Polybius

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. GMW3
    Aug 22, 2017
    100
    Polybius is an excellent shooter that takes inspiration from the 80s arcade scene in the best of ways. It is a finely crafted experience that only benefits from being on the PlayStation VR. It can be an intense experience, however, and one best left to relatively short gameplay sessions lest the visual overload become too much. Owners of PlayStation VR should definitely look to add this to their library, as it is one of the best VR titles on the PlayStation at present. Jeff Minter and Llamasoft have got another winner.
  2. CD-Action
    Jul 20, 2017
    80
    An awesome, extremely trippy game of a kind we rarely see these days. The speeds are so great here that you need to achieve total unity with the game to avoid obstacles. [08/2017, p.71]
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  3. The Games Machine
    Jul 18, 2017
    80
    Fasten your seat belts, because you're about to go for an authentic Jeff-Minter-trance-lysergic-VR ride. Polybius offers pretty simple yet robust gameplay basics, and a good punishment-reward balance that requires a little bit of strategy. Protip: take a breath, once in a while, or you may send your brain in overdrive.
  5. Washington Post
    Jul 12, 2017
    90
    Polybius provides the feeling of having one’s mind washed clean for a few moments, shaken free of clutter.
  6. Edge Magazine
    Jun 22, 2017
    90
    Polybius is a profoundly consuming and transportive experience of eye-watering intensity that'll leave you dazed and bewildered in the best possible way. [Aug 2017, p.118]
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  7. Destructoid
    May 19, 2017
    80
    Even though it ended on a sour note for me with a few too many elements snowballing into an avalanche of hair-pulling frustration, on the whole, Polybius had me in a trance. I'm happy just thinking about it. PlayStation VR owners, Jeff Minter fans, and arcade enthusiasts need to get in on this.
  8. Everyeye.it
    May 17, 2017
    60
    An ingenious trip.
  9. PlayStation Country
    May 15, 2017
    60
    I’m fully prepared to accept that this may well be another gamer’s classic. Sure, I’m underwhelmed and would much rather Atari stopped being pricks and would just let Minter unleash TxK onto PSVR but Polybius is currently doing very well in the reviews. So, maybe it’s just me and this game might end up being the classic you’re hoping it is. But from where I’m sitting this is a bit of a mess and just too simplistic compared to my favourite Llamasoft games.
  10. Vandal
    May 14, 2017
    83
    Polybius is a mind-blowing experience in VR, a shoot 'em up with all the craziness and solid gameplay you can expect from Jeff Minter. It is a quite niche game, yes, and playing on a regular TV isn't so overwhelming (in a good way), but Polybius is very enjoyable in any way.
  11. Push Square
    May 13, 2017
    90
    Polybius is an excellent trance shooter which deftly delivers just enough sensory overload to thrill but not frustrate. While the lack of clarity about just what’s happening on screen makes for a small but intended bump in the road, it’s the strong core gameplay – which steadily introduces interesting twists to its formula the longer you play – stellar soundtrack, and excellent PlayStation VR support that’ll blow your mind in all the right ways.
  12. 4P.de
    May 12, 2017
    83
    Incredibly fast arcade action with a flashy retro design that works surprisingly well in VR.
  13. Digital Chumps
    May 12, 2017
    80
    Polybius' tempestuous pace and kaleidoscopic assault indulge its urban legend while its principled operation betrays its sinister infamy. It's a spiraling supersonic tunnel shooter that only seems like it's bulldozing cognitive ability, and parsing its putative chaos tips its scale from pandemonium to precision. By allowing fury to give way to Zen, Polybius lives up to its legend.
  14. Metro GameCentral
    May 11, 2017
    90
    If you have PlayStation VR then this is a must-have title, but even if you don’t it’s still one of the best arcade games we’ve ever played. It may seem off-puttingly weird to some but ignore all the florescent cows and 8-bit sound effects and you have one of the purest action experiences of the modern age. Or don’t ignore them, and revel in one of the most gloriously strange, constantly inventive, shooters available on any platform.
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  1. Eurogamer
    May 12, 2017
    Polybius, for all its ranginess, its generosity, is a game about tight confines. And it is magical. [Recommended]

Awards & Rankings

33
#33 Best PS4 Game of 2017

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 55 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 39 out of 55
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 55
  3. Negative: 11 out of 55
  1. gribbles
    May 12, 2017
    10
    Quite rightly, everyone is going full bore on the wow factor of the graphics. Lot's of old school feel with new school shininess that definesQuite rightly, everyone is going full bore on the wow factor of the graphics. Lot's of old school feel with new school shininess that defines the Llamasoft lloveliness we've come to expect. And it delivers this in spades. And in VR. What's not to like?

    But there's something else that defines a Minter game. And that's balance. Jeff groks games and he groks gamers. In Polybius, Llamasoft chucks a simple concept on the table, wraps it up in some gorgeous visuals, and sprinkles some attractive gameplay over the top. You have fun. it draws you in. On top of laughing in awe at the rush if the gfx, this thing is playable for the getgo. Then, bit by bit, the challenge is ramped up. Sometimes in some really subtle ways. Sometimes with a big lovely slap across the chops (flags, anyone?). And you die. But you always know why. And you try again. And you do a bit better. So you try again. And then, you realise you're past the pinch point. And he brings on the next. This is fantastically supported by the really simple and clever restart best system. Forge on, or rewind and give yourself a better start with more shields? Or a better score of you're leaderboard chasing.

    So you progress, and because the game's balance has educated you that with practice and patience, you will get further, you never feel like a wall has been shoved in front of you. and anyway, with a game as elegant as Polybius, failing has never been so much fun! Which moves us to the fact that this game fells like it has been designed to get you to the zone as quickly as possible. And, despite the speed and trips chaos, it's a remarkably relaxing experience. You get into a rhythm, a flow. It's llovely.

    So, a beautifully crafted game, both visually (obviously), but also more importantly from a gameplay/balance aspect. I came for the graphics, I stayed for the experience. Created by a couple of master craftsmen. At last one of which is also something else beginning with C, as his fans regularly tell him.    … Full Review »
  2. TTV69
    May 11, 2017
    10
    What to say! Take some of the best shooters every made (star wars, empire strikes back, IRobot, Tempest, Ball blazer, Stun Runner, SpaceWhat to say! Take some of the best shooters every made (star wars, empire strikes back, IRobot, Tempest, Ball blazer, Stun Runner, Space Harrier), add some Llamasoft magic; and hey presto.. The new pinnacle in 3D psychedelic shooting goodness. But wait there's more... Plug in the PSVR and truly experience being "inside" a game like never before. Amazing, genre defining work!!! *important safety notice : if you suffer with strobe/flashing effects, this _might_ not be the game for you, sorry for your loss :-(… Full Review »
  3. Ali_
    May 10, 2017
    10
    Definitely not a game for everyone but fellow Minter fans will lap it up. I've only played it in 2D and even then it is brain meltingly fastDefinitely not a game for everyone but fellow Minter fans will lap it up. I've only played it in 2D and even then it is brain meltingly fast and noisy. Everything that makes Tempest 2000, Space Giraffe etc loved and hated in equal measure. If you're a fan, buy it. But take heed of the heavy handed epilepsy warnings at the beginning. They are serious about the strobing effects!… Full Review »
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