Virtual reality is a bit around the block now, and we’re starting to get out of our awkward teenage years. Technology is causing a deluge of smaller genre games. First-person shooters, puzzle games, and rhythm games are proliferating. Enter 17-BIT — an indie team willing to take on the unrealistic task of creating a survival game exclusively for virtual reality using Song in the Smoke.
What was de facto the best virtual reality survival sim when it was first released in 2021 still holds its throne today. This latest Rekindled edition brings a tightly focused effort on much more capable hardware that, despite its imperfections, helps the game burn even brighter.
Song in the Smoke puts aside the base-building and multiplayer antics that are prevalent in the survival genre, instead focusing on the basics of exploration, resource management, and combat. Its simplicity allows developers to clarify what matters most and works best in the virtual reality space.
The game’s greatest achievement is establishing its atmosphere. Each of its stages surrounds you with the chirping of crickets, the rustling of leaves, and the crackling of branches. As night falls, the chirping of birds and the call of marsupials subside, replaced by the eerie footsteps of something creeping in the darkness.
Incredibly detailed soundscapes offer equal parts epic tranquility and intense exhilaration. It’s one thing to know that an enemy is chasing you in a video game, but you can hear that enemy’s footsteps grow behind you, and you can hear your head rumbling violently as they approach. It’s often engaging enough to provoke a genuine fight-or-flight response — survival games often strive, but rarely achieve.
Archetypal survival mechanics help cover the jungle-exploring antics with an extra layer of tension and intensity. Every time you swing a club or shoot an arrow comes a price. Things like reduced item durability and loss of valuable ammo. Song in the Smoke Rekindled isn’t stingy with crafting materials, so replacements are readily available, but his inventory space is so limited that you always have to make sacrifices and judge on the fly . you clean
Thankfully, combing through your belongings is surprisingly comfortable. No nested menus or tabs here. Just a cloak that opens to reveal your entire inventory, easily accessible and divided into a limited number of well-spaced parcels. It’s a smart system where you can get anything at once, which becomes even more important when your bowstring breaks.
The interface is kept squeaky clean thanks to a handy indicator on the left wrist. This shows your current hunger and fatigue levels. To succeed, you’ll need to set up your camp, keep your fire burning, and catch up on your in-game sleep.
The adventure is divided into a few simple stages, all starting with collecting some glowing stones and ending with a unique set piece. It takes dozens of hours to understand the whole thing and is surprisingly fulfilling, but much of that time is spent in typical survival hectic work. Organize your inventory to create what you need, cook food to stomp the hunger meter, and keep the fire going so your night predators can sleep peacefully.
On the one hand, all of the survival chores certainly make the real-life adventures all the more special. There’s a certain satisfaction that comes from beating a giant lion with primitive tools. Especially when victory is the result of perseverance and careful preparation. You’ll never get lost on how to progress thanks to a handy map that explores and displays your current objective, but it’s full of environmental and beastly obstacles.
Despite the “Rekindled” subtitle, there aren’t many completely new features. The headset’s haptics are understated but well used, and there’s a new free-jump option that lets you forget about the point-to-teleport system for vertical navigation if your iron stomach can handle it. Also, free jumps are off by default. Regardless of your senses, motion sickness is rarely an issue thanks to the many accessibility options that allow you to tailor your virtual reality experience to your liking.
The lack of new features doesn’t mean Song in the Smoke Rekindled will benefit greatly from the new PSVR2 hardware. Inside-out tracking greatly improves locomotion, and having a full 360 degree range of motion makes you feel truly liberated in survival environments. The PS5’s horsepower is heavily leveraged to improve detail levels and image quality, making the glowing eyes crisp and clear in the twilight. All are borderline transformative when compared directly to its PSVR1 predecessor.
Conclusion
Song in the Smoke Rekindled brings one of virtual reality’s best survival experiences to the platform at its finest. If you want to focus on mundane resource management, you’ll enjoy hilarious, tense sequences underscored by excellent sound design.
