Espire 1: VR Operative (Oculus Quest)

VR Shop – Silver Award

Price at Time Of Review: £22.99
Comfort Rating: Red
Genre: Action
Size: 2.33 GB
Best Playing Position: Standing
Multi-Player: No
Age Rating: 18+

 

Description: With Espire 1, we’re delivering VR’s definitive Stealth Experience. Gone are the days of watching a super-spy hero on-screen: by leveraging the head and hand-tracked capabilities of current VR technology, players can physically live out their 007 fantasies as the Espire Model 1 Operative. These stealth mechanics cannot be replicated on another medium.

Players assume the role of an Espire Agent – a drone operator of the future. From the safety of their “Espire Control Theatre” (sized to their Oculus Guardian Boundaries) they deploy the Espire Model 1 operative on assignments around the globe. The player then remote-operates Espire 1 from thousands of Kilometres away – the player’s movement is translated 1:1 into that of Espire with less than 11ms of latency. The “Control Theatre” mechanic is not only a story component; it is used to minimize VR sickness whenever the player performs artificial movement.

Review: I don’t think Espire 1: VR Operative is half as bad as people make it out to be, but I do understand that the price tag of £22.99 is totally unjustified. If I have to put my finger on it I would have said that it doesn’t quite reach the standard of games we are used to at the price point. Games like Red Matter are the benchmark and while we shouldn’t expect all games to look that good they should look and play better than this one. I would definitely wait for this to be in a sale and do lower your expectations to match that price. That way you won’t go into this game expecting more than it is.