VR Game Review: Moss

It is impossible to describe just how cute this game is. Most VR games take place at "human scale" - you play as a human inside a building, or other human-sized space. But Moss lets you play as a mouse named Quill with you (the player) towering over her. You are a human literally peering down into a mouse-sized kingdom. It is one of the most stunning uses of VR in a game that I've seen.

It is like playing with a dolls house. And yet, the scale of it is epic.

Vast castles, haunted forests, arid deserts - it is a wonderland for a platformer/puzzler.

The puzzles are mostly very good. Move the thing, jump on the whatsit, move another thing, back to the start etc. Most of them take advantage of the 3D environment which leads to some lovely designs. And, if you get stuck, the little mouse will mime a clue to you. Get it right, and she'll demand a high-five. It is lovely.

Except for the combat.

Bugs come out to fight you. You hit them with your sword. Repeat. When the enemy can be manipulated to be part of the puzzle, they become interesting. Otherwise, it is just a slog. A couple of the bosses kept me in a death-loop until I'd hit them enough. It wasn't even an interesting "wait until they rear then hit the underbelly" fight. Just button mashing.

I fully agree with Jennifer Hepler and Dara Ó Briain that games need a "Skip Combat" button. I'm here for the story, the puzzles, and the graphics. Hitting monsters is boring.

The story is fun - and set up nicely for a sequel. There's a bit of replayability with a couple of collectables you can find.

Like all VR games, it is expensive for the length of gameplay. £15 for a few hours. You can get 25% off using my referral link