Stormland VR is an Oculus exclusive that has been in the works for what has felt like years. This game was produced and developed by Insomniac Games, who is one of the best gaming studios in the world. Stormland is an open-world game that is going to test you in multiple ways. This is a first-person action and adventure game that is as expansive and deep as any other virtual game on the market today.
In our in-depth game reviews, we look to cover all and any aspects you’ll want to know about a virtual title before you go out and buy or try a virtual title. From the locomotion system in this game to the free-flying zip lines you get make in this game, we are going to cover everything for you in this game review. You will be facing a lot of interesting parts of this game throughout your long gameplay. We have played all of it so you don’t have to, and we have broken the game down into easy-to-know aspects so we could rate it for you. This is a fun game, and we are excited to review it for you today. Let’s jump right in.
Getting Up and Running
Getting up and running in Stormland is like any other virtual reality game. You won’t be needing to set up a plethora of external sensors, extra controllers, or even a long calibration process. Downloading this game won’t be too easy either, as it comes in at 16 GB file size. This isn’t the smallest game on the market at all, but if you are paying full price for it, you are going to want a game that is full and in-depth.
The price of this game is $39.99, and you are only going to be finding it in one location. This is an Oculus Exclusive, meaning that it is only going to be on the Oculus Store. It is playable on the Oculus Rift and Rift S, and starting in 2020, the Oculus Quest will have full support via the Oculus Link. There are roundabout ways to get this game on the Vive and the Index, but it isn’t going to be nearly as smooth as or fun than the Rift or Rift S.
Type of Game
This is a first-person action-adventure game that is going to throw you into countless missions while all tied to the same large story. You can play this game from either a co-op perspective or by yourself, and both are ways to play are going to propel you in your story. You’ll be doing as much exploring in this game as well as shooting, so getting bored in this game is not an option at all.
Each week, the developers will continue to release more challenges, landscapes, and planets for you to explore. This is going to undoubtedly keep this game relevant for some time going forward, even if it is never going to fully pull in new audiences into virtual reality. Internet is not required for gameplay, but it is required if you are going to be paying with your virtual buddies. Stormland is unique, and it is going to continue to appeal to large audiences.
Player Perspective
You’ll be playing Stormland from the same perspective as all of the other top VR game. First-person is how you will experience it, and you will also be able to see all of your body. Most other games only let you see your hands or the objects you are holding, but Insomniac is letting you see head to toe. From the detail of your finger to the back of your knee, everything is going to be inside of this game. If you are looking for a game inside of VR that is going to finally give you proper robot representation, this is definitely the game for you.
Theme and Story – Score: 10/10
There are few other games on the virtual reality market right now that are as compelling as this one. The only other games we can think of weren’t exclusively made for VR, so this game is more than deserving of a 10 here. From the interactions with other characters to the simple yet compelling story, there is something for everyone to love in this game.
Controls – Score: 10/10
As for the controls of Stormland, there is nothing we would’ve changed in this game. They are simple and easy to master, and in the heat of battle, they stay simple and easy to use. We believe some of this is in debt to the fact that this game was made for one controller and wasn’t adjusted throughout development for other companies’ controllers. This is another advantage of an exclusive title, and Oculus and Insomniac capitalized off of this very well.
Music and Sound – Score: 10/10
There was enough of everything in this game when it came to the audio. The voices of the different characters were all clearly different, there was enough music even in slow parts of the game, and the noises of different weapon interactions were plentiful. Insomniac Games did a fantastic job of making this game much more immersive than we imagined with the perfect audio. It didn’t hurt that there was a wide use of spatial audio as well.
Player Movement – Score: 9/10
The player movement in this game is perfect, but it could have been slightly better in smaller areas. You use your off-hand in this game to move around, and your dominant hand to change your orientation. This will ensure both hands are actively part of the game throughout gameplay. The only time it was bad when trying to launch off the cliff or grab onto the ground, but even then, this was inconsistent.
Kinetosis – Score: 4/10
We are sad to give this game a lame score here, but it was well deserved. There were multiple ways to see the world in this game when you rotate, but none of them felt great. When you chose to continuously move, you would only see a small portion in front of you. If you chose the full switch, you would become motion sick even faster than any other option. The movement forward and back didn’t hurt in this game, but the side to side and looking around did. A sizable update could possibly be in the works here.
Environment and Immersion – Score: 9/10
The music and visual graphics in Stormland are top of the line, but there is a glaring problem here that couldn’t be overlooked. You can only interact with some objects in this game, and none unless you are prompted to do so. Its a beautiful place to play a video game, but being able to interact with the game is a huge part of feeling the immersion that we have been wanting for some time. This is a big flaw, and the score here is going to reflect that while still shining a light on the other great parts of the game.
Overall – Score: 8.6/10
This is the second highest score we have ever given a game here at VRGear, and it could not have gone to a more deserving game and developers. Stormland, for the most part, does everything you would want to see and feel inside of a virtual reality game. For only $40, you can own one of the top games of the small virtual reality history. This game is going to only get better with added DLC, so buying now from the Oculus Store is going to be a theme for this game for time to come.
