The highly-anticipated sequel to Polyarc’s charming VR platformer arrives on PSVR this month.
It’s hard to talk about the best VR platforming games without mentioning Moss. Originally released on PlayStation VR before heading to PC VR and Meta Quest headsets, the expertly-crafted third-person platformer had players teaming up with the tiny but mighty Quill as they embarked on a magical adventure through a mystical forest filled with mystery and danger.
Last year developer Polyarc announced Moss: Book II, a direct sequel to the original game that will have players once again teaming up with Quill to take on yet another epic threat. The team promises a suite of new enemies to fight, weapons to master, and puzzles to solve. You can check out a few of these new features in the most recent episode of PlayStation Underground.
During the roughly 12-minute demo, Josh StiksmaPrincipal, Engineer & Design Director at Polyarc, walked PlayStation’s Justin Massongill and Tim Turi through some of the biggest changes from the original. As previously mentioned, Moss: Book II expands Quill’s arsenal of weaponry. Using a new item wheel, you’ll have the ability to switch between weapons such as your sword as well as the new hammer, which can be charged to deal extra damage.
In addition to combat, the sequel introduces new player interactions designed specifically for VR. This includes the ability to generate magical vines which can be used by Quill as a makeshift bridge. New enemies will also offer new possibilities. This includes a new armored bug called the Ripper you can shoot like a pinball at specific targets in order to progress through the level.
Speaking with the team, it sounds like their goal was to provide a bigger, better experience without reinventing the wheel, so to speak. After all, if it isn’t broken, why fix it? This was comforting to hear, as I found the original game experience fairly well-balanced, albeit a bit simplistic. Based on the information shared so far, however, Moss: Book 2 improves upon the shortcomings of the original, the few that there are.
What I enjoyed most about Moss was its attention to detail. Everything from the games’ environments to Quill’s mannerisms served to better immerse you in the experience. According to Polyarc, we can expect the same level of detail in Moss: Book II. For instance, environmental elements such as tall grass now react to Quill’s movements. While this may sound like a relatively small addition, it’s these types of interactions that, when combined, bring the world to life.
Moss: Book II will be available on PlayStation VR on March 31st. No word yet on other platforms, though if the original release is any indication we can most likely expect a Quest and PC VR release sometime in the near future.
For more information on Moss: Book II visit here.
Image Credit: Polyarc
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