Do you remember the classic game Black & White, where you could hover around with your hand and exert both benevolent and malevolent influence on the unsuspecting inhabitants who roamed and carried out their daily routines? Now you can do that again. But in VR.

Townsmen VR‘s plot is quite simple. You assume the role of a god-like entity who monitors all the occurrences on the islands and interacts with Sir Clunksalot. Due to a severe storm, you become stranded on a deserted island and must find your way back to the king.

The game start with a pretty comprehensive tutorial, where you acquire fundamental control skills and understand the necessary steps to advance in the game. You begin with rudimentary structures and employees and drag and drop characters, materials, and buildings onto the island while observing them at work. The graphics are highly detailed and animated, creating a magical experience.

As you progress through the game’s story, each level introduces new elements. The storyline advances as new characters are introduced, and you must accomplish new city-building objectives.

You can opt to wait for your workers to complete their tasks, or you can wave your arms and pick up items like tiny rocks and transport them across the island to the newly erected structure. In this game, every object is interactive and can be picked up.

Picking up objects and animals to interact with is great fun altough while playing the game for this review, I found myself holding a goat and studying it in such detail for an extended period that it might have been deemed socially inappropriate.

In contrast to other building games and god simulators, where you view the action from a top-down perspective on a 2D screen, this game brings everything to life. You can immerse yourself in every aspect of the game, from individual workers and buildings to trees. Yesterday for example, while I was playing the game, I found myself holding a goat and studying it in such detail for an extended period that it might have been deemed socially inappropriate.

The controls in Townsmen VR are typically good, although, as with many VR games, the hands occasionally move erratically and perform unintended actions. It’s unclear if this issue is specific to the game or if the PSVR2’s controllers require a software update. However, it was not a significant issue, but it’s worth mentioning.

Verdict

Townsmen VR is an excellent choice among the launch titles for PSVR2. The game’s immersive world and interactive elements in virtual reality provide a unique and captivating experience. The attention to detail in the graphics, animation, and sound design further enhances the gameplay. The game’s combination of city-building and god simulator genres is well-executed, offering a challenging and rewarding experience.