Despite the wide variety of VR games, most of them use the same mechanics. From time to time, however, developers seek a different approach to VR experiences. A great example of this kind of action comes from Realities.io Inc and their game Puzzling Places, which aims to combine zen-like tranquility with the simple and familiar feel of puzzle solving.
Puzzling Places doesn’t have any story elements, the game starts directly from the menu, which is just a list of three-dimensional puzzles. The list includes known and lesser known buildings and places around the world for you to choose from.
The idea of the game is simple. The selected building is broken into pieces and the player needs to put it back together like a puzzle. The pieces can be rotated freely with the virtual hand, and when two matching pieces are placed together in the correct order, they lock together. In addition to these works, there are pictures of buildings taken from different angles around the player. These pictures illustrate the player from all angles to better understand the target, making the puzzle easier to build.
All puzzles are contained within some surrounding environment pieces, which will add some extra challenges to building puzzles. For example, these could be cliffs, roads with cars, or other nearby structures. In some cases, players will even need to construct the interiors of buildings, which will really deepen the puzzle. You can make the game challenging by increasing the number of building blocks. The minimum number of pieces for the puzzle is 25, and it takes about 10 minutes to complete that many pieces, but the number of pieces to choose can be as high as 1,000, so the game offers a serious challenge if you’re up for it.
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The virtual hands controlled by Sense Controllers follow the given commands precisely, making operation effortless. The game also supports PS VR2’s eye tracking, which should make it easier to choose the right puzzle piece from a greater distance.
Puzzling Places’ aims to provide a relaxed atmosphere. A subdued but brightly colored background makes the menus, blocks and area pictures pop while keeping the mood serene. The unique feature sheet looks a little cheap, though it serves its purpose. The PS VR2’s in-game refresh rate is very fast and stable, avoiding strain on the player’s eyes even during longer sessions.
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Pursuing a zen-like feel, the game manages to enhance the calm and pleasant atmosphere with its small voice. Soft jingles and rattles perfectly complement the warm and fuzzy feel when building a puzzle. Background sounds fit the target puzzle by adding suitable sounds such as ocean waves, quiet traffic noise or forest sounds and birds singing. Calming music presents just a few notes, it creates a sense of relaxation, perfect for peaceful puzzle solving.
Puzzling Places successfully executes on its simple idea. The crisp look and calm ambience support easy puzzle solving, and time flies by tackling those funky puzzles. When all 26 puzzles of the main game have been built, there are more theme packs that can be easily purchased from the feature sheet at reasonable prices. This game is a great example of how, through virtual reality, you can see old ideas from a new perspective. I suggest you give it a try.
