When Moss released on the Oculus Quest, it came with exclusive content known as ‘The Twilight Garden’ that gave Quill an extra side quest to complete along with her main adventure. Naturally, PlayStation VR owners of the game were envious, but it was always known that it’d come to other VR platforms eventually, so we only had to be a LITTLE bit patient.
Well, the free DLC has finally hit and it has given gamers the perfect reason to strap on their PlayStation VR headsets and head back into Moss’ delightful world once again. It’s totally worth it too; whilst knowing that ‘The Twilight Garden’ is free addition is a big plus, the fact that the extra adventure it offers is a whole lot of fun makes it all the more worthwhile too.
It’s worth noting that ‘The Twilight Garden’ isn’t accessible from the start menu or even as a direct choice in-game, but is instead accessed by activating portals at specific points of the main adventure. Whilst this streamlines the experience to feel like it belongs in the campaign, it makes it a bit more difficult to access if you simply want to return to Moss to try out the new content. Fortunately, there is a chapter select in place so you can quickly go back to the areas where each portal is found, though the fact that the game itself doesn’t tell you where exactly they are means that you’re probably better off just playing through the game again as a whole – it’s only a few hours long and is brilliant though, so you won’t mind too much.
‘The Twilight Garden’ is made up of three different areas that are each full of the puzzle-solving and platforming elements from the main game, but the addition of a couple of new abilities ensures that it feels fresh throughout. The new puzzles that you come across could actually be a bit trickier than you’d have been used to in the game too, and I actually found myself scratching my head on more than a few occasions as I worked through its more elaborate enigmas.
Thankfully though, each one is still as satisfying to solve as ever – both from a platform-adventure and a virtual reality viewpoint. The ever-adorable Quill will once again be putting her skills to use as she acrobatically makes her way through all sorts of hazards, whilst you’ll also be there to help interact with the environment and its inhabitants to ensure her journey is a safe one. It’s worth pointing out that the environment itself is as gorgeous as ever too, with the enchanting aesthetic of ‘The Twilight Garden’ fitting in perfectly with Moss’ fairy tale-style setting. It’s full of vibrant colours, delightful sights, and some kooky creatures, but it’s as wonderful to look at in-game as any of Moss’ other impressive landscapes.
As mentioned, Quill has a few more tricks up her sleeve in ‘The Twilight Garden’, with one being the ability to charge up her weapon and unleash a projectile attack – it’s particularly useful in-combat but ties into getting through some of the content’s trickier areas too. She also gains the ability to see and use invisible platforms, which might not sound too thrilling on paper but adds an additional twist to the game’s platforming sections. A lot of your new skills tie in nicely with the final boss encounter of ‘The Twilight Garden’ too (which is mighty entertaining might I add), whilst the fact that they can be used in the main game afterwards gives you a couple of neat tricks to utilise that weren’t available the first time around. It’s good stuff.
Summary
It shouldn’t take you more than an hour to clear ‘The Twilight Garden’, but the fact that it’s free and full of the same delightful experiences that made Moss so endearing to PlayStation VR fans to begin with certainly makes it worth checking out.
Polyarc have worked on making Moss an even better game since launch with each patch they release, and it all culminates nicely with ‘The Twilight Garden’. It might not be the elusive ‘Book Two’ that we’re waiting for, but it makes the wait for the next chapter in Quill’s adventure a lot less painful. And yes, Quill is still as ADORABLE as ever.
Developer: Polyarc
Publisher: Polyarc
Platform(s): PlayStation VR (Reviewed), Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive
