S.E.N.S. VR

S.E.N.S.VR is something a little on the experimental side.  Downloaded from the Gear VR store for $3.59, this is not so much a game as it is an interactive tour of a monochromatic virtual world.  If you enjoy games like Land’s End than this may be a game for you.  It feels like a spiritual successor(minus the puzzles).

sens-screen

Follow the arrows, they will lead the way!!!

Based upon a a graphic novel of the same name, I’m assuming the devs copied the visual style of said novel.  Everything is monochromatic using black, white and greys to build the world around you.  It looks good and the art style is great, it’s just a little bland looking, especially walking around the white deserts.  Animations are smooth and environments change around you in subtle and dramatic fashion.  Scale is used to great effect here without being thrown in your face.  The audio too, is also very subdued, fitting in perfectly with the world around you.  A few sound effects and some light music(or silence) fit well with what what you are looking at.

The only control you have is to look at the next point until your reticle focuses whereupon you advance to the next point.  You are/follow an unamed man in a trench coat as you guide him through this mysterious world. You can go back to the previous point you visited at some points, but there really is no reason too.  The game utilizes arrows to tell you where to go.  Those arrows may be in the form of signs, giant structures, or scenery shaped like an arrow.  These “hidden” arrows may force you to have to search for your next waypoint a bit but for the most part itis never too hard to find out where to go next.

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Some pretty impressive imagery awaits you, there just isn’t much of a game to back it up.

Overall the experience was enjoyable, but just subdued.  You are along for a journey as you watch the trench coated man navigate this odd world.  He walks slow and the action in this game comes at you at the same pace.  Wrapping this experience will take about a half hour or so and excitement is not why you play this.  The color scheme does get old after a while and some segments where you are walking just take forever.  It’s an interesting experiment in VR, I just don’t think it will appeal to average VR gamer.  Still, for those that enjoy “experiences” instead of games, this may be something for you.

Good

  • Great looking world
  • Scale used to great effect
  • It's an interesting journey

Bad

  • Monochrome gets a little old
  • Not really a game
  • Pacing is intentionally slow, to its detriment
6

Alright!

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