Stormland

I can't help but feel like Stormland is limited by the technology rather than maximizing it. Insomniac, to their credit, is helping push the medium forward and I know they'll be at the forefront as VR continues to grow. Stormland is so much fun to play that I wish there was a more advanced platform to play it on. Having said that, you won't find a shooter with better mobility than Stormland. If you've been waiting for a AAA FPS in VR, it's here.

Stormland has delivered on its ambitious vision of making VR open-world adventuring a reality, thanks to smart design on both macro and micro scales. While there's some rough edges, the game brings enjoyable combat, innovative world traversal, and satisfying interactions to the table in a way rarely executed as well on their own, let alone together in a single experience. With fully-featured two-player co-op and the potential for long term replayability in the Cycling World, Stormland sets a new bar while at the same time laying out a well-formulated framework that will benefit VR games of the future.

At the moment I spent about twelve hours among the peaks and plateaus that pop up in the clouds of Stormland, fighting the robotic threats of the "Tempest", and I think I will spend as many in the coming days. Contents of this Oculus exclusive by Insomniac Games promise to be infinite, they are not in fact – or, at least, their variety has a precise limit, even in the procedural generation after the end of story mode – but it does enough to be loved by video games sci-fi fans and, in general, those who enjoy approaching open world settings with great freedom of action, often excellent in its concepts and pleasantly in the boundaries of emergent gameplay.

Although there is some decline on the variety front even with the excellent insertion of the cyclical reset, Stormland confirms another success for the Californian team, as well as the umpteenth production able to give more and more value to Oculus libraries.

Stormland lacks a little in variety, but virtual reality is exploited to the full and the persistent nature of the game is intriguing to say the least. After Asgard's Wrath, another great VR game.

Stormland puts yourself in a fascinating sci-fi open-world, where you have to fight robots while collecting power-ups and upgrades literally ascending through the clouds, climbing and launching yourself in the air towards The Terminus. There is a huge sense of freedom and even if the story mode is a bit short, you can play each time a brand new adventure, eventually in co-op, thanks to cycling worlds.

Stormland is a short experience and its attempts to add replay value don't really hit the mark. However, it's still one of the more impressive virtual reality games on the market, and a clear step forward when compared to many VR titles that have come before it in terms of controls and freedom of movement.

Stormland is a very ambitious open world shooter that provides a huge amount of variety and freedom in terms of gameplay. Insomniac Games shoots straight in the heart of VR fans and could also convince the VR sceptics.

Its stumbles are as obvious as they are numerous, but it picks itself back up again time after time. The seas of VR shooter development are still stormy, but Stormland sails them with aplomb.

Fascinating action adventure with a convincing motion scheme – but also problems in terms of AI and weapon handling.

Its combat is far from perfect, but launching yourself off of Stormland’s highest peaks with your own two hands is an absolute treat in VR.

Thanks to its amazingly crafted world, Stormland is one of the most interesting VR experiences. It may lack some variety (and the stealth mechanics are more than improvable), but it shows the path to follow for captivating VR games.

Excellent VR combat and movement wedged inside a repetitive quest system.

Stormland shows that real open-world games can work. Sometimes the game evokes (positive) comparisons with the free battles in Far Cry and thanks to the extensive upgrade systems the game feels deep and complete.

With gorgeous visuals, an expansive open world, and multiplayer support, Stormland delivers a serviceable shooter with an exceptional upgrade system, and a feeling of progression. What makes it amazing is all of the ways you can glide, fly, surf, or climb -- the expansive world of Stormland is yours to explore, until it changes next week and you get to do it all again.