Sony’s E3 press conference was noticeably devoid of indie titles this year. This was a bit shocking as Sony had previously gone out of its way to make a big deal out of how much more indie friendly PlayStation was over Xbox. This year, with Microsoft stealing the indie show, Sony’s offerings felt paltry in comparison. So when Polyarc’s new VR game, Moss hit the screen, expectations were pretty high.
A single-player action/adventure puzzler, Moss was built specifically for the PSVR experience. Classic gameplay is reimagined in a fully immersive and (let’s be honest) gorgeous environment. Players serve as a powerful ally to the adventurous mouse protagonist, Quill. They are able to help her move objects, battle enemies, and manipulate the field of play. It looks impressively ambitious, which is fortunate for Sony since the rest of their offerings were the standard AAA mega-hits.
Developer Polyarc may be a young studio, but their gaming pedigree proceeds them. After parting ways with Bungie in 2015, the team seized the opportunity to create their own studio. Their goal for Polyarc was to create a studio where a culture of collaboration, creative expression, and player value were at the forefront of every project. As their first title, the team feels that Moss exemplifies these principles.
Big Dreams Rest On A Little Mouse
“We’ve wanted to make this game from the very beginning—to take the core of what makes a great game and then bring it to life with the magic of VR. We’re so excited to finally share it with the world,” Polyarc CEO, Tam Armstrong wrote on the game’s website.
While Moss certainly looks like a more than capable addition to the PlayStation VR lineup, it would have been nice to see other indie teams in the spotlight as well. Even Undertale getting PS4 and Vita physical editions wasn’t enough to secure it a spot in the show proper. Instead, Sony tacked the announcement on as part of the pre-show. Just an aside before bigger titles once again dominated the spotlight.
