(Press access at Playstation Experience was provided to Handsome Phantom by Sony)
Virtual Reality is finally here. Though Sony launched their VR system last fall, it has taken a while for the games to finally arrive. With sales now north of two million, it’s great to see a variety of games on the horizon.
Star Child brings a nice change of pace to VR as a colorful platformer that invites you to become a spectator in their well-crafted universe. The developers want you to experience the game as though you were viewing it through a shoe box diorama.
After a brief cinematic where we see a space ship land on a foreign planet, we enter a facility where we progress through the level left to right solving puzzles. Even as you land you can get a sense of how beautiful the world is. The puzzles are simple, yet fun, and we look forward to seeing more of them as the game progresses.
No enemies appeared as we moved through the level and, at this point, no fighting mechanics have been seen. At the end of the level an alien beast is about to attack you and you are saved by an Iron Giant-like brute that scoops you up in his hand – befriending you. As you progress through the game, you will be able to take over machines to help you on your quest.
The game can be played in VR as well as in standard 2D on the Playstation 4. To be accessible to all players and to help avoid nausea, the control scheme is kept very simple using only the Dual Shock 4. No Aim or Move controller support is available for the game with no plans to add them in the future. With so many VR games relying on jump scares to make them “stand out” Star Child is steering clear of those moments to allow for the gameplay and setting to stand on their own legs.
Star Child is releasing in 2018 on Playstation 4 and PSVR. Make sure you keep this one on your wish list.
