Gaming | July 14, 2023
PS VR2 is the new testing ground for Vertical Robot, accustomed to delivering immersive experiences. Red Matter 2 arrives on the new generation of the PlayStation device as a true showcase of the system. Despite its initial release on the Meta Quest 2, the team takes advantage of the capabilities of this new hardware to deliver a display of expertise.
Red Matter 2 immerses us in a galactic adventure where mystery and environmental puzzles play a fundamental role. Despite being a sequel, the game can be enjoyed without having played the original; its developers have prepared a brief recap at the beginning so that you don’t miss out on the context of this continuation.
For us, it comes as no surprise. During 2022, we already conveyed our conclusions about its version for the Meta Quest 2. In the standalone Meta device, it achieved the rating of a “true technical marvel” for our analyst, and Red Matter 2 remains one of the great experiences in current virtual reality.
“Vertical Robot has raised the bar with this second installment, surpassing the standard they had set with their previous game. It is a graphical masterpiece that shatters the supposed limits of the standalone console and should serve as a wake-up call to other developers,” we explained. However, there is much more to it than just a beautiful game.
In our original analysis, we highlighted its virtues as a “retro-futuristic” adventure. The puzzles, platforms, and action gain traction as the hours go by. It’s a compact adventure where the clues are subtle. It is up to the player to experiment and learn from their mistakes, read the environment, and act accordingly. “This game has transported us to another dimension, one in which we are captivated, from an asteroid, by the landscape that lays an entire planet at our feet. Essential,” we concluded.
Red Matter 2 feels like it was made for this device from the beginning. It takes advantage of every functionality as if it were an internal production, similar to Horizon: Call of the Mountain. From the integrated haptic feedback in the headset and controller pair, to how it leverages the power of PS5 for one of the best-looking virtual reality experiences.
The screen from inside the headset looks sharp. Once you adjust the front to find the sweet spot of the lenses, it feels like you’re really there. It’s that simple. It’s also true that the game utilizes its resources well. Most of the time, you’re alone in confined spaces with few external elements to consider… But that doesn’t matter once you’ve been immersed for one, two, and three hours.
Where it truly impresses is with its lighting. The darkness and the search for points of light make those segments spectacular on the OLED screen it features. And we’re not exaggerating: it’s truly spectacular. While it may not be the same, it’s a moment that brings a smile to your face, much like when you first use the gravity gloves in Half-Life: Alyx.
Progress relies on recognizing the environment and piecing together the missing elements in its puzzles, and everything makes sense within the functions. With the clarity, the responsiveness of the controllers when interacting with objects, and the puzzles that emerge as holograms occupying physical space around you, Red Matter 2 is an essential video game in these early steps of PS VR2 in the market.
