Summer Lesson VR: A Novelty Game that Fails to Impress

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When Sony first announced Summer Lesson as one of their launch titles for its new PlayStation VR headset, many were hopeful that it would be more than just another empty shell designed solely to showcase off the technology. Unfortunately, after spending several hours with this awkwardly named game, I can safely say those hopes have been dashed.

At its core, Summer Lesson is nothing more than a series of short scenarios set in various locations across Japan during summer months (hence the title). Players take on the role of an English teacher at one such school and must guide their students through simple lessons while also engaging them in conversation. Sounds straightforward enough? Unfortunately for anyone expecting anything remotely close to actual substance, that's where things quickly fall apart.

The graphics themselves are passable if unremarkable - think mid-tier PS3 visuals brought into the 2016 era with a healthy dose of motion sickness thrown in for good measure thanks to some rather nausea-inducing VR segments. The environments feel like they've been ripped straight from an old FMV game, complete with awkwardly placed assets and character models that look as though someone had poured molten plastic over a collection of action figures.

But it's not just the presentation that lets Summer Lesson down - the actual gameplay itself is equally underwhelming. Conversing with your students feels like trying to participate in an endless round of broken telephone, where any attempt at actually saying something coherent will be met with confused expressions and nonsensical responses from your virtual charges. The 'lessons' themselves are little more than glorified interactive slideshows that could easily have been replaced by a series of pre-recorded videos - which is essentially what they boil down to anyway.

The only redeeming factor here seems to be the chance to try out VR for yourself, if you haven't already done so. Otherwise, unless you're a die-hard fan of interactive educational experiences (and who isn’t?), Summer Lesson can safely be written off as an unnecessary purchase that will soon fade from memory like a distant summer's day.

Rating: 3/10

Recommended For:

- Those looking to try out VR for the first time

- Fans of awkwardly named games with little substance behind them

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