Moss Book 2 just launched on Steam - reviews and impressions

[RuneSR2]

This trailer was captured on PC, so of course some of us knew there was a PC version - which silently was just released on Steam:

Priced at $30, so we do get a discount for the wait, Quest 2 price was initially $40 - get the game here:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2059670/Moss_Book_II/

Note that I have not yet tried the game - I don't know if the game has been enhanced for PCVR with high-res textures and dynamic shadows - so this post is not for recommending the game, it's only to say that the game is now on Steam.

Strange with such a silent and surprising release, I don't think the PC version ever was officially announced - but I like surprises 🙂

More info here:

https://www.roadtovr.com/moss-book-ii-steam-vr-index-pc-vr/

For now the PCVR version is only available on Steam, it is not in the Rift Store. I'll check for native Oculus driver support later. 

[RuneSR2]

Fun thing, the US$ is now worth more than €, still Moss Book 2 is priced at US$30, but only €25... Well, adds even more to the discount over here 🙂

[RuneSR2]

Wasn't sure how the PCVR version has been enhanced compared to Quest, but the difference is quite substantial. 

I found a video on YouTube showing the Quest version - I took some screenshots from that version using 1920x1080 res, but the image quality still was quite low. So this does not represent Quest 2 image quality, but is just used to show some differences in graphics, especially lighting. 

I am using res 300% with the Index - that's about 27 mill pixels per frame, so of course the image quality from PCVR is extreme. 

Here are some lighting differences:

The Quest version

The PCVR version - with great lighting

More light with the Quest 2 - see the little hole in the roof

Lighting in the PCVR version

Changes that really struck me were the plants and leaves:

Quest version: note the leaves to the left 

 

PCVR version - note the much more detailed leaves - kinda a night vs. day difference...

Lighting and leaves combined 🙂

Check out the top left plant and the lighting

PCVR - much better lighting and leaves - and many more dust particles in the air

Here's a nice big room:

Big room with the Quest 2

 

Big room using a PC costing the same a 15 Quest 2s 😉

Some hall differences:

Quest 2 

PCVR

Fun image - same hall from Moss Book 1 

 

Has Moss Book 2 been Questified? Not really, the game has much better lighting - but yes, some textures may have been degraded - like this statue:

Moss Book 1 statue - note the textures on the squirrel statue 

Same statue in Moss Book 2 - does look more low-res to me - but no big deal

Btw - the steam version supports native Oculus drivers - even the great old original TOUCH controllers are correctly identified:

Testing with the RTX 3090 and Rift CV1, I could not use High graphics setting and ss 2.5 (27 mill pixels per frame) and get solid 90 fps - but ss 2.3 worked perfectly so far. 

Now, Moss 2 does not really look better than Moss 1, it seems Moss 1 has more high-res textures, but lacks the Moss 2 lighting. None of these games have proper dynamic shadows, but you have a blob shadow. The often low-res Moss 2 textures mean that Rift CV1 with some SDE is not a bad choice - the SDE really helps fooling your brain making low-res textures look more high-res - while high-res lcd hmds will reveal all flaws. 

For those still using a CV1 (original Vive or Vive Pro), you're not getting a lesser game experience - you're getting a really awesome experience, but remember to turn up ss to the max!

[RuneSR2]

I think these shots, taken by the devs, are new on Steam - showing the PCVR version:

   

[RuneSR2]

I guess when Moss Book 2 does it best, few VR games do it better...

The throne room looks amazing

Great lights and atmosphere

 

I called "Hey, Smaug - you there?", but didn't get an answer

Nothing like a trip to the garden - and a prefect spot for a cup of tea...

Nicely decorated rooms

Many puzzles - and the mouse learns many new tricks

There are treasures and rpg-like upgrades to be had... 

Maybe I could win some photo-contest with this shot, lol 🤔

Some frog talk... 

More new skills in the making...

Sure textures could be better and are behind games like Red Matter 2 and Wanderer - but Moss Book 2 stands tall on its own. I'm now 4 hours into the game - still feels like the beginning - I'm slow 🙂

[RuneSR2]

There are some discussions about why devs did not promote or announce Moss 2 PCVR before the launch -and the launch went really terribly, only 15 ratings on Steam after 48 hours. Bonelab had 4,000 rating on Steam in 2 days. 

