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Paper Beast

Forget lockdown and hoarding, you'll have all the freedom and paper you need in this utterly entrancing world. PlayStation VR has another killer app
86%Game Brain Score
story, graphics
grinding, stability
94% User Score Based on 866 reviews
Critic Score 79%Based on 17 reviews

Platforms

PCPCOculus RiftOculus RiftOculus QuestOculus QuestPlaystation 5Playstation 5Playstation 4Playstation 4WindowsWindowsPlayStationPlayStationVirtual RealityVirtual RealityPlayStation VRPlayStation VR
Buy Nowfrom $0.39
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About

"Paper Beast" is a virtual reality game that takes players to a surrealistic desert world made entirely of paper. In this game, you interact with unique creatures, called Paper Beasts, and help them survive and evolve in their fragile ecosystem. Through solving puzzles and manipulating the environment, players will uncover the mysteries of this origami-inspired land.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Paper Beast screenshot
Paper Beast screenshot
Paper Beast screenshot
Paper Beast screenshot
Paper Beast screenshot
Paper Beast screenshot
Paper Beast screenshot
Paper Beast screenshot
Paper Beast screenshot
Paper Beast screenshot
Paper Beast screenshot
+22

94%
Audience ScoreBased on 883 reviews
story33 positive mentions
grinding9 negative mentions
  • Visually stunning and immersive experience that feels like stepping into a dream.
  • Unique and creative puzzles that encourage exploration and interaction with the environment.
  • Emotional connection with the paper creatures, making the gameplay feel alive and engaging.
  • Short playtime of around 3-4 hours, which may not justify the price for some players.
  • Some puzzles can be confusing or tedious, leading to moments of frustration.
  • Lack of clear instructions or guidance can leave players feeling lost at times.
  • story
    178 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in "Paper Beast" is abstract and often unclear, relying heavily on environmental storytelling and visual aesthetics rather than traditional narrative elements. Players experience a unique journey through a surreal ecosystem, solving puzzles and forming emotional connections with the paper creatures, though many find the plot confusing and underdeveloped. Despite its brevity and ambiguity, the game is praised for its stunning visuals and immersive atmosphere, making it a memorable VR experience that encourages exploration and replayability through its sandbox mode.

    • “The story is so well designed that I started developing attachment to the 'animals'.”
    • “I really enjoyed this game and I wish other VR games shared such an interesting and astonishingly beautiful setting, not to mention the superb approach to storytelling without voice or text.”
    • “The story mode is fantastic, a collection of interactive set pieces that have some of the most strange and wonderful visual art I have experienced in VR.”
    • “While it has a story, the message isn't entirely clear.”
    • “It looks like it's building up to some plot at the beginning but then never mentions it again.”
    • “I kind of feel like I do after watching a movie where they got so excited about the special effects that they forgot to write a story.”
  • graphics
    108 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning and unique art style, which combines beautifully with immersive audio to create a captivating experience. While some reviewers noted a deliberate simplicity in the graphics due to the game's sandbox nature, many found the visuals to be breathtaking, especially when settings are maximized on high-performance PCs. Overall, the game's aesthetic and environmental storytelling are highlighted as standout features, making it a visually artistic experience in VR.

    • “Visually it is stunning (don't forget to ramp the graphics up to ultra - although it still looks amazing on low) and combined with the amazing audio, it is an outstanding experience.”
    • “The visuals and sound make this a piece of art!”
    • “There were so many instances at which I found myself stunned by the beauty of the game; both the visuals and sound design go hand in hand really well.”
    • “For a game that seems to me mostly about the unique graphic style and experience, it didn't strike me as all that impressive, visually.”
    • “It also won't allow you to increase the resolution or anything; if you try, the graphics will look messed up.”
    • “You do immediately notice a graphical scrubbiness to the environments, but this is soon forgiven as you realize that each puzzle zone involves some form of environmental manipulation.”
  • gameplay
    95 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is characterized as a unique blend of puzzle-solving and environmental interaction, particularly enhanced in VR, with a focus on moving creatures and objects through various mechanics. While the game offers a short but engaging story mode and a sandbox option, some players noted issues with janky physics and repetitive mechanics that can lead to moments of tedium. Overall, it is praised for its artistic presentation and immersive experience, making it a recommended choice for fans of creative and relaxing puzzle adventures.

    • “It's definitely unique gameplay and beautiful to look at.”
    • “While other 'artsy' games may fail to offer an entertaining or unique gameplay experience, this balances its artistic vision and presentation with very engaging design.”
    • “Smooth as butter gameplay, visually stunning, and an excellent relaxing environmental puzzle adventure.”
    • “Overall, I found it to be quite enjoyable, but slightly janky physics and object manipulation can sometimes make you question whether you're fundamentally chasing the wrong approach, or simply losing an uphill battle against unpolished game mechanics.”
    • “This game starts super strong, but slows down into tedium when the player really needs a push of new exciting visuals and mechanics to want to push forward.”
    • “There's some sort of interesting artistic storytelling aspect to it that might appeal to some, but I was bored out of my mind waiting for the gameplay to get going.”
  • music
    47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music and sound design in "Paper Beast" have received widespread acclaim for their immersive and emotional qualities, enhancing the overall experience of the game. Reviewers noted the soundtrack's ability to evoke feelings and complement the stunning visuals, with some describing it as revolutionary for a VR title. However, there were also frustrations regarding loading issues tied to a separate music game, which detracted from the initial excitement for some players.

