Left-Hand Path

Rest in peace man.... :( You made an amazing game.

Put a little time in this, pretty cool atmosphere and idea. Needs some polishing for the combat, it's a bit hard to get the fireball off in a panic. Enemies also tend to jump in close, and you can't hit them since they get in past the wand. Might be part of the "kill you a lot" dynamic not sure, lol. It would be nice to be able to swipe at a close enemy to stagger them (even if you only get one stagger). Looking forward to seeing where this game goes. One thing I would advise, is changing how you grip objects. Right now you have it set to "snap", and you just grab the center mass of any object. You can easily change that to grab the object based on controller location, so it feels better. Picking up a chair for example is weird, since it snaps it to the center of the chair. Just a thought for a smoother experience. Also I'm not sure what was going on, but the words you have on the left hand itself are inverted and backwards. I had to turn the controller all around to read the hints on the hand, lol. Not sure if that was a mistake where the words are mirrored or intentional? Overall though, I am having fun with it, though I'm kinda resigned to dying when I enter any new room at the moment, hahah. Made me jump a couple times, runs smoothly, teleportation works well. I did get an object stuck to my hand once (a feather quill), I managed to detach it from my hand by passing it through a book. With a bit more controller debugging, this is shaping up nicely. I've only gotten far enough in to meet one new monster (it was a fast one), and learned to make fire and a summoning circle. Hoping there are some melee range spells to learn for when enemies jump right into you.

Overall, this game just isn't fun. It's certainly closer than a lot of other games out there right now, but I dunno, maybe I'm too picky. My biggest complaints are 1) Enemies are dumb. Like *really* dumb. They just kinda run at you and die super fast. 2) The number of spells you have at your disposal is very limited, and they aren't very interesting. The game really tries to pull you in with the horror and light storytelling, but neither are really what I am looking for (and neither are very good here either...) My other nitpicks would be that the screenshots almost make it seem like there is some sort of alchemy mechanics or a lot of interactivity with objects, but there's not any of that. You can't touch/ pickup most stuff and even if you could, there's nothing to do with it. This game is literally "walk down the hallway, spam fireballs at the braindead enemies, rinse repeat". There are no complex systems. There is no combat depth. There is nothing interesting here. This game is boring.

Not a fan of puzzle games but this is so much more. I also never got in to games where you are a mage using gestures, but man does it feel good to use that method in left hand path it feels natural and fun. I was lured in by its enchanting graphics and fantasy lore that just blends in so well with the story. They're also horror elements I've jumped more in this game than any horror game I played with only two of the scares rigged. The dev is definitely entering Uncharted Territory for VR between experience and gameplay with strong story elements. The dev is also heavily engaged with the community answering questions trying to propel the game to be the best that it can be. I've been playing the game religiously but I'm going to take a break because the dev has the final release coming out and I just want to play the game with the Devs full vision in mind.i cant give enough praise to the game, but hope you will consider buying so we can set a new standard for VR.

Rest in peace Hugh Hancock, the developer of this app. https://uploadvr.com/left-hand-path-developer-hugh-hancock-suddenly-passes-away/

This game is right up there with Vanishing Realms. It's the scariest game I have ever played and the graphics and sound are excellent. The developer is active on the forums and is always polite and willing to help. Really wish there were more Vive games of this quality. If you like horror/arcane magic/dungeons then this is a must buy!

