Info about 狼と香辛料VR/Spice&WolfVR:

Official game description:
In order to achieve our dreams of entering the 2nd dimension, we will be working together with the original creators of Spice and Wolf to create a VR animation.  
Anime will evolve from something that is “seen” to something that is “experienced”...  
\-Story-  
Kraft Lawrence is a traveling merchant who meets Holo, a beautiful woman who can transform into a wolf.  
As they travel together they face many hardships, such as having to walk in the rain.  
In order to avoid the sudden downpour, Holo and Lawrence take shelter in an old, abandoned water mill in the woods.  
They huddle around a small fire and enjoy a slightly strange but relaxing time together.  
You are able to share that time together with them.  
Production Staff  
Scenario: Isuna Hasekura  
Character Design: Ju Ayakura  
Holo’s CV: Ami Koshimizu  
Kraft Lawrence’s CV: Jun Fukuyama  
Even if you do not have a VR headset, you can enjoy anime and mini games in non-VR mode.

Release date: Jun 3, 2019

Categories: VR Gameplay, Narrative Adventure, Interactive Fiction, Visual Novel, Story-driven Gameplay, Character Interaction, Slice-of-Life


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Immersive atmosphere and storytelling (weight 0.79): The game features a strong sense of presence with richly detailed environments, good audio design, and natural dialogue delivery. It offers an immersive atmosphere with high-quality visuals and sound effects, enhancing the overall storytelling experience.
- High-quality VR and non-VR experience (weight 0.73): The game offers an immersive experience in both VR and non-VR modes, with detailed animations, high-quality graphics, and smooth movements. It includes interactive modes and an engaging story mode, providing a high-quality presentation and authentic experience.
- Fan-oriented content and enjoyment (weight 0.64): The game is highly enjoyable for fans of the series, offering a unique VR experience with fan-oriented content. It includes well-written stories by the original author, engaging interactions, and high-quality voice acting, making it a treat for fans.
- Interactions with Holo (weight 0.42): Players can interact with Holo in various ways, including petting her ears and tail, which adds to the emotional satisfaction and enjoyment. Holo's character design and personality are highlights, making these interactions a key feature of the game.
- High-quality character models and animations (weight 0.14): The game features faithful character models and detailed animations, bringing characters to life in VR. The character models are similar to the illustration style of the original series, with no issues with broken models.
- Engaging daily life story (weight 0.14): The game offers an immersive daily life experience with an interesting and cute little story. The pleasant and dynamic exchange between characters adds to the engagement.
- Interesting mini-games and interactions (weight 0.09): The game includes interesting mini-games and interactions, adding to the overall enjoyment. These interactions are cute and lively, enhancing the player's experience.
- Good use of Unity engine (weight 0.07): The game design is well-made, utilizing the Unity engine perfectly. It does not need any item pickups, puzzles, or advanced controls, making it accessible and enjoyable.
- Psychological depth and economic elements (weight 0.04): The game features an interesting theme with psychological depth and economic elements, adding layers to the storytelling and character interactions.
- Community and technical support (weight 0.03): The game has community solutions for technical issues, ensuring a smoother experience for players. This support helps address any problems that may arise.
- Additional hidden elements (weight 0.03): There are additional elements in the game, such as finding hidden coins in the water mill hut, adding to the exploration and interaction aspects of the game.
- Volume control options (weight 0.03): The game includes separate volume controls for characters, allowing players to customize their audio experience according to their preferences.

Common complaints:
- High price for limited content (weight 0.95): Players feel that the game is overpriced for the amount of content offered. The high price does not justify the short gameplay duration and limited interactions.
- Game is too short (weight 0.73): Many players have complained about the game's short duration, with some stating it only lasts around 20-30 minutes. This includes limited interactions and content, leading to a lack of replay value.
- Poor VR functionality and controls (weight 0.43): There are significant issues with VR functionality, including poor menu navigation, difficult controls, and lack of support for non-Valve Index VR headsets. This makes the game less enjoyable and immersive.
- Lack of traditional gameplay (weight 0.25): The game lacks traditional gameplay elements, including limited interaction with the world and characters, and a lack of depth in the storyline. This makes it feel more like a theater experience than a game.
- Character model and behavior issues (weight 0.25): Holo's character model and behavior do not match her portrayal in the anime. Players have noted differences in proportions, lack of interaction, and a childish demeanor that differs from the original character.
- Limited interactions without VR (weight 0.12): Players without VR equipment have limited interactions and content, making the game less engaging and monotonous.
- Achievement and coin collection issues (weight 0.1): Some players are unable to trigger all achievements or pick up coins, which affects the overall gaming experience and completion.
- Translation and language support (weight 0.05): The game has poor translation choices and lacks support for certain languages, such as Russian, which can be a barrier for non-English speaking players.
- Limited character movement (weight 0.03): Characters do not move from the room, which limits the gameplay environment and interactions.

