The last couple of weeks I’ve spent a lot of time with my PS VR2 enjoying many different experiences. Despite being a game I played several years ago on my original PS VR, Moss still stands out as one of the best. From developer Polyarc, Moss Book 1 & 2 have both been enhanced for the PS VR2.
If you’re not familiar with Moss, you take the role of a small mouse named Quill. As Quill, you embark on an adventure to search for your uncle and battle a grave threat to your community. Moss is presented in a storybook fashion with a narrator providing the backdrop to your journey where you will solve puzzles, battle enemies, and overcome grave obstacles.
Quite frankly, it’s a brilliant, joyful game that has been praised continuously since its initial release in 2018. A sequel aptly titled “Moss Book 2” was released last year and was met with similar praise (as it essentially continues directly where Book 1 left off).
For the PS VR2’s launch, developer Polyarc decided to utilize the new features of the hardware by improving the titles in a number of ways.
Improved Haptics: Players can now feel the effects of world-shaking events, damaging attacks, and movement throughout the world. This additional head and hands haptic feedback gives the player a greater sense of presence and danger in the game, allowing them to feel even more attached to Quill, the game’s brave young hero who players guide and partner with during the adventure.
Two-Controller Setup: Playing with two controllers provides a natural feeling, allowing players to express themselves more freely in the world when reaching in to manipulate the environment, interact with Quill, or engage the weapon inventory system during battle.
Adaptive Triggers: Actions will feel distinct to players as they experience the tension and weight of virtual objects while grabbing and moving them within the world. Breakable pots and barrels now respond to the amount of force being used, breaking apart once they’re squeezed enough to overcome the trigger’s resistance.
Eye Tracking: Interactive objects now emit a subtle glow when looked at. This allows players to quickly spot interactive objects during puzzles and throughout the game. Eye tracking also informs Quill where players are looking so she can offer hints if she figures something out before them.
Foveated Rendering and Increased Field of View: Moss and Moss: Book II run at 90fps in 4K, even with the lighting and texture improvements. That, along with the larger field of view, gives players a deeper sense of immersion.
Taking control of Quill on PS VR2 is an absolute joy. The levels felt immersive and more expansive while providing the player with greater control than before. Taken together, the updates simply make Moss feel more interactive and beautiful. Having now finished Book 1 on PS VR2 and begun my journey into Moss Book 2, I can say without a doubt they are some of the best ways to spend time with your new hardware.
I’ll touch more on Book 2 in the near future. For now, if you’d like to hear more on our thoughts about Moss and the PS VR2 in general, be sure to check out Bitcast 239 below!
