Time Machine VR

A great first impression soon fails to deliver on its potential, with the promise of time travelling adventure soon falling to education. Mind you, getting eaten by massive underwater monsters is really cool.

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"Time Machine VR" is a gaming experience that transports you to the Jurassic era to study ancient sea creatures. As a time-traveling cadet, utilize advanced tools to track and examine aquatic dinosaurs like mosasaurs and megalodons, all with scientific accuracy. Discover the connection between a prehistoric virus and the extinction of these marine giants. The game has recently been updated for easier motion control use and improved performance. [ 390 characters]

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

57%

Audience ScoreBased on 164 reviews

gameplay10 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

The underwater environments are visually stunning and immersive, providing a captivating experience of exploring prehistoric marine life.
The game offers a unique educational aspect, allowing players to learn about dinosaurs and their behaviors in a fun and interactive way.
The controls, once familiarized with, provide a decent level of engagement and the game has potential for future updates and content expansion.

The gameplay is repetitive and lacks variety, often feeling like a long tutorial rather than a fully fleshed-out game.
The requirement for a gamepad controller and lack of support for other VR systems limits accessibility and can frustrate players.
Many players experience motion sickness due to the game's movement mechanics, which can detract from the overall enjoyment.

gameplay
48 mentions
21 % positive mentions
73 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally described as repetitive and lacking in variety, with many reviewers noting that it feels more suited for a younger audience and has an edutainment flavor. While some mechanics, like the scanning system, are central to the experience, they are criticized for being poorly implemented and leading to a grind for completion. Despite these issues, the game offers enjoyable controls and beautiful environments, making it a decent experience overall, especially in VR.
- “I think the mechanics and flight system could make an interesting multiplayer fight game!”
- “This game has the courage to let you move around other than the teleport mechanic so many other VR games use.”
- “The environments are beautiful, and the gameplay is both fun and educational.”
- “The game seems kid-oriented; gameplay is somewhat repetitive and edutainment flavored.”
- “However, the actual game mechanics are a little dull and extremely repetitive.”
- “Plus once you go through all of the portals, the story is "technically" done, and then in order to reach 100%, it becomes a grind where you literally have to scan everything to get there... it's cool to begin with, but the "10 hours" of gameplay will literally be "two hours of interesting content" then probably "8 hours of grind" at least that's what it appears to look like... if that is also the case, the price is rather high.”
graphics
44 mentions
55 % positive mentions
39 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally praised for their immersive underwater environments and the impressive scale of the creatures, though some users note that the creature details could be improved and the surrounding environments feel lifeless. While the VR graphics are highlighted as stunning and atmospheric, there are concerns about optimization issues, graphical glitches, and a lack of additional content. Overall, the visuals are considered beautiful and engaging, but there is room for enhancement in detail and performance.
- “Absolutely stunning in immersion and graphics.”
- “The graphics are beautiful, and I can't wait to see what it looks like and how it feels on the commercial release of the Oculus hardware.”
- “The VR graphics are amazing, a real sense of actually being there with all the vulnerability that would accompany that.”
- “However, the graphics were never optimized, bugs never fixed and content was left lacking.”
- “*update* now tested on vive and has horrible graphical latency, conclusion: avoid”
- “Had some issues initially because the graphics glitched out and the game crashed on my dk2, if there's more content and when the sun finally travels across the sky when initiating time travel.”
story
43 mentions
7 % positive mentions
86 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The game's story revolves around executing research missions that transport players back to the Jurassic period, where they tag and identify aquatic creatures to gather data for developing a vaccine against a virus. While the missions are engaging and the backstory is well-developed, many players find the overall narrative too short and repetitive, with the main storyline taking only about 1.4 to 2 hours to complete, leading to a grind for 100% completion. Despite its early access status, the game shows potential for expansion, but players hope for more varied content and tension in future updates.
- “Eventually, your research missions will uncover enough information about the virus to support the rollout of an effective vaccine, and you will save the world.”
- “It is mission-based with an original plot that justifies your presence in the game - you are not merely an observer.”
- “Although it is early access, they have developed a good backstory and some interesting gameplay mechanics.”
- “Plus once you go through all of the portals, the story is 'technically' done, and then in order to reach 100%, it becomes a grind where you literally have to scan everything to get there... it's cool to begin with, but the '10 hours' of gameplay will literally be 'two hours of interesting content' then probably '8 hours of grind' at least that's what it appears to look like... if that is also the case, the price is rather high.”
- “Only gripe would be it was too short and I was able to finish the main storyline in like 1.4 hours.”
- “[Where the player fits into the narrative is never explained, underwater environments are vapid and lifeless, every mission feels virtually identical to the last, where is the fun?]”
grinding
8 mentions
25 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspects of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly in data extraction and tool use, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. However, those with a fondness for dinosaurs and exploration may still appreciate the experience, especially with features like the slow-time ability that mitigate some of the monotony.
- “I did enjoy getting to see these prehistoric creatures, and the little scans were not too tedious, especially with the useful slow-time ability.”
- “They become tedious quickly, as does the avuncular voiceover of AI 'Rob'.”
- “Whilst learning about the lifestyles of these creatures is not without interest, the tedious nature of the data extraction and repetitive tool use killed the enjoyment for me.”
- “If you're a bit older and more jaded, but still like dinos and/or scuba diving, or Jacques Cousteau specials on TV, then you still may find it fun despite the tedious bits.”
emotional
4 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players report a strong emotional response to the game, with some feeling intense discomfort and nausea shortly after starting. The experience is likened to a disorienting amusement park ride, detracting from the intended enjoyment of exploring time and dinosaurs.
- “I've been fine with every other game, but this game made me feel like I was going to throw up within 15 minutes.”
- “In-game videos made me feel like I was on a bad amusement park ride instead of jumping through time to see dinos.”
stability
4 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability for an early access title, with only minor glitches reported that do not significantly impact the user experience. It is recommended for players, particularly those using a DK2, and performs well even on modest hardware like the GTX 680.
- “As it's early access, there are a few bugs here and there, but they don't detract from the experience. It also runs great on my modest GTX 680.”
- “Some minor glitches, but ultimately very stable for an early access release and strongly recommended to anyone with a DK2.”
atmosphere
4 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its fantastic and immersive quality, characterized by atmospheric and claustrophobic graphics that enhance the overall experience.
- “Fantastic and very atmospheric.”
- “Graphics are atmospheric and claustrophobic.”
replayability
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players find the game highly enjoyable and educational, likening it to a journey back to the time of dinosaurs, which contributes to its strong replayability. Many users recommend it for those seeking a fun experience that encourages multiple playthroughs.
- “Very fun and educational! It feels like a trip back to the time of dinosaurs. If you're looking for something enjoyable with great replay value, this is a fantastic choice.”
- “Very fun and educational! It feels like a trip back to the time of dinosaurs. If you're looking for something enjoyable with great replay value, this is a fantastic choice.”
optimization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with users noting persistent graphical issues, unresolved bugs, and insufficient content.
- “However, the graphics were never optimized, bugs were never fixed, and content was left lacking.”