Enhanced Gameplay, Reduced Graphics Quality

When Alien: Rogue Incursion first hit PSVR 2 and PC VR headsets last December, it marked an exciting milestone as the first VR-native experience in the iconic ‘Alien’ franchise. Now, the developer Survios has expanded the game’s horizons with its release on Quest 3.

Back at its initial launch, our review highlighted how thrilling the Xenomorph encounters were, noting their raptor-like hunting behavior that got hearts racing. However, the excitement was often overshadowed by the monotonous repetition of these enemy interactions and an overly strict save system. We ended up giving it a [7/10] for its launch.

Since then, the game has seen a series of patches aimed at refining the experience, leading up to its arrival on Quest 3, where it’s now available for $40 on the Horizon Store.

Among the updates, the most significant one tweaked the Xenomorph spawn mechanics. By altering their hearing and vision, Survios managed to prevent players from feeling overwhelmed by omnipresent threats. Additionally, they adjusted the save system, now allowing players the luxury of loading previous saves instead of being stuck with just one option.

We haven’t had the chance to dive into the Quest 3 version ourselves, but early feedback is varied. A popular YouTube channel, Gamertag VR, offers an insightful review of the latest Quest release, although they noted a few graphical downsides.

“Sadly, on Quest, the initially dark ambiance is compromised because the early stages of the game aren’t dimly lit at all. There’s a flashlight at your disposal, but for the most part, it remains unused as the setting is already brightly illuminated,” they observed.

Despite this, Gamertag VR feels the Xenomorph battles now have a more natural flow, thanks to the pre-launch update.

For those interested in a direct comparison, The VR Grid provides a head-to-head analysis of Quest 3 versus PSVR 2 (on a standard PS5). This comparison sheds light on what was trimmed down to accommodate Quest 3’s Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor.

According to The VR Grid, the core gameplay feels consistent between Quest 3 and PSVR 2. However, you’ll notice the Quest version lacks dynamic lighting and lifelike ambient effects like steam, and it also has a more limited field of vision. Yet, it benefits from clearer in-game text.

We refer to the release as Alien: Rogue Incursion, although technically it’s just ‘Part One’ of a two-part storyline. Survios clarified in a statement last December that this installment is a “standalone adventure that ends with a cliffhanger,” and hinted that there’s plenty more to come.

The studio is already busy developing ‘Part Two,’ which is poised to advance Zula’s journey, introducing tougher foes and more complex hurdles along the way.