Song in the Smoke is a challenging VR survival game developed and published by 17-Bit. The vibrant colors and stylized graphics are similar to the art style in Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Along with its stunning visuals, the game features many different challenges for players to overcome, including staving off hunger and fighting or running from a variety of dangerous creatures. As players progress through the game, the stages become more perilous.
To complete a stage, players will need to find 3 purple stones, which are spread out around the map, and fight a boss. For each new stage, the map will increase in size and have more obstacles to navigate. The later stages have more predators and include the Darkness: a supernatural entity that stalks the player at night and can only be sent away by light. The Darkness adds an element of horror to the game similar to the scary atmosphere of an Amnesia game. Players will need to craft a torch or campfire to escape the Darkness. Campfires are also used as a base where players can build other structures and save their game.
Along with being the only way to save, campfires also give players the ability to craft a drying or tanning rack, as well as a storage sack that can transfer items between campfires. The drying and tanning racks can be used to dry out food and animal guts or craft better clothes and equipment. Players start out with no clothes and must hunt animals for their pelts. Clothes increase stealth and defense making it easier to hunt top predators like lions and screechers, which are reminiscent of creatures in Ark: Survival Evolved. Each item, including the campfire and any weapons or structures, needs to be crafted using resources found randomly around the map.
The resources available in each map will be of higher quality as the game gets harder. Players have the freedom to choose their adventure and decide whether or not they want to upgrade all of their gear. It’s still possible to go through these areas without crafting better items, but it will be much more difficult, and dying sends the player back to their last campfire save. Each stage only allows three campfires to be built, so it’s not always easy to return to one and save the game. Song in the Smoke lets players choose their own adventure and the level of risk they want to take.
Even though there are a limited number of stages to complete, there is still a lot of content. Exploring a map can take hours, especially for players that don’t want to risk facing the dangers lurking at night. There are also optional activities, like tracking down green stones to increase maximum health or completing shooting challenges for a bundle of fully crafted arrows. Each activity available in Song in the Smoke is meant to help players move forward and defeat bosses.
There is a vague story to Song in the Smoke and cutscenes that guide the player through their boss fights. The tips for how to defeat bosses or draw them out are revealed in a creative and immersive way. The environment and music, as well as constant sounds made by other creatures, make Song in the Smoke a truly mesmerizing experience. Players will feel the dread of traversing dangerous areas, and the satisfaction of defeating a powerful boss. Song in the Smoke is an unrivaled VR survival game with horror elements, and it gives players complete freedom to explore, hunt in, and conquer the treacherous wilderness.
Song in the Smoke will release in 2021 for Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, and PSVR. Screen Rant was provided with a digital Oculus Quest download code for the purpose of this review.
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