard abilities – ranging from melee attacks to destructive weapons, and even invisibility. It should also be noted that each different class – there currently appear to be six, five of which are unlockable – has its own unique attributes and abilities.
Of course, there aren’t just some built in abilities to help you survive; the game boasts quite a few weapons including guns, throwables, bows, and more. In fact, descriptions say there’s 100 weapons to find across your runs. It’s best you play around and find the weapons which suit your playstyle – and chosen class – as using everything in tandem is key to finishing the game.
Head’s up that you don’t get to keep the guns you find when you’re “knocked out” – this game’s version of your run has ended – and there doesn’t seem to be a way to pick the weapons you want before you start a new run. This means you’re stuck with the low-powered handgun to start and will probably need to swap it out rather fast.
You do get the option to select something random from weapon boxes throughout safe points – including right at the very start – so at least you’re not stuck with it for long. Downed enemies will sometimes also drop weapons, so you’ll certainly come across choices.
While this all probably sounds like business as usual – especially if this isn’t your first roguelite in the VR space – there are some things which make this game standout.
What Roboquest VR does differently is give you a multitude of paths to take – many of which require items you can only find in different sections of the map – a number of gadgets you need to unlock, and even secret levels which can only be found by completing specific requirements.
From finding keys throughout different areas, to completing random side quests, there’s a lot going on here which can certainly get the average player off the beaten path.
Now that the general gameplay is out of the way, let’s talk mechanics.
As mentioned, Flat2VR Studios rebuilt this game from the ground up for the virtual space; bringing this game to life in its own way.
You’re treated to the usual control settings: thumbsticks for movement, triggers to shoot, the grip buttons here are used to interact either by activating an ability – this is usually the dominant hand controller – or to grab onto two-handed weapons.
For abilities, some require more buttons than others to activate. For example, punching or activating the shield of the guardian class is as simple as pushing the button while hovering over your chest – or punching/hitting if you’re going the melee route. Meanwhile, the commando’s rockets and shotgun will require the grip button and an additional input either the trigger or ‘circle.’
Using these abilities requires a cooldown, this is displayed on your right hand.
Make sure you pay attention the first time the game explains the correct buttons as trying to go back later currently gives you incorrect information on inputs.
This isn’t the only area for example where this happens: you have access to a minimap throughout your runs – this is displayed on the right hand by default. If you choose to have it on your left hand you can switch it over, however, if you want to enlarge the map it still tells you to push the grip button ‘R1’ to do so. If it’s on your left hand, you actually have to push ‘L1’ so the game does have some bugs.
Moving on, you’ll use the ‘X’ button if you’re playing on the PlayStation VR2 (PSVR2) to drop the magazine and start a reload; you can then use the left trigger to have a new one appear and load it in. Alternatively, you can take an empty gun and lower it to your waist, this will also load the weapon.
Should be noted that there is no manual reload option when using dual weapons. This means once you drop the magazines, you’ll have to bring them down to your waist to reload.
One thing that’s weird/not the best style choice is that when you’re using dual weapons – let’s take the crossbows for example – they share one ammo count.
So, when using dual crossbows – or stingers as they’re called– both weapons share the ammo count of 10. This means that if you fire both, you can get five shots between them or however you might break down the shots, before reloading. This happens for all dual weapons.
This is not the best system and doesn’t really give benefit to using dual weapons, as each should technically have its own ammo count.
Oh, before we move on your health and experience points are displayed on your left hand, keep track of this as it’ll not only show you how close you are to being knocked out, but also when you have reached a new level and have upgrades available. To upgrade, you’ll just need to hit the ‘square’ button on the PSVR2 controller, and you’ll be offered a selection of upgrade cards – two right off the bat. Simply select the one you want and see your character buffed for the duration of your run – these disappear at the end and do not carry over.
Speaking of carrying over, the only things you keep when you finish a run are wrenches – used to upgrade your base and unlock permanent upgrades to your character – and keys you discover to unlock doors. Everything else like batteries are left where you fall.
Now let’s talk graphics before we call it a day.
The game boasts a hand drawn and very cartoon style – those familiar with Borderlands games may feel nostalgia when playing through – and it works; but there’s a severe lack of textures against the backdrop of the world.
While no visual bugs were experienced, if you’re attempting to play the game higher than 60 hertz (Hz), you’ll have to use reprojection – on PSVR2 you can get it up to 120Hz, but it’s immediately noticeable in the higher action sequences at higher difficulties.
For the casual gamer, you’ll probably notice the fuzz in the distance and the general blah look of things on screen, but these can probably be written off by those who are just there to tear through some robots.
Overall Roboquest VR is certainly an interesting entry in the roguelite genre, as its depth of gameplay gives an extra incentive to those who strive to keep coming back. While the game does start off slow and there is always the risk of developing a fatigue after the hundredth run on which you embark, being able to focus on a side quest does give more direction, when many similar games just leave you to keep on pushing through.
It’s unfortunate though that there’s no logbook or place to view available missions, as you’ll just have to hope to stumble across these things in order to unlock new pathways, gadgets, and more.
Flat2VR Studios did an excellent job with this game, though there were issues seen as mentioned above – and many that were experienced prior to a day one patch. Remember it’s not a port; it’s a completely rebuilt experience for the medium.
All things considered the game is well worth it for those looking for something new to play – or add onto their Christmas wish list.
Roboquest VR was reviewed on the PSVR2 after receiving a pre-release key.
