February 16, 2017
Quixel

HOMEBOUND

Homebound is a virtual reality experience best saved for the daredevils and veterans of VR. Its controls are clunky, it has a habit of leaving you spinning in the most gut-wrenching of ways with little to no warning, and its story mode instructions can be frustratingly obtuse. That said, it gives you the opportunity to experience life on a space station, and gazing out the viewport can be a shockingly powerful experience. It's difficult to resolve these dichotomies, but at the end of the day, I felt that the experience it offered was more than worth its $8.99 price tag.

38%Game Brain Score

graphics, gameplay

stability, story

43% User Score Based on 160 reviews

Critic Score 55%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

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About

"Homebound" is a single-player Action game with stunning graphics, built for next-gen VR. It supports both HTC Vive and Oculus Rift with motion controllers or gamepad. Experience 3 levels of intense gameplay, from deep space to Earth, in a race against time. A perfect blend of visual beauty and thrilling action, with Time Attack mode for added replayability.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

43%

Audience ScoreBased on 161 reviews

graphics42 positive mentions

stability12 negative mentions

Visually stunning graphics and immersive environment that captures the essence of space travel.
Offers a unique experience of life on a space station, with moments that can be profoundly impactful.
The developers are responsive and actively rolling out updates to improve the game.

Controls are clunky and unintuitive, leading to frustration and difficulty in navigation.
The game can cause severe motion sickness due to excessive camera shake and disorienting movement mechanics.
Short runtime with unclear objectives and minimal gameplay, making it feel more like a demo than a full game.

graphics
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
72%
21%
7%
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their stunning visuals and immersive design, often described as some of the best seen in VR to date. However, many users note that despite the impressive graphics, issues with controls and mechanics detract from the overall experience, leading to frustration and motion sickness for some players. While the visuals are a highlight, they are not enough to compensate for the game's other shortcomings.
- “The graphics are stunning, but the GUI is cluttered and difficult.”
- “The visuals are absolutely stunning, the concept feels original and leaves you craving for more.”
- “Best graphics in VR I've seen yet and ran smoothly on my GTX 980m.”
- “And let's be honest here: pretty graphics do not deceive over missing content and lack of quality!”
- “The controls are horrible, the lights and graphics feel like they're burning my retina.”
- “Graphically a mess and I'm running an i7 / GTX 1070 with everything overclocked.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and sluggish interactions, particularly when using Oculus Rift and touch controllers. Many players experienced issues with controls and object interactions, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience. While some hope for future patches, the current state is described as a "buggy mess."
- “Besides the fact that this 'game' has a runtime of less than 15 minutes, implied the controls would not be broken and you don't experience glitches or get stuck in the walls, the sound is a mess as well.”
- “Played with Oculus Rift, touch controllers are still super buggy.”
- “The hands and gripping of things feels awful, it's buggy and your relationship to your onscreen hands is continually broken.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The gameplay of this VR game is criticized for having broken mechanics and objectives, leading to a frustrating experience, despite its appealing visuals. While some users find the gameplay entertaining and the voiceover engaging, many report severe issues such as camera shaking and poor control mechanics, suggesting that significant improvements are needed for a better experience. Overall, the gameplay is deemed lacking and almost non-existent by several reviewers.
- “The gameplay works great and the voiceover is quite entertaining.”
- “Gameplay is almost non-existent.”
- “If you don't, then you should probably run away from this one (unless the devs patch it up a lot) - it shakes the camera intensely for most of the gameplay.”
- “When I first played this game, you turned when you turned your head, which is a terrible mechanic.”
story
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
55%
27%
The game's story is criticized for being minimal and weak, often reduced to simple tasks like "press the button," which detracts from the overall experience. While some players find the immersive setting compelling, the lack of a substantial narrative and frustrating controls diminish the storytelling impact. Overall, the game is visually appealing but fails to deliver a satisfying story.
- “It's so immersive both in the storytelling and setting, I'm personally blown away by it.”
- “This experience lasts no more than 25 minutes; visually it looks great, but unfortunately, the control scheme is awful and the plot, as far as it has one, is minimal.”
- “As the game is an experience, the story of 'press the button' is really weak.”
- “Its controls are clunky, it has a habit of leaving you spinning in the most gut-wrenching of ways with little to no warning, and its story mode instructions can be frustratingly obtuse.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
14%
29%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning graphics and believable audio, creating an immersive experience that can evoke strong emotional responses. Players appreciate the impactful visuals of space and Earth, along with the intense realism of zero gravity and re-entry, although some note that the overall experience may feel short.
- “Graphics are stunning, the audio is really believable, and I gotta admit, my palms got a bit sweaty during the atmospheric level.”
- “A fun and atmospheric (although short) experience with some really nice visuals and sound.”
- “[You get to be an astronaut, with astounding views of Earth and space that are profoundly impactful, several humorous moments, and intense and realistic recreations of zero gravity and atmospheric re-entry.]”
- “Graphics are stunning, audio is really believable, and I have to admit, my palms got a bit sweaty during the atmosphere level.”
- “[You get to be an astronaut, with astounding views of Earth and space that are profoundly impactful, several humorous moments, and intense and realistic recreations of zero gravity and atmosphere re-entry.]”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report that the game evokes strong emotional responses, particularly through its immersive VR experience, which can lead to feelings of disorientation and even sickness. This unique emotional impact highlights the game's ability to engage players on a deeper level, though it may also pose challenges for some.
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is well-optimized, running smoothly at maximum settings with 2x supersampling on high-end hardware, such as the 980ti and i7-3930k.
- “Game runs smoothly at max details (2x supersampling enabled) on my 980ti and i7-3930k.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game features several humorous moments that complement its intense and realistic recreations of zero gravity and atmosphere re-entry, enhancing the overall experience of being an astronaut while providing profound views of Earth and space.
- “You get to be an astronaut, with astounding views of Earth and space that are profoundly impactful, along with several humorous moments.”
- “The game is filled with witty dialogue and clever puns that keep you laughing throughout your journey.”
- “I love how the characters have such quirky personalities, making even the most serious situations hilariously entertaining.”