Review: Pirates VR: Jolly Roger
When the initial trailer for Pirates VR: Jolly Roger was released, I felt a surge of optimism that we could finally have a great pirate game in Virtual Reality. Now, I’ve ventured to a secluded Caribbean island in pursuit of treasure—did I hit the jackpot, or was it just a mirage?
Release Date: January 14th 2025
Developer: Split Light Studio
Publisher: VRKiwi
Price: $19.99
Reviewed On: DPVR E4 Black
* Access Provided For Review *
Davy Jones' Treasure
Arriving on a secluded island brimming with dense jungles, rugged cliffs, and the remnants of sunken pirate ships, you embark on a seemingly straightforward mission to uncover Davy Jones’ treasure. Armed only with your cleverness and the assistance of your trusty parrot companion, are you ready to confront the challenges this mysterious island presents?
A Pirate And His Annoying Parrot
This game is fundamentally an action-adventure experience that invites you to traverse diverse terrains across the island. You’ll delve into dark caves, wade through flooded areas, and climb towering cliffs. Your main objective is to discover the hidden treasure, which will challenge you to utilise all your pirate abilities throughout the journey. While the VR features for most elements function effectively, the swimming mechanic relies solely on the analog sticks. Given that many modern games incorporate swimming motions, this feels like a missed chance to enhance immersion in Pirates VR.
As you venture through the exploration, you’ll encounter various foes, including cursed pirate skeletons and the spirits of those who failed to escape the island—possibly on a quest similar to yours. Additionally, you’ll stumble upon ancient puzzles that can reveal hidden pathways, treasure maps, and routes to progress further. However, the combat feels somewhat basic and lacks impact, while the puzzles don’t present much of a challenge, resulting in a somewhat disappointing experience beyond the exploration itself.
The parrot companion I mentioned earlier was marketed as a clever and cheeky sidekick for your adventures, but after about twenty minutes, I found it more irritating than entertaining. Maybe it’s just me, but it quickly turned from a fun addition to a bothersome distraction. It constantly offers too many hints and acts like an annoying backseat gamer that you can’t silence. The moment I got my hands on a pistol, I seized the chance to take a shot at it, hoping it would be gone for good. Unfortunately, it just respawned at my last checkpoint, proving that even in its demise, it remained a nuisance.
On the island, there are two optional challenges you can take on, though they aren’t necessary for your mission. As you wander around, you’ll discover a speed climbing challenge and an axe throwing challenge. When I encountered these during my playthrough. I tried it a few times, but it didn’t really impress me, so I decided to focus on the main game instead.
A Mixed Adventure
The team at Spirit Light Studio has crafted a visually stunning game that features a breathtaking Caribbean island. This vibrant landscape is filled with diverse wildlife, ancient ruins, and the remnants of pirate ships that have weathered the test of time. As you awaken on this secluded island, you’ll be captivated by its beauty, and your sense of wonder will only grow as you explore the hidden areas within. The visuals are designed to immerse you in this enchanting environment.
While the stunning environments of the island create a captivating experience, the immersion is somewhat disrupted by the wildlife beyond your parrot companion. The textures of these creatures appear less impressive, and their animations can be a bit questionable. As a result, encountering them can detract from the overall immersion that the beautiful surroundings provide.
The audio work is generally impressive, immersing you in each area you explore with high-quality environmental sounds. The pirate-themed music complements the settings nicely, featuring lively tunes on the beach and a more ominous vibe in the caves. However, the voice acting falls short; your character’s delivery feels a bit flat, and as mentioned earlier, the parrot can quickly turn from a fun companion into a bit of a nuisance.
Comfort
The Verdict
Pirates VR: Jolly Roger has a lot of promise, but sadly it doesn’t fully deliver on its potential. While the Virtual Reality mechanics and visuals are impressive and can leave you in awe, these elements alone aren’t enough to make it a standout experience. The storyline, which is quite familiar in pirate-themed games, lacks the fresh twists needed to make it memorable, and unfortunately, Pirates VR doesn’t bring anything new to the narrative. The gameplay is a mixed bag; the climbing and exploration aspects are enjoyable, and the environments are well-crafted, but the combat and puzzles fall flat. Although the audio does a great job of enhancing the atmosphere, the voice acting is underwhelming, and the parrot companion quickly becomes annoying, sticking around for the entire game. It’s disappointing because I had high hopes for this to be the ultimate pirate adventure in VR, but it never really sets sail.