

To beat the game, you’re going to need persistence. Never has a game’s name been more fitting. The Persistence is horror gaming done right, and that has little to do with whether it's VR or not.The Persistence by name, The Persistence by nature.

And every experience will be a new one, which means there's nearly endless scares to be found within. It's not just a successful port from VR to console and PC, it's a terrifying and unique roguelike/first-person horror hybrid. These are minor design flaws, however, and most can be overlooked because the rest of The Persistence is simply astounding. Again, this is something that would be smooth and easy on VR, but just a little bit frustrating on console. Additionally, the targeting reticle to open doors or access computers can sometimes go into an endless loop because all it requires is highlighting an object. One can imagine that it would work more flawlessly in VR and it could have used more of a redesign to work smoothly with a controller. Its teleportation mechanic, which requires players to highlight an area and then select it, can be very finicky and unreliable. And with procedurally generated areas to add to that, there's nearly always a sense of discovery and awe when it comes to exploration aboard The Persistence and its horrifying colony ship.įor everything that The Persistence does well, however (and that is a lot), there are moments where it feels too obviously like a VR port. Regardless, it translates well here, and it uses its dark, ominous lighting juxtaposed with the technologically advanced and sleek design of the ship to maximum effect. Graphically, The Persistence is beautiful to look at and it's easy to imagine how it would look that much better in VR.
#THE PERSISTENCE PS4 PLUS#
Crouching and sneaking will be your best friend throughout the game's 10 plus hour story mode and even then survival is not a guarantee. Simply put, players must be smart and not rush into situations because this is very much not a game designed for that. The latter features a parry-like system that's easy to learn but difficult to master while the former doesn't exactly equip players with unlimited ammo and resources with which to buy them. The Persistence's combat is simple but fun, with both projectile weapons and close-up combat available. It's all as tense as it sounds and, as effective as it would likely be in a VR setting, it's just as unsettling to watch from the comfort of a couch with a controller in hand. The procedurally generated nature of The Persistence's maps means there's a new surprise around every corner and with it, a new jump-worthy scare. Plus, The Persistence is first and foremost a horror game and it uses that descriptor to great effect. Like most roguelike games, it's not a concept that's particularly endearing to more casual players, but it's also not as challenging as other, more traditional games in the genre. Related: Down The Rabbit Hole Review - A VR Reimagining of Alice in Wonderland Every single time Elder dies, they are "reborn" as a new clone and, thanks to some sci-fi plot device, the design of the ship changes and players must purchase or find any upgrades or weapons they had before dying. This is due in part to the game's roguelike elements. The goal of the game is to fix the ship and get back home to Earth, which is no easy feat. Told from a first-person perspective, Elder must fight against mutants that have seemingly killed the rest of the crew. The Persistence starts aboard a space colony ship and puts players in the shoes of security office Zimri Elder or, rather, her clone.
