Now Playing: Moss (VR)

Moss is a VR adventure game that released way back in 2018, but unlike many other older VR titles that haven’t quite stood the test of time, Moss is easily one of the best VR games I’ve played.

You play as a ‘reader’ who guides the adorable little mouse Quill on a quest to rescue her Uncle from the evil Sarffog. Despite its age, the game still looks fantastic with a variety of environments, clever use of VR perspective and some wonderfully expressive animations for your furry little companion.

You control Quill like you would a character in a typical third person game, using the thumbstick to move as you explore, jump and fight your way to Quill’s Uncle. The game features a mix of platforming, puzzles and very simple combat.

As part of the story, Quill is aware of your presence and will interact with you as you guide her, using sign language to communicate or – most amusingly – asking for a high five whilst doing a fun little dance if you’ve overcome a particularly tricky challenge.

Your connection to Quill helps invest you not just in the story, but your progress through the game. The two of you are a team, and many puzzles will require you to work together if you want to progress. You’ll primarily be playing Moss sitting, but you can also stand to get a better perspective on the environment, peering over walls and helping you line up more tricky jumps.

It took me about four and a half hours to complete Moss, although I didn’t find every collectible. It felt like just the right length for a game that’s extremely well paced and designed. This is a very polished game where every aspect feels carefully considered and executed – from visuals, to music, to narration, to puzzle design.

Combat is probably the weakest part, however. It’s fine for what it offers, but I feel like they could have added a little more enemy variety to the game, and the combat certainly would have benefited from a Zelda style ‘lock on’.

Overall, I don’t have much more to say about Moss other than to recommend it if you’ve got a VR headset and haven’t tried it yet. It’s a clever, fun little adventure that even ends with a surprisingly satisfying final boss fight. I’ll definitely be picking up the sequel later in the year.

8/10