Game overview Moss: VR-tale for the whole family

Personally, I am endlessly pleased with the fact that video games for virtual reality with each passing day it becomes more and more. This increases not only , but also improving the quality of technical and artistic execution, whether it is a long AAA game from a major publisher or a small niche project from an independent developer. Today I'd like to tell you about a charming game Moss, which was released on February 27 for a headset virtual reality PlayStation VR.

Game: Moss
the Platform: PlayStation VR
the Genre: Adventure, Puzzle
the release date: February 27, 2018
the Developer: Polyarc
the Publisher: Polyarc

To Begin, I would like that Moss – a true fairy tale in every sense of the word. Tale created on all laws of the genre and will delight not only children but also their parents, even if they have forgotten how it feels to find yourself in a fantasy world full of magic. However, just to emphasize that the use of a PlayStation VR headset children under 12 years of age is not recommended, as their vestibular system is still not strong enough, and this can lead to unpredictable consequences. The reality is that in our country any caveats all wanted to spit, so I occasionally see in the staff of the VR rides offer to test PS VR headset like HTC Vive very very small kids. Is wrong.

Developed the game Moss in the walls of the American Studio Polyarc, founded by former employees of the famous Studio Bungie gave the world a series of first-person shooters and . Talented artists and programmers have long dreamed to go beyond the popular FPS genre and to create something intimate, soulful, and endlessly charming. Something that will penetrate the hearts of the players will affect their soul and will forever fall in love with. In the end they did make it a game. Indeed, thanks to virtual reality technology, the degree of immersion of the players into the fairytale world has increased significantly.

The game takes place in a world populated by tiny fairy-tale characters. You have to play for a charming mouse named Quill, which is the most epic adventure of her life. She has to overcome many trials on his journey to save his mentor – the wise Argus and defeat the evil snake of Safaga terrorizing his village mice. Quil immediately brings to mind the wonderful animated film "the tale of Despereaux", whose main character was also a brave mouse armed with a sword and willing to commit deeds in the name of good. Indeed, between these two works have much in common.

Moss is unique in that it has another main character, in addition to the Quill, is you. The game is made in the third person, and the player gets the role of a mysterious creature in the game called "reader". You leaf through the book with fairy tales, which describes the adventures of a brave Quil, and periodically are transported into the depicted in the pages of a fairytale world. Due to the absence of the "fourth wall" mouse sees you and is counting on your help in my travels. This unique symbiosis between the two characters is expressed in a few very interesting mechanics, that allow the heroes to move forward in the story.

Considering that the main character is tiny, she is not able to move heavy objects. And here you come to her aid. Using the DualShock 4 controller, which is depicted in the game in the form of a glowing sphere you can move the stone slab to open the giant door, pulling a heavy chain, resulting in ancient mechanisms. However, analog grip controller, you control the movements of the mouse, which can jump, climb ledges better than the Nathan Drake series of Uncharted, and skillfully waving his tiny knight with a sword, carrying in wood barrels with the magic dust, cutting the grass, cutting the dangerous thorns on the way.

The Game is quite linear. Quil, solving puzzles one after another, gets access to the next locations. The puzzles are mostly logical, and they can be solved without any problems. I went through the game fairly quickly – in just two nights, I didn't have to resort to reading the walkthrough or watch support videos on YouTube. However, games puzzles language does not turn boring or trivial. All of them are very original and, if I may say so, with the soul. You have several times in the game seriously stretch the gray matter to help the Quill to cope with the challenges in her way obstacles.

The Main characters will meet not only the puzzles, but enemies. Opponents brave mouse will be angry beetles of several species. The first is the usual scarabs, injure the Quill with his powerful jaws. Playing for reader stories, don't forget to hold the bugs, grabbing them with his glowing Orb. This will allow the Quill to go to the enemy back and inflict some crushing blows with a sword. The second type of enemies – beetles, fire fields. To kill them easily, but the important thing is not to fall into the crosshairs. When you keep these beetles through a controller, you can use their guns for their own purposes: to shoot at other enemies or shots to activate different mechanisms. The third type of bugs – beetles-demolition. Driving them to very convenient to clear the piled stones of the passages and blow up other enemies.

Despite his bravery, Quil – a very vulnerable and fragile, like all girls. So if she caused even a little damage, she begins to limp and to fight much less effectively. The player can restore its vitality with a glowing sphere. Just capture the mouse in this area and pull the controller up. After a few seconds the life force will return to the Quill and she'll be good as new. In General, the interaction between mouse and player in Moss is made on the height you may even want to high-five his tiny co-worker after a particularly successful battle. It is very brings you with a virtual character.

The Graphics are very bright and pleasant. Especially pleased me the love of developers to the smallest detail scenery and incredible transfer scale. Do you feel a kind of giant, which sees a miniature world, inhabited by intelligent mice, wee forest elves and men-birds. Sometimes one gets the feeling that you are inside a quality crafted dioramas. Virtual reality allows you to look at everything a little differently. And that has to play in the third person, does not spoil the overall picture.

Another strength of the game is the animation of the characters. For Quil a team of animators led by Richard Liko has created hundreds of unique movements. Quil can't talk in human language, so she uses sign language to the deaf (I think that deaf players will be very happy such attention from developers), or clear of any and all gestures. For example, gives you a thumbs up, waves a paw to get your attention, or pointing in the direction where, in its opinion, lies the clue to the current puzzle. Anyway, you will always accurately understand what the mouse wants from you. And it's just wonderful!

Sound and music in the game is made on a different qualitative level. Giant forest produces thousands of different sounds: chirping birds, crackling insects, somewhere, gurgling brook, the wind rustling the leaves. All this creates the right atmosphere enveloping. Inside the dark dungeons every rustle makes the player panic and forces him to look around the sides. Surround sound and allows you to perfectly feel the direction where you can hear the noise. Music in Moss to match the sound. Very pleased with my presence in the game track, which is specially made her famous YouTube singer Malukah (Judith de Los Santos) from Mexico. Surely you've heard her amazing cover of the track Dragonborn Comes from Skyrim.

The Spoon of tar in a fabulous splendor still exists. First, there are certain problems with the tracking of the DualShock 4 controller in space. Sometimes he read by the camera inappropriately, with the result that its position is reset and you have to frantically shake the controller in space to return to its original position. Sometimes strays all the position of the virtual scene, then you need to reset the camera position, hold down the Options button. Secondly, the game is incredibly short. It can take 3-4 hours, of course, if you do not plan to open all of her secrets. The good news in this situation is that the developers have hinted at a sequel to the remarkable history of the Quill. Somewhat frustrating, also the lack of translation of plot panels on the Russian language. But this, in principle, possible to live.

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Pros:

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• a Touching story about the adventures of a brave mouse in a world full of dangers.
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• You never leave feeling like you've been transported into a real fairy tale.

The Artists have created one of the most beautiful and memorable of the VR worlds. the

• Animation Quil unmatched and allows us to understand her without using words.
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• high-Quality sound design and music that creates the right atmosphere.
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• with Interesting puzzles based on the interaction of the player and the character.
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• the Lack of a "fourth wall" allows you to quickly bond with the main character.
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• the Developers have hinted that in the future we will see a continuation of the story.

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Cons:

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• VR-...