Carnival Games VR
- October 28, 2016
- Cat Daddy Games
Carnival Games VR is an unexpected hit in my house. The intuitive control scheme made it fun for gamers and non-gamers alike. While having multiple players was cumbersome, there is a nausea-free simple and enjoyable VR experience.
Carnival Games VR offers a virtual reality experience with 12 carnival games, including Golden Arm and Shooting Gallery. Players can explore the park, interact with patrons, and earn tickets for virtual prizes. The game provides an immersive environment for hours of fun.
Reviews
- The game offers a large collection of carnival-themed mini-games that are fun and engaging for all ages.
- The graphics are colorful and polished, creating an immersive carnival atmosphere that enhances the VR experience.
- Many players find the game enjoyable for family and friends, making it a great party game with competitive elements.
- The game frequently crashes on various VR headsets, particularly during the first mini-game, making it unplayable for many users.
- There are significant compatibility issues, especially with Oculus devices, leading to frustration and confusion about which systems the game supports.
- Some mini-games have poor physics and controls, which detracts from the overall enjoyment and can lead to a lack of immersion.
- story18 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 83 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is largely criticized for lacking depth and engagement, with many users describing it as a simple, casual experience rather than a compelling narrative. While some players appreciate its immersive qualities, they note that it does not offer a traditional story or hidden mechanics, likening it more to a fun, laid-back attraction than a narrative-driven game. Compatibility issues with various VR headsets, particularly the Meta Quest 2, have also been a significant point of frustration among users.
“Some people just aren't interested in an FPS or enthralling story, but enjoy nice laid-back immersive experiences.”
“There is nothing cutting edge here, no story to follow and no 'hidden mechanics' to learn through extended play, it's just a fun little time passer like a real carnival.”
“It's a cross between Disney's Haunted Mansion and the Toy Story Mania ride.”
- graphics16 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their quality and polish, featuring a colorful, cartoony carnival aesthetic that enhances the overall fun experience. However, there are significant compatibility issues reported, particularly for users with AMD graphics cards, which detracts from the enjoyment for some players. Overall, while the visuals are appealing, they are not groundbreaking, and the game's performance can vary based on the hardware used.
“The graphics are great, and the game is super fun.”
“Overall though, a very polished VR game that played without a single graphical hiccup.”
“Very cute and graphically polished game.”
“Changed my review to not recommended because it is broken for people using AMD graphics cards after an update and has been for years now.”
“This game will only work with an NVIDIA graphics card!”
“For those who have issues with it crashing, I think it might have to do with the RTX graphics card based on what I've seen people write.”
- gameplay15 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
Gameplay is generally praised for its smoothness and quick responsiveness, with intuitive mechanics that enhance the virtual reality experience. While the sports addon offers enjoyable shooting mechanics, some users feel the game lacks depth and complexity, describing it as a simple collection of mini-games rather than a fully developed title. Overall, it provides a fun, casual experience suitable for sharing with friends, though it may not justify a higher price point for some players.
“Gameplay is smooth, and response is quick.”
“The sports addon content, which offers basketball arcade shooting, is playable and offers better shooting mechanics than other WMR games I've tried.”
“Looking forward to showing this off to friends, as it's a short, enjoyable little experience with very intuitive gameplay.”
“I understand this is virtual reality, but that doesn't always mean the controls will mimic real-life mechanics in VR space.”
“For a game from late 2016, I doubt it'll have any gameplay fixes, just compatibility updates.”
“I'm not sure I'd want to pay $20 as it is just a collection of mini-games; I could recreate the core game mechanics without the bells and whistles in a weekend.”
- stability8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is a mixed bag, with some users experiencing frequent freezes, particularly on PC, often requiring workarounds like running in compatibility mode. While many players report no issues and enjoy smooth gameplay, others face consistent crashes and bugs, especially in specific game modes, leading to frustration and calls for fixes. Overall, the game's stability appears to vary significantly among users.
“No problems at all, no glitches.”
“There's certainly some bugs in a few of the games, but most of the games are bug-free and play excellently.”
“The game freezes with about 10 minutes of playing time.”
