Shave & Stuff's engaging gameplay, intuitive controls, charming artstyle, and somewhat high replay value kinda make it a great addition to the Quest 3's library
Shave & Stuff on the Quest 3 offers a refreshingly unique and immersive VR experience. The gameplay centers around, as you might have guessed it, shaving & stuff. You must cater to the grooming needs of various quirky characters, trim, cut, shave and dye their hair and beards and some other stuff. The core loop is both engaging and satisfying, blending time management with precision-based tasks. The game does a great job of gradually increasing difficulty, ensuring that you are consistently challenged as they progress through the levels. Each customer presents a unique set of requirements, keeping the gameplay varied and preventing it from becoming repetitive.
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You can pick up tools, make precise shaving motions, and interact with various objects around your tiny shop. The tactile feedback when using different tools enhances the immersion, making every shave, trim, and style feel realistic. The learning curve for the controls is minimal, allowing players of all skill levels to jump in and enjoy the game without frustration.
The artstyle of Shave & Stuff is charming and vibrant, with a whimsical, cartoon-like aesthetic that perfectly suits the lighthearted nature of the game. The character designs are diverse contributing to the overall appeal and humor of the experience. The environments are fairly simple and more unlocked as you progress. The visual style is complemented by smooth animations and playful sound effects, creating a cohesive and enjoyable atmosphere.
The performance is really smooth and interacting with the hair physics is quite fun I must add. I did however encounter a bug multiple time where my camera would "lock" and turn left or right like crazy, but just flicking the right analog once fixed it. It's annoying when it does happen and hopefylly the devs can address it in a future patch. Speaking of a future updates, currently you can't really play the game comfortably while sitting as there's no real "Sitting Mode" available and I would love to see that added too.
Shave & Stuff offers substantial replay value, thanks to its combination of procedural generation and unlockable content. Each playthrough feels fresh due to the random assortment of customer needs. Each customer comes with a desired look and you have to closely match it as best as possible. It's a very stress free loop as there are no real penalties for screwing up a style as you have some "magical" sprays that regrow hair in a matter of seconds. Different trimmers, razors and whatnot are available for you to use to achieve that perfect style. Additionally spray cans allow you to dye hair and beards to whatever color the customer asks for. As you progress through the game, you also unlock tattos, where apart from matching the hair & beard styles, you also have to ink the correct tattoo, earings and sunglasses.
As I said, it's a really chill experience and while I think that's enough, I would love to see a mode that offers a bigger challenge. Maybe something like a Time Attack mode where customers just fly in and you need to shave & stuff as quickly as you can. I believe a mode like this would make for some frantic fun sessions.
Overall, Shave & Stuff on Quest 3 is a simple, yet quite delightful and addictive VR title. Its engaging gameplay, intuitive controls, charming artstyle, and somewhat high replay value kinda make it a great addition to the Quest 3's library. Give it a try. Thanks for reading!
The game was reviewed on a Quest 3 via a promo copy provided by the developers. Shave & Stuff is available on Meta Quest.
