I’m a huge Taskmaster fan. The UK TV show pits five comedians (or funny-next-door celebrities) against ridiculous tasks that are then arbitrarily scored by the titular task master.
Given that tasks involve lateral thinking and physical movement on paper, TV show is ripe for a VR spin-off. Think Business simulator with added menace, banter and British whimsy. Unfortunately, Taskmaster VR doesn’t deliver the fun and charm of the show. Two points.
After being teased (and wishlisted) earlier this year, the game launched last week on Steam, Meta Quest 2 and 3, and Pro. I played the game briefly on Quest 2, the lowest-powered option, before switching to Quest 3’s sharper screens.
You’ll want to play it on a headset like the Quest 3 or better. Main Quest 2 makes things very elegant. But this is not the biggest problem. The problem is, it’s not a great VR game. Collision detection is rough, and while this isn’t the first VR title to be guilty, the fine motor control required for the game’s tasks make things painful.
For example, the first game involves you trying to make a sandwich that matches Alex’s secret sandwich request, cover it, and place it on a plinth ready for judging. But you have to do all this with a pair of spatulas. In real life, opening a refrigerator with a spatula is difficult enough; whether or not I fit that slice of bacon into my sandwich in the virtual world sometimes felt more like luck than dexterity.
In another game, I had to throw as many eggs as I could, but only into the pan. I struggled to keep the frying pan in place while building an ill-conceived ramp of pipes, boxes and wheelie bins. The in-game physics are so simple that most object surfaces behave the same. And the pan slid to the floor. Again and again. You can crouch in Taskmaster VR – when you put the pan back down – but the physics engine transfers some momentum when you press a button to stand upright again, adding a ‘bounce’ to whatever you’re holding.
Most of the games are multi-level and extensive, which I appreciated. Back to the sandwich task, you’ll need to cook some ingredients – and to do that, you’ll need to fire up the ovens. After you’ve made your sandwich, Greg, the Taskmaster, will carefully inspect the result. A slice of bread? He’ll go on a tirade about open-faced sandwiches. Wrong plate? Your account will be deleted again. Something invincible? It will make a difference.
There are also easter egg references to the show everywhere, starting with the tutorial. Look out the windows; even the bushes and garden are filled with items and references that only a Taskmaster fan would pick up. Do Americans think all Brits (I’m British) are so snotty? I hope so.
In another game, you will have to go through the entire Taskmaster estate (small house and garden) looking for dog food, but only after escaping from the garage. Tasks are reviewed, but I wish there were more. The TV show is famous for the unusual lateral thinking of the comedians and the unplanned solutions of the task producers. I haven’t seen those possibilities – at least not yet.
Why not mix the codes for the safe shown in the Watermelon Cracking task? This would be especially useful if you’re playing with other Taskmaster fans who want to try out the tasks themselves. A little random number generation will do wonders. Having said that, there is a Taskmaster VR Creative mode where you can design your own levels and tasks, which could add longevity if it finds an audience.
The banter between Taskmaster and his sidekick is accurate in tone, benefiting from the use of the voices of Greg Davies and (Little) Alex Horne, but their in-game models don’t convey the odd, awkward charm of the duo. Maybe I’m just a superfan and my expectations were too high, but there’s something about the sound quality (with lines written on the stand) that pulls you out of the illusion of being in the TV show version.
I’m not sure I’ll ever replay the whole game. Fortunately, you can choose to complete each quest independently after unlocking it, which for me is the perfect way to share the game with visiting friends.
If The team behind Taskmaster VR It might offer some new quests via DLC (how about repeating a quest from the next TV series?), which could be more of a draw. Their time begins now.
