Skydance Games has been making waves in the VR world, and their latest creation, Behemoth, is a testament to the lessons they’ve learned from their journey, particularly with their well-received title The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners. Behemoth steps into the action-adventure scene with a narrative that’s largely conventional for standard games but stands tall in the VR realm for its colossal scale and immersive satisfaction.
If you’re familiar with Princess Mononoke from Studio Ghibli, Behemoth’s storyline will feel somewhat akin. In this game, you become Wren, a cursed villager doomed to become a mindless menace unless you can harness the curse’s power to uncover and end the evil plaguing your kingdom. This power grants you extraordinary speed and strength, letting you literally punch your way through the chaos.
As you journey through Behemoth, you’ll use this curse to navigate through old castle ruins and enemy-laden paths. The game’s world is haunted by giant troll-like creatures that add to the intrigue. Combat here is physics-based, with a focus on melee. The attack-and-parry system isn’t overloaded with rigid mechanics, giving you freedom to strategize your moves.
You’ll hold your sword to block enemy attacks, which opens them up for counterstrikes. But overexerting yourself can quickly drain your stamina, so each foe demands your full attention. Some opponents are swift, others have unstoppable moves, requiring you to constantly manage your strengths and defenses in a balanced manner.
There are some shortcuts that make battles manageable. Your superhuman power allows for breaking through armor and dispatching multiple enemies with a single blow once it cools from previous use. As you progress, armor-clad enemies demand more reliance on your enhanced strength and a set of legendary weapons that evolve through the game. These include a sword, a bow with self-replenishing arrows, and an axe that shatters armor—all of which you can upgrade using the Coloss Alloy you find.
Weapon crafting feels underutilized beyond these upgrades, despite a variety of herbs that offer negligible health boosts. It seems the studio might have considered a more complex system but decided against it. Thankfully, health potions are plentiful, often found among the fallen enemies.
Throughout your journey, you’ll encounter environmental puzzles and mini-bosses before facing the true stars— the Behemoths. Though limited in number, the Behemoth battles are a highlight, testing all of your honed skills: aiming, slicing, climbing, and dashing, they provide a stimulating challenge.
You receive guidance from a mysterious companion who occupies your mind, giving clear instructions as you battle these titanic foes. Targeting their weak spots requires navigating a labyrinth of grappling and climbing, which is thrilling, albeit somewhat scripted.
Behemoth offers collectable lore notes and a well-functioning holster-based inventory system. The overall design acknowledges Skydance’s expertise, though the story feels somewhat predictable. Even at the easiest level, the difficulty is significant, posing a rewarding challenge that kept me engaged through nearly a dozen hours of gameplay.
The game doesn’t lean on recycling content but instead gives opportunities to rediscover hidden areas, keeping the experience fresh.
As for immersion, having both Wren and the witchy presence in your head works surprisingly well, offering direction without being intrusive. Unlike many games with overly helpful AI companions, Behemoth’s voices enhance rather than hinder the experience.
In terms of audio-visuals, one character’s voice acting misses the mark with its over-the-top delivery, contrasting sharply with the gritty backdrop. While the narrative isn’t the game’s strongest suit, the visual fidelity and combat mechanics keep the experience compelling.
Despite some AI and level design predictability, the game delivers a robust package where strategic and dynamic combat shine, especially in the awe-inspiring Behemoth battles.
For those concerned with comfort, Behemoth offers flexible playstyles to accommodate seated or standing gameplay. Regular VR movement settings are provided, alongside options for both smooth and snap-turning. There’s even a subtle snowy field that grounds your perspective, ensuring spatial awareness during action-packed scenes. Save for a wobbly elevator, the game maintains a comfortable VR experience.
Overall, handing someone a VR headset with Behemoth as the experience can be a persuasive showcase of the advances in VR technology and game design.
