Hands On: Shining a Light on PlayStation VR Puzzler Light Tracer

It can seem, at times, like everyone is making the same kind of PlayStation VR games. This isn’t true, of course, as there’s plenty of variety on the headset – but there is an overabundance of cockpit-based mech games and shooting galleries. Light Tracer deserves kudos, then, for at least trying its hand at something new – unfortunately, it’s a bit too cumbersome for its own good.

The premise is simple: there’s a helpless anime lady that you need to shepherd to the top of a tower, and you do so using a staff held in your right hand. Wielding the PlayStation Move, you point a beam of light on the stage to guide the protagonist; your left hand can be used to manipulate the camera or pick up and move objects.

It looks delicious in PlayStation VR; dioramas always work well in virtual reality, and this is a particularly inviting space to be in. But, while it’s easy to appreciate the control concept, it’s all a bit fiddly, and we found ourselves longing for direct DualShock 4 inputs instead. Escort missions are never particularly entertaining, and this one has the added issue of indirect control.

Still, it’s nice to see a little experimentation; PlayStation VR will need alternative ideas like this one if it is to grow and evolve. Do check out the gameplay video embedded above if you’d like to get a better idea of what this is all about, and let us know if you picked it up in the comments section below. We’d love to hear your impressions.

Are you interested in Light Tracer at all? Have you decided to pick the title up? Are you intrigued by the gameplay concept? Point your staff at the comments section below.