In this review, I will be covering not only the Oculus Quest but also its brand new game called Blair Witch: Oculus Quest Edition.
I first played a preview of the upcoming game at E3 2019 and that’s what got me into VR Gaming. The little preview was incredible and I made it my goal to get one as soon as possible. Imagine my excitement when I found out about this game! And then imagine my excitement when they announced it would be included with every purchase of an oculus quest!
After playing it for hours (I’m probably still stuck in that damn forest), here are my thoughts on the game itself, how immersive it is, along with some tips & tricks if you plan on buying an oculus quest or already own one.
The sequel to the original oculus quest Blair Witch game (which I didn’t review because it was just a preview) is here and it’s bigger, longer and better than ever! When you download the Quest edition of Blair witch, you start out in a dark forest at night. You’re told by an unknown voice that if you’re hearing his voice then you are entombed in darkness and must find your way out before succumbing to the same fate as everyone else who enters these woods… This also means that there is no controller required for this game which makes it a whole lot more accessible to people.
When you turn on the game, you’re given 2 options: “New Game” or “Settings”
*IMPORTANT* If you have already finished playing through the original oculus quest Blair witch game and want to start this one from where you left off, the settings menu is where you go! I will explain why later in this review… Continue reading below for more! If you’re new to VR games then feel free to skip ahead to the “In-Depth Look” section.
At first, I didn’t know what to do so I hesitantly chose a new game… After selecting it, you are teleported into a secluded forest clearing. All around you are trees that look like they’ve been dying for years. And in the centre is moonlight lake, a large water mass that’s bubbling and glowing green… If you watch this lake for too long it becomes distracting because it’s very beautiful
There are no enemies here, only eerie moments where something might come out of the bushes or howl from afar. You can hear them before you see them too which makes it feel all the more real! Now I am aware that there was an oculus quest Blair witch preview released last year but I haven’t played it so my review will be based on what I experienced with the Blair Witch: Oculus Quest Edition game.
It’s clear that this new version has many similarities with that preview we had last year but they’re also some noticeable differences… For example, this time around you are given more options on how you want to explore the forest. At first, there was only one way in and out but now there are several! There is a path to the left of the lake, another one straight ahead (which i didn’t take), and a small opening between two trees which lead me to an abandoned cabin surrounded by more screams than you can wish for.
The big difference with this preview had to do with combat and puzzles. In this preview, we were never attacked or had any problems solving puzzles that increase our health (or whatever they did). It had more of a “lonely feel” so when I started playing through the new quest edition I’ve been waiting for, I had no idea what to expect.
For example, some of the ghosts aren’t as harmless as they were in the previous quest for oculus … This time around you can actually fight back! You’re given an oculus touch controller that tracks your every move with ease which makes combat pretty fun.
I might be wrong but I think fighting was actually something new added to this game… But it only works on specific enemies so not all of them have a way of fighting back… Some just mess with you by pushing you or appearing out of nowhere and making you jump! There’s really nothing scarier than being alone in a dark forest at night while being taunted by something unseen but still able to see its reflection in the water…
One thing I wasn’t expecting was certain puzzles that use computer screens. They have you do things like enter a room with several small spiders crawling on the floor and walls, then entering another room with a control panel that requires you to enter some numbers before walking outside again… It’s all part of the mystery that’s waiting for you around every corner.
The graphics are also pretty impressive. If you anything like me then I’ve been playing horror games long enough to know what’s real and what’s not… And even though I can tell it’s just my imagination working against me, I still feel terrified at times! I don’t think my heart has beaten this fast in a long time… So I’d say it’s safe to say these graphics really work so long as you are actively facing something they can draw from.
All in all, this game is definitely worth the nine dollars! If you don’t have an oculus yet then what are you waiting for? Maybe nows is a good time to pick one up since they’re getting pretty cheap these days… And if you’re already playing through another quest edition right now then I promise it won’t be too much of a problem finding the Blair witch stashes scattered around!
I would rate this game four stars out of five because it’s great but it’s not perfect… I think id say the only real downside is that it gets repetitive at times. But even with that being said, I’ve been having so much fun playing it again and again