Virtual reality The name says it all and yet it is not easy to reach that point where you get to mix both worlds without realizing it. Despite continuing to be far from the idealistic vision of virtual reality as an alternative for the future, The Climb 2 -sequel to the celebrated The Climb- is another of those proposals that justify the experience.
He proved it to me as soon as I saw myself gasping for air and sighing before and after making a jump and grabbing onto a ledge that seemed impossible. I was in the middle of the dining room in the middle of the night, but I had the feeling of having lived that last approach to the goal as if I had played falling into the void. It is a real joy .
Climbing in virtual reality
For those who do not know the saga or have not dared to try it, in The Climb 2 we face a series of mountains in which our objective is to reach the top through different checkpoints.
It is not a closed path, since it offers different routes and you can use creativity and courage to complete certain sections, but it does come down to getting from point A to point B. If you do it through indentations in the rock or doing vertigo jumps and jumping down a zip line, it is up to you and the route you have chosen.
Depending on how much you want to complicate the matter, you can focus on completing challenges and achievements such as overcoming a section in less than X time, doing it without ever falling, doing it without help or even biting yourself with the times shown in the ranking of climbers. And if you want, of course, you can also play it without challenges and in relaxing mode .
The jump to The Climb 2
Even having played the first The Climb , the quality jump and tweaks presented here are for framing. While it is true that the feeling is that of being before a The Climb 2.0 rather than a sequel with all the law, it is fair to recognize the success of all its additions.
Despite recovering scenarios from the previous game, the 15 levels included -three levels by scenarios that respond to the classic easy, medium and difficult- with different routes taste completely new. The key is in how the Crytek team has infused all their life scenarios based on certain situations that are out of the box of the first installment.
Climb a mountain and find a marmot peeking out of its burrow, reach the top and see how a flock of birds frolics on the horizon … Additions intended to make the visual journey of a game more pleasant that, on the other hand, cries out for 4K textures and get rid of the polygons from another era displayed in the Oculus Quest 2 viewer.
A fall of adrenalina
Beyond the currents of the levels, much more varied and dynamic than those seen in the first installment thanks to new grips, catwalks and structures, the great asset is how at times The Climb 2 plays at being Uncharted. A beam that breaks while you are holding on, giving you a scare to death, an apparently well anchored ladder that hangs down, a crane that serves as a link between two buildings if you know how to measure the jump … An adrenaline injection that comes to the game like pearls .
The good news is that, in addition to providing variety, they also raise the challenge one notch further. In the new scenario of the city, probably the most characteristic of this release, seal there are certain parts that we have to go through rotating advertising panels.
Imagine a huge billboard that, to change from one ad to another, continually rotates small panels that hide additional advertising. Now imagine that the panels have added grips to be able to cross from one side to the other and that, when you go through the middle of the route, the panels begin to rotate as if it were a wave that is approaching you. Either you measure well where you put the next hand or, as in my case, you have to jump like crazy in the hope of finding a grip halfway.
Oculus continues to struggle to find its ” selling devices ” and, although The Climb 2 is far from a unique hit like that of Half-Life: Alyx, it is in charge of continuing to turn the platform’s catalog of exclusives into a weighty excuse to give the jump .
But just because The Climb 2 is n’t the game that makes you jump into Oculus VR doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not worth it. In fact, if you already have the device, it is one of the games that you have to have yes or yes.
Whether it’s completing achievements to unlock accessories, enjoying the multiple routes in each level, or simply relaxing while doing some exercise with your arms stretched up towards the ceiling, The Climb 2 is an experience – and a game – highly recommended .
The Climb 2
| Platforms | Oculus |
|---|---|
| Multiplayer | Not |
| Developer | Crytek |
| Company | Oculus |
| Launch | March 4, 2021 |
| Price | 29.99 euros |
The best
- The new levels are spectacular.
- New challenges and elements to bring variety to climbing.
- It works like a shot.
Worst
- The graphics in Quest still need a big jump.
- It would not have been bad to enjoy more levels.
