Prison Boss VR
Critic Reviews for Prison Boss VR
Prison Boss is a delightful and surprisingly relaxing VR game, perfectly optimized for people who prefer seated VR (although you can also play it standing in which the cell grows to the size of your play space). The art style and cartoonish design is charming and despite not having much to see, it feels very immersive. I found the lack of tutorial on how the menu and objectives worked to be a bit of a letdown, but it isn’t a big enough issue to make it unplayable. I would definitely recommend this as a starter game for those just getting into VR as it isn’t overwhelming, but it highlights the functions of a VR game. Playing through a stage takes a comfortable amount of time and it really is just a blast to play. I hope to see those tutorial options added in but as it stands it is still a smooth and charming VR experience I’m happy to keep playing.
The VR market is still in it's early days and much of what's available is so called "on rail shooters" so it's nice to have something a bit different. Something that uses the space extremely well and gives us a bit of humour with not a zombie in site.
Prison Boss VR is like Pringles, once you get started you don’t want to stop until you escape or die trying! Well, maybe not die, more like ‘get caught’. I would class the game as more of a ‘resource management’ type of game than anything else as you’re constantly having to ensure you have enough materials bought during the day so you can craft at night in order to both satisfy inmates and raise a bit of cash. It does get quite intense as more elaborate crafting comes into play and more guards begin to patrol differently, but as long as you stay cool, you’ll be fine! Also, due to the look and feel of the game, I’d say it’s suitable for people of all ages.
Overall, Prison Boss VR does a great job of making prison seem like a fun little adventure. My first few in-game days at the first prison seemed pretty straightforward and not overly challenging. Things picked up from there though and each decision I made began to feel important. I had to restart multiple times due to poor handling of my funds and my own inability to plan effectively. Each level takes around an hour to complete, depending on how many times you fail and how fast you move. In total, I’d say I spent about 7-8 hours playing this game and had a lot of fun doing so. It retails on both Steam and the PlayStation Store for just $19.99 and I think that it is more than worth picking up at that price point. If you’re looking for a quirky, fun title to pick up and play with your PSVR headset and you’ve got a pair of Move controllers handy, Prison Boss VR is certainly worth a look.
