I find it quite saddening that Final Space ended up being yet another casualty on Netflix’s currently nonsensical approach to which shows are kept alive or are cancelled without any explanation being given as to why. It’s clearly a shame, as there was a lot to love in a sci-fi spoof featuring an adorable art style, funny characters, and a ton of voice talent, including folks like David Tennant of all people. At the very least, fans have a small silver lining, for there is a brand new Final Space game out in the wild. Sure, Final Space VR: The Rescue is exclusive to virtual reality (shocker), but that has to account for something, right?

Final Space VR: The Rescue starts off in a very promising manner. A brand new story set in the franchise’s charming universe? Check. Graphics that reminded me of the show, in a quasi-Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality manner? Check. A tons of voice acting, not only coming from the main characters, but even the goons and other smaller NPCs? Check. Finally, the fact that it’s a freaking VR first-person shooter, not unlike Doom VFR? Absolutely. In theory, everything was set for Final Space VR: The Rescue to become a hit. In reality, the outcome was completely different…

It’s not that Final Space VR is a bad game, but sadly, it ended up being a victim of its own small budget and limited scope. This is a traditional first-person shooter, not unlike Doom VFR or Farpoint, which allows you to freely walk around the map in order to shoot goons while ensuring you don’t get shot. So far, so good, right? Shooting enemies is fun, as your weapons pack a punch. They also feature infinite ammo: you just need to press the appropriate button at the appropriate time in order to reload it with ease.

The premise is great, but the gameplay loop just isn’t. For starters, no matter which control scheme you choose (standard or comfort), your character moves at an agonizingly slow pace. You are way too lethargic, while every single enemy manages to catch up to you with ease. It’s really hard to avoid laser blasts, and you will be constantly attacked from behind by an enemy that’s a lot faster than you’ll ever be.

To make matters worse, the level design is really repetitive. This is where you can sadly see that the developers were hindered by a small budget: almost every level in the entire game is comprised of a series of linear corridors, where you’ll be blasted with exposition, coupled with arena-like rooms where you’re tasked with killing hordes of enemies until the game tells you to stop. Things become a lot more interesting (and fun) when you play the campaign with a few friends, as Final Space VR supports online co-op, but tackling it by yourself becomes a chore pretty quickly. There’s nothing wrong with an FPS being comprised of arenas and corridors (just look at older Halo games), but this one suffers from a severe lack of variety, all caused by its small scope.

Final Space VR: The Rescue is not a bad VR shooter, it’s just a game that’s hindered by its unfortunate low budget and small scope. It has good shooting mechanics and a lot of charm taken directly from the show, but it suffers from repetitive combat sections and bland environments. With that being said, it can actually be a bit fun if you manage to find a few friends willing to have a crack at it via online co-op. That’s just a small silver lining on what’s otherwise just an average shooter.

 

Graphics: 7.0 The art style, by itself, is excellent. It looks great when looking through the visor, and it even looks great on pictures. The problem lies in the repetitive level design, which becomes tiresome to the eyes.	Gameplay: 6.5 Shooting feels great, but moving around just doesn’t. No matter what movement preset you decide to play with, you move way too slowly in a game where you’re constantly being shot at from all directions.
Sound: 8.5 The entire game is fully voiced. I initially expected for voiced cutscenes and a few lines of dialogue between the main characters, but everyone delivers lines. Even the enemies you’re supposed to kill.	Fun Factor: 6.0 The premise is great. The foundation for a great VR shooter can be seen in here. I even liked the inclusion of online co-op. The problem lies in its execution. The level design is repetitive and the overall gameplay loop is a bit too boring.
Final Verdict: 6.5

Final Space VR: The Rescue is available now on PCVR and Oculus Quest.

Reviewed on Oculus Quest 2.

A copy of Final Space VR: The Rescue was provided by the publisher.