Tethered

Despite falling shy of true greatness, Tethered is nonetheless just what Sony's new gaming platform needs to convince the naysayers of its suitability for ‘traditional’ gaming experiences. This is one PSVR title that you’ll want to hold onto.

82%Game Brain Score

gameplay, graphics

story, replayability

82% User Score Based on 161 reviews

Critic Score 74%Based on 4 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $18.99

Buy NowGet on Steam$18.99

About

In a magical sky borne world, assume the role of a powerful Spirit Guardian charged with restoring life and balance. Command the Peeps, your loyal servants, to feed, fight, build, and sacrifice themselves for the greater good in a quest to release your entombed brethren.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

82%

Audience ScoreBased on 161 reviews

gameplay11 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Tethered is visually stunning with charming graphics and a cute design, making it a delightful experience in VR.
The game offers a unique blend of strategy and resource management, reminiscent of classic god games like Black & White, providing engaging gameplay.
It is well-polished and runs smoothly, with intuitive controls that enhance the immersive experience of managing your 'peeps'.

Many players experience technical issues, including crashes and problems with launching the game, leading to frustration and inability to play.
The gameplay can become repetitive and overly simplistic, with a heavy reliance on micromanagement that detracts from the overall enjoyment.
Some users find the controls clunky and unintuitive, particularly in managing tasks for the peeps, which can lead to a frustrating experience.

gameplay
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
74%
7%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its depth and strategic elements, particularly in the context of VR, while others criticize it for being overly simplistic and repetitive. Many noted that while the mechanics start off easy to grasp, they can become more engaging as the game progresses, though some found the micromanagement tedious and the non-VR experience lacking. Overall, the game offers a charming visual experience and intuitive controls, but its gameplay may not satisfy those seeking more complexity or challenge.
- “The gameplay at first appears simple, but then you start to realize there is actually a fair amount of depth and choices surrounding your limited resources.”
- “The controls are intuitive and easy to use, and the game mechanics are fun while remaining challenging the further along you get.”
- “Short takeaway: deeper gameplay and strategy than I was expecting in a beautifully realized environment.”
- “Well, this is more of the same... ultra basic gameplay - would have been getting slammed if not a VR title... only bought because people were absolutely desperate.”
- “Unfortunately, most of the gameplay doesn't rise past this level of banality.”
- “Gameplay is repetitive with no real missions.”
graphics
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
74%
19%
7%
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim, with many users praising the beautiful, stylized visuals and cute art style that enhance the overall experience. The environments are described as gorgeous and well-optimized, contributing to a captivating atmosphere that complements the gameplay. Overall, the graphics are considered top-notch, with no significant issues reported, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The graphics are top notch, the mini worlds are gorgeous and fun to look at and explore.”
- “The graphics are breathtaking and the addition of a non-VR option helps keep a good game playable when you don't feel like putting on your headset, or just don't have one.”
- “Beautiful looking visuals, wonderful audio and compelling gameplay make Tethered a new personal favorite for me!”
- “Befitting the game’s cutesy design style and, likely, to accommodate the graphical demands of VR, Tethered has a rather simplistic painterly look.”
- “Without constant movement, the graphics simply cannot be truly appreciated, and this game simply doesn't have you looking around much.”
- “It's not graphic; he just fades into the clouds as he falls, but it was rather jarring to watch if you're not expecting it.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its superb quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, featuring a captivating Celtic vibe that complements the visuals and gameplay. Players find the soundtrack both relaxing and immersive, with many expressing a desire to own the deluxe edition for the music. Overall, the audio experience is described as beautiful and perfectly suited to the game's peaceful and whimsical themes.
- “The background music has a Celtic vibe that makes me think of leprechauns; it suits the mood perfectly.”
- “Another pleasant surprise was the inclusion of Celtic music in the soundtrack.”
- “The music is great without being overwhelming; the environments are simple but polished and beautiful.”
optimization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
29%
29%
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its great visuals and smooth performance, particularly in the non-VR version. Most users report no significant issues, with only minor framerate drops during specific loading sequences, indicating a well-polished experience on a range of systems.
- “Great optimized visuals with smooth world scaling.”
- “The performance in the non-VR version I could test out was as advertised.”
- “The game runs smoothly on my i7-3770k/GTX 980 system, with no apparent glitches or dropped frames.”
- “That’s how you spot the difference between an indie game developed by a single enthusiast and a title on which an entire team has worked and had the means (time and budget) to iron out any potential optimization issues.”
- “There were a couple of framerate issues on load or when the building triangles are swirling around the camera, but during normal play I did not have any stuttering or issues.”
story
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
29%
43%
The game's story is criticized for its lack of depth and variety, with missions feeling repetitive and devoid of a meaningful narrative, special events, or bosses. While some players appreciate the absence of a forced storyline, others find the simplistic plot—centering on a nameless deity controlling characters—unsatisfying. Overall, the storytelling aspect is seen as a significant weakness.
- “Personally, I don't mind at all because nothing irritates me more than a half-hearted story shoehorned into a game just because they feel they have to do it.”
- “The plot is quite simple: you’re a nameless, but not faceless (because of the stone totems) deity with full control over the lives of people.”
- “There's no storyline at all, which is surprising for a game that's built around cute little characters.”
- “There is not enough variety between missions: only map layout and artifact unlock order is different, there is no story, special events, or bosses.”
- “Gameplay is repetitive with no real missions.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game offers significant replayability, with thirteen islands to explore and a challenging gameplay experience that encourages players to improve their performance on each level. Initial playthroughs can last between 7-12 hours, but players are likely to return for additional attempts to master the challenges presented.
- “It does itself a favor well past the excellent first impressions by making itself challenging and highly replayable.”
- “I would expect the first run through to take anywhere from 7-12 hours, with a high amount of replayability, especially if you want to see just how well you can do completing a level.”
- “I'm only on the 4th island and can already see a lot of replay value.”
- “There are thirteen islands (including the tutorial), with lashings of replay value.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Overall, players report a high level of stability, with no bugs or glitches encountered during gameplay. The game runs smoothly across various systems, including both mid-range and higher-end configurations, ensuring a seamless experience.
- “Looks good, runs great (RX480) and the controls work well.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and overly simplistic, requiring excessive micromanagement to complete straightforward tasks, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “The presentation is very nice, but unfortunately the gameplay is overly simplistic combined with tedious micromanagement to accomplish those overly simple tasks.”
- “This is a major objective of the game and is nothing but tedious.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional aspect of the game deeply impactful, as they experience heartbreak witnessing their minions suffer and take drastic actions due to neglect. This evokes nostalgia for classic titles from Bullfrog and early Lionhead, enhancing the emotional connection to the gameplay.
- “It's heartbreaking to watch your little minions starve, then become depressed and fling themselves off the island cliffs you worked so hard to create.”
- “The game made me feel like I was playing something made by Bullfrog or early Lionhead.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by a blend of charming cuteness and unexpectedly dark elements, creating a delightful and engaging experience. Players find the interactions with characters both adorable and hilarious, enhancing the overall enjoyment from the very beginning.
- “From the charming cuteness to the fantastic style and the surprisingly dark humorous elements, this game instantly started growing on me the second I started its tutorial.”
- “This allows me to get right up in the peeps' faces and follow them across the landscape, and it's adorable and hilarious.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its fantastic quality, complemented by impressive graphics and design that enhance the overall experience.
- “Fantastic atmosphere, really nice graphics and design!”