ArcSine

I had the chance to playtest Arcsine in its final iterations before release, I went into it thinking it could be an ok experience and it ended up being one of the VR games I've spent more hours in. In a way, it reminded me of the feeling I got out of the old Mercury game for the PSP. Hyper-focused puzzle game, with an amazing sense of progression, starting with very simple courses and then going into brain-melters. The controls are tight and simple, with new mechanics being slowly introduced -the devs have cited having Celeste as an inspiration, and it shows. It is a puzzle platformer; and while speed is nice for the leaderboards the game will not give you any pushy countdown, allowing you to look around and think before trying to go for your records. The main point of the game is to figure out -how- to solve the courses rather than force you into pulling off some pro-level stunt (mostly) The only thing that kind of irks me about this game is a notable difficulty spike in level 2 that could catch some new players off-guard. The game then seems to chill a little bit for level 3 and then ramps up nicely for level 4 and 5 (we do not talk about level 6). In any case, Arcsine has managed to give me moments that I will treasure along my best memories in VR games.

Amazing & challenging VR platformer that combines great level design, great controls and a nice flow of introducing new abilities without being too overwhelming. Played on the Index & Quest 3.

Amazing atmosphere and music, insanely fun gameplay (especially when you can zoom through a level quick), and a challenge that actually make me feel smart when I figure it out. THIS GAME IS VERY PHYSICALLY ACTIVE THOUGH. You will 100% be sore after a play-through and I can only play the game for a little over 2 hours before I need to take a break from VR. It’s a great 2 hours however!

Amazing game! To be honest, I'm not sure if I would've looked the game up if it wasn't for the Next Fest demo. The graphics doesn't really resonate with me. But after playing it, I realised that everything else is so good. These guys are great at level design! I'm still going through the game, and there's still so much levels to complete. I can only play in burst of 40-60 minutes because it's a little hard on the brain, but after a break, I always want to jump back in it. The music is also great, it reminds be of Donkey Kong Country's Aquatic Ambience style of music, very well composed and relaxing. Even though the puzzles can be very hard, it's still a very relaxing game and never feel frustrated. The controls are super immersive too. The slingshot controls are really unique and I would advice taking this option. 100% recommend this game if you're into puzzle platformers.

Played this game to it's completion as the dev was looking for feedback ahead of it's release and I ended up really loving it. It's super polished with great graphics, controls, mechanics and excellent puzzles. Gonna dive back into it to speed run and also have a go at beating the game with full motion controls which I didn't do too much of last time round. Easy game to recommend.

Being an avid shooter fan I did not expect much from a [i] Platformer [/i] but wow, this game exceeded all my expectations. The graphics are beautiful, The soundtrack is amazing, And the gameplay is smooth but precise. I'd wholeheartedly recommend this game just for the atmosphere of this world alone. This is the kind of experience that vr was made for.

This game rocks. Definitely a 10/10 for me. It's difficult and engaging, but also reasonable for new players. The level design and art is beautiful (you really have to be in the game to truly experience it). Also, the soundtrack is KILLER. good vibes all around. This game somehow manages to be a precision/puzzle platformer in VR and make it work really well. I can't wait to start speedrunning it. I'm a huge fan of games like Celeste that are hard but accessible, and this game is no exception. Arc Sine really breaks the mold for VR games and is absolutely worth checking out. (Full breakdown below) *I was not compensated for this review, and I bought my copy of the game. I looked into the IGN review criteria for inspiration on how to best think about the process. --------------- BREAKDOWN: --------------- Art: 10 I love the art and general aesthetic. It's simple enough to run smoothly and quickly even in a game with precise physics, but detailed enough to look amazing. The skybox is gorgeous, and the art really adds to the experience of the game. Gameplay: 10 I found the gameplay to be creative and engaging throughout. It starts off easy and gets much harder, but is scaffolded nicely. The game is constantly introducing new and interesting mechanics and it never gets dull. The tutorial might be a hair on the long side if you are quick to get the hang of difficult games. If that's you, push through it and you will be rewarded. Controls: 10 The controls are super well thought out and feel buttery smooth. There is a regular control scheme and a more difficult one involving gesture controls. I tried both and I like each one. The devs do a great job of having options suited to the player's control scheme preferences Music: 10 Holy crap, the composer killed it on this one. The feeling of the music perfectly matches the feeling of the art and the gameplay. I would describe it as downtempo atmospheric bass music maybe? Hard to classify, but it sounds incredible and has impeccable sound design. Compatibility: 10 I played it on a quest 2 (via steam VR), then upgraded to an index. I found that it runs a little better on the index, but runs great on both. I thought about giving a 9 for the quest 2 running it a bit less smooth, but it's certainly an issue with the hardware and not the game. VR sickness adjustment: 10 I tend to get sick very easily playing VR games but not with this one (no idea how the devs pulled that off). Despite fast-paced platforming, I have had no major issues with VR sickness while playing this game. I normally feel nauseated after about an hour in VR, but I was able to play about a 2.5 hour session without feeling sick or dizzy at all.

Jump, dash, it's all in the mind. If you wanna test me, I'm sure you'll find The things Arcsine teach ya, is sure to bet ya Nevertheless you'll get a lesson from KroyVR now Game is hard. Makes me think. Game is skill. Makes me shake. Game is great. Go play.

On first glance, this seems like a very basic title. You jump between platforms to get to the goal. But you also do that in Mario, Super Meatboy etc. What matters is everything else, how you get there, the journey and the obstacles you overcome on the way. And ArcSine delivers. Once you get past the introductory levels, you're presented with a vast amount of levels and mechanics, which lead to both fast flowing gameplay and some trickier puzzles to work your way through. The movement is both smooth and precise, with an added timing factor that can really boost your progress if you get it right. There's no story, no narrative, but what that means is that the focus is on interesting levels that can sometimes really challenge you to look at them in a different way, and really learn the locomotion systems. Each new section of the game brings new mechanics that really keep the gameplay fresh as you progress through the many levels.

Innovative gameplay, challenging but engaging mechanics, and a developer who really cares. I'm recommending this to everyone I know with VR and using it as a reason to recommend getting VR to those who don't have it. Instant buy.