Skydance's Behemoth Review

[@steviecava]

I’ve been playing this game since launch, and it’s amazing.

[@theclassicgamer20]

Did we play the same game cause I’m constantly manually saving

[@julianmazzola]

Ian, there is a manual checkpoint system, the game just doesn't explain it very well. Those statues with the hand prints in them everywhere, you need to put both hands up *and* click both grip buttons, which is admittedly counterintuitive and they should give some hint about it at least. But I've confirmed that it saves a complete snapshot, including collectibles and enemies killed / doors opened / etc.

[@nightcatarts]

Ian was using those, but the boss intro monologues are not skippable using them (and they aren't partway up a tower, & so on) so they're not enormously helpful.

[@ericblade6152]

@@nightcatarts Probably worth noting that you can use them multiple times, and usually there is one where the path forks to go to the tower puzzles.

[@solofox9426]

Yeah there's a part you can't get past without knowing that. I know because I was stuck in that room for 30 minutes.

[@nicklevack3018]

Is this from a pre-release build? I thought the game was pretty dang generous with checkpointing. Lots of evenly spaced manual save points, autosaves, and you USUALLY get kind of a soft respawn to a safe ledge when you fall from a fatal height. At times, I almost thought it was too lenient.

[@SC0RPI0NFURY]

This is one the best VR games i have ever played

[@dragoonseye76]

You need to try out more titles then

[@SC0RPI0NFURY]

​@@dragoonseye76 I have been playing VR since 2016. My top VR games are Resident Evil 7,8, RE4 Remake, Gran Turismo 7, Synapse and Behemoth

[@davidsmonkeys888]

@@dragoonseye76lol this game is good

[@MikeRavia-xp5ig]

The game is pretty fun.

[@jacdreams3861]

On Reddit everyone seems to think your complaints about the checkpointing is nuts. Between manual saves and autosaves, everyone thinks it's fine, or maybe even too frequently saving

[@montlejohnbojangles8937]

I thought it was honestly fine? I have no idea. I also don't recall any of the conversations being super long? Yeah, this could be a pre-release build like someone else said. I know another VR channel had the same problem. To be clear to anybody who read this though, this is the most fun I've had in VR for ages. This, Metro, Asgard's Wrath II, Batman, they're all just killer.

[@tinovfr]

It’s the best VR game I played in a long time! I’m in the second chapter and very impressed by some settings and bosses with the great variety of combat mechanics. Btw you can save manually at the stones with engraved hands. So nothing gets lost. I forgot it once and had lost about 20 minutes 😅 I guess the games title is because there is another Behemoth game on Steam which could lead to confusion.

[@SeanLumly]

There is another Behemoth game in Steam, which likely motivated the name.

[@J_TheFoveatedRenderedGameCat]

Great game overall, but the boss battles r incredible. One of best experiences I’ve ever had in VR. Everyone needs to experience this.

[@Slaughter_Hill]

The human boss battles?

[@J_TheFoveatedRenderedGameCat]

@ the behemoth battles I mean. The human/mini bosses are definitely not incredible. They are ok though. I’m glad they are in there to add more variety.

[@nightcatarts]

I would give the game a plus for the extra weapon slots just for accessibility reasons. You don't have to use them all, but it's good to be able to place things where they're easy for you to access, whichever layout you favour. With any luck, these sorts of games will serve as a foundation for a proper sprawling VR RPG at some point. Right now, they still feel like "experiences."

[@juu226]

First Metro, now this, in a week Alien Rogue Incursion, half of January Arken Age, VR is getting more intense games than AAA branch recently.

[@jankmedia1985]

I'm stoked for Arken Age. If that game is as good as it looks, it could become the GOAT VR title, until whatever surpasses it of course.

[@juu226]

​@@jankmedia1985 I still count on Gunman Contracts but this might out 2026 as ITR2, but yeah Arken Age should be banger, especially it is build from ground up without mobile headsets in mind, only PC and PSVR2, so less constraints in levels scale, AI and physics.

