Review of ‘Skydance’s Behemoth’ – A Giant Leap for VR Action-Adventure Games

Skydance’s Behemoth takes the lessons learned from their hit VR game, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners, and applies them to a new action-adventure experience. The narrative might follow a familiar path if compared to traditional games, making it tough to stand out. However, in the realm of VR, Behemoth offers an epic scale and satisfaction that few others can match.

Skydance’s Behemoth Breakdown:

• Developer: Skydance Games
• Available On: Quest 2/3/Pro, PSVR 2, with SteamVR on the horizon
• Reviewed On: Quest 3
• Release Date: December 5th, 2024
• Price: $40

Gameplay

Inspired by the vibe of Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke, Behemoth puts you in the shoes of Wren, a cursed villager who stands at the brink of becoming a mindless aggressor. With a ticking clock on this doom, the curse gifts you extraordinary powers—faster movement, stronger strikes, and basically the ability to pummel anything in sight. All this power is directed towards unraveling the evil that has devastated the kingdom.

The game leverages your curse and transforms it into a badass advantage as you navigate crumbling castles and twisting paths. Along the way, you’ll confront diverse enemies sworn to dark masters, including some nasty giant trolls ready to disrupt your mission of vengeance.

Behemoth presents a combat system where physics play a central role, with a strong emphasis on melee encounters. Rather than sticking to prescriptive fight sequences, the game allows freedom in how you assert dominance over adversaries, letting you unleash a creative onslaught.

To parry, simply align your sword with the attack’s direction. This opens up the opponent for devastating counterattacks. Beware, though; wild swinging and excessive dashing will drain your auto-regen stamina bar. Adversaries in the game await your focused attention, as each wields different weapons and tactics, some relying on speed and others on unavoidable attacks. The challenge is in the fine balance of managing your powers and reacting swiftly to their moves.

There are shortcuts in battles—you can use your immense strength to obliterate enemy armor and demolish groups of weaker foes in one swing. While I didn’t use it in the instructional clip due to cool-down, it serves as a great way to enhance damage, increase speed, and set up chain kills with upgrades.

As you progress, the game increasingly features armored adversaries, pushing you to lean heavily on your extraordinary abilities and three legendary weapons that become available: a mighty two-handed sword, a self-recharging bow, and an axe that breaks armor—each upgradable at scattered forges, using Coloss Alloy collected from chests.

Unfortunately, the spur for crafting in Behemoth comes up short if you’re into collecting, as the upgradability focuses solely on weapon enhancement. Collecting medicinal plants feels almost moot, offering negligible health restoration despite their abundance. The herbs seem to cry out for a potion system that might have been scrapped, especially since you’ll gather ample health potions from fallen enemies.

Outside the main gameplay loop of upgrades, you’ll find environmental puzzles, both quick and intricate, and a variety of mini-bosses, leading up to the grand spectacle: the Behemoths.

The lure of engaging combat is effective, but let’s face it, Behemoths are the real draw, with just four peppered throughout the game. Although I’d love more of these colossal encounters, each one meticulously scales with your skill advancements. Think shooting, slicing, climbing, grappling, and dashing—all rolled into epic, multi-phase clashes that test all your abilities. You’ll find yourself pondering how to tackle something sky-high when prompted by your witch-like companion who keeps you on track with suggestions on where to strike.

The witch’s presence helps guide you without making the showdown any less challenging. You’ll have to target vulnerable spots on the massive creatures, engaging in climbs and grapples to reach and exploit them. It’s a thrilling element, and you’ll find yourself wishing there were even more Behemoths to conquer.

There’s more to talk about, like collectibles that are somewhat lackluster, interesting background notes, and an intuitive holster-based inventory system. The game functions impressively, living up to expectations set by its predecessor Saints & Sinners. One slight hiccup, though, is the story, which feels a bit predictable, making it hard to truly captivate.

The game’s difficulty level is no joke. Even the easy ‘Tenderfoot’ mode poses real challenges, requiring keen analysis of attack patterns and recognizing the unique weaknesses of foes.

Spanning about nine hours in the campaign, Behemoth trims the fat, leaving little to waste. Nearly every piece of loot, every enemy encountered serves a purpose. Each narrative moment might not surprise but feels integral, prompting you to loot chests and smash through urns for essential upgrades and potions.

Although Behemoth lets you revisit previous levels seeking hidden treasures through fast travel, it doesn’t lean on repetitive content, which is refreshing.

Immersion

Wren, along with his eerie witchy companion, form a duo of voices that somehow manage not to intrude during puzzles or heated combat, leaving you to dive into the experience unhindered. Unlike the overused ‘helpful robot’ trope, these voices add to the depth without overpowering the player’s autonomy. In this regard, Behemoth wins my heart, though perhaps not my mind.

While the game’s voice acting is decent, a particular character feels out of sync with the game’s gritty world, coming across as too dramatic and somewhat forced. While I won’t delve into plot spoilers, this element creates a disconnect in an otherwise well-crafted environment.

Despite relying on well-known plot devices, Behemoth shines in areas like its stunning visuals and the realistic combat system. The vibrant environment might have you mistake it for a PC VR game, given how well it performs on the Quest 3.

The story offers some generic twists and battles we’ve seen before, but it compensates with satisfying gameplay and a dynamic grappling system, especially in boss fights.

AI opponents, though more robust than the zombies of Saints & Sinners, can feel a tad predictable. Large arenas, seemingly gated for combat, add to this game-like feel but are forgivable, considering the exhilarating battles Behemoth offers.

The whole experience is impressive, with engaging level designs and thought-provoking Behemoth confrontations drawing you in. Throwing enemies into walls is absurdly enjoyable, and such lighthearted moments punctuate the game.

In the grand scope, Behemoth pushes the limits of current VR technology, offering a compelling experience on the Quest 3 that would have been mind-blowing just a few years back.

Comfort

Behemoth demands physical involvement, yet it accommodates both seated and standing gameplay, allowing extended sessions without burning out. Prepare for dual-handed motions, clearing enough room to perform wide, intense swings.

The game features standard VR movement options, including smooth and snap turning, with adjustable strengths and vignettes to manage motion sickness. A subtle snowy particle field acts as a visual anchor, minimizing discomfort during fast-paced sections.

Apart from one slightly queasy elevator stint, Behemoth stands as a testament to comfort and accessibility in VR, offering a versatile, responsive experience throughout.