Banter

About

Banter is a multiplayer casual simulation game. It was developed by SideQuest Ltd and was released on September 15, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Physics-fueled games with friendsHello there. I assume you’re here to learn more about Banter. It does say ‘About this game’ up there, doesn’t it? Well, SideQuest (do you know them? Great bunch) made a Social VR game. With excellent physics in it. Go ahead and scroll down to see what else you’ll find in Banter. I promise it’s interesting. The best physics in Social VR Harness cutting-edge Fle…

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74%

Audience ScoreBased on 126 reviews

optimization3 positive mentions

monetization2 negative mentions

The game features impressive physics and smooth movement, reminiscent of Boneworks, which enhances the overall experience.
The community is friendly and welcoming, with frequent events that encourage social interaction and engagement.
The developers are actively working on improvements and are open to feedback, showing a commitment to enhancing the game.

The game suffers from a lack of content and features, making it feel empty and unoriginal compared to established titles like VRChat.
Players are required to create accounts for basic functionalities, which can be tedious and frustrating.
Technical issues such as crashes, slow servers, and poor optimization hinder the overall gameplay experience.

story
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
62%
19%
The story aspect of the game is criticized for being filled with low-quality, AI-generated content, detracting from the immersive experience of world-building. However, players appreciate the engaging community and various events, such as karaoke and storytelling, which enhance social interaction and keep them invested in the game. Despite some frustrations with account requirements and competition for prizes, the overall sentiment highlights the enjoyment derived from community engagement and the diverse activities available.
- “Being able to drop into any of the dozens of spaces available and end up spending hours just chatting with them is truly engaging.”
- “They have events such as karaoke and storytelling that keep you busy throughout the week.”
- “Everyone was super nice and understanding, and the events were really cool.”
- “Not only this, but the side quest website and banter game are filled with AI-generated slop, really showing that the creators and artists in a game about creating worlds are just massive sacks of nuts.”
- “I loved the community here and spent over 4000 hours here, on standalone quest as well as PC. Now the community has abandoned the platform and left for VRChat, where the grass is greener and there are actually people.”
- “A terrible controlling social VR game where someone tried to make me create an account to change my avatar, which other VRChat games allow you to do for free without an account. The gimmick was that if I did, I would be able to win a Meta Quest 3.”
optimization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
28%
29%
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its smooth performance and fast loading speeds, making it a standout in the VR space. While it offers impressive features and easy avatar creation, some users note a lack of quality-of-life enhancements typical in similar games. Despite mixed opinions on its optimization in comparison to other platforms, many agree it has significant potential for improvement.
- “It is optimized very well and runs super smooth but still looks really good.”
- “Banter is finally here on Steam, and it's bringing some serious optimization game to the VR scene.”
- “Extremely poorly optimized, feels like they want to be both VRChat and Facebook's own 'metaverse' but it honestly fails to do both.”
- “In a realm with a lot of other people where performance often plays hard to get, Banter shines with the finesse of a seasoned pro.”
graphics
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The graphics in the game are generally well-received for their cool design and smooth performance, but players are frustrated by the lack of customizable graphics settings, which limits frame rate options and overall visual quality. While the game features engaging mechanics and a unique character creation system, the absence of quality-of-life features like mirrors and adjustable graphics settings detracts from the experience. Overall, the visuals are appealing, but the technical limitations hinder the potential for a more polished graphical experience.
- “Cool graphics, some cool mechanics, and love the foot guy; it really gives the game personality.”
- “This game is amazing and has huge potential if done correctly. The jumping and movement are also so smooth, like buttery smooth. The performance is top tier, and loading speeds are super fast.”
- “The graphics and audio settings are something I wish to see improved, but the overall performance is impressive.”
- “There are no graphics settings to speak of, meaning it's locked to a faulty 60fps on my setup when vsync should go to 144, or I should have the ability to shut it off to see what framerate the engine is capable of.”
- “There's no graphic or resolution settings.”
- “Only positive thing, you won't crash, lag out, or run at 30 fps, because of PS2 graphics.”
gameplay
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The gameplay features appealing graphics and unique mechanics, particularly highlighted by a memorable character, but it falls short in comparison to other VR social platforms like Rec Room, Neos, ChilloutVR, and VRChat.
- “The gameplay is engaging and offers a variety of mechanics that keep things interesting.”
- “The unique character designs add personality to the game, enhancing the overall experience.”
- “While the graphics are impressive, the gameplay could benefit from more content compared to other VR social platforms.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Overall, users report that the game runs smoothly with a solid physics engine and active community events, though some experience occasional visual glitches. However, any issues are typically addressed quickly by the developers.
- “The game runs great, featuring a robust physics engine, and community events are held regularly. Any issues we encounter are quickly addressed by the administration.”
- “I appreciate how stable the game is; it rarely crashes and the performance is consistently smooth.”
- “The developers are proactive in maintaining stability, ensuring that updates enhance the experience without introducing new bugs.”
- “For some, the client just glitches out visually.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
- “I experienced constant lag and disconnections during gameplay.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers highlight that the atmosphere in this game is significantly more pleasant and immersive compared to VR Chat, creating a more engaging and enjoyable experience for players.
- “The atmosphere is way nicer than in VR Chat.”
- “The immersive environment truly enhances the overall experience.”
- “The game's ambiance creates a captivating and engaging world.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with users highlighting its unoriginal concept and lackluster experience. Many feel it relies heavily on outdated mechanics and minimal effort, offering little beyond basic social features.
- “Unoriginal idea, cash grab, and overall a lackluster experience.”
- “What I found was an outdated, unoriginal, AI-stuffed cash grab with almost nothing to offer beyond basic social features and low-effort environments.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is perceived as lacking, with many players attempting to be funny but falling short. While the environment can be enjoyable for socializing, it requires a good sense of humor to appreciate the content created by the community.
- “If you want a place to just have fun and hang with awesome people, this is the place, but make sure you bring your sense of humor.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the requirement of using an external service for character customization and updates, which detracts from the overall experience. Many feel that the game should allow direct access to customization options without the need for a cumbersome web-based interface.
- “The killer, having to use an external service to both sign up and update and design your avatar - tedious.”
- “In-game character customization screen - you already have the assets, let us pick them without a tedious web-based service.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music aspect of the game is highlighted by a vibrant array of events, including karaoke and party games, which enhance the overall experience. Players often find themselves more engaged in dancing and enjoying the music than in traditional gameplay, showcasing the game's emphasis on fun and social interaction.
- “There are a lot of events happening all the time, like karaoke, improv, party games, listening to music together, movies, etc.”
- “It sure did have 'bonelab physics'; I played a whole Mario world just to have more fun dancing to the music than actually playing it.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game to be a refreshing and wholesome emotional experience, offering a welcome break from less positive interactions in VRChat and surpassing the emotional depth of titles like Horizon.