[@Slaughter_Hill]

Marvel rivals, first descendant and warhammer dark tide just released lol Also none of these vr games are even aa level

[@juu226]

@@Slaughter_Hill So what? I don't care games as service for kids, some had budget even higher than regular AAA games and it ended up tragic anyway (Concord, Suicide Squad, M.Avengers, Anthem, DA Veilguard, SW Outlaws, Skull&Bones to name a few).

[@bradnoyes1471]

Not sure what to make of the review. It clearly describes some god-awful checkpointing. But then there are folks who have played the game who say that there is no bad checkpointing. They describe a manual checkpoint system that Ian doesn't even mention. So now I'm left to wonder if a lot of the problems described in this review have already been addressed in a post-launch patch? Or is this just another case of VR enthusiasts being completely unreliable when it comes to assessing the quality of a game? Behemoth does look pretty good and I'd like to try it out eventually, but I've lost count of how many "amazing" VR games I've been told I need to experience only to find that they are ultimately bland games that just happen to be in VR.

[@duoduos9221]

if it was a flatscreen game it definitely wouldnt be as critically acclaimed. imo its still one of the best vr games out there but thats issue. we don't really have anything up to par with some of the best flatscreen games (except something like batman arkham shadow, which is akin to arkham asylum)

[@duoduos9221]

after completing the game twice i have no issue with the checkpoint system. typically you save checkpoints by placing your hands on a cairn which lights up and creates a save and the game creates other checkpoints right before boss battles. the dialogue has only really been long a few times and even on the hardest difficulty (barbarian) ive only died a couple times before defeating a boss

[@nightcatarts]

They may have added more autosave checkpoints since Ian played it, but there were a few times where there really should have been a checkpoint & there was none. That extra manual system only works at these standing stones, so if there isn't one there then it's of no help at all.

[@jankmedia1985]

It's a bland VR game. It's largely a guided experience and wouldn't get a 2nd glance if it was flat. That being said, there are some great things about the game that I really enjoyed but the borked combat, bad AI, and overall jank made this game one of the worst VR titles I've ever played. I think patches can fix it though. As for KZbinrs, the majority are not reliable. Constant hype and cope for mediocre "AAA" titles and then they roast the hell out anything small. I play games and decide for myself, Behemoth lacks in all the ways that count. All it has is good graphics.

[@gabotaggart]

No issues with checkpoints on my playtrough. Didn’t even know it was an issue till I heard this review.

[@jankmedia1985]

The patch that released last night resolved all my issues with the feel of combat. Im loving the game now.

[@Yesterzine]

Having previously complained on another video this channel is now mostly Ian and Zoe's talents being completely wasted reading out the words of other people, it's only fair to appreciate this video of Ian himself reviewing the kind of thing he's a big expert in.

[@klebstoffeule]

Having played some hours I can absolutely see where you're coming from. Thanks for the honest review.

[@oasismark]

Ive bought this and played up to first Behemoth. and i think this review is spot on. Needs a few months to simmer and tweak the minor flaws. Still glad i bought it and invested, but happy to play some other VR titles for a while.

[@kilartist1thedreamweaverga3]

I’ve heard the game really started to get good after the first behemoth. Waiting for patch on the 12th

[@janchan2258]

I dont agree

[@kilartist1thedreamweaverga3]

@@janchan2258 and that’s perfectly fine. I will find out today and i will either agree or we can agree to disagree👍

[@PrenticeSummerscales]

Sometimes it's good to take a break from gaming to remember why you like it so much.

[@SebastesMarinus]

This feels like watching an IGN Review. „Too many weapon slots. 2/5“

[@RedcoatTrooper]

Do you always swing a sword like that?

[@SantoAtheos]

Thorough review from a VR guru. Thank you Ian!

[@RuTube981]

100% on the opening with the checkpoint system. So frustrating especially when you're required to climb something unnecessarily.

[@waynelynch1]

Did you start the video with a spoiller? I wanted to scroll down and listen to your criticism before any spoilers were given

[@jimhobbs3792]

Thank you for that, I was looking forward to buying Behemoth but I don't think I can deal with the bad checkpoints, what a shame. Maybe they'll patch it.

