Review: Archangel is a disappointing on-rails shooter for PSVR

Platform: PlayStation VR (reviewed), PC

Developer: Skydance Interactive

Publisher: Skydance interactive

MSRP: $39.99

Introduction:

When I got my PlayStation VR headset near the end of 2016, I was so excited about the potential future in store for the hardware. While it was obvious that it would take some time to get the ball rolling on some substantial games for the hardware, many hoped that we’d get at least one game a month that truly showcased how exciting the future of VR is. Sadly, the only really major VR game we’ve gotten so far is Resident Evil 7 but that was in January. There have been a couple other games here and there like Werewolf Within and Star Trek: Bridge Crew but other than that, it’s been pretty dry on the PSVR front.

Then came Archangel, a game that places the player in the cockpit of a mech that is fighting in an ongoing war which you’re on the losing side of. You can use dual Move controllers to aim the mech’s arms or use a regular Dualshock 4 controller but either way, you’re going to get the same bland, repetitive experience. The game showed a lot of promise but it fails to execute.

A repetitive on-rails shooter with a good story:

VR has sort of revived the on-rails shooter genre, games like Archangel and Until Dawn: Rush of Blood strive from taking players on a virtual amusement park ride in the comfort of their own home. Archangel is like a Universal Studios ride, you’re locked in place and something else is moving you forward while you point and shoot. While Archangel has a decent story with intense and emotional performances, it fails to deliver a memorable game.

After an attack on your base at the start of the game which kills many soldiers and loved ones, the player is sent out on a revenge mission to destroy the people who have literally taken away the one thing that has made your life worth living for. It’s an emotional start and it does a good job of getting you into the action pretty quickly. Sadly, part of me wishes that the action itself was worth engaging in.

The mech you’re in has 4 different combat mechanics. Rockets on your left arm, a machine gun on your right arm, rechargeable shields on both arms that you move around to protect you depending on where you’re taking damage from, and the ability to punch through various objects. After I had completed the first mission, I felt I had done just about everything the game had to offer. It becomes incredibly tedious and stale as time passes.

Move to location A, stop, shoot some drones or infantry while taking a moment to use your shields every once and awhile, move to location B, stop, and shoot some more drones. Rinse and repeat for several hours until the credits roll. The supporting characters that tag along with you keep you from wanting to take the headset off but the combat certainly makes you want to just turn the game off after 40 minutes of doing the same task over and over.

Great graphics but it has some overlooked issues:

The game at least looks nice visually, the graphics are fairly good for a VR game but there’s one thing that kept bugging me at various points. As you progress through levels, sometimes a little screen will pop-up on your HUD and someone will talk to you face to face. There were a number of instances where it looked like the characters on the screen weren’t synced up with what they were saying at all, it’s entirely possible that their lips weren’t even saying any of the words that were coming out of their mouth in general. It’s a flaw that makes you scratch your head and ask yourself “How many people overlooked this?” It’s certainly questionable but it’s not the worst thing in the world.

The Verdict:

If you’re looking for a new VR game, it’s hard to recommend Archangel at its current retail price. You might get a few hours of minor enjoyment via the story and it does do a good job of immersing you and making you feel like you’re actually in a mech by having a large sense of scale but it’s not worth taking the time to dust off the PSVR and hook it up to the PlayStation 4. It’s by no means an awful game, it’s just not one that makes your PSVR purchase feel justified, I can’t see myself having someone over at my house and saying “You have to try this VR game called Archangel!” I’d much rather show off Resident Evil 7, Batman: Arkham VR, or one of the other many VR games in my library. Hopefully, more PSVR games will combine great gameplay and storytelling later in 2017 or some owners may feel like the headset was a massive waste of $400.