UPDATE: Moss: Book 2 won Best VR/AR at The Game Awards 2022!
2022 is finally wrapping up, and that can only mean one thing for the gaming industry: it’sGame Awardstime. Every year, industry veteran Geoff Keighley takes a few hours to celebrate the best titles of the last 12 months, and this year the categories are absolutely stacked. WhileElden RingandGod of War: Ragnarokare set to duke it out in a whopping total of seven categories,the other contenders look to make their mark in other ways, and though this year’s VR/AR entries aren’t quite as well known as those two juggernauts, it’s still set to be one tough competition.
With five entries coming from across the year, 2022’s Best VR/AR Game Awards category is overflowing with innovative titles that pushed the boundaries of VR to their limits this year. Though most of this year’s contenders don’t boast the same brand recognition as the prior two winnersHalf-Life AlyxandResident Evil 4 VR, they all deserve their spot on the list, though one or two may have a clear edge over the competition.
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After the Fall
Technically released in December 2021,After the Fallhas made the cut for2022’s Game Awards. From the developers behind the hit zombie VR titleArizona Sunshine,After the Fallputs a more realistic spin on the zombie apocalypse, dropping up to four players into a snowy co-op adventure. Taking clear inspiration fromLeft 4 Deadand its many spiritual successors,After the Fallreviewed fairly well on launch, with critics praising the game’s visuals, gameplay fluidity, controls, and its intensity. As far as co-op VR games are concerned, they don’t get much better thanAfter the Fall.
That being said,After the Fallisn’t a perfect game, and reviewers still had plenty of criticisms. The biggest criticism revolved around the game’s lack of variety and lack of content at launch.After the Fallsuffers from some very same-y looking and feeling environments, and only offers a handful of different zombies types for players to blow to bits. On top of this,After the Falldid suffer from some performance issues within its first few weeks, particularlythe PSVR version, and with a fairly hefty initial price tag,After the Fallfailed to gain the traction a title needs to stand out for the best VR title of the year, despite having a solid core.
Among Us VR
One of the biggest contenders of the year,Among Us VRreleased on November 10. Despite releasing just a few weeks ago,Among Us VRhas already made its mark in the wider gaming ecosphere, managing to ride on the coattails of its big brother right out of the gate. As far as the actual gameplay goes,Among Us VRabsolutely nails what it set out to do, translating the traditionalAmong Usexperience into virtual reality seamlessly to provide an experience that feels familiar, yet brand new. And thanks to the implementation of proximity chat,Among Us VRhas managed to capture some viral moments. Social media relevancy doesn’t always affect the Game Awards, but it does help a game to stand out from its peers, especially when it released so recently.
Bonelab
The successor to the revolutionaryBoneworks,Bonelabalso released just a few weeks ago. WhenBoneworksreleased back in 2019, it changed the VR landscape, introducing physics systems that just hadn’t been seen before. Admittedly though, while the technology was astounding,Boneworks' actual gameplaywas a little disappointing.Bonelabtries to improve on its predecessor in every way, but it stumbles in the process.
On paper,Bonelabis a step up fromBoneworks.Bonelabimproves its physics engine, adds a full campaign, and adds some additional modes. However, in trying to be more ambitious,Bonelabends up being even more unpolished than its predecessor, with an excessive amount of bugs at launch. To make matters worse,Bonelab’s actual gameplay can also be a tad boring and even frustrating at times. While the physics system is certainly more realistic, that doesn’t necessarily lead to great gameplay, withBonelab’s climbing mechanics being particularly arduous. The game also lacks weapon variety, enemy variety, and its puzzles can be incredibly obtuse. It’s a shame howBonelabturned out, because before release fans were sure it would take the top spot this year.
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Moss: Book 2
The long-awaited sequel to 2018’sMoss,Moss: Book 2released back in March of 2022. While players won’t find any groundbreaking, boundary-pushing gameplay fromMoss: Book 2, they will find an incredible sequel to one of the most beloved VR games of all time, that manages to do whatBonelabcouldn’t, and improve upon its predecessor in every conceivable way. Where the firstMosswas a tight action-puzzle platformer where the player took control of an adorable little mouse called Quill,Moss: Book 2opens things up significantly, providinga Metroidvania-like worldwhere players can return to previous areas and use newly found tools to open up secret pathways and hidden areas. One of the best aspects of the first game, the player’s ability to interact with the environment as an omnipotent spiritual force, has also been greatly improved, with the player being given more methods of manipulating their environment.
The only real downside toMoss: Book 2is that some parts of the game can feel constrained by the platform it’s on. Being a PSVR game first and foremost,Moss: Book 2can feel a little outdated in terms of its visuals and performance, and it’s clear the developer tried its best to push the tech to its limits. Still, with a ton of variety, a fun and light story, great puzzles, improved action, and plenty of VR-specific features,Moss: Book 2may just be the tightest VR game of the year.
Red Matter 2
Another sequel,Red Matter 2takes players to a dystopian alternate reality wherethe Cold War took the conflict to space. Picking up after the events of the first game,Red Matter 2,much likeMoss 2, is another example of a VR sequel done right. While its puzzle and action gameplay is a definite improvement over its predecessor, it’sRed Matter 2’s visuals and technical performance that put it in the running for best VR game of the year. Built from the ground-up for the Meta Quest 2,Red Matter 2is widely considered to be one of the best game for the platform, pushing the headset’s visuals further than anyone thought possible.
Final Prediction
When it comes to predicting the winner of theGame Awards2022’s Best VR/AR category, there are really only three games that are in the running. WhileBonelab’s physics engine continues to be impressive, its unpolished and frustrating gameplay leaves a lot to be desired, and thoughAfter the Fallis a great co-op VR experience, it’s a little too same-y to stand out from the crowd. So that means it’s down toAmong Us VR,Moss: Book 2, andRed Matter 2.
For a start,Among Us VRhas relevancy bias on its side. Clips from the game are still being circulated around social media, and its player-base is still growing steadily.Among Us VRalso has immediate brand recognition, which has been proven to work for the Game Awards in previous years. However, at its core,Among UsVRis a pretty simple game, and bothMoss: Book 2andRed Matter 2have the edge over it when it comes to gameplay and technical features.
BothMoss: Book 2andRed Matter 2offer compelling stories, thoughRed Matter 2’s more weighty subject matter could give it the edge. Gameplay-wise,Moss: Book 2is a little more complex thanRed Matter, with itsaction-puzzle platformingbeing some of the best in all of VR. And while both games have great visuals,Red Matter 2clearly takes the cake. It really could go either way, but it would seem as thoughMoss: Book 2offers the more complete package of the two games, and is more likely to take home the Game Award for Best VR/AR title this year.
