Moss / Moss: Book II [PlayStation VR 2] | REVIEW

We’ve always been big fans of the Moss series here at Use a Potion, with both games receiving extremely high praise in our previous reviews. In fact, it was only a few months back that I went through the adventures all over again on the Meta Quest 2, with each title offering their own special moments to ensure they’ll always stand out as must play titles on any platform they hit.

With PlayStation VR 2, it reaches even greater heights – not only because of the improved visuals offered with the higher resolution, but also because of the way it integrates the fancy new features offered by the headset in clever ways.

Check out some screenshots down below:

It’s worth noting that we’re covering both titles in this review, but will focus on the improvements offered by PlayStation VR 2. If you want to know more about the gameplay and storytelling, you can check out our original review for Moss through this link and our original review for Moss: Book II through this link. In a nutshell? We love the games, with the brilliant blend of platforming, combat, and puzzle-solving ensuring the adventures remain riveting throughout, whilst the emotional storytelling and fabulous environmental design ensure the world is wondrous to be a part of.

So what exactly does PlayStation VR 2 bring to both games? Well, one obvious improvement comes with the presentation, with the game showcasing improved visuals and lighting effects across the board. My most recent playthrough of the games came on the Meta Quest 2 which already had to make some visual sacrifices, so the improvements found here felt especially startling. You also get to experience the adventure in a 4K resolution, which ensures the details of the world stand out more than ever before. There are plenty of wonderful sights to be seen across both games, so getting to see so much detail and sharpness even when you move your head up-close to objects made the world feel even more special than it ever did before – and believe me, these are games where you can’t help but to take a closer look. It might not strive for realism in its visuals, but that doesn’t stop the Moss series from offering some of the best graphics that you’ll see in virtual reality.

“Both Moss and Moss: Book II demonstrate just what the PlayStation VR 2 headset is capable of, with the improvements made to each game going a long way in making this the definitive way to experience both adventures.”

There’s a grander sense of presence felt thanks to the haptic feedback found in both the headset and the controllers. Both games offer worlds that are full of interactive moments, whether that’s when you’re performing tasks with Quill, seeing creatures scuttle across the environemnt, dealing with enemies attacking, or watching the environment change around you. Being able to feel those moments via the haptic feedback just felt wonderful in-game, especially when it’s felt on the headset. I’m well experienced with the benefits of haptic feedback on a controller after spending a ton of hours playing on the PlayStation 5, but feeling the momentum on my head when a giant enemy attacks with his hammer or a creatures soars above us? It brought a smile to my face every time and added an extra element of immersion to the virtual reality experience.

One other really cool feature is the eye tracking, which will highlight interactable objects when you look directly at them. Admittedly, this isn’t something that I thought necessarily improved the gameplay experience, but it’s still an interesting mechanic that could prove useful in games that were a little bit trickier to play through. What I DID love is how Quill would acknowledge what you’re looking at and respond to it, offering her own little ideas as to how to progress. She’s already an adorable companion (and high fiving her will NEVER grow old), but these additional moments of interactivity just make your partnership more believable and charming. The eye tracking of PlayStation VR 2 was one of those features that didn’t excite me all that much, but the way it has been utilised here really shows that it has some potential.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Both Moss and Moss: Book II demonstrate just what the PlayStation VR 2 headset is capable of, with the improvements made to each game going a long way in making this the definitive way to experience both adventures. Sure, the visual enhancements stand out as the biggest improvement, but the eye-tracking and haptic feedback bring additional elements of interactivity to the world that just weren’t there before. Given that these games weren’t designed with these features in mind, it excites me to think of their potential in future entries in the series – who knows what those folk at Polyarc will be able to do with the PlayStation VR 2’s features in their future endeavours. Either way, I’m definitely excited for it, with both Moss and Moss: Book II an exceptional example of what we can expect going forward.

Developer: Polyarc
Publisher: Polyarc
Platform(s): PlayStation VR 2 (Reviewed), PlayStation VR, Meta Quest 2, PC VR
Website: https://www.polyarcgames.com/moss