ALICE VR
- October 27, 2016
- Carbon Studio
- 5h median play time
Alice VR doesn’t have the most engaging puzzles, and its slow pace may be off-putting to some, but this VR ‘walking simulator’ through a sci-fi re-imagining of Wonderland is a beautiful, trippy and clever experience.
Get on SteamAlice VR is an adventure sci-fi game exploring the power of virtual reality.An unexpected malfunction forces your ship’s AI to wake you from the cryo sleep. You have to make an emergency landing on an alien planet and your goal there is simple: find or purchase fuel and escape. This straightforward task gets complicated when you realize that all of the planet’s citizens had disappeared in mysterio…
PC
Virtual Reality
Windows
Cloud
Linux
NVIDIA GeForce NOW
Oculus VR
Reviews
- The game features imaginative environments and a unique sci-fi take on the Alice in Wonderland story, providing an engaging atmosphere.
- The graphics can be visually appealing when settings are adjusted properly, and the sound design adds to the immersive experience.
- The game offers a comfortable movement system for VR, with options for both free movement and teleportation, making it accessible for different players.
- The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including crashes, poor controller support, and glitches that hinder gameplay.
- Many players experience motion sickness due to the movement mechanics, which are not well-optimized for VR, leading to a frustrating experience.
- The puzzles are often simplistic and repetitive, lacking depth and challenge, which can make the gameplay feel dull and unengaging.
- graphics48 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the beautiful 3D environments and overall visual appeal, while others criticize issues like graininess, blurriness, and performance drops. Many users noted that graphical settings were initially set too low, leading to a less immersive experience, but some reported improvements after patches. Overall, while there are moments of stunning visuals, technical issues and inconsistent quality detract from the experience for many players.
“It really is a lot of fun in my opinion with nice graphics and soundtrack.”
“+ beautiful 3D graphics.”
“I enjoyed the graphics, and the mystery surrounding the colony - environmental storytelling made me really curious about the people that lived there.”
“Graphics are sometimes grainy, especially with middle distances, which can lend to a headachy experience after too much time in VR.”
“The game looks great on the store page but the load times are crazy long to the point where you think your PC has frozen, and the game looks like it's running off integrated graphics. It's terrible; I also have a more than capable PC for VR, so this shouldn't be happening.”
“Graphics, graphics, graphics... I have everything turned up to very high and the game runs smoothly on my GTX 1080, but looks terrible, so terrible in fact that I simply cannot get immersed in the world at all.”
- story45 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its intriguing twists and immersive atmosphere, while others criticize it for being straightforward and lacking depth. Many noted that the environmental storytelling and scattered journal entries enhance the narrative experience, but some felt the ending was underwhelming and the overall plot could benefit from more development. Despite these criticisms, the game is recognized for its potential in VR storytelling, with players expressing excitement about the narrative elements and the exploration of its unique world.
“The story takes a nice batch of twists and turns and has a lot of freedom of choice and secrets to find, and I honestly really ended up liking it.”
“I enjoyed the graphics, and the mystery surrounding the colony - environmental storytelling made me really curious about the people that lived there.”
“The story is interesting and there are some strange hints in some of the recordings you find, so I'm definitely wanting to know what happened on the planet.”
“The story is pretty straightforward with the typical twist ending of it all being a test outside of reality.”
“The story also just kind of ends without any real finale.”
“I won't say much about the ending, but as with a lot of the game, it's a letdown and I was hoping for a lot more. It totally screams for a scriptwriter to flesh out the story and give it some depth.”
- gameplay27 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews are mixed, with many players finding it slow-paced, boring, and plagued by technical issues like poor performance and motion sickness. While some appreciate the unique mechanics and exploration elements, others criticize the underutilization of interesting features and simplistic puzzles. Overall, the game offers a visually appealing experience but struggles to deliver engaging and enjoyable gameplay.
“Interesting use of perspectives and game mechanics.”