    • “It really takes you on an emotional roller coaster with some really nice immersive environments, great sound effects & an amazing musical soundtrack.”
    • “Immense experience, immersive and beautiful sound design and music, can't recommend it enough.”
    • “Absolutely incredible interaction with the game world, with a fantastic music score and visuals to match.”
    • “I was initially excited to play Paper Beasts, but after sitting in the loading screen with the 'swirlybeats music' popup for 45 minutes, I found out that the game will not load unless you play that stupid swirlybeats game, even though there's no indication that playing the music game is a requirement to load Paper Beasts. I have decided to refund this game.”
    • “The Japanese music was an odd choice for the game, but it was cool.”
    • “More of a 4-hour art musical... something.”
  • atmosphere
    44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is widely praised for its immersive and captivating atmosphere, enhanced by stunning visuals and evocative music that bring the world to life. Players appreciate the emotional connection fostered with the creatures and the intriguing, albeit sometimes ambiguous, narrative. Overall, it is recommended as a unique and beautiful VR experience, particularly for those who value atmospheric exploration over traditional gameplay mechanics.

    • “It oozes atmosphere and the paper animals make the world feel alive. The puzzles are creative, and when you don't get them, you just play around for a while, and usually somewhere it works.”
    • “Phenomenal! Its execution is good, and there is a really deep, palpable atmosphere to the game.”
    • “The atmosphere of the final chapter was beautiful and melancholy to start with, and then I was so sad that the game was over...”
    • “The atmosphere and passive story this game provides truly drives with intrigue.”
    • “The game does do a very good job at getting you to care for some of the creatures and there were a few points that were briefly upsetting, which says a lot about the atmosphere that this game has.”
    • “Recommended, if you have a VR headset handy and are the kind of person to take in the atmosphere of a virtual world.”
  • emotional
    33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its ability to evoke a range of feelings, from joy to deep sadness, often leading players to tears. Reviewers highlight the immersive environments, evocative soundtracks, and rich emotional encounters that create meaningful connections with the characters. Overall, the game is described as a touching and unforgettable experience that successfully taps into players' emotional sides, making it a standout in the VR genre.

    • “It really takes you on an emotional roller coaster with some really nice immersive environments, great sound effects, and an amazing musical soundtrack.”
    • “It's touching and unforgettable and endlessly beautiful.”
    • “I developed emotional connections with each and every paper beast, every one unique in its own way.”
  • optimization
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is highly optimized, delivering smooth performance across platforms, including Linux, and is particularly praised for its impressive graphics and art design. Users report a flawless experience, even on high-end systems, with seamless scaling that enhances gameplay. Overall, the optimization contributes significantly to the game's engaging visuals and immersive storytelling.

    • “World is quite small but it's very well optimized and allows smooth scaling from human to mountain size perspective.”
    • “Performance is really good.”
    • “In short, performance, visuals and story content are amazing.”
  • replayability
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the fun of god mode and hidden collectibles, many note that the short campaign length and the nature of puzzle games limit replay value once solutions are known. Despite these concerns, some players still find enough enjoyment to warrant multiple playthroughs.

    • “The god mode is also quite fun to mess around in, and with unlockables from the main story for the god mode, it gives replay value to an already fun campaign.”
    • “Replayability is also present as there are collectibles hidden throughout the various stages of the game.”
    • “Tons of replayability!”
    • “Only downside is that it's only about 3 hours long and not very replayable, as most puzzle games are when you already know the solutions.”
    • “I can't see much replay value, but definitely some wow moments!”
    • “[Short campaign, not much to do after the campaign, little replayability overall]”
  • grinding
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews on the grinding aspect highlight a divide among players: some find the slow and tedious nature of the gameplay frustrating, particularly when implementing known solutions to puzzles, while others appreciate the challenge and patience required. The most common criticisms stem from those who struggle with the tedious mechanics and logic tests, suggesting that enjoyment may vary significantly based on individual tolerance for grinding.

    • “Everything is slow and tedious.”
    • “Puzzles are pretty good, although there were times I knew what the solution was and it was tedious to implement.”
    • “They could also lose patience with some tedious mechanics and suspicious tests of logic.”
  • humor
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the humor in the game to be delightful, with each creature showcasing its own unique personality that adds to the comedic experience. The occasional AI bugs, particularly rag-dolling, are seen as amusing rather than frustrating, enhancing the overall enjoyment.

    • “Each creature in the game has its own personality and sense of humor.”
    • “Occasional bugs in the AI where they ragdoll (though this is expected and a bit hilarious, to be perfectly honest).”
    • “Played this while on shrooms, spent 40 minutes laughing at a bug.”
  • stability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users praise the game's stability, highlighting the impressive and fluid simulation of water dynamics, which enhances the overall visual experience. The game runs smoothly without significant performance issues, contributing to its aesthetic appeal.

    • “It's beautiful and runs great.”
  • monetization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews indicate confusion regarding the monetization approach in the game, particularly due to misleading popups that resemble advertisements but are intended as introductions. This has led to frustration among users, who feel that clearer communication is needed to enhance the gaming experience.

79%Critics’ scoreBased on 17 critic reviews

Buy Paper Beast

5h Median play time
5h Average play time
4-5h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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