With "Another World", French game designer Éric Chahi has already managed to publish a classic that still captivates many fans today. Now he is trying to win the terrain of VR games with the title "Paper Beast". You can find out how well this works in our test.
Sand, stone, paper, the way is the goal
After we have briefly familiarized ourselves with the controls, we find ourselves in a very sandy, surreal world, in which we are also greeted directly by one of the eponymous creatures: a large being, similar to an oversized spider, made of paper. The paper looks as if it had just been chased by a shredder. We then follow the being and start our journey. Our goal: unclear! Because the title completely dispenses with language, text and a real introduction. So we explore the area on our own, encounter other paper beasts, sometimes colorful, sometimes white, sometimes curled or smooth. Some of them look abstract and imaginative, others are reminiscent of spiders, crabs or worms.
On our trip we are faced with various puzzles, the solution of which we also have to work out completely ourselves. It makes a lot of sense to act logically and to take advantage of the laws of physics. In addition, there are various elements of the game world, such as water, ice, sand and lava. So we have to build a dam in one place to dry out another area for us and make it passable, or melt ice with a hot lava stone at another to be able to use a tunnel. The beasts can also be very helpful, for example when it comes to removing or accumulating sand.
The puzzles are pleasantly demanding, require a little experimentation here and there and are always very varied. Hardly one puzzle is like the other. This is how we make our way through the different sections, solve the puzzles and let ourselves be fully involved in the experience. We are supported by the simple type of control. You dispense with complicated key combinations and layout and concentrate on just a few commands: grab, pick up and push away. To move, the decision was made to use the VR-proven teleportation model, which also fits the game very well.
In addition to the story mode, the title also offers a free sandbox mode. In this we can design a large, free area according to our own wishes and ideas and play God. Not only can we customize the landscape by adding or removing sand and water, we can also adjust the position of the sun, influence the weather, and let the beasts on our plateau live with whom we have had contact in the story. It is important to ensure that there is a good balance between all types of flora and fauna in order to create your own landscape with blossoming (paper) life. In the course of the story, we will also unlock other objects and beings with which we can expand our sandbox.
The gameplay of "Paper Beast" is really fun, easy to master and offers an appealing framework with its many different puzzles. It fits that we are provided with 0 information throughout the game, how we have to proceed or what is actually going on here. In this way, you can think of your own plot, in which the title plays. The sandbox is also a really appealing feature, which emphasizes the core of the gameplay and also provides some variety. However, one should not forget that this is a PSVR title, the possibilities of which are somewhat limited here and there and unfortunately we sometimes stand in our way, but that can be coped with. It is a shame that we can only play the title with the DualShock 4, the Move controllers would have fit very well into the overall concept.
Reality meets fiction
Already in the first minutes of “Paper Beast” it is striking that the title clearly sets real conditions in terms of surroundings. So there are mountains, lots of sand, clouds, water, all elements as you know them from reality. The beasts made of paper move in this world, their composition is very multifaceted and they blend well into the overall picture. In addition, there is a really sophisticated game physics, which calculates the individual connections between cause and effect in real time, if we e.g. interact with the sand or with water. Furthermore, there are always smaller accents that speak for a good eye for detail, such as the fact that the creatures leave a trace in the sand when they move through it or how they push through in a slightly unfriendly way. Unfortunately, these traces are very blurred, which is probably due to the PSVR. In addition, some of the beasts that are moving with us through the levels are too slow and we quickly overtook them. Especially when you are part of the solution, its sluggishness is a real problem and waiting can quickly become annoying.
All in all, the presentation of "Paper Beast" makes a solid impression. The beasts are really impressive, which is why you like to take a closer look at them. The surroundings are also very appealing and the individual sections exude their very own charm. Of course, you have to remind yourself that this is a title for the VR headset, so you shouldn't expect graphic masterpieces. Nevertheless, you can create an exciting atmosphere with few means, in which you like to browse. The fact that most of the background music is omitted fits well into the picture. Here and there we might have wished that we could control the objects and beasts a little more precisely, which is partly due to our own point of view and the sometimes confusing sections.