tl;dr: It's early access, very playable, and is already quite fun. Great game dev! Edit: I see these negative reviews complaining about the game and you need to realize, it is early access. The game needs polish, lots of it. It has been out for a day and the dev has already pushed an update incorporating feedback. Really, don't buy an early access game (definitely one attempting to be something more than an endless arcade game) and then post a negative review after 10 minutes complaining about the game. It's ridiculous. ---- Review ----- So, if you're into RPG games at all, you need to buy this. It's obviously an early access game, but it's already fantastic and while I've played about a hour and a half, I already feel like I have gotten my moneys worth and I am thoroughly looking forward to further playing the game and its' future iterations. It's the first game that I've lost myself in the Chaperone boundaries (ended up running into my couch) since I was so engrossed while attempting a ritual. There's already a decent amount of lore (little scrolls and such that leave you wondering whats occurring) and I was incredibly surprised to see some voice acting. The graphics are fine and while not amazing, are very playable. The spell mechanics themselves are great and I really enjoyed the game. Seriously, this is the first VR game I played this long continuously without switching to another game and I only stopped due to my neck being sore. For the Dev: My complaints: - The signage while good is very forgiving. I have done a straight line and had Agil appear. Very minute and not a huge bother me, but thought I would mention it. - Speaking of signage, quick question. Do you need to draw said sigils in 3D (as in curve around behind a line) or is completely flat fine? - For rituals (specifically the first one) it states to push your staff to the ground. I personally read this as the end of the staff, not the bottom of the staff so for the longest time I couldn't figure out why I wasn't completing the ritual. - Also, I did the same exact steps in the ritual (the correct steps) multiple times and the ritual wouldn't complete until well... it did. It was starting to annoying me considering the sheer amount of time I spent simply trying to draw two symbols yet continually failed to complete the ritual. - Overall confusion. I haven't played the likes of Dark Souls so I cannot compare it, but I was quite confused throughout my playthrough. While I figured everything out, I died quite a few times not knowing how to re-act to the enemies. I only accidentally figured out the firing spell and that was how I killed the enemies (no where did I find a book/scroll telling me about that specific spell while the other ones were mentioned throughout the level). Edit: Just saw on reddit that apparently the attack spell was in the Grimoire.. Woops, I was under the impression that spells only entered it upon being found. - Item pickup mechanic while working fine is kind of weird. Specifically, when picking up something such as a knife it is often lopsided and being held in a very weird way (I attempted to fight with a knife and it didn't go to well). This is kind of true for the books/scrolls, but it still works perfectly fine. - I think the spell hitbox should be expanded. Specifically, if an enemy is too close to you, they clip through the staff and the spell will go past the enemy opposed to hitting it. Additions I would like to see: - Walking teleportation. I tried out the touchpad usage and I am not a fan. Teleporting is fine, but it would be great if we had the teleport mechanic (point and click), but opposed to teleporting the character proceeded to walk to this spot. As for implementation of jumping across things, I think teleporting itself would work fine and maybe down the road incorporate a camera view as if jumping down/across/etc. This system is currently in the VRZ Game and I'm quite a fan. - A home level. The little cave where the fire is located I think could present itself as a fantastic homescreen. As of now, you start the game in that little room, walk onto a ledge, and the level begins. I myself think you should make that cave where you spawn and incorporate the same mechanics of the current spawn room into it while after level completion you return to it. For the first level, you could lack having anything in the room (outside of the menu) before completion and upon further completing levels, more is added. - A Pause button - Locking of items when grabbed opposed to constantly holding the grip button (this seemed to happen a few times, but wasn't constant and not sure if said occurrences was a bug or me doing something). - Optional voice acting for scrolls and items picked up. To avoid having to have a variety of voices, perhaps have a narration voice for all of them. - While this may already be in the game (again, only played the first level), I would love some sword fighting and the option to switch off from the staff to a sword and possibly even duel wielding and being able to cast spells (maybe support spells such as something to create a temporary teammate, etc.) To still maintain the mechanic of a single handed staff, you could have more powerful spells drawn with an empty hand and weaker spells drawn with the staff itself; or perhaps even only providing melee support spells if dual wielded (opposed to a shield or something of that manner). - Better dodging/countering for the enemies. Specifically speaking about the first level enemies kind of just walk at you and once they're at you they attack. You need to teleport away and proceed to attack them from a distance since ducking and such didn't seem to do much to avoid their attacks. I also felt like this for the boss itself at the end of the 1st level. This in comparison to the enemies in the beginning of the second level in which they are swinging at you and there feels to be a more dodge-heavy mechanic. I tried to mention everything I thought while playing, but if I forgot something I'll edit this post/or post on your reddit post.

Left Hand Path is a first person view action RPG a lot like Vanishing realms but darker, harder, and more horror influenced. The game takes some nice cues from Dark Souls in terms of design. Short cuts that open pathways back to earlier areas, a persistent world where you keep your items, shortcuts and bosses defeated even if you die, etc. One thing that sets it apart is that this is primarily a spell casting game. You spend a lot of time drawing signs in the air and channeling the spells through your staff. Sometimes even sitting your staff on the floor to conduct rituals. The air drawing is unique and feels really good. This game may be early access but there is already as much here than many VR games. If you are tired of endless wave shooters and want a "real game" for your Vive, this is an excellent choice at a cheap price. The developer is very active on forums and is making continious quality of life improvements. Note that you'll probably die a lot at first. But in time you'll get better. Fear not the darkness. Choose the Left-hand Path.

