Titan Isles Review: Colossal Co-Op Fun, And Solo Too

Titan Isles is an absolute blast in each co-op and solo play, providing a powerful VR motion journey price exploring. This is our full overview.

You’ll be able to rapidly see the shared DNA between Titan Isles and its rapid predecessor, Windlands 2. Practically seven years since Psytec Video games launched its older hit, this motion journey takes us to the ruined world of Toska the place you fend off colossal robots. Some intense movement means it isn’t particularly newcomer-friendly, however I am vastly having fun with clearing by way of these historic robots with pals.

Underpinning your efforts is a narrative-driven marketing campaign, becoming a member of a small group of survivors as you uncover why these mysterious large Titans have immediately woke up. In case you’re after a extra cinematic journey with a powerful story, what’s right here is practical but naked. A useful opening tutorial provides you the important thing particulars, however you’ll be able to principally ignore the continued story afterward and leap straight to the motion.

Nonetheless, Titan Isles balances what’s right here effectively by providing simply sufficient worldbuilding depth to carry my curiosity throughout this lighthearted story, complemented additional by first rate voice appearing. Some repeat voice traces when strolling previous characters in your hub, Cloud’s Edge, can get a bit annoying. Usually although, you will not be hanging round there for too lengthy.

As an alternative of counting on one particular character kind, Titan Isles splits your choices between 4 well-designed Exo Fits chosen in Cloud’s Edge earlier than a mission. Every comes with an amazing vary of distinctive weapons and a secondary traversal technique – everybody nonetheless strikes round primarily by synthetic stick-based locomotion – that makes it price swapping between them repeatedly.

My private favourite is Storm, which advantages significantly from extra agile gameplay and ranged assaults. This Exo Swimsuit provides you wrist thrusters for fast evasive maneuvers, loads of gasoline to your jetpack, and a rifle that conveniently comes collectively when holding your movement controllers such as you’re dealing with such a weapon. Providing long-range help for teammates whereas selecting off distant robots, one thing that is surprisingly simple to do even when shifting at excessive pace, feels extremely satisfying.

Different Exo Fits provide robust selection for various playstyles. Any Windlands followers will really feel at residence with Hunter’s grappling hooks alongside a bow and arrow. Goliath is much less cellular however offers heavy-duty help with its cannon and a summonable protect, the latter proving significantly helpful towards the second boss. In any other case, Blink provides you a helpful triple leap, a viper bolt weapon picked up out of your chest, and section dashing that permits you to defensively leap by way of enemy fireplace or lasers.

You’ll be able to’t combine and match skills between Exo Fits, although I am happy Psytec hasn’t restricted this to 1 Exo Swimsuit kind per particular person in co-op events. Do you have to want, everybody can play as a single Exo Swimsuit. Finishing missions earns talent factors for unlocking upgrades like enhanced weapons, creating incentive to attempt larger difficulties as clearing these awards extra factors. Although it is a minor subject, I would like an choice to refund expertise and reallocate these factors.

Titan Isles presents a number of procedurally generated mission paths to choose from earlier than beginning, which additionally provide instance of its VR-focused design. There aren’t any laser pointers for choosing routes; each button pleasingly requires a bodily press, whereas the display screen displaying your decisions could be grabbed by a deal with and moved to higher suit your top and angle. I additionally love the refined touches, like Storm’s rifle having tiny lights to point out there ammo as an alternative of utilizing a HUD.

When you’re on the best way, every mission is cut up into quite a few subsections the place you should kill each enemy earlier than you’ll be able to advance. Exploration is not your important aim, however thorough exploration is rewarded by way of collectible objects, hidden targets you’ll be able to shoot, and secret rooms. Which is good as a result of these ranges are totally enormous and accommodate 4 gamers effectively, offering loads of angles to your assault.

Exploration quickly turns into mild platforming as you cross these floating platforms, all whereas avoiding liquid hazards or bottomless pits. This may be difficult since your Exo Swimsuit additionally builds up acceleration momentum, which feels significantly clean on Quest 3. This expertise remained comfy for me even at its quickest with minimal consolation settings utilized. Simply do not attempt going too far out, although. Invisible boundaries will immediately make themselves recognized and injury you.

Whilst you’ve bought a couple of enemy varieties throughout these missions, some extra selection can be welcome, and that is significantly true with boss fights. Each boss has some twist on “hit the orange panel, then strike the core,” however there’s sufficient stage variation to maintain these fights participating. One battle requires attacking a Titan’s large robotic tentacle – two without delay on more durable difficulties – on a ship whereas avoiding incoming storm waves. One other entails zip-lining at pace to totally different vantage factors, and so forth.

These fights make you’re feeling highly effective for beating them on more durable settings. When ‘Regular’ grew to become too simple, I upped this to ‘Heroic’ and bought a return ticket to Cloud’s Edge after exhausting my revivals, solely to take pleasure in defeating them as soon as I returned. Crucially for a co-op recreation, Titan Isles is nice to play alone and would not fall into the “it is good with pals” crutch some multiplayer video games fall into, although it is actually higher with pals. Talking of which, solely the host’s marketing campaign progress is saved in co-op however you may maintain any earned talent chips.

Visually, Titan Isles seems nice with its vibrant environments. Degree design turns into a bit too acquainted at factors even throughout totally different areas, although the artwork type works effectively. Efficiency runs easily even with the massive environments, extra gamers, and infrequently frantic encounters. That is all underscored by an amazing soundtrack starting from serene to suitably energetic when the motion kicks off. Although I am reviewing the Quest 3 version, the Steam model holds up effectively too.

There is not a ton of additional content material throughout Cloud’s Edge, although there’s a lot to do after clearing the marketing campaign. Endgame missions could be chosen with a “regenerate” choice out there for those who do not like the alternatives offered, or you’ll be able to select certainly one of six racing mini-games with on-line leaderboards particular to every go well with. Including a podium gamers can leap onto after crossing the end line is a beautiful contact.

Races are a totally elective additional that opens up in Cloud’s Edge after clearing the preliminary missions. Nonetheless, this space’s immersion is considerably hampered as a result of Titan Isles shows adverts for different VR video games. Older Psytec titles like Windlands and Crystal Rift are current alongside video games from different studios like Laser Dance, Unseen Diplomacy 2, and Roboquest VR. You’ll be able to’t work together with them, so you are not about to get despatched to a retailer web page. Tonally although, it is simply very misplaced on this world.

As for the precise races, these are cut up into three totally different classes. Commonplace races are my favourite as I attempt discovering new shortcuts throughout these environments at report tempo; they’re additionally playable alone or in co-op. Others contain amassing orbs or capturing targets throughout the surroundings earlier than heading to the end line. I respect the extra selection, although I do not really feel compelled to attempt them once more.

Titan Isles – Closing Verdict

Titan Isles delivers a compelling motion journey that is equally pleasant in co-op and single-player. Whereas the bosses and stage design may use extra selection and the racing space’s adverts detract from the immersion, it is essentially the most enjoyable I’ve personally had with a VR co-op expertise since Dungeons of Eternity. With its robust fight, versatile Exo Swimsuit system, and nice presentation, it is a robust return for Psytec Video games that will get my advice.

UploadVR makes use of a 5-Star ranking system for our recreation evaluations – you’ll be able to learn a breakdown of every star ranking in our overview tips.