Genotype is probably one of the best single-player games you can play on Quest 3
The frozen wastes of Antarctica provide the atmospheric setting for Genotype, a sci-fi adventure game developed by Bolverk Games. As research station intern Evely, you find yourself stranded after a blizzard, seeking refuge within the mysterious research facility that awaits exploration beneath the ice and snow. With only a disembodied voice named William to guide her way, Evely utilizes a pair of unique GRAID gloves to bio-print genetically engineered creatures as weapons and tools to traverse the facility's depths.
Genotype shows promise with its innovative approach to weaponry. Rather than conventional firearms, the GRAID gloves allows you to summon a variety of creature constructs with the pull of a ripcord attached to your wrist. From a starter worm like crab "weapon" that allows you to grab or punch stuff, to more powerful insectoid options like a pistol or a flamethrower variant. Each creature bio-printed also brings unique abilities or alternate fire mode like the pistol can also shoot "EMP" like grenades or the flamethrower can suck enemies closer so you can burn them. Plus there's also an entire upgrade system, which I quite like, where you can modify these guns even further and open up some nice variety when it comes to combat.
Shooting feels great too with nice haptic feedback on the controller and great sound design. Though imaginatively designed, enemies stick predictably to patterned attack routines that can be easily dodged with basic strafing maneuvers. But on some later encounters, having a couple of health syringes in your inventory ready to pop them inside of your glove is more than advised. There are also a couple of interesting boss fights too, with also tons of smaller enemies to deal with at the same time. I really liked the combat in Genotype and I believe that is something new or it has been completely reworked in the latest major update for the title, so if you played this game prior to this "Huge Combat" update, you might want to get back and experience it.
The exploration of the Antarctic research base feels slow, but there's a cool sense of progression as you uncover minor environmental story details in audio or text notes scattered through the base that give you insights on what the people working on this base went through or what even felt like. Plus you will find tons of hidden ammo clips, upgrade materials, unique skins for your gloves (love the Halo-inspired "Spartan" one btw) so you are more than incetivized to backtrack and explore every nook and cranny of this massive base especially after you get new abilities that unlock previous locked parts in a really metroidvania-lite fashion.
I also really liked the dialogue between your character and the only other living human in the base William, there's some really cool exchanges there and helps a lot that the voice acting is really well done too. There are also some funny moments where after a crazy encounter William will say something like "Are you sure you are just a researcher?". Look, I'm going to say it, I am a sucker for good conspiracy theories and you know, "a secret research base in Antarctica overrun by alien creatures" fits that bill extremely well so yeah, I really enjoyed Genotype's premise.
Genotype is also the best looking game I've played on my Quest 3 so far. It's visually stunning, textures look amazing, each section of this massive base has its own unique look, the atmosphere is eerie, creepy as you totally feel alone roaming through this massive base. Plus the real-time lighting is absolutely gorgeous as that is something you usually don't see in standalone VR Quest games. One problem that I had with the game, which was totally fixed in an update that the devs released yesterday, was that the ending was bugged, I couldn't finish the game as a terminal wouldn't work. But as I said, that has been fixed now.
I really enjoyed my time with Genotype. The game has been out for quite some time now and while I don't know how good or bad it was prior to these last few massive updates, I know that today, Genotype is probably one of the best single-player games you can play on Quest 3. I strongly recommend this game. Thanks for reading!
The game was reviewed on a Quest 3 using a review copy provided by the developer. Genotype is available now on Meta Quest and PCVR.
