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Review: Tumble VR

Tumble VR is a great motion-controlled game that really doesn’t need VR.

A puzzle game developed by Until Dawn‘s Supermassive, Tumble VR has you working with shapes of various sizes across a handful of different modes. Its simplest will have you stacking objects to a certain height without toppling — almost like Jenga, but without taking a block from the bottom to put on top. Another has you placing shapes on a platform, but under a constantly moving limbo bar. Each of the puzzle types is easy enough to understand, but harder in practice — especially when things like uneven platforms are introduced.

Designed for a single Move controller — though I would have preferred one in each hand — Tumble VR doesn’t need to be a virtual reality exclusive. You use the Move controller to grab objects, change the orientation of objects, and to raise, lower and turn the puzzle platform. Virtual reality is sometimes helpful to get a closer look at what’s going on, but this game would easy work as a PlayStation Camera title. While the headset works wonderfully, the Move controllers sometimes do not, experiencing the same spazzy, shaky input issues that you’ll sometimes experience with Move or Kinect titles. If you’re lacking a Move controller — firstly, shame on you — Tumble VR is also DualShock 4, though the same types of input issues exist there too.

Just because Tumble VR is a bit gimmicky doesn’t mean it isn’t addictive as all hell. Simple, yet complex puzzles, combined with a GLaDOS-like taskmaster, have you laughing and constantly wanting more. You can also play through puzzles as you’d like, either selecting a assortment of tasks of a very specific puzzle type if you’re jonesing on one.

Most puzzles have three medals to earn — bronze, silver and gold — though others have one set objective. As you progress in difficulty, be prepared to invest some time in the game — some of those gold challenges are fiercely tough. Near the end of my run, I spent thirty to forty-five minutes on some levels, vying to sit there until I’d completed my task. Your reward for doing so? Feeling over the moon.

With a range of brain-taxing puzzles, it’s hard to go wrong with Tumble VR.

Tumble VR was reviewed using a promotional code on PS4 and PlayStation VR, as provided by the publisher.

 

Review: Tumble VR
8 out of 10

The good

  • Great puzzles.
  • Amazing humour.
  • Utterly addictive.

The bad

  • This could have been a PlayStation Move game.
  • Sometimes sketchy Move controls.

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About the author

Steve Wright

Steve's the owner of this very site and an active games journalist nearing twenty (TWENTY!?!) years. He's a Canadian-Australian gay gaming geek, ice hockey player and fan. Husband to Matt and cat dad to Wally and Quinn.