Enter a fantasy realm alongside a brave mouse warrior in the magical tale of Moss.
As new forms of storytelling arise, we tend to return to what comforts us in old tales. Brave heroes fight against an unspeakable evil that threatens the fate of the world in a timeless journey that forged new alliances and created unforgettable memories.
Arguably not as new as it once was, virtual reality still pushes on with forward-thinking ways of engaging players with novel gameplay elements that can make a classic story feel fresh. Such is the case of the VR narrative adventure Moss.
The starting moments set the player in a cathedral in front of a fairytale book with the same title. As you make the motion with your hands to open the tome, a gentle narration guides you through the world of Moss.
Its current predicament with a warring faction threatens the peace of a kingdom and its protagonist, Quill, role in it. The archetypal hero in the form of a fearless mouse, Quill, comes from a long lineage of rodent knights, and it’s up to both of you to stop this enemy in their tracks.
As the tale begins, Quill is startled by the giant blue face staring at him, the player taking a physical space, and what a wonderful job they did with the animations because the way she moves is as natural as it is comedic.
Every angle that you look at Moss oozes a wondrous feeling of fantasy tales of old; it is difficult not to fall in love with it—of course, being an omniscient being controlling the main character and its surroundings aids in the overall immersion.
Part platformer, part puzzle-solving, almost every level layout consists of helping Quill move from one place to the next, but with your magical powers, you can move giant blocks or slow down platforms so that Quill can access new areas. To successfully imbue both a third-person action-adventure game with intuitive VR elements to literally be inside of the game is something that Moss does with ease.
Quill is an extremely charming mouse. You can pet her if you want while guiding her, giving her a sense of reassurance while also being wholesome in the process. As with any quest, Quill can put herself in danger by falling into spines, water, or other hazardous places. Luckily, as the powerful Reader, you can heal her if she takes too much damage by grabbing a potion from her backpack and manually pulling it so she can get back into action.
Eventually, you’ll find yourself fighting against mechanical enemies of different varieties. Quill can do one type of combo atta,ck, but you can also get in the middle of the fight and freeze the enemy with your powers so that she can attack without much danger.
While this is not a difficult game per se, it is encouraged to use hand-eye coordination to the fullest. It is also encouraged to tackle the different abilities at your disposal to work in tandem with Quill and triumph together.
The way the obstacles are set in your way encourages you to move your head around. Although this is a seated VR experience, tilting your head around the level to find the many secrets across each landscape is a unique experience pertaining only to virtual reality that Moss knows how to apply well. When you solve a puzzle together, Quill gestures towards you with a thumbs up or a request to high five, making her all that more endearing.
For a VR newcomer, it will take some getting used to being able to interact with the environment and affect Quill’s enemies by reaching out with your actual hands. But that’s where the beauty of Moss lies.
Moss uses every possible advantage of its singular presentation to tell a story unlike any other. Every time you move from one stage to the next, the sound of a page-turning follows, signaling that while you are a part of the story, it is also unfolding in front of your very eyes.
Grandiose vistas can be awe-inspiring for such a minuscule being as Quil but also to the beholder. The scale of some setpieces is astounding. The peripheral view allows one to thoroughly appreciate the theater-like stages of each landscape. As a fascinating god-look mode, you can see the ruins that you just crossed by in the far distance, showing how the interconnectedness of everything works.
Naturally, as Quill valiantly progresses through the increasingly difficult seven stages to reach the castle and save her kingdom, more varied enemies appear. From a bomb-type enemy to more clever puzzles that will require some thought as to how to get to the next area, Moss challenges the relationship between the player and Quill several times throughout. Each level applies a distinctive element that keeps you engaged at all times.
As the Reader, you will have to take matters into your own hands to save Quill more often than not. Raising barriers, stunning enemies in their tracks, and quite literally moving a platform so our intrepid mouse can get across are all in the cards.
That sensation of being able to get up from your seat and inspect every corner of a 3D-rendered area is just one of the many impressive feats exclusive to VR, and Moss makes it easy to do so.
Just like the fairytales it evokes, Moss‘ adventure is not an easy one. Full of perils, Quill will indeed need to be nimble to evade certain death. As valor can overcome any obstacle, there are unexpected moments of emotional resonance over her journey. At times, feeling lost or unmotivated due to the seemingly impossible task before her; only with the Reader’s help does she find the fire within to beat all odds.
In that sense, the whole game feels like a collaborative effort between the player and Quill. To become an active participant in the game alongside Quill, aiding her in moving obstacles, fighting enemies, and solving puzzles together is an inspired narrative device.
It is innumerable that there are many games in which you control the protagonist, but to be acknowledged in this world as the Reader involves you in the stakes Quill is going through as a character.
Originally released in 2018, Moss recently received an important update on fully utilizing the power of the Meta Quest 3 & 3S. Among the highlights of the improvements to the experience are a graphical update and accessibility options.
New water visuals, textures, effects, and an overall better resolution are among the touted implementations. For those seeking a more relaxed gaming experience, it is also now possible to skip entire combat sections to focus entirely on the platforming and narrative.
Presenting itself as a classic fairytale in a new light, Moss is easily considered a required play by any VR enthusiast. Quill’s journey is one of excitement, thrills, and ingenuity that takes advantage of its medium in innovative ways to make you a part of the story, not just a spectator.
For gamers of all ages, this stirring quest to save the land from impending doom feels like an instant classic. Considering it just appeared as a cameo in PlayStation’s Astro Bot next to other iconic franchises of our time, it seems it already is.
