Banter

About

Welcome to the wonderful world(s) of Banter VR. The physics-based social app where we enthusiastically encourage you to flex the magnificent art of wordplay, exaggeration, irony, sarcasm, and more while you have fun with your pals in VR. Portal across the Bantaverse—a wide range of wacky worlds filled with… a whole bunch of weird sh*t, to be honest. From a winter wonderland packed with mini-games…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

+12

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 112 reviews

optimization3 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

The community is incredibly welcoming and friendly, making it a great place to socialize and meet new people.
The game features a unique physics system reminiscent of Boneworks, allowing for engaging interactions and movement.
There are frequent events and activities that keep players engaged and provide opportunities for fun and creativity.

The game suffers from a lack of players at times, making it feel empty and reducing the social experience.
The requirement to use an external service for avatar customization and account creation is tedious and detracts from the overall experience.
As an early access title, the game is still rough around the edges, with issues related to optimization, UI, and limited customization options.

story
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
65%
18%
The story aspect of the game is primarily driven by engaging world-based quests and social interactions, which keep players invested despite the game's perceived emptiness. Events like karaoke and storytelling foster a sense of community, while giveaways and challenges add an incentive to participate. However, some users criticize the game's social mechanics and account requirements, suggesting that the overall experience can feel scuffed and frustrating at times.
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “Not even worth a free Quest 3 that they're offering to play it.”
- “The game is extremely scuffed overall, but is likely like this due to seemingly being made with the Quest 2 in mind.”
optimization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
29%
29%
Overall, the game's optimization is highly praised, with users noting smooth performance, fast loading speeds, and a well-optimized experience, especially in VR. While it offers impressive features and potential, some players feel it lacks certain quality-of-life elements found in similar games. However, the general consensus is that the game runs exceptionally well, making it a strong contender in the VR space.
- “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.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability with a well-functioning physics engine and prompt fixes for issues, but users report significant bugs related to map loading and frequent freezing, particularly when muting or unmuting.
- “The game runs smoothly, featuring a robust physics engine, and community events are consistently organized by both players and administration. Any issues we encounter are promptly addressed.”
- “I appreciate how stable the game is; it rarely crashes and the performance is consistently reliable.”
- “The developers are quick to respond to any stability issues, ensuring a seamless gaming experience.”
- “Getting maps to load in the menu seems very buggy; sometimes they won't appear at all, and I'll have to reopen the game.”
- “Muting and unmuting freezes the game.”
- “Other than that, it also freezes constantly.”
graphics
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
The graphics of the game have received mixed feedback, with users appreciating the smooth movement and performance but criticizing the lack of customizable graphics settings. While the game offers a streamlined avatar creation process and maintains high performance without lag, some players noted that the visuals are reminiscent of older systems, which may detract from the overall experience.
- “Alright, this game right here is amazing and has huge potential if done correctly. The graphics and performance are top tier, with smooth movement and fast loading speeds. I love that you can quickly create a basic avatar inside the game itself, which adds to the overall experience.”
- “The graphics are impressive, providing a visually appealing environment that enhances gameplay.”
- “The performance is also so far top tier, and loading speeds are super fast.”
- “There's no graphic or resolution settings.”
- “Only positive thing, you won't crash, lag out, or run at 30 fps, because PS2 graphics.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the necessity of using an external service for character customization and updates, which detracts from the overall experience. Many feel that the in-game customization should be more streamlined, allowing direct access to assets without the cumbersome web-based process.
- “The killer, having to use an external service to both sign up and update and design your avatar is 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 its integration into various social events, such as karaoke and party games, enhancing the overall experience. Players often find themselves enjoying the music more than the gameplay itself, as seen in activities like dancing to tracks while engaging with the game's physics.
- “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.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere is praised for being significantly more pleasant than VR Chat, with a welcoming and heartwarming community that fosters inclusivity and positivity.
- “The community here is beyond welcoming, creating an atmosphere that's not just inclusive but genuinely heartwarming.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game to be a refreshing emotional escape, offering a wholesome experience that contrasts with other platforms like VRChat. The welcoming community fosters a heartwarming atmosphere, enhancing the overall emotional engagement of the game.
- “The community here is beyond welcoming, creating an atmosphere that's not just inclusive but genuinely heartwarming.”
gameplay
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users feel that the gameplay in this VR social platform is lacking compared to competitors like Rec Room, Neos, ChilloutVR, and VRChat, suggesting it does not offer as engaging or diverse an experience.
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in the game is a key element that enhances the fun atmosphere, encouraging players to engage and enjoy themselves with others. It's essential for players to bring their own sense of humor to fully appreciate the experience.
- “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.”
- “The humor in this game is top-notch, with clever jokes and witty dialogue that keep you laughing throughout.”
- “I love how the game doesn't take itself too seriously, making every moment feel light-hearted and enjoyable.”