Arken Age Review

The incessant clamor to reinvent the wheel in the video game space can be deafening. Developers are urged to create something never seen before when it is already a struggle to get to the finish line. Amid these ill-founded statements, a crucial line of inquiry arises. What if a video game is not something entirely new but instead the best version of all that has ever come before? Enter Arken Age.

VR gaming has grown in leaps and bounds in the last few years, with ambitious blockbusters such as Batman Arkham Shadow leading the charge. Yet, it occurred to me that something was missing here. Climbing, swimming, shooting, and sword fighting experiences have all been done in many shapes and forms, yet an adventure that merged all of these athletic feats cohesively in an expansive open world was nowhere to be found. That is why Arken Age feels like a much-needed jolt of life in the medium.

Embodying the perfect alien body, you must explore the Bio-Chasm, a sprawling terraformed fantasy world, and find the truth behind the disappearance of the Grand Arborist. Acting as this universe's deity, it is imperative to understand how and why they simply stopped communicating. Interacting with the mysterious Nara & Hyperion races along the way, there is corruption that is destroying the land, and it is up to you to uncover what created this catastrophe and how to stop it.

Beginning your journey from a vantage point called the Celestial Tower, it is breathtaking to take a look at the places you will be exploring from a distance, filling you with a sense of awe and wonder from the get-go. As you descend to the tutorial area, it is easy to see that Vitruvius VR, the developer, went to great lengths to make everything feel as natural as possible—a baseline quality where everything naturally flourishes from.

With the tutorial as your guide, you first learn how it is possible to grab many items at a time without having to click on each of them by holding a button. This is a clever use of gathering loot as you soon realize Arken Age gives you plenty of it. But not in a way that will feel unearned; instead, it will be with items that come in handy at all times. A syringe, for instance, that effectively feels impactful to use due to the fact that you have to simulate actually injecting it into your own arms is given freely. At the same time, the enemies hit quite hard if you are not careful and react on time.

On that note, the combat is a highlight of the simulation. Armed with a moddable firearm that can become a pistol, shotgun, and more, and a sword in a similar vein that can change from an axe to a longsword and everything in between, these are your weapons of choice that will accompany you through the whole journey. A battery-powered shield can also be utilized, pulled from over your inventory, and especially helpful when your foes' might become unbearable.

A nice detail that goes a long way with the customization of Arken Age is that both weapons are paintable in a machine, which gives you an impressive range of choices. With every conceivable color that the eye can see, all can be sprayed directly into your weapons to your heart's content. From the hilt to the chamber to the sword itself, each and every one of the aspects of your weapons is highly personalizable, going the extra mile to give all players the choice to feel that this exciting adventure is yours and yours alone.

Now, a great VR game with physics-based combat lives and dies by how it feels, and thankfully, Arken Age delivers in spades. Each opponent has a reasonably telegraphed movement before attacking and can be parried accordingly. The parry itself always feels extremely rewarding, as it opens up a window of opportunity to fight back and end the battle prematurely. To be able to impale your enemy while they are knocked down to make sure they never get back up gives an imposing emotion of glory, if only for a moment before the next fight.

Another fundamental action that is intrinsic to engaging with the world is climbing. Armed with easy-to-access climbing picks with a simple flick of the wrist, every tree that you can see is climbable, and the world is your oyster. Being able to crouch as well comes in handy as it is soon clear that the Bio-Chasm is chock full of secrets awaiting to be discovered. As soon as the tutorial is over and you are free in the open world to explore every nook and cranny, the atmosphere of exciting mystery sets in, and you never let go.

Due to the cutting-edge Dynamic Foveated Rendering implemented, I could easily declare that Arken Age is one of the best-looking video games on PSVR2. The feel of the Bio-Chasm strikes a measured balance between fantasy and futuristic, to the point that if you ever wanted to play something that gave you the wondrous feeling of Elder Scrolls' Skyrim for this system, this is it. Even the soundtrack evokes that unmistakable magical feeling.

As soon as you step into each new area, the cohesive level design is palpable. Multiple avenues to explore are available in each new biome. To the right are several corpses that you can liberate from their suffering or take money off of, dabbling into this game's karma system. To the left, a hidden key to a new area alongside new mods to enhance your combat abilities. Also, a refinery to convert all the items your enemies left behind in your wake into Arken Age's currency. Not to mention the vast lakes ready for you to swim in and find something unexpected.

And finally, to the center, a computer ready to throw at you new challenges, titillating you with an enticing reward should you result victorious. These challenges respawn a set amount of Hyperion soldiers for you to fight to the death. For those who enjoy sword-fighting more than any other interaction, it is most welcome that they add this feature. It is obligatory to clarify whether doing everything is the final goal.

The further you go, the tougher and more complex it gets, and showing a mastery of the game's mechanics is a must. Unless you feel a challenge is not your tune and a lower difficulty setting is available, pulling out your shotgun at the right moment after healing and your shield running out of energy can feel positively exhilarating. Pairing that with the unforgettable boss fights that test you to your limit, Arken Age is the full package.

Of course, no great video game achieves a high mark without considering the bells and whistles that enhance a platform-specific experience. The headset rumbles when attacked, and the Sense controllers' Haptic Feedback and Adaptive Triggers are fully utilized. Since you pull out your modded weapon from your holster to brace for impact for every attack from your attackers, it all feels quite gripping.

An oft-forgotten feature but most important for some players, the accessibility options in Arken Age are groundbreaking and should be considered a benchmark for future games of its type. From a Seated mode and adjustable height and floor distance to the snap, hybrid, and smooth rotation, among other highly requested features, they can all be changed to fit everyone's needs. Lastly, for PlayStation 5 Pro players, performance and quality graphics options are available as well for those who prefer resolution to a higher framerate or vice versa.

Player freedom is an instantly noticeable pillar of Arken Age. Taking complete advantage of the surroundings, each of the 15+ hours of adventure feels so satisfying to play that it will make you forget the real world. Considering the crowning achievement of any virtual reality video game, it is clear that this one sets a high bar for any previous and future adventures.

The backbone of playing with a headset on is taking every advantage of this unique form of gameplay. Rich exploration, intuitive inventory management, and relentless combat will keep you coming back for more; as 2025 starts, I can confidently say that we have a Game of the Year contender. A video game that truly feels made from the ground up for VR, Arken Age is the ultimate expression of an immersive experience.