There was a lot of buildup to the launch of Of Lies and Rain, Castello Inc.’s latest VR game and its grandest to date. However, good marketing is one thing, but a flawless launch is another. And as 131XR finds in its review, Of Lies and Rain looks better than it performs.
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Wading through the storm
Firstly, Of Lies and Rain is an Early Access title for Meta Quest and SteamVR headsets. Which Castello clearly points out as you go into the title. This is never a great sign, considering most platforms clearly label Early Access games so consumers know what they’re paying for. And that is a game with less polish and occasional bugs and glitches that’ll be ironed out upon launch.
Of Lies and Rain has these issues, and while some can be worked around, others are less forgiving. So then you have to ask yourself, how early access do you want to go? Because while Of Lies and Rain has potential, it still needs work.
Of Lies and Rain Review
Of Lies and Rain is a sci-fi adventure game with a generally gritty, dark environmental aesthetic, whilst key features and enemies stand out thanks to vivid pink and red hues. And it must be said that the game looks gorgeous, evoking a dystopian, Matrix-style vibe that’s great to explore.
But as 131XR notes early on in its review, Of Lies and Rain struggles with one of its core mechanics, remote/magnetic grabbing. Made famous by Half-Life: Alyx, this system allows you to grab items at a short to medium distance, rather than physically being right next to each item. However, it’s slightly more temperamental here, so much so that it can cause issues when reloading weapons, thus leaving you open to attack.
Another glaring issue 131XR highlighted was the checkpoint system. As we all know, if you can’t manually save, solid, timely auto checkpoints are required so you don’t have to retread vast swathes of a game/level. Of Lies and Rain‘s checkpoints are highly inconsistent, with 131XR sometimes having to replay 20 minutes and several puzzles.
On the plus side, however, Of Lies and Rain has a brilliant upgrade system whereby you have to collect these little cubes (called GPUs) to spend on your next upgrade. These are found everywhere and in almost everything, offering a great treasure hunt dynamic to the action gameplay.
Of Lies and Rain has some excellent elements to it, but it’s likely too rough around the edges for many gamers at this time. Watch the full 131XR review below for all the details.
Where next?
Since launch, Castello Inc. has released an update to start addressing matters, but not for anything mentioned in this review. Hopefully, the studio will release a roadmap for this early access period, highlighting what’s to come in the months ahead.
If you’re not entirely sure, the free Of Lies and Rain demo is still available on Steam, so you can try before you buy.
Have you already bought Of Lies and Rain? What did you think of 131XR’s analysis? Let us know in the comments.
