Apex Construct
- March 20, 2018
- Fast Travel Games
- 4h median play time
Though not without its faults, Apex Construct offers up an attractive, cleverly constructed and well crafted marriage of action and puzzle solving elements that demands your attention.
Get on Steam"Apex Construct is a single-player VR shooter/adventure game with perfect graphics and good mechanics. Explore a post-apocalyptic world, wield an upgradable bow & shield, and battle enemy robots to discover the extinction of mankind. Delve into a lasting experience with intriguing puzzles and the Cygnia Cup Challenge for global leaderboards."
PC
Virtual Reality
Windows
Oculus Quest
Oculus Rift
Oculus VR
PlayStation
PlayStation VR
Reviews
- The bow mechanics are solid and enjoyable, providing a satisfying combat experience.
- The game features beautiful graphics and a well-designed world that enhances exploration.
- The story, while not groundbreaking, is engaging enough to keep players interested throughout the game.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustrating experiences.
- Movement controls are awkward, with issues related to locomotion and item interaction that detract from immersion.
- The ending is disappointing and lacks closure, leaving players unsatisfied after completing the game.
- story88 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally considered engaging and interesting, with a unique premise and beautiful environments, but it suffers from a lack of satisfying closure and a disappointing ending. Many players found the narrative to be light and somewhat repetitive, with some bugs and gameplay mechanics detracting from the overall experience. While the story has potential and is enjoyable at times, it ultimately feels rushed and fails to deliver a compelling conclusion.
“The story is interesting, the environments are beautiful, and your main weapon (a bow) is easy and satisfying to use.”
“An interesting and compelling story, perfectly suited for VR.”
“Great game if you are looking for a VR story game.”
“The ending is super disappointing and unsatisfying; there is no cool boss battle or reveal to the story, just the same rubbish miniboss that is easy to kill.”
“It's one of the lamest endings I've seen in a long time, and doesn't really answer any of the mysteries that it set up or give any kind of closure to the story.”
“The story really falls flat towards the end (with so many places to potentially go, it flat-lines and doesn't make a lot of sense... rushed completion?).”
- gameplay59 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, praised for its solid bow mechanics and tactical challenges, but criticized for repetitive combat, poor pacing, and awkward mechanics such as cumbersome weapon switching and navigation issues. While some players enjoy the polished execution and immersive elements, others find the gameplay tedious and marred by bugs and level design flaws, leading to a less engaging experience overall.
“The gameplay is the best aspect of the game; it is quite challenging, definitely requires tactics and strategy, and fast reactions.”
“Good graphics, fun gameplay, and the archery works brilliantly.”
“The bow/shield mechanics were on point, fun, and accurate.”
“I change some settings and hit play, the screen goes black. I can still see my knuckles and hear some mechanical sounds from what I guess my hands are supposed to be doing when I press buttons.”
“A bit bugged and janky; you get stuck in terrain, enemies disappear, etc. The story is okay, but gameplay feels repetitive and boring, just shooting the same types of enemies with a bow.”
“Looks pretty at first and starts off looking promising, but poor level design, tedious and confusing objectives and puzzles, and boring gameplay kill it.”
- graphics35 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the art style and overall aesthetic as visually appealing, while others criticize the dated textures and simplistic design. Some players appreciate the polished visuals and smooth performance, particularly in VR, but note issues like aliasing and a lack of depth in environments. Overall, the graphics are seen as a strong point, though they could benefit from improved lighting and more detailed textures.
“Some stellar visual design and overall aesthetic.”
“Very polished feel and beautiful aesthetics.”
“I love the visuals and setting of the game.”
“Graphics are dated in 2022.”
“Well, the game is not as interesting: the environments are very empty and the graphics look more like a low poly style rather than 'cute' cartoonish.”
“It's a simple game with a simple story and simple graphics.”
- stability7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, including issues with props, enemy behavior, and navigation in tight spaces, which can detract from the overall experience. While some players report minor glitches that are manageable, the overall consensus is that stability remains a significant concern.
“Feels like a lot of backtracking to old areas, and things like going up and down stairs and tight cramped spaces feel pretty buggy still.”
“Props are buggy when you pick them up.”
“Game is buggy; enemies will often merge inside each other and fire volleys of shots that give you next to no time to fire back.”
- music7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate its quality and find it reminiscent of other popular soundtracks, others criticize the lack of ambient music and the inability to adjust the volume levels, particularly during combat. The audio balance is noted as problematic, with combat music often overpowering other sounds, making it difficult for some players to fully engage with the game's audio experience. Overall, there is a desire for more varied and controllable music throughout the game.
“What I really liked were the graphics, even though it could've used a bit moodier lighting and the general design of the world, and the music was really cool; I wish there was more of it!”
“(It sits somewhere between Alyx's and No Man's Sky's soundtrack.)”
“The combat music goes too loud and there is no way of lowering it or disabling it, but otherwise the game works great.”
“The combat music goes too loud and there is no way of lowering it or disabling it, and the inventory is a bit finicky, but otherwise the game works great.”
“Combat music just turns on without reason.”
“Audio is not well balanced, with loud music, or even the sound of your own bow and robot hand loud enough to drown out enemy noises.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is mixed; while the graphics are simplistic yet clean and performance meets expectations for VR, the free locomotion option is poorly optimized, leading to awkward controls and potential discomfort for players. Additionally, the lack of diverse movement options detracts from the overall experience.
“The graphics are good with great performance, but it lacks more movement options.”
“The free locomotion option is not optimized at all, and feels awkward, which can make you feel sick at times for brief moments.”
“This leads me to believe that the game is not optimized for the Vive controller angles or positions.”
“The graphics are simplistic but clean, and performance fulfills my expectations for a game designed for VR.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, with slow typing mechanics and poorly designed objectives detracting from the overall experience. While the game initially appears promising, the repetitive and confusing tasks ultimately hinder enjoyment.
“Tedious and frustrating, this game has potential to be fun.”
“Looks pretty at first and starts off looking promising, but poor level design, tedious and confusing objectives and puzzles, and boring gameplay kill it.”
“One of your main interactions is with computers, where you tediously type letters in the digital keyboard.”
Critic Reviews
Apex Construct Review
Apex Construct has an interesting set up and some great visuals, but falls apart quickly thanks to poor gameplay, frustrating systems, many glitches, and a story that goes nowhere.
30%Apex Construct PSVR Review
Apex Construct is heavily flawed, with a fun and fairly precise shooting mechanic unfortunately not enough to make up for the dismal movement controls and derivative narrative.
68%Apex Construct Review
Apex Construct is a perfect example of just how far VR games have come and shows that VR gaming isn't just a gimmick. It's clearly going to be the next step for gaming. However, it also shows some of the glaring issues still being faced with the technology. The controls are still difficult, with the system of teleporting rather immersion-breaking and the wand-style controllers still not quite fitting the bill. Regardless of its flaws, this is one of the best VR experiences currently available and a must experience.
80%
