Game review: P.O.L.L.E.N. may look great but it’s really an empty shell to show off virtual reality
As VR technology starts to become more common, we can expect many more games like this, where a fantastic set-up is let down by unimaginative execution and dull gameplay
Mindfield Games
2.5/5 stars
Virtual reality is coming. The much-hyped Oculus Rift has been launched, and a whole host of similar contraptions are set to confuse the hell out of your Christmas shopping experience. It’s a natural step forward for the industry, but the major downside to this opening act? The inevitable cash-in games, before the true gold is unearthed.
P.O.L.L.E.N. (referred to from now on as Pollen, because annoying, right?) is a bit like that. It’s available for the Oculus Rift and at first glance, would seem ideal for the format, a first-person horror-mystery set in space where you’re tasked with finding out what happened to lost crew members. And even though we didn’t partake in its VR setting, opting instead for the standard first-person PC mode (it’s also on PlayStation 4), the game revealed itself as the worst kind of offender: a fantastic environment let down by shoddy, lazy gameplay.