Donkey Kong, Super Monkey Ball, Gorilla Tag, there’s something about monkeys and apes in videogames that we all just love. Needless to say, when Agera Games and Vertigo Games announced TOSS! for virtual reality (VR) headsets, the colourful title looked like it could be a welcome addition to any game library. And in our TOSS! review for Meta Quest 2, we found a game full of boundless energy and physical gameplay.
The premise of TOSS! is very simple, clamber through jungle gym playgrounds as fast as possible. Along the way, there are bananas to collect as an additional challenge, but the main focus is speed and precision. Levels range from being set in the clouds to going all the way into space. No matter where you are the mission remains the same, fling yourself from pillar to tree without falling off.
Giving a Toss!
TOSS! introduces you to a very basic narrative at the start which you can mostly ignore. You’re a space monkey that’s crash landed and to fix your ship you need to complete all eight biomes. There now you know, you’re a space monkey with bananas to collect. As you can probably imagine by now, TOSS! is one of those VR games for all ages, and makes a good candidate for VR newbies due to its physical activity.
With those hairy hands, you can grab a range of objects, from trees and walls to yellow pipes, It’s the latter you’ll come across most often, always highlighting which way to go. Scuttling along the pipes is quite easy, the tricky part is flinging yourself between the various grab points, being careful not to leap into something real nearby. It is clear to see some players may get a bit overzealous with their reach, so make sure you have plenty of clear space.
That’s because the mechanics and gameplay in TOSS! are so straightforward and intuitive to pick up. It evokes a simple joy bounding around the collection of 75+ levels. They don’t take too much thought like other puzzle games, because of the sheer workout involved. It’ll get you warmed up in no time! However, by that point, you’ll probably be halfway through the game.
Banana a-peel
Colourful and lively TOSS! might be but it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. In the early levels especially you’ll complete them in seconds – there is a time challenge on each one – meaning you’ll fly through the main biomes. At the end of each one, there’s a seemingly pointless collection of menus to click through before moving on. They serve no overall benefit that the final menu doesn’t. In fact, these menus have a negative quality, giving TOSS! an almost freemium mobile videogame feel, cheap basically.
Furthermore, if you’re looking for accessibility features there are few. Snap and smooth turn options are there, yet degree or speed fine-tuning is absent. A seated option is also lacking. Trying to play TOSS! from a seated position was untenable.
The other weird thing I found was the grab automatically set to the triggers. If you’ve played VR for any length of time you’ll likely be attuned to using the grab button to, you know, grab stuff. Thankfully the menu did at least have the option to swap this. Or in my case make both the grab and trigger grip.
TOSS! Review Summary
TOSS! is a perfect example of how to create an instantly fun, enjoyable VR game that any player can pick up. Younger gamers will certainly get more out of it, leaping about trying to grab bananas, unlike seasoned pros who’ll whistle through it in no time. Probably around 2-3 hours on a first run. Three challenges help to add some longevity to the whole experience, but it is still short and sweet. If you like physical climbing games or want a family-friendly VR title then TOSS! is worth a look.