The Oculus Quest has become a brilliant reference of VR since its release on May 21, 2019. And that is partly down to its wireless nature, but people also love the ability to pack it into a bag and take it whatever they go, without connecting it to a PC.
Even though, none of these technological advances would be successful if they did not have a wide variety of games that offered unforgettable and quality experiences. Luckily, this one is no exception!
The Oculus Quest has a catalogue with titles of different genres for everyone, and today we are going to talk about one of its best exclusive and original games: Journey of the Gods.
An Oculus Quest adventure
Developed by Turtle Rock Studios, this game has been described as “the Legend of Zelda” for VR; however, it is a very simple and lineal action adventure that takes you across a pretty land to defeat some dangerous creatures called Moon beasts.
It’s up to you if you play sitting or standing, yet, moving around the room is when the game really comes alive. This last modality works in Journey of the Gods’ favor, as it offers greater flexibility when taking part in a battle.
This RPG experience is perfect for those who want to make the most of their headset, even if it may not have the brand name popularity of those releases, such as Beat Saber, Superhot and Moss; it is still a must-game that you should give it a shot!
So, become the hero and save the inhabitants of the land by defeating the forces of evil of the chaos moon. Besides, explore this wonderful world and solve the mysteries to obtain fantastic God powers.
Join the Journey of the Gods
Immediately after putting on the Oculus Quest headset, you will hear a simple introduction where you understand that you are basically part human, part God hero; that is, the Chosen One, and you must stop a bad cataclysmic thing that is about to happen.
Although, you must defeat some strange creatures that terrorize the land and master some fabulous God powers that help you solve the puzzles you will find in your path. A piece of cake, right?
Unfortunately, this is the last time you hear any voice in the game since everything else is told using some text boxes and sound effects to simulate talking. Besides, this is how the tutorial begins.
Here, some characters that seem to be important will give you a sword, a shield and a crossbow. They will also teach you how to use golems, while a mythical creature gives you your first God power.
After that, you are in the central world where you can go to the different levels of the game, which in total should last about 7-8 hours. It is divided into multiple levels, each about 20-30 minutes long, except for a couple of shorter and longer levels.
Become a mighty God
Luckily, the core gameplay is quite fun! The sword is balanced so you need to work a little on your swing and you cannot easily defeat enemies, but just a little bit, so it’s OK!
The shield can reflect some shots, but once you spend its energy, it breaks temporarily. On the other hand, the crossbow allows you to shoot several times before having to recharge it. The good news, they all are upgradeable!
Do you think this is great? Well, there is more! Journey of the Gods has a few more unique options to enjoy. During the game, you’ll find areas where you ride a Golem, and I’m not talking about a random Golem.
Each one has a purpose in the game: Ease a task. You can hit distant objects and defeat larger enemies using two huge fists that mimic your hand movements; besides, you also move from one place to another on the back of an adorable creature.
Now, hold both grip buttons and become a huge invincible God! Yes, just like that. While in your awesome God form, you can do many things like slow down time, throw lightning bolts, turn enemies against each other, raise trees, teleport people, and so on.
Oh, mighty God! As long as you have enough essence collected from those purple crystals, of course. Besides, this mode has a dual function; you defeat monsters and solve puzzles. Pretty useful, right?
Defeat different monsters
One of the best parts of this original Oculus Quest game is the variety of enemies and bosses. Beyond being generic creatures found in all role-playing games, these monsters have different forms, abilities and attack styles.
They spit, float, have weapons and protective armor, engender minor creatures or simply attack you like a bull; even some have many eyes and you can only destroy them by blinding them with sharp objects.
Then there are the bosses, which sometimes are HUGE! Most levels start or end with a boss, which are different in each level. Some almost reach the sky; others catch the poor villagers or even destroy the roofs of their homes!
So, swing your sword, prepare you shield and recharge your crossbow before they catch you off guard!
Jump from one level to another
Most levels are long, others have clean designs. On some of them you know certain characters or get certain powers. There are a couple of more artificial levels, others in which you only defeat a boss and others where you just have to follow the path and move on to the next level.
In each one, you will also find collectibles, which you can collect to power up your abilities. However, once you beat a level, you cannot go back to it! You cannot find collectables you missed or explore new routes with powers.
That is perhaps a negative aspect of Journey of the Gods, but there are lots of puzzle elements and environmental problems here, so it seems that there’s always something to do.
Besides, there are never real technical problems or other inconveniences that affect the gameplay. So play without worrying about glitches or bugs. It’s fantastic!
Simple but charming
Another fantastic thing is the landscapes. It’s a magnificent environment, which only improves with the excellent audio, subtle effects, colors and simple shapes that identify it between the Oculus Quest games.
During your journey, you will encounter huge waterfalls, ancient mythical stone birds, forests and sinister swamp lands, snowy mountains, winding caves and caverns, as well as the crystals that you must destroy and the villages that you must protect.
However, there is a minor space issue. There a lot of the open space in some levels that seems unnecessary, as if some levels and paths are large without a valid reason.
Still, Journey of the Gods is a simple, but charming game where you can dive for hours and enjoy anytime and anywhere. Just give it a shot and you will be completely immersed in the game!
And although it is a first-person game, due to its “God mode” you can manipulate the environment from a strategic perspective to solve puzzles and have an advantage in battles.
Besides, thanks to the simplicity of this game, you won’t feel motion sickness! Are you ready for this adventure?
