A first-person adventure halfway between action RPG and visual novel set in a dystopian Tokyo ravaged by mechanical gods; PS VR 2 review.
Virtual reality continues to make its way into different genres despite the fact that the first-person shooter continues to be the favorite of both companies and the general public. Even so, certain studios are still determined to offer other ways to immerse the player in virtual worlds, whether through puzzles, sports, narrative adventures or, in the case of Thirdverse, swords-wielding left and right. This Japanese studio specialized in virtual reality video games such as Altair Breaker or Swords of Gargantua brings us Soul Covenant for PC VR, Quest and PS VR 2, an adventure with anime aesthetics halfway between an action RPG and a visual novel that immerses us in the battles for human survival against mechanical gods, within the framework of a post-apocalyptic Tokyo. Is it worth it after impressing the general public with its cyberpunk sword swings in its first trailers? The answer in our analysis.
“I’ll go pick up your bones…”
As we say, Soul Covenant takes us to a near future, in a world totally devastated by an artificial intelligence called Adam who assumes the role of God and whose purpose is to end all traces of humanity on Earth through the so-called Deus ex Machina, living weapons with the appearance of mechanical gods that invade cities and kill all those who refuse to obey. And here we enter as one of the few survivors through the so-called avatars, enhanced soldiers who are part of raids against the machines in Tokyo Ark, the last of the bastions still standing. And the beauty of it all—and the murkiest and most bizarre thing—is that we must collect the enhanced bodies of our fallen comrades to create our own weapons, in an unsettling yet necessary cycle in which death helps others keep fighting.
And yes, we refer to this cycle as murky because the weapons themselves will be composed of parts of other soldiers killed in battle, giving rise to scythes made of robotic backbones and ribs, metallic bone swords and other cuteness typical of the most bizarre anime of the 90s, to which we must add the drippy designs of the enemies, They are also based on bionic forms that hold certain traces of humanity. In fact, the story seems to be the most interesting element of the set, although not so the way it is told, through static images and narrated voices -in English with Spanish subtitles- that bring the experience closer to a classic visual novel. Something that doesn’t fit too much with what is expected of a virtual reality video game. And while there are also parts with three-dimensional models, they appear very rarely.
So much so, that much of the Soul Covenant experience will be through the observation of these static and narrated images, losing much of its appeal through a vague narrative, not at all attractive. And that’s a shame, because the story itself is quite interesting. The other great asset of the title is its pure and hard action side with slight RPG touches in terms of improving skills and unlocking weapons. Unfortunately, the development of the adventure is too pigeonholed through sections divided into four parts, only one of them being combat; The rest is narrative in which we will want to press the skip button more times than we would like.
And it’s time for sword-wielding action; or axe, as you prefer. All this through closed arenas in which you can dispatch waves of “putty” enemies and, at certain times, face middle or final bosses, depending on their size and power. It is in these moments when Soul Covenant shines the most, since it makes us feel like real soldiers with two-meter swords in hand, giving us some freedom and options when facing our rivals, this being the most physical and immersive part of the set, always with the company of three other soldiers controlled by the AI or by other players thanks to its online cooperative mode.
Thus, we can move freely through these closed combat scenarios, brandishing our weapon with one hand or with two hands, depending on the way we want to fight, modifying its use and appearance in real time. You can also activate a shield with your left hand, as well as collect orbs from fallen enemies to accumulate energy to fire a beam with the left gauntlet once it’s fully charged. While it demands a certain amount of timing when it comes to attacking, defending, and moving – even with a dash – after a few fights it feels too repetitive and lacking in appeal. In the end, you’ll only face different waves of enemies with no other objective than to survive to access the next block of the adventure and its strenuous and bland narrative, through a campaign that lasts about five hours.
Irregular in the audiovisual field
Beyond certain interactive 3D elements between the menus, once on the battlefield Soul Covenant is just as uneven thanks to very empty and flat environments, with textures that seem from another era. Of course, the designs of both the soldiers and the enemies are more than eye-catching, demonstrating a great personality, including the hilarious look of the weapons. Unfortunately, the variety of enemies is practically nil, a missed opportunity to stand out in this regard. Where it is more interesting is in its sound section, both in the music that accompanies both the action and the narrative chapters, in addition to the already commented interpretations of the dubbing actors and actresses, with voices in English.
CONCLUSION
Soul Covenant impressed with its first gameplay trailers, promising a futuristic anime-like action RPG like we’ve never seen before in VR. However, the result does not live up to expectations, with a simple and repetitive gameplay and a narrative side that totally wastes the VR format, despite containing an interesting story, even if it is for the bizarreness of its plot. A missed opportunity for a visual novel with combat arenas in the field of virtual reality that we can only recommend to those who want to try a different experience in VR and are attracted by its theme and anime-like art direction.