Destroy Your Enemies
Barbaria is an impressive combat and tower defense game that will fulfill those smash-and-bludgeon impulses. You’ll work your way through different strongholds fighting enemies and gaining rewards.
In the vein of games like Gorn, combat is heavily physics-based. Using your fists to smash enemies and clearing areas gets you rewards, like new weapons and even minions. As you progress you’ll face stronger enemies and greater prizes. Eventually invading other players’ strongholds for even greater challenges and became stronger.
Along the way, you’ll also have to build up your own stronghold because it will face other players seeking to invade and become stronger as well.
Everything Is A Weapon
In Barbaria, everything is a weapon. Starting with your fists, rocks, and even enemies. As you defeat goblins and monsters, take their weapons for yourself (they aren’t using them anymore, right?). You’ll gain weapons as rewards for clearing strongholds, but in this writer’s opinion, there is something deeply satisfying about killing a goblin and using his weapon on his buddies.
Finding new and more inventive ways to defeat monsters is half the fun, and in the weapon department, Barbaria does not disappoint. Axes, bows, and swords to list but a few.
However, it’s one thing to use something designed as a weapon, and another thing entirely to use your environment against your enemies. You’ll be knocking monsters off the platforms, throwing rocks, and even using the skulls of the dead, so keep an eye out.
The best Offense Is A Good Defense
Players have the option to dive headfirst into the combat by invading other players’ strongholds, taking on combat challenges, or endless waves of AI enemies. However, if you are looking to take a break from the offensive, you can tackle different challenges in defensive modes.
You’ll gain new minions and traps to build up your own stronghold to defend against invading players. Sometimes they’ll attack while you’re not playing, so the next time you enter Barbaria, you’ll get a message that you’ve been attacked. All is not lost, though, because you can watch a replay of the encounter and see what defenses held up and strengthen weaker areas.
You can also take on defensive challenges and fight alongside your minions against waves of monsters and become even stronger.
All This In A Pretty Package
While physics-based melee combat games have been around for a while, few are as remarkably good-looking as Barbaria. From the character model to the enemies, even the details on the weapons themselves, there is a polish that many VR games don’t receive.
Many VR games remain unpolished because the looks are lower on the list of priorities for developers. I applaud game designers for making games that innovate gameplay and try new things. Although, it makes games like Barbaria stand out even more. The gameplay is fun, and while the grind to level up can be technically a little repetitive, it hasn’t stopped being fun. All the different ways to play will keep you coming back for more, and they managed to make it look incredible.
If you are looking to face a challenge (and a bit of a workout), have a fondness for strategy, or even just want to just punch a monster in the face, Barbaria is for you!
Like VR? Check out this article for ViBE’s Top 5 Horror VR Games
