Arken Age
- January 16, 2025
- VitruviusVR
- 2h median play time
Get on SteamIn Arken Age, a VR action-adventure game, players explore the Bio-Chasm, a terraformed fantasy world, using Arkenite infused swords and guns for full physics combat. The game features customizable weapons, climbing mechanics, and crafting abilities, allowing players to traverse and interact with the environment in various ways. Players must combat Hyperion's neural corruption and uncover the mysteries of this world.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Arken Age features exceptional combat mechanics, blending melee and ranged options that feel impactful and satisfying.
- The game boasts stunning visuals and a richly detailed world, making exploration rewarding and immersive.
- Innovative climbing mechanics and intuitive controls enhance the overall gameplay experience, allowing for fluid movement and interaction.
- Enemy variety is limited, with many encounters feeling repetitive due to the lack of distinct enemy types.
- Some players have reported issues with the game's audio quality, describing it as flat or lacking depth.
- The respawning of enemies in previously cleared areas can be frustrating, hindering exploration and pacing.
- gameplay47 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Arken Age" is primarily action-oriented, featuring linear level design with opportunities for backtracking and exploration. Players enjoy a variety of mechanics, including intuitive climbing with wrist-mounted pickaxes, engaging combat, and collectible relics that enhance weapon upgrades, although some find enemy evolution lacks depth. Overall, the game is praised for its immersive VR mechanics, beautiful graphics, and a fun, physics-based combat system that accommodates different playstyles.
“Next, the gameplay in Arken Age is primarily an action game that has you moving between large fight domes, clearing out enemies and looking for keys to progress. The level design is mostly linear but features some backtracking and the ability to revisit zones whenever you'd like.”
“The climbing mechanics using wrist-mounted pickaxes are intuitive and make traversal fun. Climbing is more interesting here than in past VR games, allowing players to freely climb any wooden structure, which adds a layer of freedom and speed that can be mixed with combat.”
“Amazing stuff here so far: immersive mechanics, solid fun VR combat, fluid movement and climbing, not to mention it looks amazing.”
“At some point, enemies evolve and you would think that they will get some new moves, mechanics, or weapons, but no, they just change color and their HP, damage, and defense just increase.”
“The first boss is a giant damage sponge; I haven't discovered any hidden mechanics to fight him, so I just sprayed him with guns for 10-15 minutes while dodging and healing.”
“The game needs frequent breaks because it will frustrate you, even though there are ways around the mechanics that make it better once you figure them out.”
- story44 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story of "Arken Age" is generally well-received, featuring a campaign with NPCs and memory logs that enrich the backstory, which is a refreshing change from many VR games. While some players find the plot basic or shallow, others appreciate its nostalgic feel and emotional depth, highlighting the game's engaging world and exploration elements. Overall, it is described as a solid, story-driven experience that enhances the immersive gameplay.
“The world of Arken Age is a joy to explore, with a captivating story that unfolds as you progress through the campaign.”
“This is a legit single-player story-driven game with a full campaign.”
“The game offers an emotional connection through its story-driven campaign, allowing you to uncover secrets and form bonds with the alien Nara race.”
“All capped off with a story that is shallow in many areas, throwing you into the deep end right away. It brings that nostalgic feeling of playing an old PS2 game from the likes of Atlus, making it an experience anyone that owns a VR headset must play in 2025.”
“Story is I am robo-lizard and... that is all I got.”
“The game is the actual worst quality VR game I have ever played. It has some of the worst combat I have ever seen, the sound effects make this game sound like a Quest 1 game, the custom sword painting is terrible, and the enemies have the worst attacking animations.”
- graphics30 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of Arken Age are widely praised for their stunning sci-fi aesthetic and vibrant art style, reminiscent of classic titles like Final Fantasy X. Players report smooth performance on high settings, even on mid-tier rigs, with visuals that enhance immersion and gameplay. Overall, the game's graphics are considered top-notch, contributing significantly to its appeal and enjoyment.
