This concept of physical motion is something we haven’t seen much since the early days of the HTC Vive when roomcale VR was a new concept. Players need a 2m by 2m (6.5 by 6.5 ft) area to play Eye of the Temple, as there is no way to actually move your character. It’s unique way of playing that makes it one of the best Quest 2 games (Opens in a new tab) Never, although some people with mobility difficulties will have trouble getting them to work.
This review was originally published on October 14, 2021 and updated on April 23, 2023 with the original Quest 2 (Opens in a new tab) Build the game.
Trust your guardian
(Image credit: Source: Rune Skovbo Johansen)
As you might expect from an Indiana Jones game, Eye of the Temple puts players on a mission to find treasure hidden in a temple, armed only with a torch and whip. The whip itself has proper physics applied, so you’ll feel like you’re cracking a real whip when you hurl it at enemies or grab levers from afar.
Main schtick The downside of Eye of the Temple is that you will be using actual walking moves within the confines of your roomcale. This means you’ll be physically walking from platform to platform, balancing on the beams, and walking backwards to ensure you don’t fall off the rolling platforms.
You’ll always feel like you’re about to run into a wall or back into your furniture, but you never will, thanks to the innovative level design that fits perfectly in a 2m x 2m space. In other words, you’ll really need to trust the Guardian you’ve set up with your mission rather than worry about running into something.
The moving blocks will take you through the virtual world of Eye of the Temple. All you have to do is step on them, and they will take you to the next point. Exiting one of the blocks will result in failure and will make you go back to the previous checkpoint, but those aren’t usually very far away.
There is no virtual joystick movement or teleportation here. You will do everything with your feet.
As you might expect from any game, what begins as a simple exercise of walking from moving block to moving block develops into a more difficult task as you progress through the game. Rolling blocks require walking backwards in order to stay on top of them. Spinning statues breathe fire and require you to duck.
Minecart carts, rolling boulders, and ticking ceilings that pressure you into oblivion also fit perfectly with the expected features and obstacles that lie on your way to the temple.
As you progress, you will collect small rubies that can be exchanged for larger, emerald-like crystals, which open the way to the temple. Eye of the Temple is light on story, but nonetheless offers an interesting story as to why these crystals are needed to progress.
The basic mechanics in Eye of the Temple are an absolute pleasure to get used to. During my time with the game, one of my son’s friends finished, and they were watching me play. The initial “why does it have to move like that” questions quickly turned into “Oh my God, this game is amazing” within a few seconds of playing.
There is something enchanting and intriguing about physically moving your body through a video game, a novelty that doesn’t seem to wear off in the course of several hours that will take you to a temple.
The puzzles are often clever, but you have to be smart about how you move around them to be successful.
The puzzles were hard enough, and it got stuck a few times throughout the game, especially in sections where you need to time your moves with the movements of crushing blocks or other dangerous obstacles. The real skill of the game is moving yourself the right way rather than the puzzles themselves, in my experience.
Once the game is completed, many collectibles can be collected by exploring the temple. As you gain new abilities, you’ll get an “eureka!” The moment that will take you back through already explored areas to find lost treasures. I always enjoy this kind of Metroidvania-esque level design, and I imagine everyone else would also enjoy how Eye of the Temple is designed.
Since you’ll be standing all the time, long gaming sessions probably aren’t uncommon. Fortunately, Eye of the Temple uses a great checkpoint system that doesn’t seem to put you far in the back.
There is something enchanting and intriguing about physically moving your body through a video game, a novelty that never seems to wear out even after many hours.
The movement is the hardest part
(Image credit: Source: Rune Skovbo Johansen)
The puzzles in Eye of the Temple are regularly interesting and get your thinking noodles going, but the real challenge throughout the entire game is moving your body as you would a video game character.
Roomscale VR is always a little tricky because, while it’s incredibly unique and can’t be experienced in any other way than with a virtual reality headset, it’s also a bit limiting for some gamers.
The developer, Rune, has taken great care of the level design and obstacles for Eye of the Temple, ensuring that it’s not too physically challenging, yet still fits properly in a real 2m x 2m space. But that doesn’t mean everyone will find these moves easy.
Roomscale VR is always a little tricky because while it’s incredibly unique and can’t be experienced in any other way than with a virtual reality headset, it’s also a bit limiting for many gamers. Do you have enough space to move around? Can you physically move with enough speed or agility to complete the puzzles?
A number of accessibility options are available for players who may get sick while standing on the moving blocks, but without virtual movement of any kind some players will simply be left out of the experience. I miss the room-only experiences and would like to see more, but I also realize that they limit the audience that wants to play them.
I don’t want this to be complaint Because I totally enjoy room scale games only. This is just an observation of reality with some physical space and movement requirements.
On the bright side, now that it’s natively on the Quest, you don’t have to worry about getting tangled up in a cable like it does on most PC virtual reality headsets.
The whip, like its real-life counterpart, can be awkward to use at times.
During the gameplay, you will use your whip for an amazing number of actions. Sometimes you’ll use it as an extension of your hand to reach keys that otherwise wouldn’t be accessible. Other times, you’ll light them on fire to light a pyre or to knock enemies out of thin air. The whip looks a little awkward at all times, but, at least in my very limited experience, that’s also the case with them in real life.
Should you play it?
(Image credit: Source: Rune Skovbo Johansen)
If you have Quest 2 and at least 2m x 2m roomscale, Eye of the Temple will give you a unique experience like no other. It’s one of those games that only makes sense in VR and makes even more sense with a standalone headset without a wire connecting it to a PC.
Since there is such a large amount of world traversal over the hours you’ll be playing it, I can see people getting overwhelmed or maybe even understandably bored after a while. Most of the areas are small enough that you don’t spend more than 20 minutes or so in each, leaving you constantly wondering what’s nearby. If you’re a puzzle fanatic and love the idea of walking for real in a virtual space, this will be one of the best $20 you’ll spend on a game this year.
