Review for Apex Construct. Game for VIVE (VR), Oculus Rift (VR) and PlayStation VR, the video game was released on 20/03/2018 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 30/07/2018
With the advent of virtual reality headsets, we have experienced moments of ups and downs consisting of tech demos, short but intense games and small adventures that have decided to focus a lot on this type of device. As the months go by, more and more companies are developing their virtual reality games, one example is Fast Travel Games, decisively entered this world with Apex Construct, that already from the first images it seemed very promising.
The developers wanted to create a long-lasting game that allows a certain level of replayability, so as to allow the player to stay as long as possible in this world, without getting tired after the first run. The game is available as a temporary exclusive for PlayStation VR, but from March 20 it will also be available on Steam for owners of HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. We also report the absence of localization, but we hope it will be added later for those who are not particularly familiar with English.
The last survivor
Due to the neglect of the human race, in Apex Construct we will be living in a dystopian future in which we will be the only survivors and our task will mainly be to fight against robots that will constantly try to kill us. During our adventure we will be guided by an artificial intelligence called "Fathr" who will give us the first tips and teach us the basics of combat and survival. However in the course of history we will discover another artificial intelligence named "Mothr", in direct conflict with the first AI, which in some ways can be defined as our ally who wants to save the entire universe like us.
Once you enter this supernatural world, you will become more and more curious about the ways that led to the end of the human race and the developers have dedicated to you many secrets and curiosities that can only be discovered through exploration. You will often find notes, files on computers or objects that will be physically analyzed, so if for example you want to read a note, you will be forced to pick it up and then bring it closer and read its contents, just like in reality.
The main storyline runs for about five hours, which seemed sufficient to us but which are often characterized by some gameplay choices that are sometimes repetitive and not very stimulating. You will in fact be forced to retrace a certain level to get an object, or to open a path, which can be fun if done voluntarily but can be frustrating if you are forced to.
Addictive gameplay
To play Apex Construct vi PlayStation Move motion controllers will be required, which in the game will become your hands, allowing you to grab objects, click keys or use the bow. The latter is the only weapon available and will allow you to kill enemy robots with different arrows according to your needs. You can easily choose which side to hold the bow and therefore with which hand to use the arrows, so as to ensure an optimal experience for all players.
As you try to solve the various puzzles, you will be prompted to perform actions with the PlayStation Moves which have been intelligently implemented and manage to immerse you further in the game. An example is the use of terminals, in fact you will be asked to use the keyboard in a physical way, then with PlayStation Move you will have to press the keys to write simple lines of code from which you can obtain particular unlock codes for doors or documents prior to the extinction of the human race.
The rest of the gameplay, on the other hand, is mainly based on exploration, which will allow you to also get objects or experience points by killing robots, all viewable in the inventory. The latter is very simple and quick to use thanks to the Move controllers, which will allow us to select them as if we were actually clicking them with your finger. This helps us a lot in the fighting, in fact we will often not have the bow equipped, so it will be necessary to open the inventory immediately and select it to defend ourselves from the attacks of the enemy on duty.
Also interesting is the presence of a headquarters, similar to an apartment, where you can upgrade your equipment with experience points obtained from enemies, buy drinks for health, or go to the hub that will teleport you directly to the required mission, it will also be possible to select an old mission, an action that you will often have to perform to continue in the next levels.
Almost total immersion
The setting of Apex Construct, albeit based in an unpleasant future, seemed to us to be of a high level, with some aspects (mainly the enemies) reminiscent in some ways Horizon Zero Dawn. The player therefore often comes to visit secondary paths to admire the panorama, which is the one by which one is mainly impressed while playing with the PlayStation VR. What ruins the experience is the system of movement and interaction that seemed to us full of problems that partly undermine the immersion in the world of Apex Construct.
The object collision problem which are embarrassingly penetrated in most cases. This, in addition to ruining the game experience, creates real gameplay problems if connected to bugs in the game, which often prevent us from picking up objects that may have fallen on the ground by mistake, making any trivial action frustrating. However, we are confident in a correction of at least part of these bugs with the day one patch, already announced by the developers.
As for the movement system, the classic is present movement with teleportation with assisted rotation that most of the time it just creates confusion, but that after the first hours of play you can manage in a more or less decent way. However, we point out the possibility to use free movement and also adjust all the various settings, including the angle of rotation or set whether you are playing standing or sitting.
Apex Construct is a title that finally brings a sufficiently long storyline and gameplay designed specifically for virtual reality. The final product is certainly valid and opens the way to new titles that with the passage of time are becoming more and more complex, thanks also to the involvement of players who have welcomed this new way of playing in a positive way. There are a few issues that plague the production, including a suboptimal collision system and a motion system that undermines immersion and creates some gameplay issues when added to the various bugs. The absence of localization is certainly a lack that is felt, but we can assure you that the dialogues are simple and reduced almost to the bone, the only aspect that could confuse you are probably the documents that you will find along your way, in fact it will be necessary a minimum knowledge of the English language, especially to understand all the events that revolve around the world of Apex Construct.
► Apex Construct is an Action-Puzzle game developed and published by Fast Travel Games for VIVE (VR), Oculus Rift (VR) and PlayStation VR, the video game was released on 20/03/2018 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 30/07/2018
