The Shore VR
- February 14, 2022
- Ares Dragonis
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"The Shore: Awake VR" is a narrative-driven, exploration game set in a mysterious coastal town. Players uncover the story of a missing child while navigating surreal landscapes and interacting with ambiguous characters. It's a hauntingly beautiful journey that questions reality and explores emotional depths.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game has a stunning atmosphere and visuals, effectively capturing the Lovecraftian theme.
- Exploration is rewarding, with many Lovecraftian artifacts and a rich story that immerses players in the game world.
- Despite its flaws, some players found enjoyment in the experience, especially if they approached it with reasonable expectations.
- The VR implementation is poorly executed, with janky controls, constant stuttering, and significant performance issues that make the game nearly unplayable.
- Many players reported bugs, including issues with object interaction, misaligned hands, and crashes, leading to frustration.
- The game lacks clear direction and intuitive mechanics, making it difficult for players to understand how to progress or interact with the environment.
- gameplay15 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this VR title has received significant criticism for its poor implementation of mechanics, particularly in combat and puzzle-solving, leading to a frustrating experience for players. Many reviewers noted that the game feels simplistic and lacks the polish expected from modern VR titles, with issues such as performance glitches and subpar spatial audio further detracting from the experience. While some appreciate the atmospheric elements, the overall consensus is that the game requires substantial improvements to its mechanics and optimization to be enjoyable.
“So focusing on polishing VR game mechanics over combat could have made more sense for such a great atmospheric composition.”
“Gameplay is very simple.”
“They will most definitely need the time to mold this assortment of poorly functioning mechanics into a video game.”
“The big downside is the terrible implementation of some of the VR game mechanics and puzzle-related mechanics.”
“Then there are two combat sequences featuring the worst combat mechanic I have ever experienced in a VR game.”
“Pretty bad VR mechanics for what is to be expected on a VR title today, also spatial audio levels were all over the place. I can't really speak for the story because I was simply not able to endure the horrid gameplay.”
- story14 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game's story is praised for its immersive and realistic Lovecraftian elements, creating a rich narrative experience that feels uniquely suited for VR. Players appreciate the well-written plot and the engaging world, though some criticize the gameplay mechanics and technical issues that detract from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, the story's depth and the atmosphere it creates are highlighted as standout features.
“I believe this game could be one of the strongest candidates to represent how realistic immersive storytelling can be elevated to the highest level in VR.”
“The story, the look (not just graphics-wise but the absolute horror and insignificance that every Lovecraftian creature makes you feel), and the fact that it is not just a spooky walking simulator like a lot of recent horror releases such as Amnesia: Rebirth.”
“I felt like I was part of the story, not just playing it.”
“If you go in expecting any sort of AA or AAA gameplay mechanics and a long story, you're going to leave a real negative review.”
“Pretty bad VR mechanics for what is to be expected on a VR title today, also spatial audio levels were all over the place. I can't really speak for the story because I was just simply not able to endure the horrid gameplay.”
“The story is well-written.”
- atmosphere13 mentions
- 77 % positive mentions
- 8 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised, particularly in VR, where it delivers an exceptional and immersive experience that captures a Lovecraftian theme. Players appreciate the combination of visual design, music, and voiceovers that enhance the mood, although some note that the game lacks polish in mechanics and combat. Overall, while the atmosphere stands out as a highlight, it is sometimes overshadowed by technical issues in the VR implementation.
“The atmosphere is exceptional, especially in VR.”
“After the updates, the game shows its true potential; it has great atmosphere and really delivers the Lovecraftian theme in the right way. I love the fact that you can collect information and read the backstories of those who ended up on the island.”
“The theme music and the voiceover style perfectly complete the mood within a realistically isolated atmosphere.”
“It has a chilling atmosphere and a fitting soundtrack.”
- optimization11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 45 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting severe performance issues such as inconsistent frame rates, stuttering, and blurry visuals, making it nearly unplayable in VR. Many players express disappointment, noting that despite the game's potential, it requires significant improvements in optimization and controls to enhance the overall experience. Overall, the current state of optimization is seen as a major barrier to enjoying the game fully.
“I'm running a Cosmos Elite with Index controllers on a 1080 Ti and I've never had a VR performance issue before, even when running much better looking games.”
“Interestingly, I got better performance with the Index, where resolution 300% worked relatively fine, but even with supersampling 2.5, the CV1 was challenged, providing 45 fps.”
“Overall, this is a great Lovecraft VR experience already, even if it's in early access.”
“Terrible optimization, inconsistent performance, fps dips, very nauseating, cannot play longer than 10 minutes.”
“The constant stuttering makes it unplayable.”
“This game has the potential to be a top tier VR experience, but with its awful controls and terribly optimized game, it's anything but that.”
- graphics11 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the visuals and sound design as impressive, while others criticize the VR implementation for poor performance, low-resolution textures, and various bugs. Although the aesthetic aligns well with the Lovecraftian theme, many players feel that the graphics do not significantly improve upon the original version and suffer from technical issues that detract from the overall experience.
“Great graphics and sound design.”
“Currently I am impressed with the visuals, the sounds, and the overall idea and usage of the mythos.”
“Graphics are awesome, mostly.”
“I was looking forward to seeing this in VR, but the visuals are worse than on flatscreen and the performance and controls are awful.”
“The graphics are virtually the same as the original, just now in VR, but the frame rate is what really destroys this game on top of the other bugs I forgot to mention, like misaligned hands.”
“There were some issues with graphics settings, low-resolution textures, textures not loading, random crashing, invisible walls, lack of interactivity with the world, and a couple of others.”
- stability9 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting significant bugs, visual glitches, and frame rate issues that detract from the overall experience. While some players find the exploration aspect enjoyable enough to overlook these problems, others describe the game as a "buggy mess" that is currently unplayable. Overall, players are advised to be prepared for troubleshooting and potential frustration due to the game's instability.
“Very buggy and frame rate problems.”
“But this is unbearable in the amount of lag spikes, glitches with the hands, and just not a fun experience for your eyes.”
“I realize this is an early access release and the developers have stated they are working hard to address issues, but this is currently a buggy, completely unplayable mess right now.”
- music7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for creating a dense and immersive atmosphere, effectively complementing the visuals and enhancing the overall mood. Reviewers highlight the chilling soundtrack and voiceover as key elements that contribute to the game's realism and tension, despite some noting that the VR implementation is lacking. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, significantly elevating the gaming experience.
“The theme music and the voiceover style perfectly complete the mood within a realistically isolated atmosphere.”
“The visual style, the music, the atmosphere, and creature design are all top-notch.”
“Yes, it's clearly unfinished and unpolished right now, but the environments, the soundtrack, the monsters, and the general feeling of it is amazing.”
“It has a chilling atmosphere and a fitting soundtrack.”
“Very dense atmosphere, accented by music and creepy sounds.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game emotionally engaging, likening its mysterious atmosphere to that of "Lost," which enhances their sense of immersion and intrigue within the storyline.
“The game made me feel like I was in an episode of 'Lost', with so much mystery on the island.”
