What happens when the co-creator of Rick and Morty creates his own game where he’s the big star? Exactly what you would expect! A crazy adventure filled with humor, an improvised plot, a lot of cursing, and above all probably one of the best PlayStation VR games on the market. We had a blast with Trover Saves the Universe and can’t wait for more!
The dystopian Chairopian
Unlike what you might think, you’re not Trover, instead, you’re an alien of the Chairopian species. The Chairopians never get out of their hovering chairs but control everything by using a device that resembles a DualShock 4 controller incredibly well. Things go South for our beloved Chairopian when an alien uses his two dogs as new eyes. Because yes, there’s an alien that uses other aliens as eyes by simply putting them in his eye holes. Sounds strange? This is only the start of it all. After watching an improvised television show where you learn to look around and interact with objects, Trover knocks on your door.
For reasons unknown, he gives you full control over his body. A strange decision but you know, the purple dude is probably a bit lazy so why not give an alien the full control? Luckily for us, this means the game suddenly resembles Astro Bot Rescue Mission when it comes to the actual gameplay. You control Trover directly with your DualShock 4, or better said, the Chairopian controls Trover using his DualShock-like device… It’s all pretty meta. Controlling Trover is incredibly easy and thanks to your ability to teleport to certain points, you constantly maintain a clear overview of the world. Gameplay clearly isn’t an afterthought although you might expect some self-criticism, nihilism, and general questions about what video games really are. Nobody said this was going to be your ordinary video game, right?
Slash and run
When solely looking at the gameplay, Trover Saves the Universe plays like a slasher combined with some platforming. Without the use of the PSVR, it’s not that spectacular but in VR, it’s incredible. You constantly look at Trover from a distance while you’re trying to maneuver him over platforms while defeating all his enemies with his lightsaber. For those who played Astro Bot, this follows the same mechanic. Unlike Astro Bot, however, Trover doesn’t include any puzzles. Needless to say, the game is self-aware of this and often mocks the lack of those clever puzzles, transforming it into something to laugh about rather than something you would actually miss.
This truly is the game’s strength, making you laugh out loud while wearing your PSVR headset. The gameplay isn’t extremely innovating but the way Trover tackles his challenges truly is. Oh, did you jump over that tree log and lost Trover since he got eaten? Well, let him explain that to you when he respawns. And what about those random encounters with other absurd aliens? Trover will handle that by mocking them and telling them he doesn’t have time for this sh*t. The humor of those random encounters clearly lengthens the overall expierence to over four hours, without the encounters, this adventure would be over rather soon. This in combination with the fact that you’ll gain more and more power as a Chairopian truly elevates the gameplay expierence to new heights. The game is at its best when you’re defeating a boss by throwing objects at it and simultaneously attack it with Trover’s lightsaber, all while hearing him curse as if his life depends on it.
Rick and Morty vibe
This is the true style of the game and I’m fully aware that not everybody will enjoy this. If you adore Rick and Morty, you’ll absolutely love the insanity of this game but if that kind of humor isn’t your cup of tea, you’ll probably want to stop playing as fast as possible. Because of this, the game is aimed at a rather niche group of gamers but it’s definitely worth trying even if you’ve never seen the crazy adventures of Rick and Morty before. What makes this vibe so charming is the fact that the game is fully aware of what it is and what video games are. It often questions the medium, putting the finger on the weak spot while always laughing it away with a certain sense of nihilism. The Rick and Morty vibe is incredibly strong and sometimes I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was watching a Morty adventure set in a parallel universe, which is a huge compliment for the game.
Trouble in paradise
Now, as you might see, I’m a huge fan of Rick and Morty and I absolutely loved everything about this epic journey but the game isn’t perfect. It’s playable without VR but in all honesty, I don’t get why you would play it that way. The VR experience is perfectly implemented and it just isn’t the same without the headset. Sure, you’ll still laugh at the jokes and have fun but you’ll miss out on a multitude of hidden details in the levels. It’s great that the team gave you a choice here but in all honesty, there shouldn’t be one. If you’re planning to get this to play it without your PSVR, you might want to skip it.
The second main issue is the game’s length. It’s easily finished after a couple of hours and if you enjoyed it as much as I did, you’ll want more, a lot more! Now, luckily for the fans, the team already confirmed new (free) adventures in the future so this issue resolved itself. The only thing I’m worried about is how long we’ll have to wait…
Conclusion:
Trover Saves the Universe is the perfect example of what a good PSVR game should be. It combines stellar visuals with absurd humor and challenging gameplay. It’s not a game for everyone but if you can enjoy this kind of humor, it’s pure gold. In true spirit of Astro Bot, this one easily lands in the list of best VR games currently on PlayStation 4. Forget everything you know and give this incredible duo the chance they deserve.
