VR has a never-ending assortment of rhythm action games, but few of these contain actual narratives. Looking to bridge that gap is Rose City Games, with its first in-house VR game, Lovesick. A title that aims to connect several genres, as 131XR’s review finds, Lovesick doesn’t quite manage to immerse players in its ideas.
Getting in the Mix
Serving up a heavy slice of nostalgia, Lovesick is set in the late 1990s, with players becoming part of a band. Called ‘The New Agenda’, they step into the shoes of Sam, the band’s bassist, and the story sees them return from a not so successful tour. The band is broke, tired, and barely holding it together, yerning for an album deal to put them on a path to success.
However, whilst practicing in their dilapidated home, a supernatural event takes place. Named “the Feedback”, this occurrence suddenly plunges them all into a twisted alternate reality. And that’s the main story, with the gameplay mixing puzzles and rhythm-action gameplay in an ever-changing reality.
This sounds great on paper, yet the technical implementation hampers what could’ve been an innovative and original experience.
Lovesick Review
As it turns out, 131XR’s review of Lovesick finds a game that’s less rhythm-action and more point-and-click adventure. There are certainly sections in the game that are rhythm-action-based – you are a bassist, after all. But these aren’t as prevalent as you might expect.
There are areas like the house and a Mall that you can explore, talking with your fellow band members and interacting with various items. However, while conversations do offer multiple options, the linear nature of the experience means there’s little need to explore them all – they all lead down the same path.
This constrained nature filters throughout Lovesick. The only locomotion option is teleportation, curtailing that sense of immersive exploration modern VR gamers are used to. Similarly, the items that are interactive all lead to a puzzle of some sort. Lovesick doesn’t contain background junk to play with, often used nowadays to set a scene and further draw players in.
As 131XR’s review below notes, players new to VR will get more out of Lovesick than those who are more acquainted.
A Musical Narrative Curse
As mentioned, rhythm-action games have become a huge part of VR’s ecosystem. Titles like Beat Saber, Synth Riders, Unplugged: Air Guitar, Ragnarock, Pistol Whip and many more are beloved by players.
Don’t miss our look at The 7 Best VR Rhythm Action Games
However, games that try to miss a strong narrative with musical elements tend to come a bit more unstuck. Take Ionia, for example, it featured a fantastical fantasy world with a narrative heavily focused on an eco-friendly message. But its implementation and execution of its musical instruments left much to be desired.
Are you a rhythm-action fan who was tempted by Lovesick? Do you think you might still give it a go? Let us know in the comments below.
