In Review: Raccoon Lagoon (Oculus Quest)

Review: I picked up Racoon Lagoon earlier in the week after having seen a few gameplay videos of it on Youtube. The game is a combination of resource management and crafting. It has you playing the role of an Island Spirit who has the job of helping a bunch of shipwrecked animals build a new civilization and help fix the islands broken heart.

The game also has a social element to it in that you can visit other peoples islands and hang out with them. It’s not all peaceful though. On the island live a bunch of Racoons, which are a nuisance to your progress because they try to sneak onto the island and steal your stuff. There is also a penalty if you decide to abuse any of the islanders. For example, I picked up a cat and chucked it into some water. After which the cat proceeded to cough up what looked like a poo, which can actually be useful for scaring raccoons.

Playability

Right from the start Raccoon Lagoon is instantly playable and really easy to get into. You are assisted by a campaign mission, which helps you get to grips with the basics of the game. The lady that provides the voiceover work in the game has a really relaxing voice, which just eases you into the game.

One of the first tasks you have is to feed a bird with a fish, which awards you your first heart token. You need to collect the heart tokens to open up different parts of the island as well as to buy things with. You will also run into animals looking for help with a fish or an apple or some wood or any number of things, which they will exchange for other things as well as show you how to craft things. There is so much to do in this game and it’s very easy to lose track of time when playing.

In short. This is a game that both kids and adults can enjoy.

Graphics

The game’s graphics are really good on the Quest, which is amazing given that the Oculus Quest uses a Snapdragon processor, which is a mobile phone processor, which is no longer used on the bigger phone brands.

The graphics style is really cute and you can tell what most things are. I loved the character designs for the animals featured as well as the animations for when new buildings get constructed. Since getting the game earlier this week. I have only managed about 3 hours worth of play. But am sure there is plenty of stuff still for me to do.

The only thing I found to be a little jarring was the total blackout you had when you were being respawned.

Sound Effects & Music

All the audio on the game is really good. The music is quite relaxing and puts me in mind of the sort of thing that you’d hear on any number of guided meditations that you can watch or listen to online. The sounds that the various animals make are fun. And the sequence near the start where you are on the beach is nicely done in regards to hearing the waves as the tide gently moves back and forth. Also, the narrator that guides you through the first campaign on the game is really good.

Overall

Hidden Path Entertainment has a bit of a hit on their hands here as far as I’m concerned. It’s a true family game that a person of any age can play and get some enjoyment out of. And the experience of walking around an island that you are helping to build is really rewarding. Especially in Virtual Reality.