Windlands

Windlands is a rarity at this point; an actual game, surrounded by a slew of “interactive stories” and “experiences” that make up the rest of PSVR’s undeniably impressive launch line-up.

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Windlands is a single-player, non-violent role-playing game focused on exploration and grappling hook movement, offering amazing game mechanics, fabulous graphics, and a phenomenal soundtrack. Designed primarily for Virtual Reality, it features expansive levels, optional challenges, and collectibles. The game provides a calm, pressure-free experience suitable for all skill levels, with leaderboards for speed runs, and easy, normal, and hard modes.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

62%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,380 reviews

gameplay101 positive mentions

stability4 negative mentions

The game offers a unique and exhilarating experience of swinging through a beautifully designed world, reminiscent of being Spider-Man.
The grappling mechanics are fun and intuitive, allowing for creative movement and exploration.
The visuals and soundtrack create an immersive atmosphere that enhances the overall gameplay experience.

The controls can feel floaty and unresponsive, leading to frustration during platforming sections.
Many players experience motion sickness due to the game's locomotion mechanics, making it less accessible for some.
The level design can be punishing, with difficult jumps and limited checkpoints that may deter players from progressing.

gameplay
323 mentions
31 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by its innovative grappling hook mechanics, which many players find enjoyable and reminiscent of swinging mechanics in titles like "Spider-Man" and "Attack on Titan." However, the experience is marred by inconsistent movement controls, frustrating platforming elements, and a lack of depth in gameplay, leading to mixed feelings about its overall execution. While some players appreciate the immersive atmosphere and exploration, others criticize the repetitive nature and motion sickness associated with the mechanics, suggesting that the game feels more like a tech demo than a fully realized experience.
- “The gameplay is brilliant - it is so much fun swinging around and flying through the air, it's the closest you'll ever feel to being Spider-Man!”
- “Windlands is still a satisfying ride in 2021, a colorful 3D platformer with easy-to-pick-up swinging mechanics and a brief (but sprawling) campaign that teaches you how to manage momentum to a surprising level of depth.”
- “The swinging mechanic feels beautifully well done, and it is so much fun to do.”
- “The hook mechanic is garbage.”
- “The mechanics feel terrible; you can only hook onto leaves which just limits your mobility and the control is so slippery that you have to frequently retry easy stuff because you had to jump to somewhere that you couldn't use the hooks.”
- “Disappointing, because if the hook/grapple/swing/climb mechanic was more carefully executed, this would have the potential to be a pretty decent game.”
graphics
138 mentions
49 % positive mentions
48 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as simple yet beautiful, with a charming cartoon art style that enhances the overall experience. While some players find the visuals to be dated or basic, many appreciate the vibrant colors and the sense of scale they provide, particularly in a VR setting. Overall, the graphics serve their purpose well, complementing the gameplay rather than overshadowing it, though some users express a desire for improvements in detail and performance.
- “I love the art style, the music, the just-right movement physics, all of it.”
- “Beautiful visuals, calming soundtrack, great feelings.”
- “Windlands is fabulous don't get me wrong, the graphics and art style are beyond beautiful and the free running works well, but to an extent.”
- “It's an old game with dated graphics.”
- “The visuals could benefit from improvement; they are pretty primitive and there's one effect that I dislike (the bloom is too saturated), but they work well enough.”
- “The only downsides I can think of are that the graphics are pretty simple, and that sometimes, if you don't use the comfort features, you can get some motion sickness, but other than that it's pretty fantastic.”
story
98 mentions
24 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally considered minimal and often lacks depth, with many players noting that it serves primarily as a backdrop for the gameplay rather than a central focus. While some appreciate the atmospheric elements and subtle world-building, others criticize the narrative for being confusing or poorly integrated, often comparing it unfavorably to other titles with richer storytelling. Overall, the consensus is that the game's strength lies in its mechanics and exploration rather than its narrative content.
- “I love everything about this game; the controls and grapple mechanics are phenomenal if you are using mouse and keyboard. The environment, level design, and the story/world/universe absolutely blew me away within the first 2 minutes.”
- “I did not expect this game to have any story, voice acting, or lore going into it, but within the first 2 minutes, I was totally shocked and blown away by how amazing the beginning of the game is.”
- “The levels are really well made so that you build up your platforming and swinging skills as you go, and the style of storytelling is both beautiful and subtle, so that you feel like you are discovering the lore of the world on your own as you progress.”
- “You get a large exposition dump at the start, and many more dumps later you'll realize that there's no natural story progression or characters; it's someone's world-building diary broken into pieces and scattered across the game.”
- “The story is basically non-existent and the world is ugly, though I can't fault that seeing that it is an indie game.”
- “I really wanted to play the game when it came out, but I find myself frustrated with the poor controls and general polish, and totally lacking a reason to care at all due to the complete lack of story, atmosphere, or general world believability.”
music
95 mentions
55 % positive mentions
42 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the overall experience of exploration and movement. Many players appreciate the beautiful soundtrack, which varies with different environments and gameplay moments, although some note similarities to other games like the Trine series. Overall, the music is considered a significant and enjoyable aspect that complements the game's vibrant visuals and engaging mechanics.
- “Simply one of the most fun experiences you can have in VR, an eerie and haunting soundtrack as well that really makes the world come alive. I love this game, and if you like VR movement-based games, this is one of the best!”
