Symphony of the Machine

Way too short. Half an hour of gameplay is not worth 20 dollars, especially if it is so easy that it feels like a tutorial. I expected at least two or three more towers with raising difficulty but there's just this single one. This isn't even an early access title and there's nothing about plans to add content in the future. I was disappointed.

A very chill and visually interesting puzzle game involving lasers, mirrors, weather manipulation and a vaguely cute robot. Gave me some Journey vibes in terms of presentation (and also being one of the few games I've played I can even really compare it to) On the short side ('finished' in under an hour) but I can see it being a good demo game for VR in general

Nice graphics and atmosphere, although the puzzles are not innovative: laser beams, mirrors that bounce the beam, beam splitters and that's all - but the overall concept of changing the weather to grow plants is cool, and the music is soothing. Unfortunately, the game is realy short and does not have much replay value - it can be finished in around an hour. Afterwards there is a sandbox mode which extends the playtime a bit, but it's the same as the rest of the game. Neither lenght nor production values justify the price of 20€ - Arkham VR has similar lenght and cost the same money but it is has AAA quality graphics, animated characters and voice acting. This game has no human characters, no voice acting, it was made on a fraction of a budget of Arkham VR so that price really is not justified. Steam is flooded with literally hundreds if not thousands of indie VR games, so at that price I doubt it will sell. Even at half the price the value would be questionable, although more palatable. All things considered, PLEASE do not buy this game in order to finish it and refund as some sort of misguided way of "making statement". That's a douchey behavior which is detrimental to the growing VR games market.

更多VR游戏评测尽在83830 　　这是一款运用了光线反射玩法的冒险解谜游戏，同时让玩家拥有了掌控天气变化的能力，逐渐提升的难度让游戏更具挑战性。当玩家成功激活装置，改变天气培养出植物时会有满满的成就感。 　　《机械交响曲》售价68元，游戏的表现可圈可点，但内容流程较短，过少的内容元素当玩家通关一次也就变得乏味无趣。建议感兴趣的玩家可以等待游戏进行50%以上的优惠促销再购买体验。

^_^ I made things grow.

This is one of those "quirky" games that takes their idea from outside the box. Video review / lets play here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOa-LBSon_w&t=361s The aim is to manipulate a beam of light to end up with it pointing to weather changing "pads", creating said weather to make a seedling grow. You are aided by a floating robot (Think Flubber for us oldies) who gives you tools to aid your quest. It begins nice and easy so you get to grips with the skills required to complete your quest. Reviews are always just an opinion of the person doing the review, and what may be terrible for the reviewer, could be ace for someone else, so my reviews "mostly" reflect this. I like the quality of the graphics, especially how the developer wasn't lazy and rendered the environment without cheating (Mountains were not drawn flat and "stretched" leaving ugly looking slopes). You are guided into gameplay nicely and know what is needed to do without any text boxes or tutorials. I think the price is about right, and is worthy of a spot in anyones library.

Ist ganz gut , allerdings sehr kurz

I highly recommend this game. It's a 3D pipe puzzle game in VR, and playing on the Vive is a beautiful and serene experience. Great music, fantastic visuals and perfect difficulty curve. It's difficult to find games that recapture the awe and sense of wonder I first had when I started to play Vive games. This succeeds.

Australian outfit Stirfire Studios invite VR gamers on journey of music, puzzles and weather manipulation. Symphony of the Machine places the player in a rocky desert, in the shadow of a huge tower. The tower is so out of place that it is a natural draw for the player. On the rock walls there are some beautiful paintings, all designed to give you an idea of what awaits you. Movement in the game is by the now standard nausea-limiting point and click teleportation method. This opens the game up to everyone, even those with weaker stomachs. Making your way to the foot of the tower, there’s a lift that takes you all the way up. At the top, there’s a platform that gives you a breathtaking view of the surrounding landscape. The aim of the game is to repopulate the arid desert around you with fresh new foliage. To do this you must use the ancient weather-controlling machine located on the platform. Helping you with this task is a little floating robot that hands you the items required to operate the machine. Each puzzle starts with a pot and a plant bulb, both dutifully provided by the robot. A beam of light shines from the central of the platform that, when directed at one of the four glyphs that represent clouds, rain, sun and wind, the weather changes accordingly. Each plant is nourished by several combinations of weather. Using the robot provided mirrors and beam splitters you must split and direct the beams, often around obstructing forcefields to select the weather. It sounds simple, but the puzzles get increasingly difficult, introducing combos the create lightning storms, rainbows and even snowstorms. For me, the key to a successful VR experience is the level of immersion it gives its audience. Virtual reality is the ultimate form of escapism. If the experience manages to be an innovate interactive game as well, the developers have more than succeeded in their task. Standing there, at the top of the tower, looking out at the result of my work, seeing the once red earth get covered by green vegetation is pretty fantastic. Add to that all the weather effects like rail, snow and bellowing cloud that you can practically feel, and you start to experience the genius of the games designers. The developer’s call it a Zen-like experience and I tend to agree. It’s a stress-free game that really does have a calming effect on you. I’ve got to say, though, that the music is a bit odd, and not really to my taste. I found it bearable, but borderline grating. Whilst I played Symphony of the Machine using the HTC Vive, the game is also out on PSVR. The Vive controller seems a perfect device for grabbing and manipulating the mirrors and splitters. I can’t imagine getting the same level of control with a gamepad. This is 100% a VR title, the player experience owning as much to the sense of immersion as it does the actual gameplay. If it wasn’t a VR title it would be a very limited pipelines-style game. As a VR game, the no-pressure puzzles and immersive atmosphere make this a great distraction for a few hours. Verdict: 7.5/10

Ich hätte es sehr gerne weiter gespielt, es hat wunderschöne Grafik der Umgebung, entspannende Hintergrundmusik, die Idee ist toll, u.s.w. Umso mehr bin ich enttäuscht denn der "kleine Helferlein" ist einfach zu aufdringlich und hat wegen der nicht angepastten Portation von der PSVR zum PC VR eine für mich nicht nutzbare Bewegungssteuerung.