Richie's Plank Experience
- December 18, 2017
- Toast
- 14h median play time
Get on SteamRichie's Plank Experience is a VR game that offers a variety of modes, including flying around a city to extinguish fires, sky writing with rocket hands, a scary nightmare mode, and a Santa Simulator for kids. It provides a psychological experience, invoking emotions ranging from exhilaration to fear, and also serves as entertainment by allowing players to watch the reactions of others. The game includes health and safety warnings due to its immersive nature.
PC
Virtual Reality
Windows
Oculus Quest
Reviews
- Richie's Plank Experience is a fantastic introduction to VR, providing a unique and immersive experience that is perfect for showcasing the technology to friends and family.
- The flying mode, where players can put out fires and explore the city, is highly enjoyable and adds significant replay value to the game.
- The game effectively creates a sense of height and fear, making it a thrilling experience for those who are afraid of heights.
- The game lacks substantial content and replayability, with many players feeling that it is overpriced for the limited experiences it offers.
- The EULA acceptance requirement for each player can be cumbersome, especially in group settings, detracting from the overall enjoyment.
- Some users have reported technical issues and glitches, which can hinder the gameplay experience and lead to frustration.
- graphics28 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the fantastic visuals and improvements made over time, while others criticize them as basic or bland. Many users appreciate the charm of the simpler graphics, especially in VR experiences, but note that there is room for further enhancement. Overall, the developers are commended for their ongoing updates and responsiveness, which have significantly improved the graphical quality since the game's release.
“The graphics have improved so much.”
“Graphics are awesome; this game is always a hit and works well with Windows headsets.”
“The city is beautiful and the graphics are great.”
“The only downside to this game is the graphics.”
“Very basic, great idea but poor graphics; more hype than gameplay.”
“The visuals are sloppily made and there's no more than 15 minutes worth of content.”
- gameplay17 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this VR title is described as limited and basic, with many users noting that it can be completed quickly and lacks depth, making the $15 price point feel steep for the content offered. However, the flying mechanics are praised as some of the best in VR, providing a fun and immersive experience, particularly for newcomers to the medium. Overall, while the game has unique elements and enjoyable moments, it suffers from a lack of substantial gameplay and replayability.
“When you're done soiling yourself, there's a great fun mode where you kind of play a rocket-powered superhero firefighter, which features some of the most fun VR flight mechanics in any game.”
“Seriously, this might be the best 'flying superhero' core mechanics we've yet to experience in VR!”
“For anyone interested in a unique VR experience that incorporates a 'real world prop' for added realism, and enjoys a fun 'flying game' mechanic, I'd recommend the purchase.”
“I do admit that the gameplay is very limited and only a few things you can do, but it's totally worth it to show to friends and family.”
“This game is great if it's your first time playing VR as an introduction to how immersive VR is, but there's nothing to it. The fact that you can spoil the entire gameplay in one sentence shows how little content there is.”
“The only problem is it gets boring very quickly; there isn't more than 15 minutes of gameplay before it gets old.”
- humor12 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is primarily derived from the reactions of players, particularly their screams and laughter when faced with the game's thrilling scenarios, such as the plank and falling from great heights. Many users find it especially entertaining to play with friends or family, as the shared experience amplifies the comedic moments. Overall, the game is praised for its ability to elicit genuine laughter and fun, making it a must-try for social gaming.
“Especially funny to hear the screams of people when the door opens up to the plank!”
“Watching people scream at the thought of falling 80 floors is hilarious.”
“Reactions are hilarious and completely worth it.”
- replayability11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 45 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has limited replayability, with many users noting it becomes boring quickly and lacks depth for extended play. However, it is considered a good option for introducing others to VR, despite not offering significant replay value. Some users find it somewhat replayable compared to other titles, but it is not recommended for those seeking a game to invest many hours into.
“It has replayability.”
“Perhaps a bit overpriced at $8, but still, very replayable compared to other titles.”
“Not much in terms of replayability, but still a 'must have' in my opinion if you want to show VR to others!”
“There is no replay value in this game and it gets boring fast.”
“Don't buy this if you are expecting something with a lot of replayability that you can sink 20 hours into.”
“Excellent game for introducing people to VR, though there's not much replayability.”
- story7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's story is perceived as minimal or lacking depth, with some players noting a fun experience but no substantial plot or variety in missions. While it offers enjoyable gameplay, it seems to fall short in delivering a compelling narrative.
“Buy Megaton Rainfall and you'll get that, challenges and storyline.”
“Make some interesting missions with lots of variety and exploration.”
“It's a fun game but has no story plot or modes.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, users report a mix of stability issues, including minor glitches such as falling into a white limbo and buggy water mechanics during gameplay. While some players note that these issues are not game-breaking, the presence of visual glitches and early access limitations are evident.
“Small glitches, for example, falling down put me into a white limbo.”
“With some small visual glitches and a small map, the early access is apparent.”
“When you do put out fires, you'll find that the water is buggy and often doesn't want to work.”
- music3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for enhancing the experience, particularly during action sequences, but some users report issues with abrupt cut-offs and fading to silence. Overall, the sound design is well-received, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere.
“You can also fly around the city and put out fires like a superhero, which, coupled with the epic music, makes for a great experience.”
“The music is spot on, the sound design works, and even the birds look great!”
“The music just cuts off at one point, as it is clearly broken or just gives up and fades to silence.”
“The soundtrack feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The audio quality is poor, with noticeable distortion that detracts from the overall experience.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
While the game has seen improvements in graphics, performance, and stability over the past year, users still report that it is poorly optimized, particularly for those with lower-end hardware, which can lead to a subpar experience.
“They've added new modes, improved graphics, performance, and stability over the year I've owned this game.”
“This game is also poorly optimized, so if you have a Vive but a lower-end card, you will not have a good experience.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is described as vibrant and immersive, with dynamic environmental elements like birds, helicopters, and cars that contribute to a lively setting. Additionally, the intense and chaotic experiences, such as carrying characters through dramatic scenarios, enhance the overall sense of excitement and engagement.
“The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, with objects in the environment like birds, helicopters, and cars making the world feel quite alive.”
“Richie, when you get your life together and add people you can pick up in one arm who scream and cry while you rocket into the upper atmosphere that you can set on fire with your rocket jets and drop to their screaming, urine-soaked deaths, give me a call please.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviewers express frustration with the monetization strategy, suggesting that the developers prioritized flashy advertisement videos over the actual quality and content of the game itself.
“They put more work into the advertisement videos for this game than they did into the game itself.”
“The monetization system feels exploitative and detracts from the overall experience.”
“It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game fully without spending extra money.”
