Land’s End

Man oh man! Is this game a step in the right direction. Downloaded from the Occulus store for just under $6, this game is worth every penny. As a body less entity, you are tasked with solving a string of simple puzzles to awaken an ancient civilization…to what end is not really clear.  Requiring only the Gear headset (although a gamepad allows you to sit and play) you navigate by simply looking at nearby white dots and floating to them.  The gameplay here is nothing spectacular but the overall experience is a breath of fresh air.

It’s just so damned pretty!

Visually stunning graphics show what the Gear VR is capable of with amazing looking stages that use a minimalist, cartoony art style that fully immerse you in the world before you.  With 5 stages and a few different environments, I found myself enjoying the scenery more than I have in any VR game before.  With a draw distance that may as well be endless, this world feels fully fleshed out and real.  The Audio is also a welcome fit and adds to the overall experience with a melodic, ambient soundtrack.

Traversing through the levels is easy enough and the puzzles placed before you are easy enough to solve.  The core mechanic for solving puzzles is a “connect the dot” type experience where you look at the start point and drag a beam to the end point.  The ability to move around some environmental objects adds to puzzle complexity, but they never get very difficult.  This streamlines the game and does feel like you are constantly progressing at a nice pace.

With all that praise out of the way, the few nit-picks I have are as follows.  The puzzles offer very little challenge and most of the can be solved on the first try, a little more difficulty would’ve been nice.  Secondly, one of the levels takes place in a dark cave, which unfortunately brings the Gears shortcomings to light. Greys and black do not mix well and the darkened areas look muddled compared to the outdoor environments.  With all that said, this game is a must buy, even though you can wrap it about an hour, it feels like a complete experience.  Solid gameplay and fantastic visuals make this game a must have for Gear owners.