Tentacular
Review
Terror from the deep
by William Thompson
reviewed on PC
Icky
Tentacles are weird…there, I said it. They’re slimy, skinny and have peculiar suction cup-like parts and are attached to an animal that is equally strange. Tentacular is a VR title, that has gamers taking on the role of a Giant octopus, one where you can control two of the tentacles – one with each of the controllers. Being a friendly octopus, you want to help the citizens of the island of La Kalma however you can. And being a Giant octopus, means that you are often given tasks that would normally be required for a crane or other heavy earthmoving equipment. Task will involve – amongst other things – throwing, catching, building, and solving puzzles to help the citizens of the island village. It will have players looking at calamari in a whole new way.
If you’re looking for a game with a wonderful narrative, then Tentacular may not be for you. Whilst there is somewhat is a storyline, it feels disjointed. However, the fun is definitely in the gameplay as each of the levels provides for a different experience as you assist the residents of La Kalma with the tasks that they give the giant cephalopod. Controlling the water-based creature is reasonably easy but controlling the two arms with a great deal of accuracy is a bit tougher. Controlling the tentacles can feel like you’re holding a couple of broom-handles with suction cups on the ends. Try picking something up with that!
Getting the hang of it
Luckily, the first few levels are quite simple, allowing players to get to know how to handle the tentacles. Some levels are ridiculously easy, requiring players to simply throwing objects such as rockets, whilst some of the missions can be somewhat unforgiving, requiring the exact placement of objects. The preciseness can be tough with the tentacles as they’re less dexterous than the thumb and forefinger grip that we as humans employ. With the tentacles being as big as they are, they can bump into structures or accidentally press buttons if you move too close, so some of the levels require a deft touch.
There are often multiple ways of completing a mission, but often the advice from the Professor (or the signed pictorials) will be quite helpful. For instance, there is one level that has citizens trapped by giant magnets and metallic debris what requires players to clear the debris with de-magnetizing balls. Players can simply lob these balls at the locations, but they can also follow the pictorial directions and set up makeshift slingshot made with powerlines which more accurately aims the de-magnetizing balls.
The puzzle element to some of the levels adds another ingredient into the mix, requiring players to think through a solution. At times, the solution is straightforward, but on other tasks, will take some thinking and some deft handiwork. Luckily, if you’re stuck on a particularly tough brainteaser, Tentacular has provided hints and a reset switch for each level should you find that you’ve hit a snag and need to start again.
360-degree VR
The developers have made wonderful use of the VR capabilities of the headset, allowing gamers a full 360-degree gameplay experience. Although much of the action takes place in the front facing 180-degrees, players can look around to locate important objects behind them and view boats sailing past serenely. Indeed, the reset switch and hints from the local hint-giver and positioned behind the player and somewhat away from the action.
From a visual perspective, Tentacular has a strong Animal Kingdom vibe, with bright visuals, citizens with oversized heads and a friendly atmosphere on the isle of La Kalma. Each of the citizens that you get to interact with on the island city has their own look and personality – most of which seem to have an optimistic outlook on life, giving the island location a pleasant ambiance. The reasonably bustling town has a range of architecture but has a modern feel that centres on it being a shipping hub. Shipping containers and a range of ships can be seen scattered through the levels and around the island.
Fun VR action
The cute visuals give the impression that Tentacular is one for the younger gamers. And to an extent it is, with the simple controls and some of the levels being ridiculously easy to complete. But the puzzle element to some of the levels and the exactness required for some of the movements of the two tentacles can mean that there is a requirement of deftness to much of the game. Although the story is somewhat lacking, it doesn’t take away from the gameplay. In essence, each level feels like a mini game that has players using the controllers in different ways. As a result, the gameplay never feels old, and indeed, as I was playing through the levels I was intrigued as to what the next level would bring. And combined with the knowledge that the game fully utilizes the 360-degree capabilities of the VR headset, it makes Tentacular a worthy purchase for those with the hardware.
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7.6
fun score
Pros
Great use of the 360-degree views and a range of uses for the VR controllers
Cons
Story is somewhat disjointed
