Sugar Mess: Let's Play Jolly Battle

PlayStation VR2 is full of creepy, scary games and it seems as though a new one is always around the corner. Sugar Mess: Let’s Play Jolly Battle is a refreshing brightly-colored arcade shooter that cleanses the palate a bit to bring you into a fun fantasy land where the name of the game is primarily blowing stuff up. Created by developer JollyCo, your job is to make it through an interactive storybook of levels found in a bedroom of a child. This hub serves as both the map of the levels, tutorial, and vending machine where you can upgrade your weapons.

The majority of Sugar Mess is to grab ammo, stuff it into your gun and shoot everything that moves. While battling a variety of colorful enemies, you can also obtain and use rocket power-ups to destroy everything on screen, and health boosts to prevent you from perishing. The first encounter is pretty much a stationary level where enemies fly frantically towards you as you shoot them, however Sugar Mess mixes up things a bit as you progress. There are levels where you ride in a roller coaster on a track and can blast baddies as you move toward the goal, as well as a few puzzle breaks in between levels as well, but nothing too challenging. Also featured are levels that are a homage to the classic rhythm game Rock Band where you need to beat drums in sync with the patterns that fly towards your screen.  Finally, there are bosses that require the player to identify their weaknesses and use your noggin to find the best way to deplete their health to completion.

Sugar Mess is not a long game by any means, and can reasonably be completed within 90 minutes, maybe less if you are really accustomed to the control scheme. It’s not a game that generates the need to replay over and over again. There are hidden gears to find in each level, and upgrades for your weapons to complete, but that’s about it. The other bummer, is that there is no platinum trophy for this game, something that I suppose could be patched in at a later date.  Despite the lack of replay value, what gameplay is present in Sugar Mess is a pretty fun time! Hopefully JollyCo will add in DLC for extra levels at a later date to provide a more robust experience. Shooting the colorful cast of characters has never been so much fun, and if you are looking for a change of pace in your VR gaming, look no further than Sugar Mess: Let’s Play Jolly Battle.