DrakkenRidge offers a new VR fantasy adventure that feels like old-school RuneScape on Quest 3 and 3S. Read on for our impressions.

Fantasy adventure games have always captured my attention for their breadth and depth. Exploring a lived-in world, with its own magical rules free from the confines of our drab reality is something I will unequivocally gravitate towards. DrakkenRidge is the latest creation of seasoned VR developer Garage Collective that aims to deliver such an ambitious concept.

With over five sizable islands to explore, active physics-based combat, and a recognizable jank permeating the experience, it feels like they accomplished this. After previously publishing several VR games over the years, like Stones of Harlath, this could be their best work yet, faults and all. Its undeniable charm can be traced to its retro art style that gives off the impression of being inside those classic 90s MMOs.

Dropped in the first area called Skull Island, which acts as a tutorial, the usual VR conventions are easy to spot. A belt for quickly accessing any items picked up in the wild is a tradition by now, as is meticulously crafting items like a mad scientist in a laboratory instead of just clicking “Craft.” Being able to press a button to summon your sword when combat starts instead of clumsily unsheathing it from your hips works wonders. These actions help create an enjoyable illusion.

Physics-based combat often feels like a buzzword, though it feels right at home here. These low-poly enemies kick, punch, and have special unblockable attacks. Mages light entire areas on fire as archers shoot from a distance, keeping you on your toes at all times. The parrying is a highlight when pulled off correctly, and it's encouraged as it buffs your damage. Plenty of dungeon crawling is involved, organically set up to explore different avenues, rewarding you with unique weapons or items, each culminating in a satisfying boss fight.

Although the political story is nothing to write home about, the cornucopia of side quests certainly is welcome. Delivered with serviceable voice acting, DrakkenRidge has you doing plenty of activities. From the expected fetch quests to more involved tasks resulting in unlocking secrets and exclusive items otherwise unattainable, each of the five areas has a wealth of content to stay busy alongside the main quest.

Once magic is unlocked, both hands can equip spells or weapons. If you fancy it, becoming a battlemage with a mace in one hand and an electricity spell in the other is possible. The customization on offer allows you to enter every battle as you deem fit, choosing a classic sword and shield combination, or not. Using a portal in every town’s inn to reach a secret lair, this base of operations works as a place to craft more intricate items. Dropping scavenged plants into a cauldron and stirring them for a while produces an array of useful potions. Similarly, using the anvil to forge powerful tools with your hammer is rather enjoyable.

However, DrakkenRidge is not without its issues at launch. At times, the screen would flicker, or the hands would make sudden contortions when moving. At one point, the anvil would not recognize my shield to improve it, making me have to leave the area and come back until it finally did. There's work to be done still, though it usually achieves its goals quite well.

After spending five hours with it, it's clear that DrakkenRidge is the right scope for a studio this size without biting off more than it could chew. What originated as an expansion of the studio's previous work ultimately evolved into a respectable fantasy of its own. Bugs can be fixed, and the core gameplay is solid enough to see it through to the end. Living that dream of being an adventurer before taking an arrow to the knee is worth it.