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Light Tracer
Released On: Sep 26, 2017
68
6.3
All Platforms
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 7 Critic Reviews
68
43% Positive
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
43% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
14% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 7 Critic Reviews
68
43% Positive
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
43% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
14% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Overall, Light Tracer is a well-crafted VR platform title. Once you get used to the controls, it becomes challenging enough to keep you coming back for more. There are some very frustrating elements, but not enough to spoil the gameplay entirely. Having said that, Light Tracer is at its best when played in relatively small doses. Like a plate of snacks to nibble on instead of a feast, but still just as tasty.
Instead of copying the status quo, Light Tracer tries to give gamers something they haven’t already conquered before. The challenge behind this virtual reality experience is in figuring out how to control the character without retaining direct control over her movements. Learning to do two distinctly separate tasks in a single moment is the key to solving many of Light Tracer’s puzzles and moving forward.
Light Tracer is cute and clever, challenging and frustrating, and ends up as a platformer that fully exploits VR’s ability to draw players into its cheerily devilish world. I’ve previously given Oasis Games a hard time for the mediocre quality of their releases, but I’ve got to give it to them – they’ve finally hit on a winner with Light Tracer. It’s as good as any platformer on the system, and once again proves that there aren’t many genres that won’t work perfectly well in VR.
Standing tall above all else is a soundtrack that’s way better than I ever anticipated. It offers a collection of different genres, from light and breezy acoustic guitar tracks to boisterous and catchy as hell big band standards. The game’s boss encounters are a major detractor to the experience and I would have loved the option to skip them. The game would be much better for it, in my opinion. The VR nature of the game is pretty great, offering a control scheme that works perfectly for this style of platformer. By giving the player control over the environment instead of the player character, the amount of freedom you get from manipulating the world with two hands is substantial. Light Tracer wins you over with a sweet smile and cute demeanor but it hides a dark alter ego, one that has no qualms with putting you through a physical and emotional ringer.
Light Tracer is a wonderful, if at times way too tough VR experience. It looks and sounds great, and will keep players busy for a very long time.
I have to give props to Light Tracer for attempting to take a classic genre and flipping it on its head to fit in VR. In some areas it shines, but it is where it counts the most, in the controls, that the game just falls short on. If you have a PSVR collecting dust, then there is value in picking Light Tracer up and giving it a try, if only to experience a platformer in VR. But I would recommend maybe holding off for an inevitable sale.
Light Tracer takes an interesting approach to VR platforming and environmental puzzles, even if they are generally easy to overcome. However, it would have benefitted from removing the boss battles and the design of the princess’ outfit is questionable. There’s plenty of ways the path finding controls of Light Tracer can be used for future, better titles, but Light Tracer itself definitely needed a lot more time to feel complete.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 14 User Ratings
6.3
64% Positive
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
36% Negative
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 14 User Ratings
6.3
64% Positive
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
36% Negative
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.
Summary Light Tracer is a VR platform puzzler in which the player is a godlike creature who has to guide a princess in despair up the enormous Tower of Bellbatis.
Rated E
for Everyone
Platforms:
- PlayStation 4
- PC
- Nintendo Switch
Initial Release Date: Sep 26, 2017
Developer:
- Oasis Games
Publisher: Oasis Games
Genres:
