Behemoth review by Skydance

Skydance has solidified itself as a leading VR game developer. The one from the studio The walking dead stand out as some of the best VR titles available, so expectations were appropriately high for Skydance's latest VR game, Behemoth. A gritty action-adventure game set in the dark fantasy world of the Forsaken Lands, Behemoth is another great virtual reality game from Skydance and is easily one of the best VR action-adventure games.

In Behemothplayers take on the role of Wren, a hunter from a small village who finds himself afflicted by the same supernatural rot that has invaded the Forsaken Lands. Ending the affliction means slaying gigantic beasts, the titular colossi, all while gathering gear, fighting human enemies, and solving puzzles.

The giants are the great strength of Behemothand they don't disappoint. The immense size of these creatures cannot be underestimated and fighting them is absolutely thrilling. Behemoth offers some of the best and most memorable boss fights in all of VR gaming across these stunning creatures, with each fight surpassing the previous one in complexity, challenge and scale. These fights would have looked incredible on a traditional television or monitor, but seeing these monsters in the context of virtual reality is truly something else.

Behemoth's boss fights are its biggest draw

The incredible battles between behemoths alone are worth the price of admission, although there are a couple of issues that prevent these encounters from reaching their full potential. There's a lot of climbing Behemothand it usually works exactly as intended, but there were times when climbing simply didn't work properly when trying to scale these gigantic creatures. One of the most impressive juggernaut fights was also marred by audio cutting in and out, which was distracting and robbed the moment of its impact. But despite these setbacks, BehemothThe boss fights are unforgettable.

There are only a few juggernaut fights in the game. In between, players must fight their way through countless hordes of human enemies armed with swords, axes, shields, and bows. Players can pick up and use any weapons they encounter during their adventures, and combat benefits greatly from the freedom afforded by virtual reality. Players can smash through an enemy's shield with an axe, stun them with a quick arrow to the foot, and then stab them in the head while their guard is down. Having so many weapons at your disposal may seem daunting, but players don't have to worry about fiddling with their inventory in the heat of battle. Key weapons automatically return if set aside, and players can even throw the sword and manually recall it at will God of warIt's Leviathan Ax if they want.

At the start, Behemoth gives Wren a special ability that greatly increases their strength for a short period of time. If fights become too overwhelming, players can activate this ability to literally cut their opponents in half, chop off their limbs, and even pick them up and throw them. As the game progresses, Wren's arsenal grows, in turn increasing the options available to players in each combat encounter, ensuring that combat Behemoth never grow old.

There's a lot of fighting Behemothbut the game shines with its puzzle-solving ability. Fans of ZeldaStyle puzzlers will have a lot of fun tackling the puzzles Behemothand, while many of them may be simplistic compared to traditional console games, being able to take a practical and literal approach to everything helps them feel fresh. Puzzles help break up combat encounters and ensure Behemoth maintains a great pace from the beginning of the game to the end credits. There's nothing here that will make players tear their hair out, but there's still enough challenge in the puzzles that players won't be bored either.

My first game with Behemoth lasted about 10 hours, but I can see it taking another 5-10 hours to get 100%.

The final piece of BehemothThe main gameplay of is platforming. Behemoth equips players with a grappling hook that they can use to zip to higher ledges, sometimes using their momentum to launch Wren long distances then grapple to the next spot, and so on and so on. Wren's dash, usually used to dodge enemy attacks, can be used in mid-air to cross gaps, and players can also jump onto walls and ledges that they are physically climbing with their hands. Clever twists on the formula are sprinkled throughout, and this, combined with the upgrades players get for Wren's grappling hook that give it more utility, keeps things interesting.

Behemoth gives you the most bang for your buck

Everything in the game is so effective because Behemoth It doesn't outlast its welcome. It gradually gives players more tools and then features puzzles and combat encounters that use the tools. When Behemoth run out of ideas, the game ends. That doesn't mean Behemoth it doesn't have a significant amount of content to explore. My game lasted about 10 hours and I didn't even come close to seeing everything. There are plenty of places off the beaten path, often with more difficult puzzles and platforming challenges that grant worthwhile rewards.

Behemoth has collectibles for players to find, but the real exciting reward is the metals that players use to upgrade their weapons. Stay true to BehemothThanks to virtual reality immersion, upgrading weapons isn't done by clicking on a menu. Players must place their weapon on an anvil, melt the necessary materials, and then strike the heated weapon with a hammer. Just like Skydance's other VR games, Behemoth does a great job of keeping players immersed by taking full advantage of virtual reality's unique capabilities. What would be a mundane task in any other game is instead made engaging and fun.

From a gameplay perspective, it's hard to find fault Behemoth beyond the wobbly climbing during behemoth boss fights. The game's two biggest drawbacks are its story, which is bland and predictable, and its graphical glitches, which are a little too common. Most of the time, Behemoth it looks great, but other times it drops the ball with textures that fail to load and wonky-looking effects.

Behemoth has an Arena mode currently in beta testing, but we didn't get to try it out for this review.

It's not perfect, but that doesn't stop Behemoth from being one of the best VR games to date. It's an action-packed adventure that fans of games like The Legend of Zelda AND God of warwith a healthy balance of bloody combat, satisfying puzzles, and immersive exploration. It's the ultimate must-have VR experience and one of the best virtual reality games to release all year.