Moss: Book II

Moss: Book II picks up directly from the story of the little mouse Quill and expands the original concept with new mechanics without abandoning the basic principle of the game, in which the player, viewing events as an observer, influences what happens in the diorama world while controlling the character herself with a classic gamepad stick. New, stronger magical abilities are added to the game, letting the player more actively intervene against packs of goblins and other enemies, move larger objects, or work together with Quill to solve more complex spatial puzzles that make even greater use of the diorama's height and depth than in the first game. A new time-slowing ability lets the player better coordinate helping Quill in the more hectic fights against multiple opponents at once, which, together with the more elaborate puzzles, raises the cooperation between player and character to a higher level than in the first game.

Visually, the game continues the cozy, hand-painted style of its predecessor, but the environments are more varied and technically demanding, which on PSVR meant noticeably higher hardware requirements than in the first title. The narrative continues in the same silent, gesture- and expression-led style, with Quill and the supporting characters communicating without words, and the player, as an invisible companion, gradually uncovering the broader context of a world that the first game only hinted at. The new environments also take the player into more expansive outdoor locations and towns, giving the series a sense of a bigger, more elaborate world.

Book II was received as proof that the concept from the first game still had room to grow, and the expanded gameplay mechanics were praised as a natural continuation of what the first Moss had suggested. On PSVR it was one of the last big exclusive titles to arrive still on the first generation of the headset, which places it in the role of a dignified conclusion to one of the platform's most beloved series and a demonstration of how far a combination of direct and indirect control can be taken in virtual reality.

Why play: For expanded mechanics that naturally build on the first game, this is a dignified conclusion to one of the most beloved series of the first generation of PSVR headsets.