Can a platformer work in VR?
Meet Quill, a young mouse with dreams of greatness beyond the confines of her quiet settlement. One day while exploring the woods, she finds a mysterious stone and an ancient magic is awakened. Dramatic events quickly unfold as a distant evil extends its reach. With her uncle now in grave danger, Quill must embark on an epic journey—and she needs you there by her side. Together, you’ll travel to forgotten realms, solve challenging puzzles, and battle menacing enemies. Alone, no one can conquer what you’re up against. But united, you just may defeat even the darkest of villains. Immerse yourself in the world of Moss to help write the story of a hero in the making.
Moss is the cutest, most charming game I’ve played in a long time and that’s no understatement. You play as young mouse Quill as she rescues her uncle from an evil force. You control Quill using the DualShock controller to move as you would in a standard platformer, but you move the controller forward towards objects and move them to help her in her journey. Quill also can attack with a sword against her foes and ultimately, all of it is deeply satisfying as you work in tandem with Quill.
Each area is set out like a diorama of sorts and you’ll have to rotate your head to locate where Quill is starting out from, then obviously move your head along with moving her with the controller. It’s a simple premise, but one that works incredibly well and it all feels very natural. Using the light from your DS4 to aim at objects like platforms and pull them out for Quill is simple but satisfying and it becomes second nature almost instantly.
Visually, the game is stunning and charming from the get-go. It runs at a solid framerate and is well detailed, Quill is adorable and well animated. The soundtrack is also brilliant. As for how it feels in VR itself, it feels odd at first as does most VR experiences…but handles well overall and feels very natural.
The Verdict
While not the longest game, Moss is definitely the most charming VR game there has been. Everything from the setting, characters, story are just so well done, that it’s almost impossible not to be impressed that this is a VR game as well. Now if we can just get a sequel…