Gameplay feedback:
- Limited interactivity and short duration (weight 0.6): The game offers minimal interactive elements, primarily confined to a single small room with limited exploration. The gameplay duration is short, with a 20-30 minute story and additional interactive modes that do not significantly extend playtime.
- Menu navigation and controls (weight 0.51): The game features specific control mechanics such as using analog sticks and triggers for menu navigation and resetting the viewpoint. These controls are designed to enhance the VR experience.
- VR anime experience (weight 0.41): The game is a VR narrative experience divided into three short episodes, resembling a visual novel. It includes interactive segments and mini-games, but the core experience is akin to watching an anime episode in VR.
- Character interactions and daily life tasks (weight 0.24): Players can engage in various interactions such as petting characters, feeding them, and other daily life tasks. The game offers multiple interactions based on player choices, enhancing the emotional connection with characters.
- Story-driven and slice-of-life (weight 0.21): The game focuses on a narrative experience with smooth animations and expressions. It features 25 minutes of conversation between characters and includes collectible elements, emphasizing a slice-of-life storytelling approach.
- Emotional and artistic experience (weight 0.09): The game is designed to work as an emotional and artistic experience, focusing on the atmosphere and character interactions. It aims to create a sense of presence and immersion through detailed animations and voice acting.

Performance notes:
- Menu and control issues (weight 0.15): Players report difficulties with menu navigation and control interactions, particularly on newer headsets like Quest 3. The game often misinterprets any touch on the controllers as an immediate input or selection.
- Index controller support problems (weight 0.1): There are significant issues with the support for Index controllers, including janky performance and lack of native support for Valve Index controllers.
- Attractive visual and audio presentation (weight 0.07): The game's visual presentation is highly praised for being attractive, and the audio enhances the overall immersive experience.
- Low FPS issues (weight 0.04): Some players experience low frames per second (FPS), which can detract from the gaming experience.
- Automatic VR mode switching (weight 0.04): The game automatically switches to VR mode if a VR headset is detected, which can be both a convenience and a point of frustration for some users.

Recommendations:
- Wait for a sale (weight 0.72): Many reviews suggest waiting for a deep sale before purchasing the game to get better value for money.
- Recommended for fans (weight 0.72): The game is highly recommended for fans of the Spice and Wolf series, especially those who enjoy narrative VR experiences. It is suggested to buy the game on sale for a better value.
- Chinese community engagement (weight 0.06): Some reviews mention engaging with the Chinese gaming community on platforms like Douyu for interactions and updates.
- Check VR compatibility (weight 0.04): Potential buyers should consider the lack of native support for certain VR devices like Valve Index before purchasing.
- Support on Kickstarter (weight 0.03): Some users indicate they would support the game again on Kickstarter, showing a willingness to back the project financially.

Other player notes:
- VR Controls and Recommendation (weight 0.07): The game's control scheme involves holding down the left and right triggers while using the joystick. Although it can be played without VR, the experience is not recommended without it.
- Lack of VR Equipment (weight 0.04): Some players could not experience the VR part of the game due to not having the necessary VR equipment.

Emotions:
- Joy (weight 0.23): Players experience joy primarily due to the interactions with Holo, the cute and lively character dynamics, and the high-quality animations and voice acting. The game's faithfulness to the original series and the inclusion of familiar elements like songs and voice actors also contribute significantly to this positive emotion.
- Disappointment (weight 0.21): The main causes of disappointment are the game's short duration and limited interactivity. Players also express frustration with technical problems, poor UI interaction, and the high price relative to the game's content, which they feel is not worth the full price.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.11): Satisfaction stems from the high-quality character models, detailed environments, and faithful representation of the original series. Players also appreciate the unique VR experience, particularly the interactions with Holo, and the overall high-quality presentation.
- Frustration (weight 0.07): Frustration is mainly caused by poor VR functionality, awkward and unintuitive controls, and limited interactions. Players also report issues with controller support and poor compatibility, making the game difficult to play.
- Disappointed (weight 0.04): Players feel disappointed due to the short game length and the high price. The character model and the overall value for money are also significant concerns.
- Excitement (weight 0.02): Excitement is generated by the engaging story mode and the interesting interactions with Holo. The unique VR experience and the ability to interact with Holo in various ways, such as petting her head and tail, are particularly exciting for players.
- Emotional Resonance (weight 0.02): Players are touched by the emotional connection and realistic interactions with Holo. The cute expressions and the ending scene contribute significantly to this emotional response.
- Nostalgic (weight 0.02): Nostalgia is evoked by the game's connection to the original anime and the memories associated with it. Fans of the series express a longing for more content and a desire to revisit the world of Spice and Wolf.
- Excited (weight 0.02): Players are excited about the VR experience and the cute interactions with Holo. The immersive atmosphere and the unique interactions available in the game contribute to this excitement.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.01): The game evokes a strong sense of nostalgia, transporting players back to the days of watching anime and reading light novels. The involvement of the original author and the faithful recreation of the anime's world enhance this feeling.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): Players find amusement in the funny scenes and enjoyable voice acting. The entertaining interactions and humorous elements within the game contribute to this positive emotion.}