Unless significant improvements are made during the Early Access period, Bearly Escape remains a collection of underdeveloped ideas that never coalesce into a satisfying whole
In Bearly Escape, you embark on a quest to rescue your beloved dog Robin, who has mysteriously vanished. Your search leads you to discover a sinister plot by Dr. Kidd, a mad scientist who's been kidnapping local animals and transforming them into stuffed toys. Armed with the help of an escaped teddy bear, you set out to free the captured creatures and reunite with your furry friend.
What makes Bearly Escape unique is its peculiar structure that combines three distinct gameplay styles. Unfortunately, this ambitious approach results in a disjointed experience that never quite comes together.
The game's core platforming sections put you in control of a teddy bear from a third-person perspective. These segments feel reminiscent of classic platformers, having you navigate through linear environments, jump between platforms, and rescue caged animals. While the basic mechanics work, the platforming lacks challenge or innovation. Movement feels sluggish, and the obstacles present little difficulty. These sections are brief and straightforward, making them feel more like an afterthought than a central gameplay pillar.
Between platforming segments, you'll encounter first-person puzzle sections that require solving simple challenges to progress. These puzzles typically involve sliding blocks, completing jigsaw puzzles, or manipulating basic mechanisms. While functional, they feel completely disconnected from the main narrative and platforming elements. The puzzles lack creativity and don't take advantage of VR's unique capabilities - instead of physically manipulating objects, you merely tap them to trigger automated animations.
The third gameplay component involves operating a claw machine to rescue stuffed animals, and surprisingly, this ends up being the most polished part of the experience. The claw machine mechanics are solid, requiring precise positioning and timing to successfully grab the stuffed animals. The game forces you to repeatedly capture the same animals to unlock tools needed for the platforming sections, such as hammers to break cages or boomerangs to cut ropes. This creates an artificial grind that feels designed to pad out the playtime rather than provide meaningful gameplay.
The game's structure becomes its biggest weakness. Instead of finding ways to meaningfully connect its different elements, Bearly Escape feels like three separate mini-games awkwardly stitched together. The platforming sections lack depth, the puzzles feel arbitrary, and the claw machine segments, while competent, become repetitive busy work.
The core concept - rescuing transformed animals from an evil scientist - has potential, but the execution falls flat. Rather than creating an engaging adventure that naturally flows between different gameplay styles, Bearly Escape delivers a disjointed experience that fails to make its various elements work together in a meaningful way.
Visually, Bearly Escape adopts a bright, child-friendly aesthetic. The stuffed animals are adorably designed, and the environments feature a pleasant, storybook-like quality. The visual presentation clearly targets a younger audience, which makes the tedious gameplay loop even more puzzling.
While younger players might find some enjoyment in the cute characters and simple gameplay, the repetitive nature of the claw machine sections and the overall lack of challenge make it difficult to recommend, even for its intended audience. The game desperately needs tighter integration between its different components, more engaging platforming challenges, creative puzzle design that actually utilizes VR's possibilities, and a reduction in the repetitive grind of the claw machine segments.
Sure, the foundations are kinda there, but substantial work is needed to transform Bearly Escape into the charming family adventure it aspires to be. Unless significant improvements are made during the Early Access period, Bearly Escape remains a collection of underdeveloped ideas that never coalesce into a satisfying whole. As it is now, I do not recommend this game. Thanks for reading!
The game was reviewed on a Quest 3 via a promo copy provided by the developer. Bearly Escape is available on Meta Quest and PCVR.