“Amazingly fun with decent controls, but the game just freezes after 10 or so minutes of gameplay every time without fail. It's the only game that does this for me; save your money and do not buy it until it's fixed.”
“I love this game on the PS4, but it freezes on the PC and the forums are filled with people complaining about it, with no help in sight.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find the mini-games enjoyable and challenging enough to warrant repeated play, others feel that the limited number of games and zones can lead to a sense of tedium for solo players. The high scores and fun mechanics do provide some incentive for replay, but the experience may not sustain long-term interest.
“The mini games are so much fun, excellent tracking and great replayability factor.”
“Although there are not enough games/zones, the ones that are available have very high replay value.”
“I enjoyed this game a great deal more than I expected, although I feel it has limited replay value for solo players as some of the games become a bit tedious quickly.”
“Some of the games can be quite challenging (to get the high tier scores) and thus adds some replayability.”
- music3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game is characterized by loud, carnival-themed tracks that enhance the vibrant and colorful atmosphere, complementing the quirky character designs. While some users noted technical issues with music playback, the overall experience is described as fun and engaging, supported by a lively musical backdrop.
“This is a fun set of mini games with a bright, colorful, musical atmosphere.”
“Too much work to make a black screen pop up and music play.”
“The design is bright, colorful, and the characters dotted around the carnival are quirky, with loud carnival-themed music and sound effects throughout the game.”
“This is a fun set of mini-games with a bright, colorful, musical atmosphere.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players have mixed feelings about the grinding aspect of the game; while some find it tedious and limiting for solo play due to the need to grind for tickets to unlock content, others believe the experience is enjoyable enough to justify the effort.
“I enjoyed this game a great deal more than I expected, although I feel it has limited replay value for solo players as some of the gameplay becomes a bit tedious quickly.”
“You have to unlock them by grinding tickets.”
“Some might find it very grindy or boring, but for me, it was easily worth the ticket price.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Players report that the game initially runs smoothly on the Rift S but experiences crashes during gameplay, indicating potential optimization issues specific to this headset. Additionally, the requirement to unlock certain areas and games using performance-based tickets introduces a grind that may affect overall enjoyment.
“Certain areas and games have to be unlocked using tickets, and tickets are based on performance, so it adds a small grind to it.”
“The optimization in this game allows for a smooth experience, especially when transitioning between different environments.”
“I appreciate how the game adjusts its performance settings based on my hardware, ensuring a consistent and enjoyable gameplay experience.”
“Certain areas and games have to be unlocked using tickets, which are based on performance, leading to a frustrating grind.”
“The optimization feels lacking, as the game often struggles to maintain a stable frame rate during intense moments.”
“I encountered numerous bugs that hindered my progress, making the overall experience feel unpolished and poorly optimized.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a vibrant and colorful environment, enhanced by lively music and dynamic elements, creating an immersive and enjoyable experience for players.
“This is a fun set of mini games with a bright, colorful, musical atmosphere.”
“Colorful, immersive atmosphere with a lot of moving objects.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for being both funny and professionally crafted, contributing positively to the overall experience.
“This is actually very funny and well/professionally made.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized, as users feel misled by advertisements suggesting compatibility with HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, leading to dissatisfaction with their purchase.
“The monetization model feels exploitative, with constant prompts to spend more money on in-game purchases.”
“I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind a paywall, making it hard to enjoy the game fully without spending extra.”
“The game is fun, but the aggressive monetization tactics really ruin the experience.”
Critic Reviews
Step right up! Carnival Games VR review
Carnival Games VR is an unexpected hit in my house. The intuitive control scheme made it fun for gamers and non-gamers alike. While having multiple players was cumbersome, there is a nausea-free simple and enjoyable VR experience.
80%Carnival Games VR Review
Carnival Games VR is about as entertaining as a funfair organised by gypsies in a community centre's car park. The tracking issues don't help, but the actual moment-to-moment gameplay is so morbidly boring that you may need medical attention to resuscitate you from this virtual reality yawn-fest. In a word: candydross.
30%Carnival Games VR Review
Carnival games falls so short of achieving anything good that it’s genuinely hard to think of a reason for anyone to buy it.
30%