Golem (VR)
OpenCritic Rating
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Golem (VR) Trailers
Golem - Lullaby Trailer | PS VR
Golem - PSX 2017: Gameplay Interview | PS VR
PlayStation Experience 2015: Golem Conversation | PS VR
Critic Reviews for Golem (VR)
A game of exploration and combat that's hamstrung by PlayStation VR's unreliable motion-tracking and a movement system seemingly designed by someone who hates you.
When everything comes together, Golem has some of the best PlayStation VR combat I've played, and a story worth hearing. When it's off, even a little, frustration follows. If you can tolerate backtracking and don't mind dealing with occasional VR tech idiosyncrasies, you're gonna have a grand time.
I haven't bailed out on a VR game in a while, and only the most severe of nausea will cause me to eject completely rather than grind it out over time, but Golem is just painful to play. There's too many games that have done it cleaner, and with better motion mechanics -- play them instead.
If you want to play something with a slower pace and dig fantasy coming of age stories, there’s enough here to make mastering the control scheme worth it.
Golem is a video game redemption story – saved from the brink by a patch that cleared up many of the game's release problems. What is left is a fascinating game of exploration, punctuated by hardcore, visceral combat. With atmosphere to spare, Golem delivers a unique experience unlike any other on PSVR. Recommended for patient, thoughtful players that enjoy a challenge (and don't mind a lot of repetition).
Golem is a game had a shot at being good if it launched alongside the PSVR. Fast-forward a couple years and impressive virtual reality titles are fairly common. This, depressingly, is not one of those. By the time we took the headset off, we were left with not just a feeling of disappointment, but also one of anger. Anger at the promise it once held. Anger that, despite its flaws, it did some things really well. Anger that it simply wasn't good.
While there were many compelling reasons to take a chance on Golem, there were far too many technical issues marring the overall experience. When consumed in bits-and-pieces, the component parts could all stand on their own with little problem. It's only when these individual parts coalesced that the seams begin to show a bit more prominently. Fortunately for everyone involved, it seems like the team over at Highwire Games are dedicated to fixing these foundational blunders. However, until these overhauls have been completed, I'd recommend taking a cue from Twine and sitting this one out.
For the most part though, Golem feels like a PSVR game that became lost in a mess of ideas during its various delays. The nearly unbearable movement, best-avoided combat, and frustrating progression system makes it a game that’s an absolute chore to play though and one of PSVR’s biggest disappointments.
