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| NinjaGuyX revisits the Rift to see if this 2016 VR dungeon crawler still has some bite. |
By NinjaGuyX
Skeletons, slimes, and dragons, the holy trinity of dungeon crawler enemies. Crystal Rift is one of the first VR games to explore this genre.
I've been on a journey to revisit games that released around the time VR first exploded in popularity, and so far I've been pleasantly surprised by the gems I've uncovered. Ten years later, some of them still stand the test of time.
Enter Crystal Rift, the first game from Psytech, the developers behind Windlands and their most recent title, Titan Isles. Does this 2016 gem still hold up to today's standards? Let's find out!
Grid Based Movement and Retro Design
The concept is easy to grasp: you move square by square on a grid, and your goal is to descend a strange place called the Rift by finding staircases that lead you deeper. But it is not a leisurely stroll.
Monsters and traps block your path, most levels feel like a maze, and the design actually reminds me a lot of old-school DOOM, hunting for keys, unlocking doors, and trying to figure out where the heck you're supposed to go next.
Primitive Controls and Combat Mechanics
Since the game is so old, the PC version only supported a regular controller, no motion controls. Attacking is just the press of a button, which feels a little primitive by today's standards, but it gets the job done.
One thing I kept wishing for was a levelling and stats system, since that is basically a staple of the genre. You do not grow more powerful in the traditional sense. Instead, you unlock different swords with unique abilities, which does a decent job of keeping things fresh, just not in the way I was expecting.
Enemy Variety and Repetitive Patterns
That said, some enemies have way too much health. Once you figure out the pattern, you are just repeating the same motions over and over until they finally go down, and the same strategy works on basically every enemy in the game. It gets a little tedious.
Despite that, the six-hour campaign still manages to stay interesting throughout. I was always curious to see what the next level would bring, and there was a decent balance between challenge and accessibility.
Creepy Atmosphere and Survival Stress
There is also a creepy atmosphere to the game. Ghosts will appear out of nowhere, and you will occasionally hear whispers saying some unsettling things. It is not nightmare fuel unless you scare easily, but honestly, the scariest moments for me were the ones where I was down to one heart, deep into a level, with no idea where a potion was.
The stress of trying to survive, and then the sheer relief when you finally find one? That feeling is real. You will also come across collectibles throughout the game. I am still not entirely sure what the skeleton heads do, but if you collect enough statues, you unlock a secret ending, which I unfortunately missed.
Hidden Lore and Community Influence
There are also scattered letters that hint at some dark lore around the Rift and a character called the Necromancer, though I walked away from the credits still not really knowing who he is. A little more payoff there would have gone a long way.
One cool detail at the end: you actually get to vote on which rift you would like to explore next, and Windlands was one of the options, with votes going directly to the developers. I thought that was a really neat way to let the community help shape what came next.
Crystal Rift Still Scratches the Dungeon Crawling Itch
All in all, I had a good time with Crystal Rift. It is not a perfect game, but it is a solid experience that scratches that dungeon-crawling itch. If you are looking for a simple VR game that is easy to pick up and just lets you explore, I would recommend giving it a shot. If you want to see how this compares to modern titles, feel free to check out my other reviews for more recommendations.
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