Despite its flaws, Vestiges: Fallen Tribes offers an undeniable charm to watching your assembled army clash with enemy forces in VR
In a world where water has become the most precious resource, three tribes wage war through a mysterious game called Vestiges. This premise sets up a VR strategy game that, while ambitious in its presentation and systems, struggles to fully deliver on its strategic promise.
The game opens with a stunning Blur Studio's level CGI cutscene, introducing us to a Dune-inspired universe where different tribes battle for control of scarce water resources. The worldbuilding draws heavily from both ancient civilizations and sci-fi elements, with each of the three tribes - the Illustrans, Adrarii, and Amonsets - having their own distinct visual identity and specialized units.
The core gameplay revolves around card-based strategic battles where you place units on a desert battlefield. Each turn, you're dealt a random hand of cards representing different unit types, from basic infantry to specialized units like snipers, archers, and siege weapons. Each unit costs command points to deploy, forcing you to make careful choices about your force composition.
This is where the game's main issue, in my opinion, becomes apparent. The random nature of the card draws often feels at odds with strategic planning. You might successfully counter an enemy formation in one turn, only to find yourself with a completely unsuitable hand of cards in the next when the enemy places their next hand of units. This can lead to frustrating situations where victory feels more dependent on lucky draws than tactical acumen.
The disconnect becomes particularly evident when enemies suddenly mass their forces on an undefended flank, and you lack the appropriate cards to respond. While this might be intended to create tension and force adaptability, it often feels more like the game is working against your ability to form coherent strategies. And that, to me, is just weird. Like, what's the point of even having a strategy if the game is going to throw a wrench in your plans at every turn?
That said, when the systems align, there's undeniable satisfaction in watching your carefully positioned forces engage in combat. The battles play out automatically once units are placed, and the variety of unit types creates interesting tactical possibilities. Seeing your snipers pick off enemies from afar while your heavy infantry holds the line, or watching special units teleport behind enemy lines for devastating surprise attacks, can be genuinely thrilling.
Each tribe brings its own flavor to the battlefield. The Illustrans offer straightforward but effective military units, the Adrarii specialize in control and stealth, while the Amonsets focus on overwhelming numbers and resurrection mechanics. The crown jewel of each faction is their god-like avatar unit - massive creatures like a dog or a crocodile that can turn the tide of battle when deployed at the right moment.
The presentation deserves special mention. The battlefields, while limited in number, are beautifully rendered with a mix of ancient architecture and sci-fi elements. The cards themselves feature stunning 3D holographic effects that really pop in VR, making each new unit feel special when you first acquire it. Having said that, the way you move around and position yourself by grabbing the air feels kinda awkward and unnatural, and I would have really preffered a smooth locomotion option and be able to move the whole table/battlefield up and down.
The game offers both a single-player campaign and multiplayer modes. The campaign provides a series of missions with varying objectives, though the strategic limitations mentioned earlier become more apparent as the difficulty increases. Each mission has also a couple of challenges like "Use max 2 units" or "Don't use specific units" that you can complete to unlock additional rewards. The multiplayer mode, on the other hand, takes an interesting approach, that kinda undermines the whole strategy aspect by having both players place their units simultaneously. This turns matches more into exercises in prediction and chance rather than strategic planning.
There's also a progression system that resembles a battle pass, allowing you to unlock new units, cosmetic options for your player card, and other customization options. This provides a decent incentive to keep playing, especially if you're interested in building specialized decks for multiplayer.
While Vestiges: Fallen Tribes showcases impressive production values and some interesting ideas, its core gameplay loop feels somewhat compromised by the random nature of its card system. So if you are looking for deep strategic gameplay, you might find yourself frustrated by the lack of consistent tactical options. The game clearly has potential, and fans of auto-battlers or those intrigued by the premise might find enough here to justify a purchase. However, strategy purists should approach with caution, as the game's systems often feel more oriented toward creating dramatic moments than enabling careful tactical planning.
Despite its flaws, there's an undeniable charm to watching your carefully (or often randomly) assembled army clash with enemy forces in VR. Whether that's enough to keep you engaged long-term will largely depend on your tolerance for the game's particular blend of strategy and chance. If anything I mentioned sounds interesting to you, then you should definitely give it a try. Thanks for reading!
The game was reviewed on a Quest 3 via a promo copy provided by the developer. Vestiges: Fallen Tribes is available on Meta Quest and PCVR.
