This is an Early Access Review and as such opinions and scores are based solely on the state of the game at the time of review and subject to change as development progresses leading up to final release.
iOmoon is a new FPX adventure that puts you inside a probe and launches you toward the heart of Jupiter’s moon, iO. While not a “game” in the traditional sense, iOmoon is more of an exploration experience or what has become distastefully known in the industry as a “walking simulator”. Still in Early Access, I spent roughly six hours with the game (that was two complete passes) and I must confess to having a fantastic time. The sense of awe and wonderment was something I haven’t experienced since those “shrink me down and stick me inside a human body” games. The alien landscapes and eclectic creature designs had me in a constant state of curiosity (and sometimes terror) as I explored the surface and interiors of iO.
But even before that, you are eased into this VR world with a pleasant tutorial that provides a wealth of encyclopedic knowledge accessed via terminals in the hub starting location. Moving on into the next room you learn how the physics work, as you grab some balls to throw at targets or shoot some hoops. The third room is home to your space probe, and after you climb inside and rocket down a lengthy launch tube you are greeted by the vastness of space littered with floating debris and a massive space station.
Things go south quickly as your probe is struck by some debris and you crash to the surface of iO; a very violent moon with volcanic activity and an entire ecosystem of alien life. Your mission is to photograph as many of these lifeforms as possible and reach the rescue location so you can get back home. A color-coded radar indicates points of interest and a view screen at the top of your cockpit shows your most recent photograph. Navigation is easy enough using the Xbox controller to move your pod and your head to look around your various viewports, or you can opt to remove the pod overlay and HUD entirely. This was a convenient feature, as sometimes the cockpit graphics would obscure narrow ledges and paths below me. Movement is a bit on the slow side, but you can turbo (run) if you are in a hurry. iOmoon isn’t about racing to the finish but rather appreciating the journey to get there.
The graphics are breathtaking at times. My jaw dropped the moment I exited the launch tube, and the first time I got caught in a volcanic lava flow I was so mesmerized by the bubbling orange lava I burned up and had to reload the checkpoint. As you move from violent exterior locales to the dark interior of the moon things take on an almost magical element as plants and creatures seem to all exhibit colorful neon glows, and you never know what can kill you or even if it’s intelligent enough to try, so you end up keeping your distance from everything and settle for taking plenty of snapshots to document your journey.
The audio is fantastic with immersive sound effects, great narration and a totally compelling soundtrack by composer, Garry Schyman that swells with the action and danger but can turn instantly enchanting the moment you enter the wonderland of the cave interiors or even head underwater. The positional audio combined with stunning 3D graphics creates a completely immersive experience that is truly remarkable and original.
During my two complete passes through the game, I didn’t experience any major bugs. The few times I got snagged on landscape I was able to boost out of it, and while the game is admittedly short in its current build, I’m sure more content will be added prior to final release. Still in Early Access, I look forward to seeing this FPX in its completed state. Even now, iOmoon is a magical journey through a visually stunning alien landscape full of exotic creatures and plants that anyone with an Oculus Rift would be delighted to take.
