Whilst PSVR, and VR in general, are quite exciting leaps in innovation, it was never my bag. So it’s hardly surprising that the Moss games passed me by. But now, in what might be an attempt to reach a broader audience, we have a non-VR port in Moss: The Forbidden Relic.
Told via a storybook-narrated framing device, players will follow the origins of Quill the mouse’s adventure, as The Forgotten Relic covers both released titles. That’s right, both VR games now ported as “normal” games for the controller-preferring player to get into. Not only that, but it’s breaking free from PlayStation’s confines and releasing on Nintendo Switch and PC too.
Considering the second Moss only came out in 2022, is it a port that fans were crying out for? Or is it a relic that’s best forgotten (if you see what I did there)? Let’s find out.
A Link To The Hero’s Journey
I will start of by saying that the story in the Moss games will not mentally tax players. It’s not The Wheel of Time, spanning an a fourteen book saga. If anything, it’s more Redwall, accessible enough and following a hero’s journey template.
We start the first adventure as Quill, a wee small mouse who stumbles across a McGuffin. Worried about the ramifications, Quill’s uncle sets off… and is captured by the evil snake Sarffog. Quill sets off, on a literal hero’s journey, to save her uncle and rid the land of Sarffog… you know how it goes.
Moss II, then, continues Quill’s adventures. So we already know that, spoiler alert, Quill doesn’t die a noble hero’s death at the end of the first game. But that’s as much as I’m telling you.
But what makes Moss interesting is how the story is told. Well, narrated to us, I should say.
A Mouse’s Tale
What can I only assume was an attempt to sell the interactive VR element, Moss is told via narration through a found book. Much like The Princess Bride, but with less humour and more anthropomorphic heroes.
In this sense, we don’t actually control Quill, you see. The way Moss is presented is that Quill controls herself, whilst the player is The Reader. The reason this is capitalised is because The Reader is the deux ex machina, if you will.
The literal god in the machine that reacts to the world around Quill, via the Glass that was picked up at the start. In that sense, the McGuffin is the binding element that has players interacting and engaging with the world.
I’ll admit it sounds odd without any gameplay context, so let’s get into how it translates to that.
A Helping Hand
Moss plays, mostly, like any third person adventure platformer. Quill can run, jump, climb and scamper like any of your Jak’s and Croc’s. The combat is very Tunic-like too, although this came first, in that it’s simplified yet occasionally challenging.
But it’s where the once-VR gimmick comes into play that gives it the edge. In Quill’s world, there are certain objects that can be manipulated that would otherwise impede progress.
Whilst in VR terms, it would have presumably have been done with the Move controller, with a swish and flick. In DualSense terms, it’s the right thumbstick and R2 for grabbing and moving objects.
It’s very rudimentary in its execution, more young adult fiction friendly than say, The Witness. Simple statue-and-weight-switch arrangements, or creating platforms for Quill. But though I’m suggesting it’s simple, it doesn’t mean boring. It does soon escalate into a bit more lateral thinking as we progress.
A Glossy Coat
In terms of presentation, the Moss games are cute and adorable, but hardly processor-busting. For one, it’s all mostly-fixed perspective “rooms” that Quill enters. One would think again this was down to VR limitations, rather than trying to render massive, interactive areas. The page turning noise as we transition is quite nice though.
Again to use references like Tunic, and Death’s Door, as this predates them, it honestly gives me that kind of vibe in its presentation. Polyarc weren’t going for realism, just a cute little fantasy world to get lost in.
The storybook presentation is nice, too. Having to interact with flipping the pages is neat, if a little tiresome when you just want to listen. An auto-flip wouldn’t have gone amiss.
Overall, the serene music when exploring, to upbeat combat music set the scene for a very whimsical adventure indeed. Quill’s little squeaks and grunts give her a bit more depth to a non-speaking character, as does the narration that drives us on.
A Real Page Turner
Normally this would be the negative part of a review, the bits to be wary of or what I didn’t like about it. Whilst Moss: The Forgotten Relic isn’t going to get a perfect score from me (spoilers), it’s inherently not a bad game.
It’s not got much depth outside of a few collectibles, as well as a rigidly linear progression path. But then, it’s being told as a book, so what would you expect? It’s not a choose-your-own-adventure, page-hopping affair. That being said, if collectibles have been missed, chapters can be replayed if the desire is there.
It is, in brief, a wonderful port of titles that may have been missed by those that didn’t take to VR. It doesn’t bring anything new to the table of cute animal adventure games, but what it does bring is polished up enough for the current market. That it comes with both games as well, rather than two separates, is a big tick in my book.
Moss: The Forgotten Relic is available now on PlayStation 5 (review platform), Xbox Series S|X, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, and PC via Steam.
Developer: Blackbird Interactive
Publisher: Polyarc