The Lost Bear, the debut game from Odd Bug Studio, is a 2D platformer with a lovely hand-painted art style. Learn more ab this fun game in our The Lost Bear review!
The game is sorta set in a theatre in which you can look all around your surroundings which change as you progress in the game – you are sat in a comfy chair facing the stage. This one uses a mix of 2D art and 3D assets to create a unique atmosphere never before seen in VR, offering a really fresh take on how to create games within this genre.
You control Walnet, a young girl that sets out on a journey to save her toy bear from the evil toy snatcher. It’s an interesting journey in which there will be lots of running, jumping and puzzle solving to progress through the levels on this wonderful 2D side-scrolling platformer.
The controls are simple and effective and make good use of the Dualshock controller. You are given a weapon from your father which is a slingshot, and use this by pressing a shoulder button and aiming with the Dualshock. It sounds a bit odd, but it works really well. Jumping and climbing are controlled with the X button, and you just use the left analog stick to control movement.
You start off the game with a scene where you wake your father, which is when he gives you the aforementioned slingshot so that you can go hunting. You get to use your slingshot on a beehive to knock it out of a tree and into a cauldron which your father takes away. After this, you go on to wander, and it is then that your bear is snatched away.
The game itself reminds me of OddWorld a bit, what with its the style and gameplay. The music is lovely with some really nice floaty guitar riffs that help to keep you going along on your journey to recover your bear. The overall package is great with the game’s look, gameplay mechanics, sounds and music really complementing each other. Along the way, you will come across different beasties – some good and some bad. They appear to be mechanical hounds controlled by the Snatcher, so be careful, or else you will regret it!
Within each level, there are obstacles for you to overcome as you would find in any 2D platform game. The puzzles are few but are nicely crafted, as you shoot items out of trees to help you on your way – such as rope swings. There is even a puzzle in which you have to mimic the sounds you hear by shooting at some bells in the trees – I really liked that one.
Within the levels, you can use the DualShock 4 to operate machinery, which is the only real VR-heavy interactive element. You’ll, for example, get to operate cranes, and within one of the levels, you’ll find yourself in what appears to be a car scrap yard with a considerably sized electromagnet.
Overall the game is short, featuring only five levels that can be completed in a couple of sittings. But as I have said before, The Lost Bear brings a whole new VR experience to the table which you really should definitely, well, experience! The game had me smiling the whole time I was playing thanks to its great art-style and interesting take on the 2D platformer genre. If you’re looking for a great game for your PS VR, then I recommend The Lost Bear.
Disclaimer
This The Lost Bear review is based on a PS VR copy provided by Fabrik Games.