- “Windlands is perhaps one of my favorite video game IPs of all time, for its freedom of movement and exploration as well as its dream-like setting and beautiful soundtrack.”
- “You can lose yourself in the world, the music complements the vibrant atmosphere and while it can be challenging at times, the overall feel is more relaxed.”
- “The music is calming, although you could play any music to this game.”
- “A música é boa, mas tenho certeza que é muitíssimo semelhante às músicas da série Trine, a primeira que escutei ao jogar o game tenho certeza que foi 'copiada'.”
- “The gameplay is good, could use some more music though...”
atmosphere
34 mentions
41 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its beautiful and immersive soundtrack, which enhances the overall experience, creating a vibrant and magical environment. However, some players feel that the atmosphere has degraded over time, with criticisms aimed at the lack of story and world believability. Despite these mixed feelings, many reviewers appreciate the balance of fun and relaxing gameplay that the atmosphere provides.
- “A great game with a really good atmospheric soundtrack that is by turns frustrating, fun, and exhilarating.”
- “With a pleasant soundtrack and an amazing atmosphere, this is definitely a good balance of fun and relaxing gameplay.”
- “You can lose yourself in the world, the music complements the vibrant atmosphere and while it can be challenging at times, the overall feel is more relaxed.”
- “I feel the overall atmosphere of the game has degraded over time.”
- “I really wanted to play the game when it came out, but I find myself frustrated with the poor controls and general polish, and totally lacking a reason to care at all due to the complete lack of story, atmosphere, or general world believability.”
- “The atmosphere, I guess?”
optimization
16 mentions
38 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization receives mixed reviews; while many players praise its smooth performance and efficient engine, particularly on lower-end hardware, others report issues with controls and performance on specific systems like the Vive. Some users express hope for further optimization in future updates, indicating that while the game performs well for many, there are still areas that could be improved.
- “The game engine is very optimized and runs butter smooth FPS even on my modest R9 270.”
- “Performance is good as you'd expect for a game that looks like it's ported for the Quest, and this is a very good thing as this is the game that gave me VR legs.”
- “Very good game, atmosphere is great, music is great, performance is incredibly smooth, jump and run can be challenging at times but that's a good thing.”
- “Bad performance for its simplicity.”
- “This game is not optimized for the Vive; the controls are poor, and I don't want to play it with a gamepad.”
- “Hopefully this gets further optimized in the coming months.”
replayability
13 mentions
46 % positive mentions
31 % neutral mentions
23 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is viewed as moderate to high, with many players appreciating the variety of skill-based challenges and multiple paths to objectives that encourage repeated play. While some feel the content is limited, the competitive elements, such as time trials, enhance the desire to replay. The unique VR experience adds to its charm, though opinions on its overall replay value vary.
- “One thing I really like about it is that it has a lot of replayability because there are lots of skill-based challenges (not central to completing the game) that aren't easily accomplished until you've really mastered the physics.”
- “There are numerous paths you can take to get to your objective, making replayability fun.”
- “I really look forward to more time trials, and being able to compare times (competition... the ultimate in replay value...).”
- “There isn’t a lot of content, but there is replayability value should you wish to beat run times.”
- “Medium replay value, relaxing.”
- “I really look forward to more time trials, and being able to compare time (competition... the ultimate in replay value...).”
emotional
10 mentions
80 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is largely overshadowed by frustrations with its mechanics, leading to feelings of sickness and disappointment. While some players eventually find enjoyment in mastering the controls, the initial experience is marred by awkward movement and a lackluster story, resulting in a mixed emotional response. Overall, the game struggles to evoke strong emotional engagement due to its technical issues and uninspiring narrative.
stability
8 mentions
25 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is mixed; while some users report solid controls and smooth performance even on lower-end hardware, others criticize it as buggy and unfinished, suggesting it may not be worth the investment.
- “No glitches, controls feel extremely solid.”
- “Runs great on subpar hardware too (I'm using a GTX 950 and have no issues with framerate).”
- “For $20, do not buy this game, it's buggy, unfinished, and not a good use of your hard-earned cash.”
- “Looks like a buggy port to me.”
- “For $20, do not buy this game, it's buggy, unfinished, and not a good use of your hard-earned cash.”
humor
8 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is primarily derived from the chaotic and clumsy interactions between players, leading to hilarious moments as they struggle to maintain balance and avoid falling. Many players find it particularly entertaining to play with friends, as the absurdity of the gameplay creates a fun and lighthearted atmosphere, despite some criticism regarding specific level design. Overall, the game's comedic elements contribute significantly to its enjoyment, especially in multiplayer settings.
- “It's hilarious to play with friends and watch each other stumble around and try to keep their balance, as the game does its best to knock you down.”
- “It's hilarious watching people nearly fall over when they 'land'.”
- “It may make your stomach feel funny and throw your balance off, but it also gives you a rush you probably haven't felt in a video game before.”
grinding
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find that the initial excitement of the game quickly diminishes, leading to a tedious grinding experience that contrasts sharply with the fast-paced fun showcased in the demo.
- “Once the wowness fades and you genuinely try to get through the game, it becomes tedious.”
- “Seems to make it more tedious than fast and fun like the demo.”
- “Once the wowness fades and you genuinely try to get through the game, it becomes tedious.”
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy has been criticized for not effectively integrating broken controls as a feature, unlike other games that successfully market such mechanics. This suggests a disconnect between the game's design and its monetization approach, leading to user dissatisfaction.