Trebuchet is a VR studio well known for its quirky titles. Games like Prison Boss, Winds and Leaves, and Crime Shop Simulator. So it’s no surprise that its latest project, Compass, is any different. Except that it is, but not necessarily in all the right ways. Our buddies at 131XR took their time to review Compass on Meta Quest, and found a casual yet uninspiring experience.
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Finding True North
Described as “an open-world VR flying adventure”, Compass is in actuality a mixture of genres and gameplay mechanics. At its heart is a flying machine that you can pilot, but there are also times when you have to exit your vehicle to solve puzzles. While ‘on foot’ you, in fact, don’t walk but grapple through the environment, which is a soft mix of pastel colours and minimalist detail.
What 131XR discovers is that Compass is neither a flying game, a puzzle game nor a platformer. Instead, a strange amalgam of all three that’s ideal for gamers looking for a stress-free gaming experience.
Compass Review
Compass is set in a world where your job is to scout ahead of a wandering Caravan, finding safe routes through and opening up new skies. Yet, the narrative is very much down the pecking order, and generally delivered only when you meet an NPC. For the most part, you’ll probably ignore it.
What you’ve come for (most likely) is the flying element of the game. Taking to the skies to pilot your little plane and discover lots of exciting secrets. If you’re imagining games like Ultrawings 2 but with puzzles, then you’re going to be disappointed, as Compass doesn’t offer the ‘open world’ flying you might be expecting. Yes, once you’ve opened up the map a bit by solving puzzles, you can fly around, but there’s not much reason to do so. Furthermore, the ship is quite slow, meaning you’ll generally stick to the routes laid out by the speed-boosting blue orbs.
As for the puzzles themselves and grappling through the environment, 131XR found the puzzles to be enjoyable but not particularly taxing. They generally involve having to find switches, then hitting them in order. And it’s the grappling that makes them harder, as there never seems to be enough grapple points in the area that you need them to get a useful viewpoint.
All told, Compass is best seen as a casual VR experience. It’s not going to set the gaming world alight, because it’s as vibrant as its colour palette.
The Next Destination
It’s difficult to see where Trebuchet may take Compass next. Sure, it could expand the game with new areas and more puzzles, but some of those fundamental concerns remain. It is a title that’s hard to get excited for because of this casual, gentle nature.
And then you have other games within this sphere, which have a bit more bite to them. Mole a Hole is a good example of casual escapism, while Windlands 2 has far better grappling mechanics.
When you play Compass, let us know your take on the gameplay and if it really immersed you.
