One of the most popular genres in virtual reality titles right now is undoubtedly shooters, allowing players who’ve spent decades playing on consoles to fire on enemies in a more threatening environment. Dodging objects and shooting your enemies is a really fun thing to do, but that by itself isn’t enough to justify a quality VR game anymore due to the sheer saturation.
Fortunately, We Are One does more than that over the course of the game, even if the early levels can be deceiving in their simplicity. The more time that I spent with this title from Flat Head Studio, the more the world opened up and I became impressed at how well the systems worked together. Especially when compared to other similar VR titles I’ve seen or played myself.
It may not seem like much on the surface, but this is one of those rare titles that will likely appeal equally to shooter and puzzle fans alike.
Plant Grandma has a lot of opinions
The start of We Are One involves the player’s creation as a Sproutling, a plant humanoid, created by Mother Nature to help save the forest. There were many who came before you, but you’re special. After you’ve been created, the large plant grandmother teaches you the basic mechanics involving time loops and working together with your past selves.
This isn’t a new concept in VR and it’s explained in this title through some words about nature being connected in a unique way, but it wasn’t memorable. It plays into the title for sure, but it doesn’t really affect the actual gameplay. As the Sproutling, players will travel across the forest and beyond with the nature goddess, fighting off robots and taking out multiple enemies.
That’s all there really is to the narrative and driving force, with the much more interesting part being some of the more advanced puzzle gameplay. However, it takes a while to get to that point and afterward, it reduces difficulty again on some levels. The Lumberjacks, for example, are missing for much of the second chapter. It’s a nice break from the more intense dodging, but some may find it too easy.
That being said, the mechanics aren’t the part that makes it easy and there is a definite learning curve similar to most VR titles. Aiming is never as easy in VR as it is in console titles, but certain tools like the shield and even the time warp ability mean that your aim will need to be impeccable even before you’ve got the gun in your hand.
Throw your controller for realism
The basic layout of the gameplay is like a shooting range, with players needing to create a team of clones that are able to assist each other in eliminating enemies. Each level only has a limited amount of time, so each clone’s timing can be the difference between completing the level or having to restart from the beginning. This doesn’t really become a challenge until around halfway through the game.
One of the biggest issues this title has though is how hard it is to throw an item in VR and have it land where you’re aiming. When you can’t feel the weight of something, you’re basically left to guess how hard to throw it. One of the core mechanics in We Are One is throwing something to yourself in the future or past, which you have no choice but to guess and hope for the best.
That being said, the first time that I mimed something in a past clone and had it work made my jaw hit the floor. It was genuinely one of the coolest moments I’ve experienced in a game and this only evolved upon itself the further into the title I got. This also meant that I had to pretend to aim the tree gun and I could barely aim it when it was in my hand.
There’s a definite learning curve and it takes too long to get to the meaty parts, but overall the mechanics are largely a lot of fun. Dodging saw blades and returning fire is the best part of the VR shooter genre. When paired with the time loop mechanics, players will essentially have to work as a team with themselves against an army of robots, and it’s really fun to do so.
It’ll grow on you
The Final Word
We Are One is a surprisingly innovative VR puzzle shooter that combines some of the best parts of VR titles in recent years. While the aiming can be a bit frustrating, it’s a fun action title that will do as much to get your blood pumping as it will to keep your brain active. If you don’t mind VR shooters and fairly challenging puzzles, this title from Flat Head Studio is sure to please.
8
Try Hard Guides was provided with a Steam VR copy of this game and was reviewed with the Meta Quest 2. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles in the Game Reviews section of our website! We Are One is available on Steam.