[@Izaak1986]

Before I finish this video. Is he gonna wine the whole time or will he actually give an insightful review?

[@TommyShuki]

This is the same guy that didn't like metro awakening!

[@_snacc_190]

Its literally a skill issue lol both ganeplay vids are painful to watch. They got the most underqualified person for the job and it shows

[@sleepytime999998]

13:24 Who is impostering Sir Christopher Lee?!

[@thespianfish]

That would be the great Roger Jackson

[@sleepytime999998]

​@@thespianfishAbsolutely nailed it.

[@thespianfish]

@@sleepytime999998 why thank you. I did direct his performance in this game after all 😄

[@deckard2014]

Dreadful review

[@Newadventuresinpony]

Solid review as always, Ian.

[@CouchPotatoGaming]

So is this on par with asgards wrath 1...because it doesn't look like it...I mean that game had good scale, good skill tree, great graphics, great story, fun combat, good level design, puzzles etc

[@74amazing]

I want authentic reviews. But let me tell you: i have never been so far away from your opinion. Although i do not really enjoy most of luke ross stuff. just to put in in some kind of context...

[@REMY_L3beau]

Skill issue mate

[@TheRealChristmasWaluigi]

Agreed there

[@TurkeyMonk]

@@jankmedia1985idk it’s pretty easy, played on medium mode and it was magnificent tbh

[@jankmedia1985]

​@TurkeyMonk Agreed. I streamed many hours of the Day 1 version and it was pretty easy, the main issues being the weight of combat and unresponsiveness. V1.03 resolved my issues but the devs nerfed the enemies too much. The "skill issue" comments for the day 1 version seemed lame to me because even fans on discord were saying the same with the overall feel of combat. The game had some baked in issues but most have been fixed. Skydance is too big of a studio to have gamers white knighting slop game mechanics. IMO at least. I do enjoy the game though, definitely more positives than negatives.

[@Drk2371]

Innit. You have to time your hits

[@Patrovisch]

Those towers and secret routes always end up near the save spot… so when you continue without saving and then die losing it all it’s your own dumb mistake and not the game…

[@jakkudemoff3043]

i completely agree - this game is not very good - honestly at this point I just want flat games in vr at the same time they're released for flat gamers

[@VRBug]

What a terrible review, sounds like the reviewer just needs to get gud 😂

[@PawasTastic]

How are people who can't play a game responsible for giving these reviews. 😅 Eurogamer has fallen hard, man.

[@MikeRavia-xp5ig]

I did not have this much trouble saving. Also id rather play this than saints and sinners any day.

[@m1kbh0y]

so glad somebody said what a lot of us are thinking, this game is mid at best. i'm getting kinda sick of most vr content creators swooning over mediocre games. maybe its because i come from a console and (mostly) pc gaming backround and i'm still fairly new to vr? but when it comes to whats considered AAA especially on pc, standards among gamers at least, have risen considerably in the last few years. vr has one AAA game and i dont need to tell anyone what it is, the rest while enjoyable are AA at best and thats being generous.

[@jankmedia1985]

What really sucks is that there are some absolute indie gems but they often get roasted or passed over. I only have PSVR and PSVR2 but I own a ton of games and some of my favorites are considered trash, lol. It's why I have no issue being critical of Behemoth. I enjoyed a lot of it but the issues can't be ignored. I do think it can easily be saved though now that players have access to it. Being a VR player and playing games at launch truly is the QA for many of these games. We see it alot in flat gaming but VR takes it to another level, lol.

[@TheVVumpus]

I bought it and played a few hours. It is absolutely not mid. It has some issues and there’s some evidence it was pushed out a bit early, but it’s actually really good and enjoyable to play in its current form. With a bit more love it’s going to be the classic we’d hoped for. Look for updated reviews later today after the big patch. It seems like it will address a lot of the issues I’ve experienced.

