Franz Kafka’s best-known work, the novella The Metamorphosis, begins with its main character, Gregor Samsa, awakening one morning to find that he has inexplicably transformed into a monstrous insect. Gregor Samsa had a miserable job and was in debt. He also failed to form meaningful relationships. Metamorphosis VR has answered my question. After playing Metamorphosis VR, I no longer have to wonder.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBhqOwii_jUThe MetamorphosisWith Metamorphosis VR – originally developed for
Ovid Works and now adapted for VR by Black Sun Productions – have taken the ideas of Kafka’s novella and turned them into a puzzle platformer which leans heavily on a surrealistic art style and the novelty of scale. The game is not a direct retelling of flatscreen platformsThe Metamorphosis
, but rather an independent story which borrows many of the literature’s concepts.The player character, also named Gregor, awakens in a strange, ever shifting version of his friend Joseph’s apartment. Almost instantly we have transformed into a tiny insect, we’re talking to other bugs, falling into a strange nether realm within the pages of letters, and it’s clear that life has become very bizarre indeed.Metamorphosis VR’s mysterious and ominous story presents itself quickly. Within the first 30 minutes of play, we discover that Gregor’s friend Joseph has been accused and arrested of an unknown crime. This story, along with Gregor’s quest to restore himself to humankind, are the most important aspects of the game. Characters are well-crafted and environments dense and realistic. In a game which so heavily leans on a sense of scale and immersion, this is a very good thing.
However, the visuals and presentation are hamstrung by performance issues. Quest 2’s large, complex environments are often plagued by texture issues, pop-in models and strange graphical glitches. Some character voices randomly diminish or become very loud, and occasionally the voice lines would simply stop mid-sentence.
Gameplay is similarly mixed. Metamorphosis is a puzzle-platformer at its heart. You play the game from the first person perspective and must guide the bug through the massive environment. You must physically locate yourself in the appropriate locations, and reach the end goal of a specified area to further advance the plot.
Progression is typically achieved through puzzle-solving and interaction with the environment. In an early game stage, in order to get out of a desk drawer that was too deep, you must work your way through all the clutter until you reach a musicbox. Spinning the music box’s wheel draws the attention of someone in the room, who opens the drawer to turn off the music, subsequently leaving a gap for Gregor to escape the drawer.
Movement is handled with either full motion controls, in which the player’s hands act as the bug’s forelegs. The player drags Gregor around the world in this mode. The controls are a little unnatural and tedious. I prefer to use the traditional thumbsticks. The tedium in traversing the world tends to detract from the experience. Platforming is adequate but unpolished and imprecise. MetamorphosisVR is unpolished. The game’s engaging story and gooey flesh are hidden behind a mediocre, unpolished game. While the core concept is excellent, and the story is captivating, experiencing the game requires too much effort. While I’m happy to have experienced Metamorphosis VR, like the bug from Kafka’s original story, in the end, it’s a bit hard to love.
Metamorphosis VR is available now on
.