If you ask me, there really isn’t another medium these days that can take immersion to the next level that VR can. And in comparison, one of the more thrilling and addictive television series as of late, Peaky Blinders, can be leveled out as an equal in being something that succeeds just as VR does at its job. So naturally, making a Peaky Blinders VR game should be a match made for perfection, right? Well, that’s actually pretty much a yes, aside from some technical issues here and there.
After having my fair share of time in Maze Theory’s digitized version of Small Heath and Birmingham as a whole, I’m really overjoyed with just how immersive and enjoyable their latest title, Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom actually is overall. Whether shooting down bad guys in alleyways on my way to tip over a rival operation, or simply looking around environments for the smallest details that only die-hard Peaky fans will notice, The King’s Ransom is most definitely one of the best IP-adapted games ever made, and quite possibly one of the best VR titles, period.
Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom Review Biggest Takeaways
- Though its visuals are limited, The King’s Ransom manages to enthrall players in a detailed Peaky Blinders simulator.
- The King’s Ransom is broken down into various small parts that allow players to live out the daily dangers of being a Peaky Blinder, in the best ways possible.
- The cast lends their voices to make Peaky Binders: The King’s Ransom feels like a great continuation of a canon story that greatly folds into the main narrative.
- Though the gameplay is enjoyable, there’s a big of clunkiness that should be ironed out in order to make it the best Peaky Blinders game it could possibly be.
- There really isn’t another game based on an already-established film or series that feels as immersive as this, aside from other Star Wars VR games.
Final Score: 8/10
Gameplay That’s Simple Though For The Right Reasons
When I first started playing Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom, I really didn’t notice just how simple the gameplay can really be at times. Whether it’s the gunplay, environmental traversal, or even just its light puzzle-solving moments, the game doesn’t throw too much at you as a player to overcome. But standing back and looking at the overall picture, it actually makes a lot of sense as to why the game is a bit misleadingly simple.
I say misleading because, at the moment, you don’t realize that the game is doling things out methodically, and for good reasons too. The first thing I thought about was the show’s demographic, which is probably folks that don’t particularly play a lot of games, especially on VR. So for Maze Theory, it was a smart idea to strip things back a bit to make the game accessible for any type of Peaky Blinders Fan.
The other side I realized was the utter fact that back in the early 1920s, there weren’t flashy weapons to swing around, fast cars to speed off in, or gigantic cities with neon lights and wild things going on around town. The King’s Ransom is a modest game, but that plays perfectly into the time period. And that doesn’t make it a boring game. In fact, it makes the game feel even more immersive.
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This Really Is One of The Best IP-Based Games Out There
Because of the way that the game is set up, The King’s Ransom gives players a chance to really take in the sights, sounds, and overall Peaky Blindersness going on all around them. Sitting in The Garrison with Arthur as he makes bombs, being in the betting shop with Polly as she tells you secrets of the trade, or taking in the smoke of Tommy’s cigarette as he puffs it into your face are all ways that the game sucks you into its glorious world-building immersion.
As I’ve said before, VR has the best ways to put players directly into the moments that developers want us to feel, and Peaky Blinders: The Kings Ransom is one of the best examples of this. And time and time again through its story, it reminds players of the entertainment and somehow, the enjoyment that they get from watching this gritty, unforgiving world push against the Blinders as they fight and claw to get to the top of the mountain ahead of them.
Does Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom Have Multiplayer Capabilities?
Though the Peaky Blinders are a group of men and women who work side by side to make the dream work, there’s no teamwork to be found here. Unfortunately, Tommy and Arthur’s mysterious cousin mostly work alone throughout this game, aside from the moments when one of the members of this iconic gang is shooting alongside him or telling him to carry out a mission. It kind of stinks, because it would’ve been cool to play this wicked ride with another player. It could’ve made the immersion feel a bit different too.
Send Your Best Regards to the Peaky Blinders
Overall, I really, really enjoyed my time with Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom. It’s a truly addictive VR title that lives up to the hype that fans of the series have been feeling for it. My biggest hope is that more content such as this comes not only from the Peaky Blinders IP, but others just as deserving of great games that connect two mediums together.
Something worth knowing if you’re going into this game though is that its hand-tracking is a bit wonky at times, and your in-game hands can get caught on things which can put brakes on the fun. These issues took the score down a bit because they were pretty irritating when they happened. When the gameplay and story are as good as they are here, any hitch in the giddy-up that pulls you out of that immersion truly sucks. Otherwise, a totally fun game worth checking out.
All Platforms That Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom Is Available One
Last but certainly not least is where you can actually play this game! Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom is available now on the Meta Quest 2 and PICO 4. It hasn’t been mentioned as of yet if the game is planned for release on hardware such as the PS VR or on non-VR equipment either.
Well, now you know how we felt about Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom! If you’re interested in checking out more of the game to make sure you’re making a purchase that you’ll enjoy, feel free to check out more of our coverage on it, such as “Preview: Peaky Blinders – The King’s Ransom Is As Cheeky and Peaky As It Gets” or even some of our other reviews like “Review: Scars Above is a Great Blending of Two Stellar Genres”. And for more reviews, guides, and news, be sure to like Gamer Journalist on Facebook too for all of the latest on gaming!