“Not only is there a system that is visually and mechanically similar to the catch a ride system, but also elements such as an echo recorder equivalent and the coveted graphene.”
“The gameplay is slow, but I like that for an exploration game like this.”
“Gameplay itself is boring, straightforward, and unfun.”
“Slow paced and quite boring gameplay with very simple puzzles.”
“Generally the concept is quite unique and the surreal elements were the only thing that made me want to push on despite needing to vomit and rolling my eyes at the 'puzzles' which I think would have been better traded in for some relevant gameplay and thoughtful controls.”
- stability12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- -17 % neutral mentions
- 92 % negative mentions
The stability of the game varies significantly among players; while some report a smooth experience with no glitches or technical issues, others encounter frequent bugs and crashes, particularly related to the buggy vehicle mechanics. Graphic glitches and immersion-breaking issues are also noted, especially in tight spaces. Overall, the game's stability appears inconsistent, with some players enjoying a seamless experience while others struggle with significant technical problems.
“I have the in-game settings set to 220 scaling with graphics maxed out, and it runs great.”
“The game maintains a steady frame rate even during intense action sequences.”
“I've experienced no crashes or major bugs, which makes for a smooth gaming experience.”
“The hallways only let you walk on one side and often times glitches you into the wall.”
“It's a buggy, crash-ridden mess.”
“There are some graphic glitches that are immersion breaking at times.”
- optimization8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews; while some players report smooth performance and improvements following recent patches, others experience significant bugs and graphical issues, particularly during specific gameplay moments like "dream states." Overall, the game's performance varies widely, with some users finding it unplayable due to poor optimization, while others enjoy a stable experience on high settings.
“Haven't had any performance issues.”
“The performance overall was good.”
“Especially after the game was patched with the latest update, it has optimized the gaming experience dramatically and sped up graphic card performance.”
“This game is so bugged and badly optimized that it is unplayable.”
“Whenever I entered the 'dream states,' the graphical performance became poor.”
“Lots of stuttering until the dream was over.”
- atmosphere7 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
Overall, the atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with many users highlighting its lovely soundtrack and immersive qualities that transport players to another world. However, some critiques mention a lack of depth in the story, suggesting that while the atmosphere is strong, it could benefit from a more fleshed-out narrative. Despite these concerns, the game's atmospheric elements are seen as a significant positive aspect of the experience.
“The soundtrack is atmospheric and lovely.”
“The atmosphere was really great and I like the tie-in with the Alice in Wonderland storyline.”
“It's very atmospheric.”
“The world just feels empty with no atmosphere.”
“I won't say much about the ending, but as with a lot of the game, it's a letdown. I was hoping for a lot more; it totally screams for a scriptwriter to flesh out the story and give it some jazz. If it wasn't for the wondrous atmosphere, it would be a negative, but as it is, I think it's worth $15 for a rather cool experience and a trip to another planet.”
- music6 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and lovely soundtrack, enhancing the overall experience. Reviewers appreciate the quality of the music, describing it as great and fitting well with the game's graphics and story. Additionally, the inclusion of a soundtrack, art book, and other bonuses adds value to the game.
“The soundtrack is atmospheric and lovely.”
“Great music and ambience.”
“The soundtrack is amazingly good, and the textures and level of detail are not bad at all.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report a mix of emotional responses, with some experiencing intense discomfort and nausea, while others find the immersive driving mechanics evoke a strong sense of exploration and wonder in an alien environment. Overall, the game elicits significant emotional reactions, both positive and negative, depending on individual experiences.
“I have an iron stomach most of the time, but this game made me feel really, really sick.”
“The driving was super smooth, caused no motion sickness, and really made me feel like I was exploring an alien planet.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players generally recommend grinding for effective game farming, as it allows for the accumulation of resources and experience necessary for progression.
“The grinding in this game feels endless and tedious, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“I spent hours grinding for resources, but the rewards just don't feel worth the effort.”
“The repetitive nature of grinding in this game quickly becomes a chore rather than an enjoyable experience.”
