Lucky’s Tale [Meta Quest 2]
After recently getting our hands on a Meta Quest 2, we were eager to try out everything it has to offer. And what better game to play to be able to get a good feel for how much VR adds, than one from a series we’ve played on Xbox? Developed by Playful, Lucky’s Tale is a 3D platformer that was originally released on Oculus Rift back in 2016, before making its way to the Quest 2 in November 2021. It follows the titular character of Lucky Swiftail, a brave young fox whose best friend, Piggy, has been snatched away by an evil creature named Glorp - leaving Lucky as the only one to save him!
Within the main ‘story’ mode, you’ll work your way through levels, collecting coins and defeating enemies. Whilst the levels are fairly linear, there are a few areas that are a little off the beaten track, that you can find to unlock secrets. There are also gems hidden around the levels, as well as one present per level that will nab you some collectible trophies that you can view from the main storybook menu. After completing levels, you can re-visit them to take on Time Trials, as well as to collect Red Coins in a Coin Hunt mode that has coins hidden all around each level for you to find, with no other collectibles to find in this mode. The Time Trial mode is obvious in what it entails, however instead of freely being able to run through the level as quick as you can, there are gems that you must collect along the way that force you to stick to a fairly pre-determined path. Skipping any of these will land you with a penalty, and this will cancel out any time bonus you might have nabbed for avoiding it, which can make it feel particularly challenging to shave those seconds off to meet each of the medal times.
Being our first proper experience with a VR title, I was a little sceptical as to how much I’d enjoy it. I got to test out the PlayStation VR at an event a number of years ago, but only briefly got to try out Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, which is an on-the-rails shooter title that only had a short demo, so didn’t have very much in the way of doing things; and a very introductory segment of Arkham VR, which consisted of me standing in an elevator and not doing very much else; and whilst I enjoyed the experience of being ‘in’ a VR world, it was very limited. Unlike ‘traditional’ styled VR games, in which you are in the game and moving around, Lucky’s Tale has you controlling Lucky from afar, but able to look around the world. So getting to take my time exploring, and being absolutely wowed by the world itself, as well as how natural it felt to play whilst having free-range to look around at potential dangers as well as the gorgeous visuals, was fantastic.
Visually charming, with a stunning world filled with bright colours and adorable enemies, Lucky’s Tale is a joy to look at. Both myself and Allan had big, goofy smiles as we found ourselves taking in all of the sights, and being impressed with everything from the underground areas with their side-on view, detailed environments and ambient lighting; to the wide open spaces with little benches and windows jutting out of the sides of cliffs. The soundtrack is equally enjoyable to listen to, with playful tunes and immersive noises that make Lucky’s world a pleasure to be in.
Overall, we had a really fun time with Lucky’s Tale and enjoyed everything it has to offer. The platforming is solid and the basic story is fairly expected for a platformer, with an adorable cast of characters and an interesting world filled with cool stuff to look at. Priced at £14.99 on the Quest 2, Lucky’s Tale is a great price, offering up a few hours of story, as well as plenty of replayability through the Time Trials and Red Coins alternate modes. It’s a fantastic title if you’re new to VR too, with the core platforming elements making it relatively straightforward to get to grips with, whilst gently easing you in to the VR side of things.
In the end, we decided to give Lucky’s Tale the Collecting Asylum rating of 8.5/10.
Have you played Lucky’s Tale in VR yet? What do you think of it?
Let us know in the comments below!
- V x
Thank you to Playful for the Lucky’s Tale Quest 2 review code!
