Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
Image via Meta/NOVELAB

Demeter (VR) Review | A New Dimension

Virtual reality brings the world of Demeter to life.

As a child of the 90s, 3D platformers were my bread and butter during the early years of my gaming fixation. The jump from 2D side-scrolling platformers into this new dimension was astonishing, especially seeing heroes like Mario in his polygonal glory. Now, with a new type of gaming hitting the market, games like Demeter hope to push the envelope even further with the literal fourth wall-breaking gimmick that it brings, putting the stages you explore directly in your living room.

Recommended Videos

Explore a New Dimension With Me

Demeter is an incredibly unique experience and something that couldn’t be done without the technology brought to life by VR. In a normal platformer experience, you spend your time seated in a chair, watching your controlled avatar make its way through various puzzles at your control. I’ve got control of nearly everything in the environment, from the camera to the way that my character moves to the beat of my every whim and fancy.

Demeter, however, is a different case. I’m still in control, but in a much more dramatic way. I’m the physical camera, moving around the stages that are floating in your room, thanks to the great use of Mixed Reality. I’m also still in control of the main character, Atalanta, as I help her make her way back home after crash landing on Earth. It’s a simple narrative overall as it plays on the emotions of homesickness and wanting to return to a familiar place, but it works well in this particular adventure.

While the option to bring these islands closer to me exists, Demeter is a game that is best experienced standing and moving around the intricately detailed environments. After taking a scan of my living room, I could use particular parts of it to aid Atalanta in her quest in a variety of unique ways. Worlds are built around me and my environment as I helped her through her own little environment. The luster doesn’t wear off quickly and helps propel this experience to a new level.

Beauty is in The Eye of the Beholder

Demeter may use a simple graphical style, but the results are quite stunning. A great art style can help push a game to new heights, and I fell in love with the aesthetic of Demeter as soon as I watched a spaceship crash through my roof. The world that was continuously showcased around me, alongside the fantastic effects that accompanied them, helped me lose myself in this world without a second guess as I embarrassingly tried to touch the ground of the world that was being projected before my eyes.

Seeing a giant pillar being brought to life in the middle of my living room still feels surreal, even after playing for a fair bit. Demeter may be short — its runtime is about 4 hours — but the variety of levels keeps things from feeling boring. They may all share the same basic aesthetic overall, with a shade of variety thrown in to keep things from falling into a familiar pattern. Still, the overall result looks fantastic on the Meta Quest 3. Walking around these structures to see small secrets and alternate paths that I can take is exciting, seeing as each level is rather short overall.

One point of frustration that I experienced with Demeter is after the stage has been completed, a small ball of energy will fly throughout the room and select where the next stage is. Even after doing the room scan, I found that the next level would still be in awkward spots, like in the middle of my kitchen table, where I would need to enter the “Accessibility Mode” and pull the level back to a reasonable place. While this doesn’t happen every time, it would still happen often enough to be frustrating — especially considering that multiple animations happen when entering and exiting Accessibility Mode.

Slow Ride, Take it Easy

When it comes to taking control of Atalanta, she moves like a dream. Basic navigation is great, even if there are some detection issues when it comes to crawling along walls. It’s very few and far between, but it’s something to note, considering there is plenty of time scaling walls while exploring the many worlds before you. Combat is also relatively simple: pressing a button and watching the action unfold. It’s easy to see that combat is not the main focus here, while the slower pace of exploration is rather meditative.

Demeter is a game about taking it slow and watching the story and the world unfold around you. The backing music is serene, lending to the almost trance-like feeling of experiencing this adventure. Sound effects are also great, and the voice actress for Atalanta does a fantastic job conveying emotion through her being. She’s also not afraid to say what’s on her mind, like when I accidentally attacked a non-hostile creature, and she berated me for doing so. I’m used to scary dog-creatures being mean. I wasn’t expecting it to be friendly, so she has my apology.

The generative layout of the levels, paired with the sublime sound design, makes hours feel like minutes when exploring this world. Even with the mild frustration regarding the controls and bare-bones combat system, I was still eager to see what the next level would offer. One thing to note, however, for those that suffer from mobility issues — Demeter requires a fair bit of navigation around the level, both in the virtual sense and physical sense.

While Accessibility Mode works great to allow players to move the level around to their needs, I would like to see the process simplified further and refined to ensure that players of all levels can enjoy what is on offer here.

Demeter is an exciting and unique experience but isn’t without its faults. However, while its basic combat and finicky detection may leave some to be desired, it’s an appealing and inventive platformer that helps use virtual reality to greater extents than I could have imagined. I was willing to overlook these gripes, as I was invested in its world and wanted to see what was on the horizon.

Demeter is a great platformer, offering a touching story and plenty of replayability. This type of game could only be brought to life in virtual reality and excels at making me feel like I’m an organic part of its world. There are some bits I would love to see refined for a possible sequel, but Demeter hits all the marks I hoped it would.

8
Demeter (VR)
Demeter is a great platformer, offering a touching story and plenty of replayability. This type of game could only be brought to life in virtual reality and excels at making me feel as if I'm an organic part of its world. There are some bits I would love to see refined for a possible sequel, but Demeter hits all the marks I hoped it would.
Pros
  • Beautiful aesthetic
  • Unique game play elements
  • Fantastic sound design
Cons
  • Finicky detection when climbing
  • Basic combat is rather unexciting
  • Accessibility mode could use some refinement
A copy of this game was provided by the publisher for review. Reviewed on Meta Quest 3.

Prima Games is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission.?Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Shaun Cichacki
Shaun Cichacki
As a fan of RPGs, Action & Retro titles, Shaun has been gaming since he was a young boy. With an overwhelming obsession involving Metal Gear Solid and Pizza Tower, you know you're in for a wild ride when it comes to things he's writing about.
seductrice.net
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
prowp.net
webmanicura.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
mfhoudan.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
kftz5k.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
casino-natali.com
iprofit-internet.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
healthandfitnesslives.com
androidnews-jp.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
britsmile.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
kakakpintar.com
jerusalemdispatch.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
rajasthancarservices.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
hemendekor.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
worldhealthstory.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
techguroh.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com