Skydance's Behemoth review

Skydance has established itself as one of the top VR game developers. Studio's Walking Dead games stand out as some of the best VR titles available, so expectations have been suitably high for Skydance's latest VR game, Behemoth. A gritty action-adventure game set in the dark fantasy world of the Forsaken Lands, Behemoth is another amazing virtual reality game from Skydance and is easily one of the better VR action adventure games.

IN Behemothplayers take on the role of Wren, a hunter from a small village who is afflicted with the same supernatural rot that has taken over the Forsaken Lands. Ending the suffering involves slaying gigantic beasts, titular giants, all while collecting gear, fighting human enemies and solving puzzles.

Behemoths are the big selling point for Behemothand they do not disappoint. The sheer size of these creatures cannot be understated, and fighting them is absolutely thrilling. Behemoth delivers some of the best and most memorable boss fights in all of VR gaming through these captivating creatures, with each battle topping the last in complexity, challenge and scale. These fights would have looked incredible on a traditional flat screen TV or monitor, but seeing these monsters in the context of virtual reality is truly something else.

Behemoth's Boss Fights are its biggest draw

The incredible giant fights are worth the price of admission alone, although there are a couple of issues that keep these encounters from reaching their full potential. There is a lot to climb into Behemothand usually it works exactly as intended, but there were times when climbing just didn't work correctly when trying to scale these gigantic creatures. One of the more impressive behemoth battles was also marred by sound cutting in and out, distracting and robbing the moment of its impact. But even with these hiccups, Behemoths boss fights are ones to remember.

There are only a few giant fights in the game. In between, players must cut through countless hordes of human enemies armed with swords, axes, shields and bows. Players can pick up and use any weapon they come across on their adventures, with the combat taking full advantage of the freedom that VR allows. Players can smash through an enemy's shield with an axe, stun them with a quick arrow shot to the foot, and then stab them through the head while their guard is down. Having so many weapons at one's disposal can seem daunting, but players don't have to worry about fumbling with their inventory in the heat of battle. Key weapons automatically return if thrown aside, and players can even throw their sword and manually recall at will God of war's Leviathan Ax if they want.

Early, Behemoth grants the Wren a special ability that greatly increases their strength for a short period of time. If fights ever get too overwhelming, players can trigger this skill to literally slice their opponents in half, tear their limbs off, and even pick them up and throw them. As the game progresses, Wren's arsenal grows, which in turn increases the players' options in any given combat encounter, ensuring that the battles in Behemoth never grow old.

There's a lot of fighting in it Behemothbut the game shines with its puzzle solving. Fans of Zelda-puzzles will have a great time tackling the puzzles in Behemothand while many of them may be simplistic compared to traditional console games, being able to get a literal handle on everything helps them feel fresh. Puzzles help break up the combat encounters and ensure Behemoth maintains a high tempo from the beginning of the game to its final score. There's nothing here that will make players pull their hair out, but there's still enough challenge to the puzzles that players won't get bored either.

My first playthrough of Behemoth took about 10 hours, but I can see it taking another 5 to 10 hours to 100%.

The last bit of BehemothThe core of the game is its platforming. Behemoth equips players with a grappling hook that they can use to pull to higher ledges, sometimes using the momentum to fling Wren over long distances to then struggle on to the next point and so on and so forth. Wren's dash, which is usually used to dodge enemy attacks, can be used in the air to slide over gaps, and players can also jump up walls and ledges that they physically climb with their hands. Clever twists on the formula are sprinkled throughout and that, combined with the upgrades players get for Wren's grappling hook that give it more utility, keep things interesting.

Behemoth gives you value for money

Everything in the game is so efficient because Behemoth does not overstay its welcome. It gradually gives players more tools, and then presents puzzles and combat encounters that use the tools. When Behemoth run out of ideas, game over. It doesn't mean Behemoth doesn't have a significant amount of content to go through. My playthrough took about 10 hours, and I wasn't even close to seeing everything. There are many locations off the beaten path, often with more difficult puzzles and platforming challenges that provide useful rewards.

Behemoth has collectibles for players to find, but the real exciting rewards are the metals that players use to upgrade their weapons. To stay faithful BehemothVR immersion, upgrading weapons is not done by clicking a menu. Players must place their weapons on an anvil, melt down the necessary materials, and then strike the heated weapon with a hammer. Much like Skydance's other VR games, Behemoth does a fantastic job of keeping players immersed by taking full advantage of VR's unique capabilities. What would be a mundane task in any other game is instead made engaging and fun.

From a gaming perspective, it's hard to find fault Behemoth beyond the grueling climb during the massive boss fights. The game's two biggest drawbacks are its story, which is bland and predictable, and its graphical mishaps, which are a little too common. For the most part, Behemoth looks great, but other times it drops the ball with textures not loading and wonky effects.

Behemoth has an Arena mode that is currently in beta testing, but we weren't able to try it for this review.

It's not perfect, but it doesn't stop Behemoth from being one of the best VR games to date. It's an action-packed adventure that should greatly appeal to fans of games like The Legend of Zelda and God of warwith a healthy balance of brutal combat, satisfying puzzles and immersive exploration. It's the latest must-have VR experience and one of the best virtual reality games to release all year.