Déraciné Reviews
Déraciné had potential but its disappointing to see it become nothing but a rudimentary slog.
FromSoftware's first VR game is full of interesting ideas but very little entertainment, with frustrating storytelling and tiresome puzzles.
Deracine is a bizarre story-driven adventure game that mostly nails the story, but is oftentimes frustrating to play due to some unfortunate design choices.
In the end, Deracine accomplishes little that a point-and-click adventure couldn't do. It's capable of beautiful and engaging moments, but hamfisted dialogue, awkward voice acting, and frustrating VR behaviors ruin it, for the most part.
Deracine's gorgeous presentation masks a game that's lacking innovative ideas while misusing the few it does have.
A quaint and slow paced game that sometimes veers on boredom but nevertheless has its share of moments. Treat it more like an experiment, albeit one with a high entry fee, through its VR and move requirements.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Déraciné is an intriguing PlayStation VR experience that definitely feels like a FromSoftware title. From its air of whimsical mystery to its hard reliance on theme rather than detail for its narrative delivery, well, I could make a Dark Souls joke here, but I figure that ship has sailed elsewhere. However, while Déraciné is worth playing and figuring out for yourself, it's hard to recommend with enthusiasm. While intriguing and mysterious, the storytelling does have fundamental issues that make the overall mystery feel unearned and the tension intangible. The player's “powers” are more scripted than play-oriented, and the play itself is bogged down in searching for objects and placing them where they need to go to move things forward. There are neat ideas here and plenty of VR-flavored awe to be had, but Déraciné won't be standing out like one may have hoped.
There are plenty of possibilities for interpretation, and being so close to the story may see you connect to it, but I never felt like the students' protector. As a character with the power to alter their path, it's disappointing that I rarely felt like more than an observer.
From Software looks for poetry, but does not do it with conviction
Review in Italian | Read full review
Déraciné has an interesting approach that only FromSoftware can deliver. At the same time, enough stands in the way of the overall package that diminishes what the game could have been. Fans of FromSoftware storytelling will find something interesting here, but others will dislike the pacing and execution.
Déraciné isn't for everyone, even if you fancy yourself a staunch fan of FromSoftware's previous work. The slow, deliberate pacing, the vague puzzles, and a story that revolves around fairies don't add up to a must-buy PlayStation VR experience. It's an oddity and one that wants you to occasionally stop, stare, and soak in its atmosphere. Déraciné will be divisive; a borefest for some, yet bizarrely enthralling for others.
From Software developers have jumped into the waters of virtual reality and performed a very epic work that you may like to play repeatedly, but it does not fully use all the possibilities of VR and suffer minor technical flaws.
Review in Czech | Read full review
Fans of obtuse stories and first-person adventure games will love their time with Deracine.
Déraciné creates what may be the most enriching world yet seen in VR, but only scratches the surface in terms of actual gameplay.
From Software tries something different and produces a mixed bag of excellent presentation values and average gameplay
Miyazaki also describes his latest work as “a quiet game for VR”, and again it's an appropriate view. There are none of the scares or action you'd find in a Souls game. Instead it's a game about sedate exploration and creeping chills. Not all of the experiments or ideas pay off, but the ones that do make for an absorbing ghost story with just the right amount of weirdness for fans of the creator. Despite being marred by clunky controls this is one of the best games available for PSVR owners.
FromSoft's first VR game isn't an instant classic, but there's a lot here to give fans of the developers a look into where their talents can take them in the realms of virtual reality.
Déraciné is a solid addition to PSVR's growing stable of exclusives. It's not a must-play game though, especially if you've been through any of the other VR adventure games out there.
Déraciné's star is its story and the surprising lore of the world in which it takes place, but moving through the world and interacting with it is underwhelming