Behemoth Review – Shadows of the Colossus

Giant review

Behemoth from high-profile developer Skydance comes with very, very high expectations. Not only does it come on the back of its success with the two Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners VR games, but Behemoth's pre-release trailer hinted at the second coming of the highly regarded Shadow of the Colossus (SOTC). Enthusiasm for the game has been so high that nothing less than a masterpiece would suffice.

Well, let me put my feet back on the ground. This is not a masterpiece, but it is still an excellent game loaded with some unexpected problems. Interestingly, most of those problems stem from fairly common game design decisions when SOTC was released in 2005. The game uses a checkpoint save system that causes frustration. It also has a resistance system that drains at different rates depending on the action. Fortunately, the latest patch has better balanced this. And the most important thing is that the game has no jumping action.

One of the unintentional and perhaps unforeseen expectations of Behemoth's comparisons to SOTC is the number of colossi. In SOTC, there are twelve. In Behemoth there are four. Designing colossal creatures for a player to not only interact with but fight in virtual reality is certainly a big task.

From a presentation value standpoint, Behemoth is on the AAA scale. The 90 FPS gameplay on PSVR 2 gives the presentation a crisp look. There are no reprojection problems here. All game resources are top-notch. The character models, the weapons, the environments, and most importantly, the Behemoths. The color palette is also excellent, although the game doesn't make the best first impression, as the starting level is covered in snow.

Wren and the abandoned lands

The sound effects and score also get the same treatment. A fully immersive 360-degree soundscape characterizes Forsaken Lands. You'll hear the wind whistling around you, the swish of arrows as they fly by, and the clash of swords that matches the precise location of their collision in your field of vision. Finally, there are the deafening roars and subsonic presence of the Behemoths themselves. Subsonics are further amplified by the noise of the PSVR 2 headset. More effective.

You play as Wren, a lone hunter banished to the Forsaken Lands. The lands and you are under a curse. You suffer from Rot, a disease that will transform you into a mindless servant. Your mission is to find a cure for your disease by confronting not only the other affected people, but also killing the Behemoths. To personalize the journey, the game allows for some character customization. The wren can be male or female, which is reflected not only in appearance but also in voice. There are also several skin tones to choose from.

You start the game in a snowstorm and fight your way through some enemies alone. You can engage in combat, with swords or daggers, or you can sneak past. The game's combat system is based on real-world physics based on the Walking Dead games, which successfully conveyed the weight and inertia of melee weapons. Real-world physics alone wouldn't stop players from simply flailing around and attacking enemies. To avoid this, Skydance continues to use stamina and health attributes.

These attributes impose the strategy on the player. You must take a real-world approach to combat or lose encounters quickly due to stamina or health depletion. Where Behemoth struggles is finding a good balance between stamina and how the action depletes it. Climbing consumes energy at a faster rate than combat. Running forward depletes stamina and requires a recovery period. However, you can run forever. This imbalance is a bit discouraging.

Weapons and curses

There are a variety of weapons at your disposal. This includes basic melee weapon items such as swords, throwing daggers, shields, and bows and arrows. Two other bonus additions include the grappling hook and curse. The grappling hook serves several functions. It allows you to move vertically, up or down. It also works as an offensive tool. Upgrading it allows you to drag environmental objects, such as tree trunks, towards enemies. The grappling hook also serves as a puzzle solver when you have to remove a barrier to access a new area.

Your curse, the Rot, gives you a boost of strength. It's very Hulk-like outside. It lasts a short time and can be used to break barriers or overpower enemies. The problem is that you have to use it wisely. Rely on it too much and the rot will spread through your body at an accelerated rate. However, it has an unfortunate side effect on gameplay because this increase in strength allows you to spam your way through battles with minions and mini-bosses.

Another similarity to the Walking Dead games is how visceral the combat is. The blows hit enemies with fleshy impacts. You can mutilate and dismember enemies to your liking. The satisfaction of doing so may be offset for some by the deliberation of combat. This is not a fast-paced action game if played with the default combat settings. This approach is more realistic, but some may find this laborious style of play not to their liking. In response to feedback, the combat option now has a more relaxed option where stamina is disabled. This makes the game more arcadey but also disables the game's achievements.
Another thing that might put players off is the checkpoint system. It's not very generous and could force you to backtrack quite a bit. That can be quite frustrating, but the game also requires the player to re-watch cutscenes or re-listen to dialogue they've already heard. There is no skip option. Hopefully this is something that gets patched.

Fight a giant

One combat mechanic that causes initial frustration, when you are at your weakest, is the throwing mechanic. At the beginning of the game, you have no way of judging pitches. This decision adds an unnecessary barrier to the early game. Especially since one of the first skill upgrades you can make is to make thrown weapons automatically lock onto a target.

Where the game really shines is in the encounters with Behemoth. The real-world scale that only virtual reality brings to gaming is utilized to its fullest extent. Watching a multi-story creature in virtual reality is an inspiring experience of awe and fear. Especially since you have to scale them to attack their weak points. It is in these meetings where SOTC's DNA shines.

Fighting a giant is an exciting experience, since you will put all your combat skills into play. Climbing one without depleting your stamina is a juggling act. Hard enough to climb a static surface. Doubly so when you are on a moving surface that is actively trying to dislodge or attack you.

As you travel through the abandoned lands, you will find collectibles and crafting resources. This also includes colossal weapons. The puzzle aspects come directly from games like SOTC, Tomb Raider, and Uncharted. You will move boxes to access areas out of reach or place them on pressure plates. Some collectibles will require the use of the grappling hook to reach them.

Unique gaming experience

Behemoth offers one of the most unique gaming experiences I have ever had the privilege of playing. Thanks to virtual reality and thanks to Skydance, you can now savor the fantasy of taking on a multi-story tall colossus and feeling like a badass when you defeat one. This game would be a masterpiece, with tighter controls and fewer penalty checkpoints. On the contrary, it ends up being very good.

***Behemoth PSVR 2 key provided by the publisher.***

***The version of the game reviewed here for PSVR 2 is v1.003. Since its launch, Skydance has released several patches. Many of the issues identified in the preview version used for release reviews have been fixed.***