Game length is a common complaint when it comes to VR games. In the early days of PSVR, players were often paying premium prices for very short experiences. Most games could be done and dusted within a few short hours. That’s not always a bad thing, but when you’re paying upwards of $50/£45, you expect to get value for money.
Skip ahead to today and developers are certainly more in-tune with player expectations. They know that we’ll happily sit through a two-to-three-hour experience if the pricing is fair. The developers at Fast Travel Games have nailed the price/length ratio, and that makes this short but sweet experience an easy recommendation.
You’ll need a PSVR headset to explore the dinky worlds of The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets, and at the very least a charged up DualShock 4 controller. If you’ve got PS Move wand controllers, you can use them, too, and they were my preferred option in this case.
The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets is a short puzzle game where you help your grandfather find the titular stolen pets. Through the five worlds that you can poke around in, a story is told. It’s sweet, tender, and it’ll give you the warm fuzzy feelings in your belly. Not me, though. I’m a real man. I don’t have feelings. I drink whiskey and eat crisps, and I’ve never cried a day in my life. Don’t question me!
The gameplay is straightforward. You’ll spend your time poking around the lovingly created diorama-like worlds trying to find the stolen pets. The puzzles aren’t difficult at all, and with a little trial and error, you’ll find the solution. It may seem too easy for some, but given the child-friendly setting, it’s probably best to keep things a little simple for the youngster’s who will be playing. It’s still fun, and that’s the main thing, but once you’ve gone through the entire game, there’s very little reason to go back and do it again. Unless, of course, you want to collect the hidden coins, or just enjoy the story and the adorable presentation once again. And it really is a looker. It’s not a graphical showcase for PSVR by any stretch, but there’s something about being able to look down upon the little worlds that I really enjoy. The animations are all on point, and the music fits perfectly. Once you’ve got your head stuck in these little worlds, it’s a shame to have to move onto the next one.
The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets is adorable, sweet, and short. It’s the perfect lazy Sunday game to keep the kids quiet for a couple of hours, though you may find yourself refereeing an impromptu boxing match if the headset isn’t being shared according to the Laws of Kids.
The Curios Tale of the Stolen Pets PSVR Review
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Overall - Fantastic - 8/108/10
Summary
The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets is a lovely little game that’s an easy way to kill an afternoon. The presentation is on-point and it’s easy to just get lost staring into the beautiful little worlds.
Review Disclaimer: This review was carried out using a copy of the game provided by the publisher. For more information, please read our Review Policy.
Reviewed using PS4 Pro.
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