Moss: Book 2 is the follow-up to 2018’s platformer puzzler, which was originally a PSVR exclusive. It’s a charming and visually impressive game that puts players in control of a cute mouse named Quill, who starts out with a sword. Unlike most traditional PSVR games, Moss is played using a DualShock 4 controller and a VR headset rather than outdated Mobile motion controllers. Quill is controlled normally, but the player sees a reduced isometric view of Quill and various environments in this medieval fantasy world.
While it can be a little blurry at times due to the less powerful specs of the original PSVR headset, Moss: Book 2 still stands out for the amount of detail in its environments and level design. Quill will move through these puzzle rooms, which are essentially miniature dioramas, and the player can move their head around to peek into small spaces or just look at the objects and nature around them. In a fantasy world, players will see intricate castles, lush forests covered in foliage, dilapidated caves, and even a factory filled with coal and lava.
About 80% of Moss: Book 2’s 6 hour length is devoted to solving puzzles ranging from just pulling/pushing blocks and light platforms to more complex gravity-defying stunts. Most of the puzzles fall into the former category and are pretty straightforward.
However, at times Moss’ puzzles can be overwhelming, especially if the player has access to the rest of Quill’s arsenal. She does start out as a sword, mainly used to attack enemies at certain times, but late game players can recharge the weapon and use it to quickly sprint long distances, which is more fun to solve puzzles, and less Used in battle scenes. She also has access to a ring wheel and a hammer, which can also be charged to perform special moves, opening up room for more multi-step puzzles and varied combat.
Swapping between these weapons can be a bit annoying; players have to press the touchpad on the controller to open the inventory, then use controller motions to drag weapons into Quill, rather than just pressing a button to spin them out. Quill sometimes stays out of the player’s line of sight, making it difficult to physically reach her.
For smaller rooms, it’s easier to reach Quill, but some of the larger locations in the game can make it difficult to interact with her and other movable objects. It’s a game for sitting down, but players may need more room to interact with everything than bump into real-world stuff.
As mentioned, there are some fights in Moss: Book 2, but mostly direct engagements, especially since Quill only has a sword in the first few hours. Players can swing their swords at these bug-like enemies, and they mostly go down with little effort. There’s also a dodge mechanic that allows Quill to dash out of attack paths quickly, but players shouldn’t find themselves dying too often unless they’re not paying attention to what’s going on.
However, the difficulty of the game increases a lot in the second half. Once Quill has the sword, hammer, and chakra, different types of enemies will appear, and this is where weapon switching comes into play. Some bugs require a hammer to break their armor before Quill can get in there with regular attacks. But other than that, what’s often encountered isn’t all that varied.
Boss fights make Moss: Book 2’s fights shine as they tend to use VR headsets and motion controls in a very fun and engaging way. There aren’t many boss fights in Moss: Book 2, as it’s mostly exploration and puzzle solving, but they’re some of the game’s best moments, and they’re really cinematic. For example, one of the boss fights takes place in the bell tower, and the player needs to physically pull down the church bell to let the boss fly in, and it feels very satisfying after completing it.
Since the player sees the world through the eyes of a small mouse, the bosses look huge and epic, and the backgrounds are striking. At times, it even feels like Moss: Book 2 is a natural journey, allowing players to witness the depth and detail of the world Quill is exploring–and it’s all so beautiful.
As far as Moss: Book 2’s story goes, there’s definitely a solid framework that can be a bit of a stretch, especially the game’s ending, but in the end, it’s not a memorable experience. Most of the game’s key plot points are told not through engaging cutscenes during gameplay, but through fantasy storybooks, with static images on each page that players can turn as the DualShock moves. It’s a fascinating way to tell a story, but it would have been very welcome to have the story take a more hands-on approach to engage the player a little more.
Sometimes it feels like if the Moss: Book 2 had a non-VR mode, it would still be a decent game for those who just want to experience the game without the slightly annoying motion mechanics, but for the most part the added immersion effect very good. The puzzles are fun and challenging enough without sending players banging their heads against the wall. Quill is a very likable and likable protagonist. Boss fights are glasses, utilizing PSVR headsets, and the environments are so beautiful I stare at them every few minutes.
While there are other PSVR titles worth checking out the first time players pick up the headset, the Moss: Book 2 is still a quality puzzle-platformer that can be completed in just a few hours, offering Light-hearted puzzle-solving and a very emotional adventure.
Moss: Book 2 is now available for PSVR. Code was provided to Game Rant for the purpose of this review.