The VR space is host to all kinds of odd unique games, most are experimental games that are extremely short or play very rough. The standout VR games rise to the top and get plenty of attention but there is a whole group of lesser known gems that can be hard to find. Vertigo is one of these VR gems which I found while trying many games on Viveport. It is an action adventure game that has a cavalier design that harkens back to the early days of first person action games. It’s a game that constantly surprised me and kept me hooked.
Vertigo takes inspiration from sci fi games like Half life and the original Prey, the plot is your basic normal person transported to an alien facility story and from there you need to get out. It is not a story heavy game but the alien facility becomes its own character as exploring the different varied floors is the crux of the game. It starts off simple with the player getting a small teleport gun like the one in Budget Cuts letting you get to places you normally can’t walk too. You eventually get a small lightsaber like weapon and a laser gun to battle agains the robots and aliens that populate the base. Mechanically the game is average VR fare, it has the usual VR jank you feel when you swing a sword wildly, the physics aren’t great, animations basic. The guns work as you expect, you aim and shoot but it doesn’t have the visceral feel of the best VR shooters.
What it lacks in mechanics it makes up for in level design and creativity. It starts simple in office like hallways and eventually starts to get more and more wild the further you play. The scale of some of these levels blew my mind, one room was a massive water tank with walk ways that tower stories above and you take elevators and zip lines across this massive room while robots fire at you from all sides. Another moment has you deep in dark tunnels while something with massive tentacles tries to get you culminating in a boss battle with a hideous huge beast.
The environments are insanely varied, every 30 minutes you arrive at a new location that is usually very different from the last. There are some moments where you will need to be stealthy, some light puzzle work, and plenty of secrets to be found. Boss fights are show stoppers, almost always massive in size, the best taking place in this huge room that alien monster has taken over.
I wish the regular enemies were more varied and engaging though, for the most part its usually robots with lasers and your weaponry is basic throughout. If the sequel can polish up the feel of the combat and there are more weapons and ways to engage in action, then that aspect can match the already stellar inventive level design. The constant stream of varied moments kept me engaged in ways many VR games don’t. I would recommend this to anyone that is looking for a full 6-7 hour action adventure game in VR.
Overall Score: 7.6
Vertigo takes inspiration from sci fi games like Half life and the original Prey, the plot is your basic normal person transported to an alien facility story and from there you need to get out. It is not a story heavy game but the alien facility becomes its own character as exploring the different varied floors is the crux of the game. It starts off simple with the player getting a small teleport gun like the one in Budget Cuts letting you get to places you normally can’t walk too. You eventually get a small lightsaber like weapon and a laser gun to battle agains the robots and aliens that populate the base. Mechanically the game is average VR fare, it has the usual VR jank you feel when you swing a sword wildly, the physics aren’t great, animations basic. The guns work as you expect, you aim and shoot but it doesn’t have the visceral feel of the best VR shooters.
What it lacks in mechanics it makes up for in level design and creativity. It starts simple in office like hallways and eventually starts to get more and more wild the further you play. The scale of some of these levels blew my mind, one room was a massive water tank with walk ways that tower stories above and you take elevators and zip lines across this massive room while robots fire at you from all sides. Another moment has you deep in dark tunnels while something with massive tentacles tries to get you culminating in a boss battle with a hideous huge beast.
The environments are insanely varied, every 30 minutes you arrive at a new location that is usually very different from the last. There are some moments where you will need to be stealthy, some light puzzle work, and plenty of secrets to be found. Boss fights are show stoppers, almost always massive in size, the best taking place in this huge room that alien monster has taken over.
I wish the regular enemies were more varied and engaging though, for the most part its usually robots with lasers and your weaponry is basic throughout. If the sequel can polish up the feel of the combat and there are more weapons and ways to engage in action, then that aspect can match the already stellar inventive level design. The constant stream of varied moments kept me engaged in ways many VR games don’t. I would recommend this to anyone that is looking for a full 6-7 hour action adventure game in VR.
Overall Score: 7.6