WithoutParole

Out of the gate Jupiter & Mars does a lot of things right - sprawling, vast areas to explore with often stunning art design especially when seen through the immersive lens of PlayStation VR. In fact the opening moments set the right tone with zero time limits, tons of collectibles to find, and the remnants of our civilization strewn throughout the ocean floor. But much too quickly levels start to feel repetitive, the collect-a-thon gets excessive, and just finding the next objective starts to feel like work instead of the next step **** tranquil adventure. Jarring transitions (or lack there of) between gameplay, level select screens, and cinematics (not to mention the low-res graphics in the PSVR headset) make Jupiter & Mars come across as more of the foundation for a great game instead of an actual final product. That's not to say there's nothing to enjoy here. In the same vein as Tetris Effect, XING, or Mind Labyrinth, if you're looking for some relaxing environments and a soothing soundtrack Jupiter & Mars gives you a good excuse to search every crevice of every stage - and when you inevitably make it to the final stage, the otherwise stagnant gameplay gets a much needed shot in the leg with some pretty fun stealth elements. It's a long way to go for a relatively small payoff, but it makes you wonder where else the developers could have taken this game given enough time. Bryan Paul, PSVR Without Parole ****/h1pXGPNjnXQ