The original Gorn was one of the first virtual reality games that I ever played. Its simple concept - eviscerating cartoonish brutes with medieval weapons - lent itself well to the virtual reality space. It was a goofy novelty at the time, but Gorn 2 releases eight years after its predecessor's early access version. There have been significant advancements in VR in the years since the original game was released, and sadly, Gorn 2 doesn't push things forward enough.
At its core, Gorn 2 is more of the same. The game is still about beating enemies to a bloody pulp in small arenas, though this time there's more structure to the proceedings. There's a half-baked story mode where players have to conquer 15 levels spread across five different arenas, with each arena culminating in a boss fight. Each round won unlocks new items, weapons, and more for custom games. The goal in every round is exactly the same: kill everything.
Gorn 2's Physics-Based Combat is Wild
Gorn 2 features a varied arsenal of weapons for players to take out their unlucky foes. Players can pick up a spear, stab it through an enemy's chest, and literally rip out their heart. Alternatively, players can grab a sword and dismember their opponents limb by limb. Those who prefer ranged combat can use a bow to fire shots at enemies from afar. The especially sadistic can beat their opponents over the head with a hammer to make them dazed, and then grab their head and rip it off their body. The violence is hilariously over-the-top and ridiculous thanks to the physics system, with eyeballs popping out, body parts flying every which way, and arenas getting drenched in bright red, cartoonish blood.
In short bursts, Gorn 2 can be very entertaining, and it remains a great showcase to introduce people to the concept of VR. Gorn 2's controls are easy to understand for virtual reality novices and the game is one of the few VR titles that are truly "pick up and play." As long as players know how to pick up weapons and swing their arms around, they will be successful in Gorn 2.
To its credit, Gorn 2 tries to shake things up. Magic potions can provide an interesting twist, like one that gives players super speed and another that gives them massive hands so they can dual-wield what would normally be two-handed weapons. Each level has a bonus objective that encourages players to take out enemies in a specific way and, if fulfilled, grants them a reward to make the next rounds a little easier. The arenas have unique traps for players to utilize and avoid, like spikes popping out of the ground or a grinder in the middle of the floor.
Gorn 2 is Ultimately a Shallow VR Experience
Despite efforts to make Gorn 2's gameplay more varied, the game still gets old fast. The absurd violence is funny at first, but it can't sustain the game for the long haul. It would be great to see Gorn 2's combat system applied to a full-blown adventure game, but having the whole game be only about combat makes things dull. It doesn't help that there is no strategy required to win fights. The enemies in Gorn 2 are stupid by design and often wander into traps and in the way of their teammates. Nearly every enemy in the game can be defeated by waiting for them to swing, moving in and smacking them, and repeating the process. Honestly, most of the time the game doesn't even require that much thought, as players can find success by wildly swinging their weapons around with no regard for potential incoming damage. Killing enemies is how to heal in Gorn 2, and so, as long as an enemy ends up getting killed in the chaos, players can easily stay alive.
Another way Gorn 2 attempts to keep things interesting is through its boss fights, but there is only one encounter that is particularly memorable. The bosses in Gorn 2 are obnoxious, with players forced to sit and listen to them rant before each level can get underway. The dialogue in the game tries to be funny, but the jokes are incredibly juvenile.
Gorn 2's story only takes a few hours to get through. After that, players are free to check out the Custom and Endless game modes, but that's more of the same shallow violence that the base game offers. VR enthusiasts are likely looking for something with more substance, but that's not to say there is no value to Gorn 2. The game can be fun in short bursts, and it works great as an easy way to show off virtual reality to someone who has never played a VR game before. Ultimately, those wanting more Gorn will get their money's worth with Gorn 2, while those who are looking for a deeper virtual reality experience will have to look elsewhere.
- Developer(s)
- Cortopia, Free Lives
- Publisher(s)
- Devolver Digital
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
- Ridiculously over-the-top violence is hilarious in short bursts
- Everything works and it's easy to pick up and play
- Obnoxious dialogue
- There is nothing to the game beyond the combat
- Very repetitive
Gorn 2 launches April 17 for Meta Quest and PC with a PlayStation VR2 version also in development. The Best War Games was provided with a Meta Quest 3 code for this review.