VR is something that has interested me for quite awhile. The thought of jumping into a game world and experiencing things first hand felt like a far off dream that would never come true. Then in 2016 the PlayStation VR came out, and everything changed for me. My childhood dream had become a reality, and I couldn't wait to see what came next.
It has been eight years since that day, and VR is just as dazzling as it was back then. Each new game offers something new, and I'm constantly finding new surprises around every turn. You'd think it would get old, but for me that has yet to happen. So with that being said, when developer JollyCo sent me a review copy of their new game Sugar Mess, I was pretty interested in it, and once again was excited to see what a new VR game had to offer. It was a bit difficult to tell exactly what I was in for from the pre-release description, but I jumped in head first and was ready for my new adventure. What I found actually did surprise me, but it isn't exactly what I expected either.
On another note, I need to make it clear that with this review I was asked to only discuss the first five stages of the game. Now this may seem like a limitation, but those first five stages show off each of the five gameplay styles, and do represent the game as a whole.
The Story of Sugar Mess:
Sugar Mess isn't a very story heavy game, but it ultimately comes down to helper robots going crazy within the land of sugar. The main character, the sugar prince, has to set out on an adventure to fight off snack filled enemies, and return peace to the kingdom. The story itself is told through a pop up book, where you must pull a tab to turn the page, and read the next part of the story. It is a very charming setup, and not too text heavy. It's simply looking at the pop up pictures, getting enough context to know what you are doing, and then jumping into the stages themselves. Very clean, very simple, and that is honestly all it needed to be.
The Basics:
To put it simply, Sugar Mess is a VR arcade shooter. You begin in an attic space where you have your book, and you drop your player piece on whichever stage you want to jump into. You hold your weapon with one hand, you grab ammo with the other, and you load up the gun to begin shooting at enemies. Power ups can be picked up and used to help give you an edge, and there are also health items to keep you from dying, but there isn't much more to it. The more you use a weapon the more it ranks up, and earning points and coins in stages lets you buy additional weapons to try out. Each weapon has its own unique straights and weaknesses, with stronger weapons being harder to aim, while weaker ones are more precise but also hold less ammo. It is a fine balance that works for the type of game this is, but I ultimately found myself mainly sticking with the default gun due to accuracy.
Once you have the basics of gunplay down you are free to jump into the stages, and this is when you'll quickly discover that no stage will have you doing the exact same thing.
Shooting Gallery:
The first type of stage is your standard arcade shooting gallery. You stand in a single spot, you have your gun, ammo, and other items within reach, and enemies fly around in the distance as you shoot at them. Some will dive bomb you or attack you, so you must defend, but for the most part you just have to shoot the moving targets. As a VR game however, the game does a nice job of having enemies pop up around you on all sides, with audio cues to tip you off on where your next target is.
Once you clear the stage you are given a score and ranking, with better scores giving you better rewards.
Rail Shooter:
Stage 2 puts you right into the second main gameplay type, which is that of a rail shooter. Players sit in a cart which slowly moves through the stage, and once again enemies pop up around you. This mode feels like it is right out of a theme park ride, and takes you on a quick journey across the land. It isn't too much different from the standard shooting gallery stage, but moving puts a new twist on the gameplay. This is the only stage type that could possibly cause motion sickness for those not used to VR, but it is a lot of fun if you can handle it.
Puzzles:
Besides shooting, the game does feature some puzzle element as well. This mode has buttons and environmental clues that tell you how to solve the puzzle, and it is a simple matter of hitting the right buttons to do so. The very first puzzle in the game took me a whole ten second to solve however, so it isn't anywhere near as deep as the other gameplay modes.
Boss Fights:
Boss fights in Sugar Mess are unique. They are stationary fights like in the shooting gallery stages, but there are also warp points you can teleport to if you need to move or dodge an attack. The very first fight in the game has you shooting weak points, destroying item buffs and healing items to prevent the boss from recovering, and warping to different points to avoid the big hitting blasts. Some energy bullets could be shot at and destroyed, but sometimes it was easier to just warp behind the boss and wait for it to be done. The fights actually do get pretty involved, and took more time than the standard stages. Figuring out the fight mechanics are key, and aiming your shots correctly will be a matter between life and death.
Rhythm Game:
Surprisingly, the fifth and final game type was that of a rhythm game. In this mode you pick up two hammers, one in each hand, and hit the notes as they slide towards you. There isn't any real feedback when you hit the notes, so it can be a bit difficult to realize if you've missed or not, but once you get the hang of it it is a lot of fun. The songs are quite long, so these stages last just about as long as any other.
Is it worth it?
With everything being said and done, Sugar Mess is a fun game, with some room for improvement. Beginning with the story, the presentation of the story book setup is really nice, but there is no narrator to actually read out what is being said. This means instead of looking at the pictures in the pop up book and really taking it in, you spend more time reading the floating text. It isn't that big of a deal, but having someone read to you would be a really nice touch.
As for the core gameplay, it is really fun! It is the type of game you can jump into for 10-15 minutes at a time, play through some levels, and jump back out without putting too much thought into it. It really feels like a carnival game at home, with tight controls, and a really fun setting. It is bright and colorful, and unique enough to help it stand out from other similar games. While I personally didn't care to use the other weapons, they offer other play styles for those who want to experiment, and they too have a fun sugar style to them. The multiple game modes are a nice bonus as well, I didn't expect the rail shooter modes nor the music game, and each one lasts just long enough to keep you from getting bored. The only real down side to the gameplay is the fact that the puzzles aren't anything too special, and the lack of feedback in the controllers to help you realize what you are doing in the world. It's another small touch that could go a long way, especially in the music game.
Overall Sugar Mess is a game I really enjoyed playing, and it is a game I can see being a mainstay on my Meta Quest. It is a game I can show to friends, and keep coming back to in order to beat my high scores. It really isn't an "adventure" though like I originally expected, and it isn't a massive game by any means... But that is okay! It isn't anything more than it needs to be, and I commend it for that.
I look forward to seeing future updates and improvements, but I did enjoy what I played. For $14.99 it isn't really asking too much. While I played through the game on Meta Quest, it is also available on PC.
Disclosure: I received a free review copy of this product from https://www.keymailer.co
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