DIG VR provides an entertaining mild sim with an ideal humorousness, and it is out this week on Quest. Learn on for our full evaluate.
Comedy is a difficult factor to do efficiently in video games. Away from the posh of scripted cutscenes the place timing is strictly managed, pulling off efficient laughs could be troublesome in a user-controlled medium. You would not anticipate hilarity from a power-digging mild sim and but DIG VR has a few of the most relatable British humor I’ve ever seen in a VR sport.
What’s it?: An influence digging-themed mild simulator for VR with arcade-style gameplay.
Platforms: Quest (Reviewed on Quest 3)
Launch Date: November 14, 2024
Developer: Simply Add Water
Worth: $19.99
That is largely achieved by nice environmental design and the setting, which takes clear inspiration from PowerWash Simulator VR. This marketing campaign sees you accepting jobs throughout the city of Diglington within the County of Digshire, with duties starting from making ready the “Grasp ‘N’ Bury” music competition to clearing up a brand new property for a pompously over-the-top elitist, Sir Harold Diggersly. You get the thought.
DIG VR pleasingly opts for an genuine movement management scheme with nice physicality, utilizing two levers for motion and two sticks to regulate your excavator’s arm. You have additionally obtained elective thumbstick controls that swap between the motion and arm levers when pushing within the left and proper analog sticks. It is a good various, although movement controls are preferable. Since you’ll be able to’t get out of the car, swapping the arm’s hooked up instruments includes holding down the X button.
The marketing campaign begins with extra simple duties you’d anticipate like excavating, penalizing you in case you go dig past the boundaries or dump filth exterior of the designated space. Two problem settings additionally flip this right into a danger or reward state of affairs; Graded Mode is a more difficult however welcome choice that deducts your rank for errors like driving or destroying close by objects, whereas Zen Mode does not penalize such errors in trade for a smaller payout.
Digging would not be terrifically thrilling by itself however the marketing campaign maintains that absurdity by steadily introducing new instruments. I’ve by no means seen such a multifunctional excavator in all my life. Drilling holes within the floor and attaching a buzzsaw to mow down timber is one factor, but it surely’s very humorous seeing this heavy equipment used for mowing patches of grass or hedges with an hooked up trimmer. Are there extra sensible methods of dealing with such duties? Naturally, however something goes in Diglington.
DIG VR is a slow-paced expertise that rewards persistence when issues go easily. After I’m not within the temper for a quick motion sport, clearing by these missions with the in-game radio taking part in is surprisingly enjoyable. The eight in-game stations supply some respectable selections ranging between lo-fi, classical, and DigFM, and I recognize how altering stations or quantity wants your bodily enter. The builders did not miss a trick right here with its parody adverts too, which sound extremely just like one thing you’d hear throughout UK radio stations.
DIG VR walks you thru a number of three preset consolation choices while you first start the marketing campaign, a welcome method to assist mitigate any potential points for VR newcomers. You can even use customized settings in case you choose to tailor every facet individually.
The sport options totally different consolation settings for its two gameplay sections. Controlling a digger solely makes use of easy locomotion that is managed by grabbing levers with movement controls, or an elective selection for synthetic stick-based locomotion. Strolling throughout your warehouse between missions additionally helps synthetic stick-based locomotion alongside teleportation.
Non-compulsory motion and turning vignettes are each out there with adjustable strengths, alongside easy and snap turning digicam settings. Anybody utilizing easy turning may activate a displayable dot, supplying you with one thing to deal with to cut back movement illness. HUD icons will also be adjusted from the settings menu.
In case your digger will get caught in any manner, you’ll be able to reset your place from the pause menu at any level. DIG VR additionally formally helps the ROTO VR Explorer chair, although we could not check its performance in the course of the evaluate interval. Lastly, totally different digger joystick patterns could be chosen utilizing ISO controls or SAE controls – extra particulars on that right here.
That is boosted by a vibrant presentation on Quest 3, which feels significantly polished for standalone {hardware} and matches the lighthearted method nicely. Totally different skins, decals and paint colours supply some wacky selections like alarm clocks throughout your car. It is a good contact for these after some personalization, and that is the place you may spend your earnings after finishing missions.
Sadly, a handful of points depart me feeling pissed off in locations throughout this marketing campaign. Exactly aiming your arm with movement controls could be fairly finicky, and that makes finishing some duties a chore. That is very true with excavating filth. I might usually dig up an space with relative ease, solely to wrestle with the final 10. Repeatedly digging to solely get 1-2% nearer to completion will get annoying quick, contemplating you additionally should empty the bucket every time.
One mission includes clearing up a large number throughout a development website, and compacting the filth across the 4 sides of a help pillar requires frustratingly exact dealing with since a slight collision can penalize you. Whereas Zen Mode alleviates that frustration, some car cosmetics are solely unlocked by reaching an S rank in Graded Mode. I would like the rewards however not sufficient to reset a mission.
One other stage requires demolishing a brick wall with the drill to assist somebody begin constructing a fence, then attaching the grabbing device to dump the stays in a close-by skip. Completely superb concept on paper however choosing up roughly 20 totally different items when you’ll be able to typically solely seize one or two directly, relying on the place the damaged items landed, shortly turns into tedious.
Simply Add Water has made an ideal effort to maintain this premise various past the primary marketing campaign. My ideas have not modified a lot from my earlier preview; the novelty of those mini-games quickly wears off however there’s nonetheless enjoyable available. Bowling with the ball hooked up through string to your machine’s arm obtained a number of laughs from me, whereas scooping up balls from a ball pit is more difficult than it seems. Hooking geese magnetically is my favourite with the web leaderboards protecting this aggressive.
Capping this off are three further modes. Sandbox Mode gives a helpful playground to check out the sport’s further instruments, whereas the Misplaced Treasures sport is a enjoyable concept that leans into the carnival-style mini-games nicely. Detecting treasure utilizing your bucket like a detector is a novel method that rewards profitable hunts with a brand new merchandise, steadily increase a treasury at your warehouse. On-line co-op can be supported throughout DIG VR, however I could not check this in the course of the evaluate.
DIG VR Evaluate – Closing Verdict
There’s lots to like about Simply Add Water’s newest sport on Quest. DIG VR delivers an fulfilling premise backed by a vibrant presentation, comically foolish minigames, and superbly British humor. That is in the end hampered by some tedious marketing campaign missions and fiddly controls for sure instruments, however in case you’re after a light-weight sim you’ll be able to take your time with, DIG VR will fill that hole.
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