“Arken Age has a very sci-fi aesthetic that I really enjoy; it's unique, not only for a VR game but visually striking compared to most games.”
“The environment and graphics are top of the line.”
“World is visually stunning, with very fresh designs and aesthetic.”
“Starting with the visuals, as I think they are the most apparent part of the game.”
“I did have to turn the graphics down for performance reasons, but I have to do that in most PCVR games these days with my mid-tier rig.”
“Graphics also carry some resemblance to Vertigo 2.”
- optimization13 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received high praise, with users reporting stable and phenomenal performance across various hardware setups. Many players noted the ability to adjust graphics settings for better performance without sacrificing visual quality, and the game is described as polished and ready for release, comparable to AAA titles. The recommended performance modes allow for smooth gameplay at high resolutions, further enhancing the experience.
“Performance so far has been phenomenal.”
“The game is well optimized and when your headset can handle the resolution, this game is beautiful. The enemies are well conceived and the battle engine and overall combat is the best I've ever seen in any VR game so far.”
“It’s optimized, stable, and absolutely ready for release.”
“I had to turn the graphics down for performance reasons, but I have to do that in most PC VR games these days with my mid-tier rig.”
“Quality mode uses 60fps gameplay with reprojection and a higher resolution of 4000 × 4096. VitruviusVR also confirmed Arken Age on PS5 Pro has a 15% resolution boost over the base PS5 console in performance mode, and a 25% resolution boost in quality mode.”
“The game is so stable and polished it feels like a game from a AAA studio, and the performance is well optimized too.”
- stability5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability, running smoothly and looking impressive throughout the experience. While minor glitches were reported, particularly related to teleportation mechanics and the save system, they did not significantly detract from gameplay.
“Around 4 hours into the game and this is the rare VR title that both runs great and looks great.”
“This game is way better than the screenshots would lead you to believe; it looks great and runs great.”
“Looks crisp and runs great, a fully realized vision of a VR action-adventure game in an original universe.”
“I didn't encounter game-breaking glitches, except if you move at the right time when teleporting, you can be glitched out of the teleporter machine.”
“I occasionally encountered minor glitches during my playthrough, and the save system could be improved.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised, with reviewers highlighting its quality and ability to enhance the overall experience. The soundtrack is described as engaging and memorable, complementing the beautiful graphics and art style effectively.
“The graphics and music are top notch with a wonderful art style.”
“Enjoying it so far - beautiful graphics, sound, and music.”
“The soundtrack slaps.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect somewhat tedious due to the repopulation of enemies in previously cleared maps, which can lead to repetitive gameplay.
“I find it a little tedious that enemies repopulate 'cleared' maps.”
“The grinding feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“It takes too long to level up, and the grind becomes frustrating rather than rewarding.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of absurdity and slapstick moments, often stemming from characters making hilariously foolish decisions, such as repeatedly jumping off cliffs or missing out on key opportunities.
“The characters often find themselves in hilariously dumb situations, like jumping repeatedly off cliffs or missing out on great opportunities.”
“The humor in this game is spot-on, with witty dialogue and absurd scenarios that keep you laughing.”
“I love how the game balances its serious moments with lighthearted humor, making every encounter feel fresh and entertaining.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Arken Age is praised for its high replayability, offering players numerous opportunities to engage with the game multiple times.
“Arken Age is a game that has so much replay value.”
“The variety of choices and paths you can take makes each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
“With multiple endings and character builds, I find myself coming back to explore new strategies.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game excels in creating an emotional connection through its story-driven campaign, where players can uncover secrets and develop meaningful relationships with the alien nara race.
“The game offers an emotional connection through its story-driven campaign, allowing you to uncover secrets and form bonds with the alien Nara race.”
“The characters are deeply relatable, and their struggles resonate on a personal level, making every decision feel impactful.”
“The soundtrack beautifully complements the narrative, enhancing the emotional weight of each scene and drawing players into the experience.”
