I love those moments when something that doesn’t seem to have the slightest sense suddenly clicks. It doesn’t matter if it’s the story of a movie or the mechanics of a video game. Simply two things that you cannot imagine together and tying them turns out to be a great idea .
Having tried by all means to get to Phantom: Covert Ops knowing the least about him, that is precisely what he has achieved, to surprise me. A logical reaction considering that in his first minutes he tells you that you are a kayak sniper . To which you react with a “ but what? ”, And immediately afterwards you can’t help but be left with your mouth open.
Dislodged and enchanted at the same time
Tired of watching videos and images crushing the surprises of virtual reality games -which are generally short and don’t have room for many-, with Phantom: Covert Ops I decided to go almost blind. In addition to his promotional image, he had seen some shooting and stealth in the Oculus Quest store, but he didn’t need to know more.
The first surprise was to come across a game that I had to play sitting down . It is not the usual thing in a shooter, but I did not give it too many laps and I soon understood why it was. On screen the typical loading wheel, this time with the animation of a military man rowing a kayak.
Completely out of place I completely surrender to what is to come, which is nothing more than the introductory sequence in which a cargo plane lands in a lake and opens the tailgate so that I, in my kayak, can sail out of there .
The experience simulates that I am constantly sitting and, around the body and the boat, there is everything that I will need for my mission. I have bags to store ammunition and grenades, a sniper rifle to my right, a submachine gun on my back, a pistol on my chest, and binoculars with which to mark enemies and take pictures.
On the far left is the most important part of the whole set, an oar that I grasp with both hands and start pounding against the water to get moving. The departure of the plane turns out to be somewhat insane and Phantom: Covert Ops beats me instantly.
An unusual stealth game
My mission is to infiltrate the typical Russian base, but this time it turns out to be the ideal location for my vehicle because it is surrounded by rivers and reservoirs . Through them I can move with all the tranquility in the world, or at full speed and even skidding by nailing the oar. It all depends on the momentum that my arms generate when I move.
The first I will use it to move between the reeds and pass under bridges guarded by guards without making noise. The second thing to escape when things go wrong or avoid the lights and cameras that will alert me to my presence.
If I get stuck in some area, and it is quite difficult for it to happen because of how well its driving works , I can hit the tip of the paddle to push myself in another direction.
And when you’re positioned where you want, you stick the paddle in, brake, and get ready to shoot. You hold the sniper rifle with both hands, bringing it up to the right eye and closing the other so you can see well, and you fire. Bam, headshot.
You believe it . You are sitting there and you believe it. It doesn’t go much further than that, but the idea is so fun that you don’t need more to hide your limitations. It is short and falls into the laziness of asking you to go through the same levels to take advantage of new tools and paths, but it works like a shot.
That he is so well measured is probably what ends up ruining everything else a bit by not expanding his world a little more. I can think of many scenarios where this would work like a charm. Perhaps none with more charm than an abandoned base with boats and submarines , but of course there is an occasional change of scenery.
The collection of situations manages to be large enough to keep you with news for three-quarters of the game. A lever over here, hiding from a ship over there. A shot at an object that draws the attention of a guard or marks the position of an air strike.
The feeling is closer to ” somewhere we had to cut ” than to a lack of ideas, so hopefully Phantom: Covert Ops serves to end up delivering new and expanded studio proposals. I, of course, will be there to test them.
Phantom: Covert Ops
| Platforms | Oculus |
|---|---|
| Multiplayer | Not |
| Developer | nDreams |
| Company | nDreams |
| Launch | June 25, 2020 |
| Price | 29.99 euros |
The best
- A lesson in design adapted to VR
- The mechanics of the kayak are a delight
- A fun campaign …
Worst
- … but excessively short
- Repeat some sections with timid changes