Today I can see that the devs did try to get the game more attention - I just checked out Steam for new VR games (as I do every day) and this was the VR front page:

I'll keep my fingers crossed for the devs 🙂 

[RuneSR2]

Still doing time in Moss, lol - having seen the PSVR version (PSVR = PlayStation VR) in more detail, the PCVR version looks much like the PSVR version (which has godrays and great lighting) and it does not look like the Quest 2 versin (which lacks the great lighting and has been cut down for textures too). 

Not really sure if the PCVR version differs from the PSVR version besides being able to use higher res and more fps (for hmds supporting 120 and 144 Hz). Moss Book 2 works with PS5 too, and I don't know if the PS5-version has been enhanced, but I know that the PS4 version is enhanced for the PS4 Pro. The PS4 Pro is rated at 4.2 tflops, making it  3.5 times faster than the Quest 2 (1.2 tflops). 

I guess I'm playing a super-charged version of Moss Book 2 enhanced for the PS4 Pro - and it does look fine, even if I do get the feeling it could have been even better if made ground-up for PCVR. 

Especially the lighting looks great when active, like here:

Examples of the great lighting - this is PCVR using the highest setting for graphics

- and textures are nice, even if very far from Alyx, Wanderer and Red Matter 1-2:

You will meet big enemies - and these are impressively animated:

- and you will be fighting some interesting foes:

The game feels much bigger than Moss Book 1 - one dude wrote:

Moss (2018)
Main Story - 4 Hours
Main + Extra - 4½ Hours
Completionist - 6½ Hours

Moss: Book II (2022)
Main Story - 6½ Hours
Main + Extra - 8½ Hours
Completionist - 9 Hours

 

Trying not to spoil much, there's more than one book this time:

Some new environments look nice:

  

The lack of dynamic shadows does bother me, but you can see your footprints in the snow, which is a nice touch. Also the ice will crack beneath your feet, which is nicely animated, so there are qualities balancing out the lack of proper shadows, at least to some degree. 

[RuneSR2]

Still after 7 hours I have not completed the game - puzzles are much better than Moss, and you have many more ways to fight etc. Took a few more shots:

Almost looks round(-ish), but poly levels are made for PSVR and are somewhat low

 

Don't catch the flying ball 😉

Check out the fog effects - I believe these are only available using "High" graphics setting

The light and godrays do look good

Many different environments are included

This in not Quill, but another character you get to control      

[TomCgcmfc]

Hopefully like the original Moss this will come to VivePort Infinity in the near future.  Moss 1 def looks fantastic using my OG Vive Pro (amoled screens, Etsy lens mod, and Index controllers).  SDE is still there but not too noticeable as long as SteamVR visuals are set to at least 200%.

[RuneSR2]

I also tried the game with the CV1, and it looks really good. Actually I sat down and took some time in Moss 1, after having done many hours in Moss 2. First I did think we just got a lazy Moss 2 PSVR port being worse than Moss 1, because I remembered Moss 1 looking great. 

But Moss 1 did arrive in 2018, and 4 years have passed - Moss 1 does not shine as much today as it did back then. After carefully having checked many textures etc., it feels like devs generally used same texture res in Moss 1 and 2 - makes sense, because the PS4 (Pro, launching in 2016) has not changed, and both games were designed primarily for PSVR. That said, some leaves in Moss 1 do have higher textures res than in Moss 2, but most textures in both Moss 1 and 2 are kinda low-res when you get close. These low-res textures do benefit from some SDE, and might even look better with oled for the blacks and colors too. 

There are some downgrades in Moss 2 though. In Moss 1 you could see your own face clearly in the water, and you made waves when touching the water. You not longer make such waves, and you rarely get to see your own face in the water - and when it happens, it's very blurry. 

I can Revive Moss 1 using Index res 400%, but using native Steam drivers in Moss 2 I'm down to res 300% for 90 fps - so Moss 2 is more taxing for the gpu - and light effects do look better. 

Overall, Moss 2 can look a bit dated, because it's the same texture quality as Moss 1, and 4 years have passed - and being designed for PSVR (=oled), using oled hmd with some SDE may be a really great choice 🙂

Strange that Moss 1 isn't part of Infinity - I do wonder if that means Moss 2 will not be either... 🤔

Devs said on Twitter the PCVR version will not arrive in the Rift Store - so there will be no cross-buy.