Review – Crashland VR
Courtesy of the developer Llŷr ap Cenydd (pronounced Lleer ap ken-ith, but the double L sounds like it’s being hissed by an angry cat) I’ve been taking a look at the VR horror shooter Crashland, on the standalone Oculus Quest 2. This is a nice little wave shooter which, incredibly, has been a part-time project from solo developer Llyr, Lecturer in Visualisation at Bangor University’s School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering.
The Basics
Crashland bills itself as a visceral wave shooter, and it’s one which looks to provide a challenge. You play as the worst starship pilot in the history of the universe, consistently crashing into the same planet time and time again. In the various biomes, you’ll find increasingly belligerent aliens, looking to tear you apart for food or sport.
There are 24 areas, which each bring their own new alien monsters to challenge you. As you level up you’ll also find a huge number of perks which can help you survive while you wait to be rescued. There are over 50 different creatures you’ll need to fend off, as the time for rescue increases through the different levels. In addition, there are some decent weather effects and a number of in-level power ups to grab to increase the capabilities of your trusty pistol and boomstick.
Parent’s Eye View
Crashland is rated by PEGI at 16 and above, here on the UK Oculus store. It’s one which bills itself as a survival horror but, while it’s certainly an exciting game to play, there’s not too much dread involved. As creatures get close to you (which they will) they can give a bit of a shock, but this is more jumpscare when being attacked from behind, rather than oppressive horror mechanics.
There is a fair amount of blood in the title, even though you’re just defending yourself from the alien hordes. Considering the “in your face” nature of the combat and blood it is one which might be worth keeping away from younger players, even considering the 13+ nature of the Oculus platform itself.
Accessibility
On the Oculus Store, Crashland is rated as Intense. This applies in terms of difficulty as well as the usual VR motion-sickness sensibilities. Crashland is designed to provide a challenge, and enemies and levels within the game can be incredibly tough to beat even on standard difficulty. The developer has recently introduced a more casual game mode, which is a welcome addition, and the title currently has left-handed controls and other quality of life upgrades currently in beta.
In terms of VR sensitivity, Crashland does feature a teleport mode which you will have to use at certain points, however the number of teleports you can have is time limited. You’ll also use the left thumbstick to move, with forward always being the direction you are looking. Thumbstick movement has caused me to have a few wobbly moments, but overall using the teleport I’ve not been too bad. I’d say it’s not a title to choose as your introduction to VR, but once you’ve got your VR legs it’s definitely worth looking at
The Run Down
Visuals – Good: The different alien beasts, biomes and weather effects are quite nice, and while it’s not the prettiest title I’ve ever seen it’s definitely a damn good showing. With just a little polishing this could bump up to Great, but as it is they’re far from bad and to provide a pleasant experience
Audio – Good: The different alien effects are great, and weapon sounds are also implemented well. To move it up to great I would have liked to get some more epic music in the background, but as it is, the lack of noticeable score doesn’t detract from the title
Narrative – Fair: There’s no narrative to speak of here, but as the title is a strict wave shooter I think that’s pretty fair. Don’t go into this one expecting any ripping yarns, and you won’t be disappointed.
Replay – Great: There are a good number of levels here and a great number of perks. The scoring system keeps pulling me back in to beat my last efforts, and it’s one which has got me really hooked.
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The Verdict
Overall the Pixel Bandits LV-427 Level for Crashland is Grab It! .
Considering the part-time nature of development, the quality of Crashland is absolutely outstanding. While I was expecting something halfway decent I’ve been really surprised by this one, and have become a little addicted.
While it’s not one to start VR with, simply due to the thumbstick movement required, once you’ve got into it it is definitely one you shout check out if you like a nice wave shooter. Crashland has joined the ranks of Robo Recall and Zombieland in my top single-player shooters available on the Quest and Quest 2, and it’s another one I have no hesitation in recommending.
If you’re here with me in the UK and fancy getting chatty with Quest users, we’ve found the Oculus Quest UK group to be a friendly and helpful place for both old hands and newcomers.
