‘The Under Presents’ Conjures Magic in Virtual Reality (The NoPro Review)
Tender Claws launches a strange, expansive world for the Oculus Quest
I’ve always been a fan of Tender Claws’ work. The studio has made history in the AR/VR space for half a decade with pieces like Virtual Virtual Reality and TendAR, as Samantha Gorman and Danny Cannizzaro’s team continually push innovative projects onto the heads (and the hands) of both newcomers and veterans to immersive tech.
The Under Presents for Oculus Quest is no different; the methods by which participants navigate, interact, and explore this virtual world will become milestones in the design of virtual reality experiences. And yet, while The Under Presents contains a litany of new mechanics for us to fawn over, they might not be able to hide the moments that are a bit rough around the edges. Let’s dive in.
No spoilers here, folks.
Disclaimer I: This review is based on pre-release preview code and access to test servers provided by Tender Claws.
Disclaimer II: NoPro publisher Noah Nelson worked as a paid consultant on the casting process for The Under Presents. He recused himself from editing the substance of Will’s review. (He did, however, contribute to the layout.)
The Under Presents is divided in two parts. One is the main story, one that hopefully answers the questions as to how and why this mysterious venue exists. The answers revolve around a story microcosm around a research vessel named The Aickman and its passengers; they are held in a tragedy you begin to unravel on your own.
The latter part is the Under itself: the hub world. This space is a venue for ten-or-so pre-recorded rotating acts and for players to meet each other. But this area is special. In it, you can experience an unscripted and intimate moment or two with a character from The Under. It could even be a character from The Aickman. I’ll focus on this part first.
The first time I went Quest-ing (as I call it) to the Under, I found myself far off from the hub that I expected. Led through eerie ocean floors, through windows to parallel worlds, and into time puzzles, I was enraptured by an introduction from the character of the MC and the mystery of a distant plane. Tender Claws has always done this sort of thing well (as demonstrated in their previous piece Virtual Virtual Reality). I’m in awe of the subtle use of direction to guide the player into the world. That said, this piece will not hold your hand and there are no written instructions.
The onboarding also has a nice payoff — when I realized what the trick of the puzzle was and the time limit became a tool for me to use rather than a cause for anxiety. (When you get to a puzzle with numerous doors, you’ll know what I’m talking about.) This puzzle really taught me how to interact with others in the space, and realize how I carry myself in VR. For some, The Under Presents may seem to take a couple pages from the design of Journey or Sky. These game mechanics become crucial for the hub world.
And after you understand how to move, interact, and begin the story of The Aickman, you’re dropped in the Under and taught your first “spell.” I won’t spell it out for you what that is (a-pun-ogies), but you learn at this point that you have the ability to cast various magic in this world. The kinds of, and at what scale, I still cannot tell for certain — I have no idea how deep the rabbit hole goes in the Under.
Now with a “spell” under your belt and new acts appearing on stage, you can get a glimpse at the Under’s end game. And honestly, it’s hilarious, it’s meaningful, and it’s unlike anything else you’d find in a VR headset right now. My first time in the crowd, I was met with another player who mimicked my movement to an alt indie music act (sung by Erin Markey) called “Wet Food.” It was delightful. Without knowing who might be in another headset, somewhere else across the country, I was more open to dancing. I didn’t have a fear of being judged. It was liberating.
But then we got to experience the real wonder of the Under. As the act came to a close, a new performer joined the crowd. Named Spade, he took the stage and began a round of office-themed Jazzercise. One of the cat backup dancers from “Wet Food” soon intervened and an odd collaborative improv act unfolded in front us. It was awkward enough to have me laugh through my headset constantly… but you bet your ass I did some great Jazzercise.
Spade departed and the cat dancer joined the crowd and approached me. Now, I was interacting with a live performer through virtual reality. Conversation may have been a bit one-sided (players cannot speak; they communicate using finger snaps and other broad gestures) but she asked if I would like to see a space she cherishes. Within seconds, I was teleported to a walled garden, where the cat performer shared her dreams and motivations to perform at the Under, and had me make a wish with her.
