Detached Critic Reviews

Fortunately, not even the rough patches could shake the shine off of the gift that Detached had given me. The likelihood that I will ever board a spaceship in real life decreases with each passing day as the responsibilities of adulthood tether me to the ground, but at least now I can load up Detached, put on my helmet, and dream my dreams again.

Detached is a great spacewalking simulator, with gameplay that has obviously been built up around that mechanic. While some of the more gamey elements might not be up to snuff, you can’t argue with the feeling you get when you leave a ship and are floating freely in space. Expect to be mildly frustrated with the lack of direction and irritating checkpoints. But also expect to be awestruck by the superb visuals and setting. Detached is a mixed bag, but the spacewalks alone are worth the price of admission.

Some truly stunning setpieces and the opportunity to float through space to a haunting cosmic score make for a grand ol’ time. The game’s steep price to content ratio might scare off some, but that’s not exactly a new thing in the VR realm, and ultimately the price of entry still feels worth it.

Detached is a game far from perfection. But thanks to the soundtrack and its atmosphere, it will fascinate lovers of science fiction.

Detached is the sort of game where you'll enjoy your short time with it if you aren't easily susceptible to motion sickness. The atmosphere is absolutely gorgeous, giving you a good sense of the beauty and loneliness of space. The puzzles aren't bad, but the lack of direction about where to go can be an annoyance when you have a constantly depleting oxygen meter to worry about and a finite amount of fuel. It may not be a VR showcase title for everyone, but those who can stomach it will enjoy their time.

Iterations of Detached have been floating around on other virtual reality platforms since 2016. This clarifies its position as groundwork instead of structure. It was a step that needed to be taken in search of higher ground. Virtual reality’s second and third generation of software, with games like Moss and Tetris Effect, are better aware of the platform’s strengths and limitations. Detached can impress newcomers right away. More practiced enthusiasts will quickly look in other directions.

For all its cool factor and pitch perfect virtual reality immersion, the lack of any substantial and compelling gameplay for most of the game make Detached hard to recommend at its full price. Wait for a sale.

Detached is a pretty decent VR game, but the game is too short and you get lost most of the time.

It remains, after all, a pleasant and quite immersive space adventure, but the scepter of best VR title set in space still remains firmly in the hands of Lone Echo.

It is ironic that a game with a truly unique game playing mechanic was deposited into such a generic game, and called Detached. That’s what the end result feels like.