Skydance’s Behemoth officially launches today, bringing an ambitious narrative adventure and towering foes that aim to challenge players as they cross the Forsaken Lands.
In Behemoth players take on the role of Wren, a solitary hunter tasked with shattering a curse that plagues both his body and village. The stakes are high from the start in these desolate landscapes, where colossal creatures known as Behemoths roam posing a threat not to be taken lightly.
Captured from Quest 2
On Quest 2, the visuals fell short, suffering from blurriness that’s commonly associated with the headset’s aging Fresnel lenses and limited three position adjustable IPD. Significant aliasing was also present, making some text in the game difficult to read. This translated into gameplay impediments for me, with noticeable frame rate drops in crowded areas or when facing the imposing Behemoths. For players seeking a good experience, Quest 2 seems a poor choice and one that I am no longer recommending for games that have recently released.
Captured from Quest 3
Switching to Quest 3, there were slight improvements in graphics, but aliasing persisted, although with the headset’s higher-resolution displays and pancake lenses, text readability issues from the Quest 2 version were no longer noticeable. Performance also improved overall, though playing on Quest 3 still wasn’t free of the occasional slowdown. Similar to a few other big titles I’ve played this year, like Metro Awakening, it became clear that BEHEMOTH was most likely optimized around the limitations of Quest 2, leaving Quest 3’s additional horsepower underutilized.
Captured from PSVR 2
The PlayStation VR2 version offered a refreshing upgrade. With Behemoth’s visuals displayed with OLED screens, particularly in darker environments, it made the adventure more pleasing to the eye. The device’s advanced haptic feedback, especially the face haptics, added another layer of immersion. However, the unfortunate issue of PlayStation VR2’s Mura somewhat detracted from the visual feast I was hoping for on this system.
Captured from PC
Between the various platforms, the true behemoth visually here was the PC VR version. With the power of a high-end gaming rig, the graphics are outstanding, but the game keeps crashing. I tried repeatedly to play the PC version and this frequent crashing made it impossible to get more than five minutes of playtime. However, David Heaney found greater success and could play the PC VR version for around an hour with some stuttering but without experiencing any crashes.
PC Specs Used By Don And David
Don’s PC setup is an Intel I9 13900k clocked at 5.8 GHz, 64 gigs of DDR5 RAM, ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero motherboard, and a Zotac Gaming 4090 Amp Extreme Airo GPU. Don used a Quest 3 across both Virtual Desktop and Air Link.
David’s PC setup uses an Intel i5-9600Km, NVIDIA RTX 3070 Ti and 32GB DDR4 2666, playing Behemoth on Quest 3S via Steam Link.
A day 1 patch for PS VR2 and a day 7 patch for Quest have been announced, but there’s no word on any PC VR updates yet.
Combat feels reminiscent of Skydance’s previous work. Players will appreciate the tactical melee-focused mechanics, where the weight of each weapon is virtually felt. The thrill of freeing your blade from an enemy or object it has gotten stuck in is both satisfying and immersive. Tele-grab mechanics are also present, which can sometimes feel cumbersome in the heat of battle. A few times this led to minor frustrations, particularly when attempting to quickly pick up dropped weapons or health.
First Behemoth sighting captured from PSVR 2
Standing before the Behemoths is an awe-inspiring moment and one of sheer delight and terror. I felt genuine dread and an immense sense of smallness creeping in as I gazed up at these massive titans, their size a testament to the game’s formidable artistic vision and Skydance’s mastery of world scale.
While the narrative keeps players engaged and progression flowing, the voice acting does falter somewhat. It’s competent but some characters, especially the protagonist, lack range and depth, sounding flat against the game’s score and surrounding sound effects.
For those craving more context and backstory into the rich environments of the Forsaken Lands, Skydance has also provided a companion graphic novel that explores the game’s intricate lore. This extends the overall experience, allowing players to better connect with Wren and the challenges ahead.
After diving into Behemoth, it’s clear that Skydance is pushing the boundaries of both scale and engagement. At launch, while the title excels on PS VR2 and Quest 3, it struggles a bit on Quest 2 and wouldn’t even run on PC. With upcoming patches and optimizations, I hope to see improvements that will enhance my adventures in this dark fantasy world.
Out now, Skydance’s Behemoth is ready for you to answer the call and end the curse of the Behemoths, so grab your weapons, sharpen your skills, and prepare to face titans. Sometimes you’re the hunter, and sometimes you just need to survive long enough to tell the tale.
Be sure to tune in to the next episode of VR Gamescast as we talk through my time in Skydance’s Behemoth, the latest expansions to I Am Cat and all the latest from the UploadVR Showcase.
This article was originally published on uploadvr