Skydance’s Behemoth Review

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As a seasoned gamer who has traversed countless virtual landscapes and battled countless digital foes, I must say that Behemoth has truly left an indelible mark upon my gaming memory. This VR adventure is a veritable feast for those of us seeking the perfect blend of action, puzzle-solving, and exploration – all served up with a healthy dose of immersion that only virtual reality can provide.

Skydance has established itself as a top-tier developer in the realm of Virtual Reality (VR) gaming. Their Walking Dead series is particularly noteworthy, considered among the finest VR titles out there. As such, anticipation for Skydance’s upcoming VR game, Behemoth, has been justifiably high. This gritty action-adventure game, set in the ominous fantasy world of the Forsaken Lands, continues Skydance’s impressive track record in creating exceptional VR games, making it one of the standout VR action-adventure games available.

In the game “Behemoth“, players assume the character of Wren, a villager-turned-hunter who is struck by the same mysterious blight that has ravaged the cursed lands known as the Forsaken Lands. To rid themselves of this affliction, players must slay colossal creatures, the mighty behemoths, while scavenging for equipment, engaging in combat with human adversaries, and navigating through intricate puzzles.

In Behemoth, the colossal creatures, known as the behemoths, are undeniably its star attractions, and they certainly live up to the hype. The sheer magnitude of these beings is breathtakingly immense, and engaging in combat with them is an exhilarating experience. Behemoth offers some of the most captivating and awe-inspiring boss battles found in all VR gaming, as each encounter surpasses the one before in terms of complexity, difficulty, and grandeur. These battles would have been visually stunning on a standard flat screen TV or monitor, but experiencing these monsters within the realm of virtual reality is an entirely unique experience.

Behemoth’s Boss Fights Are Its Biggest Draw

The incredible behemoth fights are worth the price of admission alone, though there are a couple of issues that prevent these encounters from reaching their full potential. There’s a great deal of climbing in Behemoth, and usually, it works exactly as intended, but there were times when climbing simply did not work correctly when trying to scale these gigantic creatures. One of the more impressive behemoth fights was also ruined by audio cutting in and out, which was distracting and robbed the moment of its impact. But even with these hiccups, Behemoth‘s boss fights are ones to remember.

As a gamer immersed in this virtual world, I’ve noticed that the behemoth battles are few and far between. However, the action-packed moments in between are filled with relentless human adversaries armed to the teeth with swords, axes, shields, and bows. The beauty of this VR experience lies in the freedom it offers, enabling me to pick up any weapon I stumble upon during my journey.

Initially, the character Behemoth bestows upon Wren a unique power that significantly amplifies their physical prowess for a brief span. In particularly challenging battles, this talent allows players to activate it, effectively dividing opponents into two parts, severing limbs, and even lifting and hurling them around. Over time, as the game progresses, Wren’s repertoire of abilities expands, providing players with more tactical choices in each combat situation, thus keeping the battles within Behemoth engaging and fresh.

In the game Behemoth, there’s lots of action, yet it truly excels at challenging puzzle-solving. Players who enjoy puzzles similar to those in Zelda will find themselves engrossed in solving the puzzles within Behemoth. Although some of the puzzles might seem less complex compared to those typically found in console games, the ability to physically interact with everything gives them a unique twist. These puzzles serve as intermissions between combat sequences and maintain an engaging pace throughout the game from start to finish. The challenges presented by these puzzles are neither too easy nor overly difficult, ensuring that players stay engaged without becoming frustrated or bored.

My first playthrough of Behemoth took about 10 hours, but I can see it taking another 5 to 10 hours for 100%.

In summary, the essential gameplay of Behemoth revolves around its platforming elements. The game provides players with a grappling hook, allowing them to swing to higher platforms and, at times, use their momentum to propel Wren across vast distances before grabbing onto the next destination. Additionally, Wren’s dash, primarily used for evading enemy attacks, can be utilized mid-air to traverse gaps. Players can also scale walls and ledges, then jump off them during climbing sequences. The game introduces creative variations on this theme, and upgrades to Wren’s grappling hook enhance its functionality, ensuring an engaging experience throughout.

Behemoth Gives You Bang for Your Buck

The game is highly engaging since Behemoth doesn’t linger for too long. It progressively offers players new tools, followed by challenges that make use of these tools. Once Behemoth exhausts its creative resources, the game concludes. However, this doesn’t imply that Behemoth lacks substantial content to explore. My gaming session lasted approximately 10 hours, and I barely scratched the surface of what it has to offer. There are numerous unexplored areas, frequently containing tougher puzzles and platforming challenges that yield beneficial rewards.

In the thrilling world of Behemoth, there are collectibles to discover, but what truly amps up the excitement are the metals that we, as players, can use to enhance our weapons. Staying true to Behemoth’s VR immersion, weapon upgrades aren’t a simple menu click-through. Instead, we have to set our weapons on an anvil, melt down the essential materials, and then smash them with a hot hammer – quite a departure from the usual in-game tasks! Just like Skydance’s other VR games, Behemoth masterfully keeps us hooked by making full use of VR’s distinctive features. What could be an ordinary chore in any other game is instead transformed into an enjoyable experience.

Regarding gameplay, there’s not much to criticize in Behemoth except for some issues during the boss battles where climbing feels awkward. The game has two major flaws: its story is dull and predictable, and graphical glitches occur too frequently. While the game generally looks impressive, it occasionally falls short with unloaded textures and odd-looking effects.

In the course of preparing this review, we couldn’t get a chance to experience the Arena mode on Behemoth, as it’s still undergoing beta testing.

Despite its imperfections, Behemoth stands tall as one of the top VR games available today. This action-packed adventure is sure to captivate fans of games like The Legend of Zelda and God of War, offering a well-balanced blend of intense combat, brain-teasing puzzles, and immersive exploration. It’s a VR experience you don’t want to miss, and it’s one of the best virtual reality games launched this year.

As a gaming enthusiast, I’ve got some exciting news! The epic title, Behemoth, is now live on PC, PlayStation VR2, and Meta Quest. Lucky me, I got my hands on a Meta Quest code for this thrilling review. Can’t wait to dive in and share my experiences with you all!

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2024-12-05 09:54