Space Rift - Episode 1
- August 2, 2016
- Vibrant Core
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Space Rift - Episode 1" is a VR space adventure game where you play as Casey Black, a pilot forced to join rebels at Anoxia Station after being labeled a traitor. The rebels have a secret project, the S.E.E.D, which could bring salvation to humanity. Help the rebels and gather minerals while under threat from Pandora's drone army, working towards bringing independence and freedom to the rest of humanity.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features simple and intuitive controls that make it easy to learn and enjoyable to play.
- The graphics and immersive atmosphere are well-executed, providing a captivating experience in VR.
- The story is engaging and reminiscent of classic space games, making it a refreshing addition to the genre.
- The game is very short, typically taking only 2-4 hours to complete, and ends on a cliffhanger without a clear resolution.
- There are numerous technical issues, including crashes and bugs that can disrupt gameplay.
- The combat can feel repetitive and lacks depth, which detracts from the overall experience.
- story55 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story begins intriguingly and captivates players with its immersive atmosphere and engaging narrative, particularly in the context of VR. However, some reviewers noted that the story loses momentum after the initial hours, with repetitive missions and an abrupt cliffhanger ending that leaves players wanting more. Overall, while the storytelling is praised for its depth and integration with gameplay, there are concerns about pacing and the game's episodic nature.
“The story captivated me through the whole experience and I just want to get into my ship again and go exploring, shooting, and mining!”
“What a great atmosphere, intriguing story, and the sense of being alone in space was superb!”
“This game is the first step into taking VR from 'experience gameplay' to 'story-driven gameplay' and it works beautifully.”
“However, upon continuing to play once the glitch was fixed, I realized the shocking fact that that mission was in fact the final mission of the game, which abruptly ends on a cliffhanger with a 'to be continued' message.”
“Space games these days are either open world or detached missions without a story.”
“Fighting is instead not very good; it's clearly something added to pause the main story from time to time, and is annoying more than interesting.”
- gameplay15 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its blend of immersive storytelling and diverse mechanics, moving away from traditional arcade styles to offer a more narrative-driven experience. Players appreciate the well-crafted, satisfying controls and the integration of exploration, combat, and resource management, which contribute to an engaging and addictive gameplay loop. Overall, the game is recognized as a significant advancement in VR, successfully merging gameplay with a compelling story.
“I like a lot that this is not an arcade wave shooter game but story-driven with very diverse gameplay.”
“Well crafted, satisfying gameplay.”
“This game is the first step into taking VR from 'experience gameplay' to 'story-driven gameplay' and it works beautifully.”
“To those complaining about the price/gameplay length ratio: VR is still considered a premium.”
“This 'looking' mechanic extends to combat as well, where you aim at enemies by looking: I was scared it would be more finicky but it actually was really fun.”
“Solid gameplay backed up by a strong narrative component.”
- graphics12 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their sharpness, immersive quality, and fluid performance, with many users noting the absence of glitches or motion sickness. While some describe the graphics as basic compared to high-end titles, the consistent style and effective use of visual elements contribute to an engaging experience, especially in a space simulation context. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point, enhancing the gameplay significantly.
“The visuals are good, and I didn't experience any glitches or other VR-related flaws.”
“Graphics (excepting the style of characters) are good, with super sharp edges and well-readable HUDs. There's a nice use of your head as a pointer and a great sense of scale for asteroids and ships.”
“Though you cannot expect the graphical fidelity of a game like Star Citizen here, the style is consistent and, most importantly, the overall performance is very fluid. I've tested it on my laptop with a GTX 980m and never had a single performance drop or stuttering.”
“The graphics are really basic.”
“Though you cannot expect the graphical fidelity of a Star Citizen here, the style is consistent and, most importantly, the overall performance is very fluid.”
“It has great graphics, very immersive, no motion sickness as I pulled mad crazy G's going up, down, left, right around asteroids... well optimized.”
- music5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- -40 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The music in "Space Rift" is highly praised for its immersive quality, complementing the game's narrative and enhancing the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the professional voice acting and a captivating soundtrack that evokes strong emotions, making it a standout feature of the game. Overall, the combination of background music and sound design contributes significantly to the game's immersive atmosphere.
“Just tried out Space Rift and I gotta say I have played a lot of VR sims, VR space sims; they were all good and immersive but more like demos. Space Rift is the first that has a good story, professional voice acting, comfortable background music, and immersive gameplay. I highly recommend this to anyone with VR headgear. 10/10! Can't wait for the next episode; keep up the good work!”
“Professional voice acting, nice graphics, and a really awesome soundtrack.”
“I find myself curving through space, beeps and blips of my cockpit around me, movie-like music playing in the background... I could try and describe the mix of feelings all day; it wouldn't do this game justice.”
“The music feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged during gameplay.”
“While the sound effects are decent, the background music is forgettable and doesn't enhance the experience.”
“The soundtrack is underwhelming and fails to match the intensity of the gameplay, leaving it feeling flat.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive quality, enhanced by intriguing storytelling, excellent voice acting, and stunning design. Players feel a profound sense of isolation in space, contributing to a captivating and dazzling experience. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered one of its standout features.
“What a great atmosphere, intriguing story, and the sense of being alone in space was superb!”
“You get a high-quality game with an immersive atmosphere, great voice acting and design, and most importantly, a real story.”
“The atmosphere is dazzling.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its excellent optimization, allowing it to run smoothly even on lower-end hardware like the GTX 970 and GTX 980m, without any performance drops or stuttering. While it may not match the graphical fidelity of higher-end titles like Star Citizen, its consistent art style and immersive experience contribute to a fluid overall performance.
“It has great graphics, very immersive, no motion sickness as I pulled mad crazy g's going up, down, left, right around asteroids... well optimized... I give a lot of credit to these developers because a GTX 970 can pull this off while I play other games claiming it needs a GTX 980 Ti and GTX 1070/1080 to run half these graphics.”
“Though you cannot expect the graphical fidelity of Star Citizen here, the style is consistent and, most importantly, the overall performance is very fluid. I've tested it on my laptop with a GTX 980m and never had a single performance drop or stuttering.”
“Though you cannot expect the graphical fidelity of Star Citizen here, the style is consistent and, most importantly, the overall performance is very fluid. I've tested it on my laptop with a GTX 980m and never had a single performance drop or stuttering.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game has received negative feedback regarding its stability, with users reporting significant bugs that detract from the overall experience.
“Scrapes a recommendation because: this game is really buggy; I'm not kidding.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
“I experienced constant lag and glitches that ruined the overall experience.”
