Perfect: When It Doesn't Need to be a Game to be Good.

Perfect
Available on: PC (HTC Vive, Oculus Rift) and PS4 (PSVR)
Developer: nDreams Studios
Publisher: nDreams Studios
Released: Dec 16, 2016
Price: $9.99


With a deep breath, I slowly open my eyes. An alpine forest lies before me. A large river spans across below my view. I stand near the peak of a mountain, looking over the edge at the vast landscape. The quiet world is encapsulating. I feel at peace. This is Perfect.



The top of the mountain in the Forest Map is my favorite spot to visit. Perfect is a "VR Experience" where the player can visit 3 unique locations at various times of the day. The idea behind Perfect is simple: relax and enjoy. When I had found the game on the digital market, I was skeptical to purchase something that frankly seemed boring. What kind of game is it to just stand around and do nothing?



The first area I tried was the Daytime Beach. The bright, colorful contrast of the ocean to the sand, and the sand to the lush plant life around me was visually pleasing. I had 2 motion controllers in each hand, allowing me to pick up rocks from a pile near my feet, and I was actually able to skip the rocks along the surface of the water. I then noticed that when facing towards beams of light at designated locations, I could jump over to that area, and teleported to a mini island just off the coast. Here I threw nearby driftwood at a palm tree to try and knock down one of the coconuts -- only to accidentally knock over a Tiki torch at the base of the tree! Luckily, its not possible to burn down the virtual environment. The third location here was a small dock, overlooking the ocean in front of me. A beautiful view of distant islands and a passing ship stretched beyond. By the time a school of manta rays swam past, I was thoroughly charmed.



Perfect is a hidden gem. While the outside premise seems simplistic and dull, being able to exist and interact in the world I had entered was a profoundly relaxing experience.Though the content is limited to 3 locations (Beach, Forest, Taiga), and a day and night setting for each, I found these to be just enough variety for me to find what I needed most at the time. Every so often, I like to return to Perfect and utilize it as a meditation assistant, letting myself escape to this serene world to calm myself and collect my thoughts.

7/10

While this game is exactly what it makes itself out to be, what that actually is remains to be a pretty mild idea. I enjoyed my time with Perfect and will speak well of it, but it can only be so interesting to stand in place looking at things. The current state of VR technology hinders it in the limited headset resolution and processing power holding back the graphical capabilities. With those in mind, Perfect is still a relaxing and enjoyable thing to experience. Being able to escape reality to parts of the world that I would have to travel far and wide to see was deeply meditative. Perfect left a lasting impression on me, and will always be a positive memory that I can return to whenever I please. For these reasons, I have given the game a rating of 7 out of 10.

I played Perfect on the PSVR. You can also find it on Steam for Oculus and HTC Vive for $10. The game supports motion wands as well as traditional controllers. Perfect can be played either standing or sitting down. If you are someone wanting to do something fun or exciting, this won't be that experience. If you are looking for something to de-stress and relax with, this is an ideal game. As long as the buyer understands what to expect from this, it is absolutely worth the price.