Theseus Reviews
Theseus feels like a small-team effort, and a middle-of-the-road one at that. The myth-turned-game concept is smart, but the execution and scope aren't where they need to be.
Short and succinct, there's nothing about Theseus I strongly disliked. That said, beyond the occasional picturesque moment, there isn't a lot here worth shouting about either. It succeeds in bringing a brutal slice of mythology to life, but lacks the depth or impact of similar action adventure games, putting too much emphasis on style and presentation.
Too short, linear, and with a limited gameplay. Theseus has many flaws, but the atmosphere, graphics and the excellent VR management are worth not to be underestimated.
Review in Italian | Read full review
There's a lot of potential to really have Theseus be a great adventure, but it ends before you can get invested at all, a slow burn with an all too rapid conclusion. It feels like the whole middle part of the game is missing, with a long intro leading right into the climax. If it hadn't played like a bad PS2 game. If it had been longer. If I had been less railroaded. If there had been a more meaningful buildup of the intriguing narrative. So many elements came together — or rather failed to coalesce — that make Theseus a less than memorable virtual reality experience, which is disappointing as I would love to have an engaging reason to play a unique virtual reality take on Greek mythology. Theseus just isn't it.
Ariadne wouldn't fall in love with Theseus in this state, but Forge Reply's virtual reality adaptation of a classic story isn't an unmitigated disaster. The combat and platforming disappoints and there's not enough meat on the release's bones, but it proves that third-person adventures can work with PlayStation VR – and it looks pretty nice to boot. It's a bit of a missed opportunity, then, as there is value in what's presented here – it's just far, far too expensive to recommend and isn't as fun as it should be to play.
Theseus is a terrifyingly atmospheric adventure that is well worth experiencing for owners of PSVR.
Theseus is a very entertaining and interesting VR game. The use of the third-person perspective in VR elevates the game and creates a fulfilling and unique experience. While the combat can be lackluster and constant camera changes feel unnecessary and bothersome, the narrative holds it together and makes Theseus better than many other PSVR titles.
Theseus' story ends before it starts, and the combat is a bit too simple, but it provides a fantastic environment worth exploring and moments that really stood out thanks to how intriguing they were.
Theseus is a cinematic VR experience for the PlayStation VR, but is over all too soon. The atmosphere inside the labyrinth and beyond is incredible, you really need to see it, but the puzzles and exploration feel quite linear. Combat isn't overly complicated, but fighting multiple creatures at once can lead to frustrating deaths. There is a second ending in the game if you are able to locate all of the corpses scattered throughout.
The developer delivered bland and boring game with misused VR technology. Do yourself a favor and don't even touch it.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Theseus hides some good ideas, but a boring and repetitive gameplay, along with an outdated technology and a questionable use of the PS VR, prevents it from being a good game.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Theseus is a story brimming with excitement and wonder, thrown into an experience ripe for improvement. Developer Forge Reply picked a great myth to tackle, and one that works astoundingly well in VR. The shortcomings are too numerous, however, to be overlooked.
Half good, half bull.
Theseus is a good experiment made by the folks at Forge Reply, that uses a third-person camera for the first time in a VR project. Despite some good idea and the fascinating Greek mythology, Theseus lacks of a good story and an appealing combat system that could add variety to a 1-hour long journey towards the end of the labyrinth.
Review in Italian | Read full review
It's a little limited for what I ultimately want VR to deliver, but it's worthwhile nonetheless.
Theseus has some elements and characters from the greek myth 'Theseus and the Minotaur' in order to create its own narrative, adding philosophical reflections on the perpetual cycle of life and death, good and evil. It is an example that third-person games work well in virtual reality, albeit there's still room for improvements and refinements in order to avoid weird angles. The player should keep in mind that the focus here is on the narrative, with a small touch of exploration and a combat with basic mechanics. The game has colossal environments and the figure of the Minotaur is terrifying, making this experience, yet short, very positive.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Graphically this experience is one of the best out there. The team's attention to detail is superb, and it helps to bring the game's settings to life thanks to its cinematic approach and what PlayStation VR can do. Sure, the controls feel a bit clunky every now and then, but the game's solid story and the overall experience more than make up for it. There isn't much replayability after you're done, but this is one of the better games for Sony's virtual reality hardware, so be sure to give it a go.
Theseus is a mixed bag. On one hand it takes a bold step in using a completely counterintuitive POV for virtual reality and makes it work, while on the other hand the game itself is extremely half-baked due to an unimaginative take on the scenario. It manages some stunning visuals and pushes some very strong animations for PSVR, yet there is barely any variety in every aspect of the game from enemies, environment or gameplay. When this game hits its ending, it is sudden and unexpected with very little fanfare. However, with all these flaws, Theseus is pretty compelling and even worth a try because of how enigmatic it is. It has a really creepy atmosphere and is just incredible to look at. There is some potential here, and maybe if the developers had more time to iron out the many kinks and add some basic features, then this would be more than a weird unfinished curiosity.
Overall, Theseus for me is underdeveloped, the lack of storytelling, combat is boring, enemies are unforgettable, protagonist is also unforgettable, short gameplay and bad visuals.
Theseus is one of the most atmospherically immersive video games that I've ever played.