REVIEW | Hubris VR

Hubris VR review | Late last year, Robby and I were invited to Cyborn, a Belgian 3D animation studio turned games studio, to try out their latest game: Hubris VR. I didn’t know much about it but had seen it at the Belgian Games booth in the business halls at Gamescom. Whenever I tried to demo it there was always someone playing with others waiting so I decided against it. So imagine how quickly I jumped at the opportunity to go play it all afternoon at their very own studio. Once arrived, I was handed a Valve Index and sent on my way. Virtually, that is. Because in actuality, devs came to check in on us and have a chat quite regularly. Time really did fly by that afternoon, since between when I put on and removed my headset, the sun had set and about six hours had passed. Now, if only Robby’s train home hadn’t been delayed…

What we Liked!

• Gameplay | As a recruit for the OOO, you’ll be doing lots of things on your impromptu first mission. Get ready to run, jump, climb and swim across the Twin planet’s surface and its terraforming installations. But luckily for you, you’ll meet some resistance along the way just waiting to exchange bullets. Bugs, drones and infantry all see the end of your gun. It’s best to also keep an eye out for various collectables. Especially since they’re what you’ll be breaking down into their base components to upgrade and unlock new modes for your pistol. Don’t worry about getting it wet, however, underwater combat has its own one-hit kill weapon. Swimming is a bit of a hassle because most conventional strokes don’t give the desired result. Fortunately, the underwater sections aren’t all that long and are somewhat cheesable.

• Visuals | Graphically Hubris VR looks stunning. The highly detailed, photorealistic look of the Twin Planet System makes you feel like you’ve stepped out onto a far-off world that’s in the midst of being terraformed. From the sprawling outdoor areas where you navigate basalt-shaped, crystal protruded areas to the OOO base’s sleek Sci-Fi interior spaces like hangars, storage facilities and designer apartments. The plants, fruits and wildlife also stand out as familiar yet distinctly alien.

• Climbing | Ever wanted to have near-limitless arm strength? Yes! Well, then you’re in luck since VR is the perfect way to go for a climb. In Hubris VR you’ll find lots of climbable ledges, pipes and ladders all over. Just like in Assassin’s Creed games can they light up in blue when you get near them, showing you roughly what paths are open to you. Do watch what way you’re facing when you start the climb, as you’re locked into that orientation until you let go with both hands.
  

• One-Time Activities | There are a number of one-off activities throughout Hubris VR that breathe some fresh air into the levels. For example: at some points, you’ll need to drive a container transporter vehicle on top of or closer to places to access new areas. Quite different, yet controlled in a similar fashion will be a speeder segment. Yup, speeder, the Star Wars kind. But besides forklift certification, OOO agents are also expected to administer first aid with the help of some Iron Man-esque augmented reality technology. Ever wanted to try your hand at cooking exotic dishes? That’s not really on the menu, but you’ll be able to get a kitchen robot to do it for you if you give it the right ingredients.

Mixed Feelings

• Audio | When we get onto Hubris VR’s soundscape, it becomes a case of what’s there is good, yet what’s missing is what would complete it. I’m specifically thinking some background music would be nice. Now, don’t get me wrong, the ambient sounds make up for a lot. So much so that with the occasional background track during certain sequences, it would have complimented it beautifully.

• Voice Acting | The voice acting is another thing I’m a bit undecided on. It’s there and serves its purpose quite well, but can be a bit bland. A bit more emotion here and there would really liven up the situations you find yourself in. Conversely, there’s also the OOO commander that speaks to you at the beginning of the game, who sounds a tad like a parody of what an overly serious commander with years of experience and tons of dark secrets sounds like. That one cracked me up both times I started the story.

What we Disliked

I have no strong dislikes about Hubris VR.

How long to beat the story | Between 10 and 12 hours
How long to unlock all achievements | 30 hours
You’ll love this game if you like these | Half-Life Alyx & Downward Spiral: Prologue

Please consider supporting us!

We’re on Patreon, just click here for the link. Every help in covering our expenses and rewarding our writers is welcome. Thank you so much

thomas vercruysse

Hey there. Thomas is the name, Sci-fi, action and (J)RPG’s are the game. I strongly prefer co-op over PVP games. Whenever possible, you may find me run wild at a convention in western Europe. Certified anime enjoyer.