I first performed Kinmoku’s VIDEOVERSE on Steam Deck. I keep in mind the precise second I booted it up, pondering I’d spend possibly quarter-hour or so with it earlier than doing one thing else and returning to it over the weekend. I ended up placing in over an hour into it and was hooked. It felt like a sport made for individuals who grew up with the early web, boards, and clearly skilled the Miiverse.
VIDEOVERSE has now launched for Swap, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles via Ratalaika Video games. I used to be curious to see how the expertise would translate over and whether or not it might play nicely with a controller. For the previous, I can say sure, however the latter leaves a bit to be desired proper now on Swap.
VIDEOVERSE is a story-driven, decision-based sport the place you work together with numerous characters in a fictional social community in a sport console titled the Kinmoku Shark. I don’t need to spoil something, however I’ll say that if the phrases “MSN Messenger” imply something to you, VIDEOVERSE is for you. Regardless that I already performed VIDEOVERSE, it nonetheless hits as arduous on a revisit two years later.
Again in 2023, I believed it wouldn’t be price taking part in for many who didn’t develop up in a particular period. Wanting again, I feel I used to be fallacious. VIDEOVERSE can be a window into an period earlier than somebody’s time as a result of it nonetheless has a lot that’s relatable, not solely with the friendships and relationships in-game, however with the way you see components of the web simply change into worse over time.
Visually, I like VIDEOVERSE’s aesthetic and the themes included for the in-game Videoverse. Kinmoku’s character designs, the sunshine animation work, and menus all really feel excellent for the period. These are complemented by probably the most nostalgic previous web sounds. I don’t assume I’ve seen something encapsulate these previous chat apps and the expertise of interacting with on-line mates in addition to VIDEOVERSE does even at this time.
As for the Swap port, it’s good for enjoying on the go together with contact controls, however I’m not a fan of the pure button controls when taking part in docked. They don’t really feel as responsive and I bumped into a difficulty the place the cursor wouldn’t seem typically once I used my Swap 2 Professional Controller. Should you plan on shopping for VIDEOVERSE on console, I like to recommend taking part in it absolutely handheld with contact controls in case you can. In a perfect world, a Swap 2 Version with mouse controls would exist. Barring the management points, a few of the textual content can look blurry on Swap 2 when performed by way of backward compatibility.
I additionally assume VIDEOVERSE is the right sport to play on the weekend or a vacation break in a number of sittings. I didn’t even understand I had practically 10 hours into it on Steam till I noticed my playtime a number of weeks in the past. It felt like I simply performed it over a number of days again in November 2023.
VIDEOVERSE is the closest to a time capsule from the early 2000s web in sport type but. It’ll make you’re feeling nostalgic, keep in mind previous on-line friendships, and would possibly even push you to make some new ones. A short while in the past, I noticed somebody submit about what media you affiliate with a particular time period. After I consider friendship, the 2 items of media I affiliate with it are VIDEOVERSE and Tenacious D’s music “Friendship.” VIDEOVERSE is a reminder that we actually had it higher in some methods again then, and it’ll at all times be there for you in
Model Examined: Nintendo SwitchReview Copy Supplied by Ratalaika Video games
