Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV

Fishing in VR is actually pretty damn fun, even more so when you add magic crossbows and fish borne straight from the bowels of hell into the equation.

Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV, while not an epic virtual reality experience, it is a pleasant one. This is a title I would recommend to Final Fantasy XV fans for a relaxing evening. For players wanting a thrill, I say look elsewhere to get an adrenal rush.

The wonky motion tracking and cumbersome menus may leave you reeling, but Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV is not the gimmicky gag that many expected it to be. This is a hearty package with a surprising amount of meat on its bones, and it’s a feast for the eyes in PlayStation VR. Cut corners like 2D cut-scenes do break the immersion somewhat, but relative to expectations, this is way better than it has any right to be.

As a fishing game, Monster of the Deep is actually quite fun, with many ways of enjoying fishing. Yes, there are probably better ways to bring FFXV to VR, but if you enjoyed fishing in the main game, give this a try.

Despite some persistent technical issues that dragged down the experience, Monster of the Deep is surprisingly ambitious, and one that I did not expect to enjoy as much as I did.

For fans of the series that own a PSVR, Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV is the perfect spin-off. There is enough fan service to keep you smiling and enough original content plus exciting gameplay to make it fun in its own right. Surprisingly, Square Enix was able to craft an addictive fishing game that lets us see brand new sides of beloved characters and really feel like part of the team.

Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV is a chill-ass game that's meant to lure in a very specific type of player. Seeing random wildlife from Eos and interacting with the cast was fun, and I feel like the tension of seeing everything in first-person elevates the sometimes rote act of fishing. It's just silly enough to work for the select few that will meet all of the requirements to actually boot it up.

If you enjoyed the fishing minigame and you want to see again Cindy, Noctis and other characters from Final Fantasy XV, Monster of the Deep is what you were looking for.

Exploring Eos on VR is nice but fishing games are not for everyone. Monster of the Deep works well most of the time but could offer deeper gameplay and better controls to justify its price tag.

Monster of the Deep is a bit cunning, but not enough.

Monsters of the Deep is not very innovative with the fishing mechanic and the story is not exciting but boy did I enjoyed every second of it. From the incredible graphics to soothing sounds and music, this game is a must for everyone who's looking for a game to lay back, relax and have a cold one. Daemon battles are a blast but my favourite game type was free fishing.

Monster of the Deep definitely succeeds in immersing players, though fans of Final Fantasy may be left sorely wanting. It comes with a hefty price tag and, gameplay-wise, there’s so very little tying Monster of the Deep to Final Fantasy XV even if it does feel like part of the universe.

If VR and/or Final Fantasy aren’t your thing, you may want to sit this one out.

If you have a PSVR and you want to see Eos from an eye-level view, and you want to do some semi-glitchy fishing, this is a good title. With patches, Monster of the Deep will likely improve, and there's a lot to enjoy here for players for which it does appeal. For most though, this title will be a hard pass.

I could see someone maybe enjoying the fishing aspect of it, but in this case, still waters don’t run deep. To catch fish, you simply use your sonar to highlight their hiding spots in the water and cast your line. The whole endeavor lacks complexity, and if you’re there to see the characters, then there’s not much of that either.

While this fishing simulator is visually a-lure-ing for a virtual reality game thanks to its Final Fantasy heritage, the snags are packed in like sardines. [Jan 2018, p.95]