In my opinion, the difference between immersion and immersive is huge. It takes time for the former to immerse you in the world. The latter, however, will have you engrossed almost immediately after leaving the game, just like you would be with a good book that you are sad to finish. Augmented Empire has a world that is as engaging and dark. It’s a polished experience, but it ends too soon. With a world that is as engaging as it is dark, what’s here feels like a polished experience that finishes far too soon.
The Facts
What is it?
Platforms:
(reviewed on Quest 3)Release DateQuest: November 21, 2024
Developer: Coatsink
Price: $9.99
Augmented Empire’s premise isn’t particularly unique. In a dystopian world, the different classes are either elevated to power, or left behind in New Savannah’s most disgusting and dangerous areas. The politically charged narrative doesn’t find you in the center of the action, however, as you take the reins leading a squad of characters from a holographic table in a fairly empty apartment.Augmented Empire – Screenshot on Meta Quest 3
To further immerse you into the world, your character, Craven, can’t speak to the characters directly either, so your instructions and ideas are spoken through the speech of a smooth-talking robot called Hartman. Leading a ragtag team of misfits isn’t simply about calling shots, though – it’s all about planning your next move successfully.
However, it’s the moments in between that keep me captivated across each level. The characters talk to one another as though they were real, discussing the world, the plot and even events before the game began. The voice actors do a great job of bringing the characters to life. It’s nice to see that there is passion and heart in an experience which doesn’t feel like a triple-A game or mainstream show. Once again, they truly feel like human people you’d meet on the street, except this squad is on a dangerous mission and not just going to the shops like in the real world.
Augmented Empire – Screenshot on Meta Quest 3
Back to the levels, the huge variety of small locations lack in size, but they sure make up for it with style. The cyberpunk aesthetics are what make each area of the game fun. In the comfort of your apartment (or your real world in mixed reality, if you’d like), you can move the map around or switch views from different angles, letting you witness levels uniquely that few platforms aside from VR can offer.
Augmented Empire’s accessibility options are fairly lacking but it’s not a title that needs many. You can switch between mixed reality or virtual reality with ease, change from hand tracking or controllers, as well as choose between a pointer or physically touching tiles and characters.
The tabletop aesthetic of the game means you can enjoy the entire experience by sitting down at a desk or a table, engaging with the world as you see fit. Augmented Empire is a very comfortable experience.
Augmented Empire – Screenshots taken on Meta Quest 3
Fortunately, the simplistic nature of the gameplay means that it’s a very comfortable experience to play. Augmented Empire was a refreshing change from my usual VR gaming routine, which involves me moving around the room. I played the entire game without ever leaving my comfortable chair. You can opt for hand tracking or using the controllers to play the game, allowing you to carefully select tiles with either option, but I recommend using the pointer option for controllers – or you’ll accidentally touch a different area.
Admittedly, I’ve never played the original version – like many others, my heavy VR experience started with the Quest 2. My thoughts are similar to those of the original
. I’m not the biggest fan of turn-based strategy games but despite this, the story was so dark and engaging that it made me want to play the game. However, saying that, I’m not a huge turn-based strategy fan, and yet I found myself attached regardless of my action combat preference, thanks to a beautifully dark story that hits all the cyberpunk notes that I hoped for.
Augmented Empire (2024) Review – Final Verdict
While the gameplay can be fairly simplistic and levels are sometimes lacking depth, Coatsink delivers a gripping story with characters that feel truly real, like watching a book come to life. Repetitive combat may keep me from believing the game is a masterpiece, but Augmented Empire’s narrative threads, beautiful levels, and distinct vibes kept me hooked from start to finish.
UploadVR uses a 5-Star rating system for our game reviews – you can read a breakdown of each star rating in our original review for the 2017 game.