[@Qwuiplash]

who are these boomers reviewing these games. Honestly has this person never played dark souls? If you really want to avoid having to load a checkpoint just play more tactical, from what I can see the enemies give you plenty of time to parry, block or dodge.

[@_snacc_190]

Its this guys first vr gane you can tell. He didnt even know the manual save system existed. He doesnt even know how to play the game properly

[@nightcatarts]

@@_snacc_190 If only you'd made fewer assumptions, you wouldn't look like an idiot right now.

[@saschahehn707]

No teleport, so unfortunately no support and no purchase. Dont wanna puke again.

[@Packin-Heat.]

Eurogamer has lost their minds with all these terrible reviews.

[@DanFarrell98]

What is your review of this review? What's so bad about it?

[@vvevv88]

So I was just about to watch an older video on this channel only to find that it's Members Only..... 😕 Not a fan of that.

[@MikeRavia-xp5ig]

Like i say. If you need blinders or teleport movement than you shouldn't be playing vr.

[@Tangible_D]

I was gonna buy Behemoth this weekend, but that checkpoint issue would really bother me. Maybe I'll wait for a potential update.

[@juu226]

There is a lot of checkpoints, and when you fall in rope swinging sections you respawn just where you started without dying so he was playing preview build probably.

[@TheVVumpus]

There is a major patch hitting today for PSVR2 and PCVR that appears may fix a lot of issues, but more checkpoints aren’t needed. This is a non-issue and I’m not sure what the reviewer was going on about.

[@Tangible_D]

@@juu226 So if i went of the main path and collected something It saves on pick up or I would have to do all the climbing/puzzle again as he said in video?

[@juu226]

@@Tangible_D No it does not save on pickup but there are many auto saves, even on side patches usually at least one if it is longer and between main and side there is a stone somewhere close enough where you can save as many times as you want so going back from side you can save your progress and go further in story. I really did not had any issues with that and I am on around 80% of the story (11 hours in game).

[@Tangible_D]

@juu226 ok, good to know, thanks

[@billygunn6185]

Oh no, here they come! The VR community is extremely toxic, you'll get hate for this.

[@duoduos9221]

??

[@Rockmint]

Im not seeing any hate, only fair criticism.

[@billygunn6185]

@@Rockmint The VR community is like a cult, especially the PSVR community

[@Rockmint]

@@billygunn6185 you could say that about literally any community

[@boybrownvr6522]

Thank you for the in depth review Ian. Unfortunately i don't think i will be getting this even after the day 7 patch. I'll keep my eye on it for the future though. Getting the creators to play a version with the crafting women in before release and then removing that whole interaction from the game is very poor form indeed. Oh well still lots of great games across many platforms this season. Action Hero tomorrow and then Alien.

[@johncole4183]

Holy crap. I'm absolutely shocked by how this game is getting the positive reviews and how gamers are defending this game. I was so happy to see this game on the meta store I instantly bought it. Less than two hours later I requested my first ever refund (thank God I was still under the two hour window so I could get my money back). This has to be the most janky ass vr game I have ever played. The human combat is so terrible how the hell did this garbage get released in this state. I've played 6. 7 year old vr games with the same combat that does this game play a million times better. The grappling hook and climbing is some of the worst ever. Especially after just completing batman arkham shadow which is a masterpiece compared to this boring trash. Then there's the point when I finally made it to the first behemoth. WOW so underwhelming a giant anteater?? Wtf. Really skydance I thought you guys were better than this trash. Biggest disappointment of the year for me.

[@cl20999]

Very weird review, he was basically belittling the game from the beginning. It's ok to not like something but don't be a dick about it.

[@chris_stacey]

I can't believe Skydance have done this. I certainly won't be following their games in the future. I don't like being treated like this AT ALL.

[@Rockmint]

Why are you so dramatic? 😂

[@fattocatto5135]

All of this can be solved. Git gud

[@dragoonseye76]

Extremely undercooked. Interesting mechanics introduced but never fully utilized. Combat is janky AF. Early beta at best. Full of tiny bugs but they are everywhere the further in you go. I would wait for a few patches. Generally disappointed. Also needs to respawn enemies