As Sasha, you must chase and locate your friend — believed dead — before uncovering an SOS message, which leads you to a Soviet orbital space station. Vertical Robot delivered a stellar follow-up to Red Matter in 2018.
Upon booting up Red Matter 2, one of the first things you notice is how good it looks. Vertical Robot has created one of the most visually stunning VR games ever. While the graphical fidelity is exceptional, the art direction seals the deal. Featuring a strong visual identity and Soviet architecture, the game lovingly offers brutalist design, with occasional touches of postmodernism. There are many interactable items in these environments, which is both a blessing and a curse.
It is worthwhile to seek out many of these items, since nearly everything in the game can be scanned. These entries hide many of the game’s funniest jokes, so seek them out. There are just so many items that it makes it harder to find what you need for puzzles. Some better environmental cues would work wonders here, but luckily the game provides an immersive enough world that things never get too frustrating. Unlike many puzzle games, this game trusts the player to figure things out to an extent few puzzle games do.
It is frustrating to pick up items in the world with two controllers with grippers, but the physics are inconsistent. It’s not always difficult to grab objects, but sometimes you’ll find things getting caught on invisible barriers or trapped under something else. It happens enough to be noticeable, but not a major issue. As with telekinesis, the lasso-like tether to grab items randomly does not work.
In the end, Red Matter 2 isn’t a PSVR2 must-play due to its sheer fun and mastery of design.
Pros:
-
Visually stunning.
-
Visually stunning.
-
Clever puzzles.
-
Lots to find in dense locales.
Cons:
-
Manipulation of items.
-
A lot to scan or interact with.
I would rate this game for 8 over 10.