OVERALL SCORE
72 %
VERDICT
Despite a questionable
pricing structure, Jurassic
World: Aftermath is a
fun ride while it lasts.
JURASSIC PARK
+^ Looks splendid
+^ Fun dino-based stealth
+^ Does a lot with just a
handful of systems
THE LOST WORLD
-^ Oversimplifies things
too much
-^ Ending appears to have
been cut off for DLC
NEWS
VANISHING GRACE
items to distract the raptor, which would be both
more engaging and more practical than relying
on the limited number of electronic devices
in each room. A bigger problem, however, is
that the game ends abruptly after around four
hours, with the next part gated off as paid DLC.
Like Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge,
overly monetising already-brief VR games is
an unsavoury practice, and it means Aftermath
ends on a rather sour note. However, while it’s
unfortunate that developer Coatsink doesn’t
feed you the whole dinosaur pie, Aftermath
is otherwise a smart, atmospheric and
impressively efficient experience.
One of the more original VR releases coming
in 2021, Vanishing Grace is a sci-fi road trip
adventure game. Vanishing Grace puts you
in the role of Joel on a mission to track down
his friend Grace, who disappeared in the
desert while travelling. The game involves
following Grace’s trail in your sand-skimming
hovercraft, gradually piecing together what
happened to her.
Aside from its distinctive setting, which is
partly inspired by Campo Santo’s gripping
narrative adventure Firewatch, what makes
Vanishing Grace interesting is its approach to
systems and interaction. Much of the game
revolves around the hovercraft itself, which
you need to drive, maintain and power. Thislatter mechanic is especially unusual, as
you need to collect resources by throwing a
boomerang at strange, hovering rocks. Yes,
you read that correctly.
Our one concern about Vanishing Grace
revolves around the story’s delivery. In
the trailer, the voice acting for Grace isn’t
especially convincing. Given that Grace’s voice
is the most prominent in the story (delivered
via the tried and tested method of audio-logs)
this has potential to undermine the narrative,
which is a big part of the game’s appeal. No
specific release date has been announced at
the time of writing, but the developer intends
it to be soon, so expect a review within the
next few issues.