I’m an immersive theatre nerd, and in the theatre world, moments like these are known as the often-coveted “one-on-ones.” They’re intimate vignettes with characters where you truly feel like you connect with them, even just by listening. The one-on-one is a powerful tool but impossible to achieve (currently) with traditional video game AI and branching dialogue. This mechanic is where The Under Presents shines brightest.
While these moments are great (the live actors are a limited time engagement for the next four months), players should explore the rest of the game’s story that surrounds the Aickman. Tender Claws’ partnership with Piehole spins a magical realism story told in three acts around the fated crew. There’s an author, a scientist, a captain, and, even a dolphin. Everyone’s story goes awry when an odd man named Weil is pulled aboard. From there it descends into weirdness spattered with human moments of connection.
The acts are bookmarks for your journey as you uncover the story from the viewpoints of every crew member on the Aickman and the possible fates that befall them. At your disposal is the ability to control time and unravel distortions in the characters’ stories by snapping. Once these distortions are put back together, you can hear the interactions between characters that lead into the next act.
While I like the idea of figuring out the mystery in a large, continuous play (akin to a looping immersive theatre play or TequilaWorks’ The Invisible Hours), but a few beats do miss their mark here. I immediately predicted that this part of the experience was similar to Return of the Obra Dinn, where my mission was laid out to “solve the mystery” and this would be rewarded when I got it right. Instead, I was given a goal to find a character in Act 3, which I had to traverse the story to find. By the time I got there, I had forgotten what I originally was supposed to do.
The Under Presents gives players a large amount of agency and power in the beginning of the game, then removes it, having us watch without a clue who to follow and why to follow them. I wandered aimlessly through Act One trying to find the main thread. There wasn’t one.
Truth be told, I pressed on for the sake of this review. So I was surprised that by the end of Act Two everything shifted. I suddenly “got” it. The stakes were raised. My ability to interact and change the world’s outcomes suddenly became clear, and I had a new drive to continue. Only by Act Three did I realize that I had just begun my trek into the enigma of the Aickman and the types of puzzles I had enjoyed previously began to reappear as labyrinths. Just when I thought I had solved the main problem tasked of me at the outset of this adventure, I realized I had just found the tip of the iceberg (trust me, this pun will make sense later).
However, there are a few issues I faced in The Under Presents that I wish could have seen more love. For one, The Under Presents has a massive amount of dialogue, and while it’s well acted, there’s no sound mixing. Characters all sound “normal” and sometimes close-to-microphone. Often, dialogue would repeat or miss the motion capture cues, making the entirety of a scene seem pantomimic. I get it, there’s a lot of acting in this piece. I’m very understanding of removing facial animation; the choice actually helped me steer clear of the uncanny valley effect. But when dialogue in a windstorm doesn’t match up, I’m taken out of the experience.
There were also moments when I couldn’t tell whether the dialogue was simply missing or characters were making a choice not to speak. There’s were a ton of silent moments between characters on the ship, moments when I assumed I should be hearing something or understanding what a character is looking for. Sometimes, it felt like the game was providing unusual idle animations but with no narrative substance.
But that’s not to say I didn’t like The Under Presents — I am an immersive theatre fan after all. This kind of title isn’t meant for the average VR gamer. It’s meant for those who like to solve puzzles themselves and uncover the rules of the world without direction. Participants who like to be active in their stories and not rely on cutscenes or handholding. Players who enjoy experiences like Firewatch, The Witness, or Return of the Obra Dinn will find a lot of joy in this title.
Overall, I commend Tender Claws on exploring new mechanics, and making a world so well built that no matter how deep we traverse, we never see the bottom. While the experience suffers from technical issues at times and the overall narrative can be a bit slow to unravel, The Under Presents holds a mystery — one that can be gripping, transformative, and personal. Beyond the core story, the endless permutations of possible human connection will be this title’s masterwork.
As I was playing the game, I found myself using my Quest for several hours (enough to charge it thrice over), as I unveiled more and more of these characters or explored the ocean bottom. At the time of this writing, I’ve only uncovered a fragment of world within The Under Presents. And that’s a powerful thing. I plan continue my journey there until I can discover, perhaps even prevent, the fate of the souls trapped in time.
And when I return, I hope to see you on the stage.
The Under Presents is available starting today on the Oculus Quest store for $19.99. Live performances will run November 19, 2019 — March 29, 2020.
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