Left-Hand Path is a wonderful example of the endless possibilities of virtual reality. It is inspired by the Dark Souls series but clearly manages to carry its' own weight by introducing a highly efficient spellcasting system. Using the motion controllers to trace runes, sigils and protective circles in the air you cast an assortment of spells and rituals that will help you explore the ruins, dungeons and deserted cities but - more importantly - wreak havoc on the many different creatures you will run into on your travels. Spellcasting is truly fun and exciting! Trying to shoot down an enemy which is slowly creeping up on you, while frantically trying to make the movements for the correct spell is really an unforgettable experience. The game uses a great lighting system, has superb voice acting and generally oozes atmosphere and although the graphics of some of the envirements lack in detail, the world is filled with interesting scolls to read, NPC's to barter with and complex puzzles to solve. There is an enticing upgrade system, which uses the games' currency (Husks) to increase the effect and potency of your spells and rituals. These choices really feel interesting and offer more than just a simple increase in damage or efficiency. Movement plays a big part in the game. Thus, it is a standing, room-scale experience. You will dodge arrows, crawl through secret passages on hands and knees and make big movements for rituals and spells. I had to upgrade to a third sensor to get the most out of this. With only a front facing setup you will most likely not be able to experience the room scale environment and will frequently run into immersion-breaking stuttering. Overall, this is a fantastic RPG experience that should be played by anyone who is interested in the genre. It is a difficult (and at times quite frightening) game but never unfair. Finally, the developers (a small studio) are amazingly friendly and supportive. I've ran into a few problems during the game but they quickly helped me find my way again by giving advice. They are also very much open for feedback and have used this in the past to improve the game. Now if only they would give me a spell of instant wraithslaying so I could skip that horrendous (in a very good way) deserted village...

This game is still early in development, and as such I recommend this game with caveats. In Left Hand Path, the player navigates a dark, foreboding realm casting spells and discovering the world. In particular, the spellcasting system is a delight to use, and prompted me to buy it in the first place. By holding the trigger on your off hand, your in-game finger leaves a trail of wispy light, which you can use to draw out runes in the air. These runes will cast spells, varying from bolts of colorful energy to conjuring flame, and even complex rune rituals which require drawing different runes in different compass directions. I would play a game just for these mechanics, and they're done well here. On the whole, the mechanics of spellcasting are combined with a more challenge-oriented combat system, and shadowy, meancing world. A concise summary of Left Hand Path is basically three words: "Dark Souls VR." This is a game that does not shy away from killing the player. It is most rewarding to those who are patient, careful, and plan ahead. Many first encounters will undoubtedly prove lethal, and death will be a familiar friend to those who forge their way through the 2-3 hours of content. VR brings the punishing difficulty and survival horror tension to a whole new level. I legitimately jumped when I met my first few enemies, and jumped again when enemies I thought I had seen before turned out to be new, faster versions of themselves. In a room with four torches to light, I found myself terrified of lighting all four torches, since everyone knows lighting all four torches means something's about to happen, and in Left Hand Path, "something" is frequently "monsters." The game's teleportation mechanic has a cooldown between movements, so even though I could blink across a room at any moment, I practically felt like a character in a horror movie trying to start their car as the shambling horrors approached. I like feeling scared, and I really like how well Left Hand Path scared me. So! Should you, proud fellow Vive owner, purchase this game? Depending on who you are, my answer is "Yes" or "Yes, but later." I'll explain. Are you a Dark Souls fan? Does dying early and often please you? Do you memorize attack patterns, enemy locations, and plan out each encounter, including escape plans if things don't work quite right? Is a game too easy if it's not trying to rip your face off and ridicule your inexperience? Then Left-Hand Path is for you. Even in its early access form it's packing enough combat and enough exploration to be worth $15.00. The VR experience transforms deadly combat with enormous enemies into spine-chilling encounters with monsters your eyes are convinced are inches away. And the developer is working hard to make the game fairer, so each death feels warranted, and each kill feels earned. It's a great game now, and I expect it to be a fantastic game soon. Are you more of a Vanishing Realms fan? Do you like exploration, fantasy magic, and adventure? Does reading intricate lore and learning to cast new spells motivate your every move? If so, this game has what you're looking for, but you may need to develop some fierce VR spellcasting skills to get to them. If you're not frustrated by trial-and-error style progression, where knowing isn't half, it's pretty much all the battle, the world of Left Hand Path is a fascinating and enjoyable romp. As more content is added and death feels fairer, I think this game will go from being "fun, but hard" to "fun and hard." I can't predict the future, of course. This game will feel a little rough around the edges, particularly in the way items are picked up and the experience between play (menus, death) are handled, but the core gameplay is fun. Drawing spells in the air feels glorious. And in my opinion, the game is only going to get better.