ForeVR Cornhole [Quest 2] | REVIEW

Whilst the team at ForeVR have demonstrated their virtual reality prowess with the super enjoyable ForeVR Bowling and ForeVR Darts, I was surprised to see that their next release would tackle Cornhole. I mean, it feels like a natural fit; not only is ForeVR Cornhole a simple and fun experience for multiple players, but it also lends itself well to the motion controls offered in virtual reality. I just expected something different.

That’s not a bad thing though and I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve had plenty of fun playing ForeVR Cornhole. It’s just let down by a lack of variety and gameplay mechanics that can feel a bit too simple when compared to ForeVR’s previous releases.

Check out some screenshots down below:

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The rules of Cornhole are simple. Each player stands beside each other at a set distance from their Cornhole board, which is a rectangular shape with a hole in the middle. Players score points by throwing a beanbag and having it land on the board, whilst additional points are rewarded for getting the beanbag in the hole. Be warned though: other players can hit your beanbag off the board with their throws, so you’ll want to get it as close to the hole as possible. Each player throws a set amount of beanbags and when they’re done compare scores, with the point difference awarded to the leading player. Once a player reaches a set score (normally twenty-one), they’re deemed the victor.

It’s a simple game but one that can be surprisingly strategic, especially when it comes to knocking opposing players’ beanbags off the board or into the hole. I was playing one game where we were heading to a tense finale with a tight score, with both of us only needing to score one more point to win. It was looking bad for me when I threw my last beanbag only to have it lying up against the edge of the hole, but a misthrow from my opponent saw them hitting it with their own beanbag and knocking it into the hole, giving me the victory. Granted, not every game of Cornhole has this amount of strategy and tension, but there’s a lot more to the game that simply throwing beanbags towards a board.

The mechanics of the game are simple enough on the Quest 2, with players using motion controls to grab and throw the beanbags. It doesn’t take too long to determine the power you need to throw, whilst I’m sure the game also gives a bit of a helping hand to ensure your shots are accurate for the most part (unless you get a nightmare of a throw). That’s about it really… there isn’t anything complicated to learn when it comes to playing ForeVR Cornhole, with just about anyone knowing how to throw a beanbag into a hole.

“ForeVR certainly know how to setup a fun party environment in their virtual reality releases and ForeVR Cornhole is no different, especially with the creative locales you can play across.”

Despite the simplicity, there is something very appealing about the game. I’ve found myself having a really good time playing with my friends thus far, whilst the YouTube-powered jukebox you can use when playing ensures you can have your favourite tunes blasting away as you play. ForeVR certainly know how to setup a fun party environment in their virtual reality releases and ForeVR Cornhole is no different, especially with the creative locales you can play across.

The only problem with the game is that it’s too easy to get good at it. It came to a point where my friends and I rarely found ourselves missing the hole with our throws, meaning matches became very predictable and lacked the tension that was there when we were just starting out. It is a little unfair to blame the game for something that boils down to a player’s skillset, but when the gameplay is this simple, you’d expect people to master it quite quickly.

That simplicity could see the game getting a little bit repetitive. Whilst there were plenty of variables to your success in ForeVR Bowling and ForeVR Darts, ForeVR Cornhole is as simple as throwing a ball in a hole. There aren’t different pins to hit, different scores to make, or different weight balls and darts to throw – you’re simply throwing a beanbag in a hole, with not much affecting things in-between. Playing in a two-versus-two team game with players of varying skills does spice things up a bit, but you’re still doing the same thing.

Check out some screenshots down below:

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I think the team at ForeVR missed a trick by not including a few mini-games in the mix, especially since they nailed the throwing physics. It would be a lot of fun to throw beanbags into different targets across each locale, with plenty of potential in place for competitive antics for players to compete in. In fairness, the team has been really good with post-release support for their previous releases, so I’m hoping some extras make their way to ForeVR Cornhole – it could be a game-changer in making the whole experience more addictive and varied, even if it is unconventional when compared to traditional Cornhole rules.

I’m probably being a little bit hard on the game really, because when it comes to playing Cornhole, it offers an authentic experience that feels really fun to play. It’s the perfect game to introduce newcomers to virtual reality too, whilst getting in a room with a bunch of friends is a whole lot of fun – there are a ton of cool unlockables too, which is par for the course when it comes to ForeVR releases. I like playing ForeVR Cornhole a lot, but it just lacks that extra *something* to keep me hooked in for the long term.

Developer: ForeVR
Publisher: ForeVR
Platform(s): Meta Quest 2 (Reviewed)
Website: https://www.forevrgames.com/