Trover Saves the Universe (PSVR) Review

The humor found in the works of Justin Roiland and his team is not for everyone. That aside, Trover Saves the Universe is not only a masterpiece of his craft but also my favorite VR game to date.

Developed by an incredible team at Squanch Games, Trover Saves the Universe follows the pursuit of an evil being named Glorkon that has stolen two small dogs and put them into his eye holes, granting him near omnipotent powers for some reason. . .  Look, just throw most logic out the window and strap in for a weird, weird adventure.

The owner of the dogs, a yellow being that sticks to a floating chair is suddenly confronted by Trover, a purple eye-hole monster with two wide-eyed baby things shoved into his eye sockets, who convinces the player to strike out and get the dogs back before Glorkon destroys the universe. Controller in hand, the two set out for a cosmic journey through strange and wonderful worlds.

This game takes what was successfully established in two other PSVR masterpieces, Moss and ASTRO Bot Rescue Mission, and refines that style of presentation and those mechanics to make something really special. The player hovers over the level while controlling a character in a traditional sense with the DualShock 4 controller. Trover is able to jump, roll, and swing his laser sword while the player can shift vertically, move objects, and throw things around.

These abilities are steadily unlocked throughout each world, creating an ever-increasing complexity to the gameplay. Even though it does get more challenging over time, there isn’t really anything too hard to beat. I was able to get through the entire game and get 100% of the collectibles over a weekend.

Honestly, it seems that most of the truly amazing VR games clock in at about ten hours or so. Trover Saves the Universe fits into that but it is one of the memorable adventures I have played and is one that I will forever recommend to most VR players.

There wasn’t much motion sickness either, as the player is stationary aside from teleporting to pre-determined nodes and rotating. While this may seem limiting, the levels are incredibly well-crafted and still feel like a sprawling adventure. Moving quickly can feel jarring but the game’s pace rarely calls for that type of speed. To note, I can typically play PSVR games for a few hours before needing to take a break. Really only Robinson: The Journey has given me extreme motion sickness and that was right before coming down with something.

For those that enjoy collecting things, there are little green power babies, which are the little critters jammed into Trover’s eyes, scattered throughout each level. These aliens are something that Trover holds dear and he asks the player to save them all to protect them from going extinct. Trover also promises a big reward for getting them all, and having done this myself, it was definitely worth putting in some extra time to find them.

They also just happen to get Trover really, really high when he puts them in his sockets.

Again, the easiest comparison to make here is to ASTRO Bot but there are elements that remind me of Legend of Zelda, Secret of Monkey Island, and the Double Fine games like Brutal Legend or Psychonauts. Players direct Trover through fantastic planets, make decisions, interact with a hilarious gallery of characters, and battle various types of Glorkon clones that constantly curse at the team.

Speaking of cursing, Trover Saves the Universe fits that Ricky and Morty delivery, stuffed full with the types of jokes we come to expect. The whole adventure was constantly laugh-inducing. However, there are some that may find this game offensive. Although, those are the types of players that probably wouldn’t even consider picking this one up. There is a censored version available at the start of the adventure, for those that would rather hear beeps than F-bombs.

Combat is pretty straightforward with simple hack-and-slash elements. Once the heavy launch attack is unlocked there is a bit of juggling that can be done but for the most part, it’s all about prioritizing which monsters to take out first. I really enjoyed smacking these Glorkon clones around though as they purposefully do their best to irritate Trover and the player. Patient players can also catch extra conversations by holding back a bit before jumping into a fight.

Actually, pretty much every interaction has additional dialogue for those that wait around to hear it. There are even some actions that will interrupt characters and once that resolves they go back into talk. This is done seamlessly and I can’t imagine the amount of voice acting involved. I found myself just watching characters interact and I’m glad I did. There is even a bit of a pacifist/genocide run available and seeing the ways things pan out differently is a fun way to replay the game.

While I was gathering up loose ends after finishing the game, I did notice that Trover Saves the Universe has incredible performance and load times. I only noticed occasional texture pop-in and only soft-locked the game once while trying to speedrun through an area I had already played. Aside from that, there is some mastery of the PSVR platform at display.

Visually, there are breathtaking worlds to explore, each with their own color scheme and themes. I was reminded of my days playing the Ratchet and Clank series, another funny space romp. It was interesting to see the Rick-esque Boss tout about the next travel location, only to see just how literal he was being.

Coupled with the excellent level design is some really fitting music. It’s a mixture of 80s synth and explorative melodies that just really ties the whole thing together. There are many tracks that I think would work well for studying and I’ll be humming many of these tunes to myself over the next week or more. I recommend playing with a headset or a good set of earbuds. I opted for some in-ear monitors designed for drummers (it’s the only instrument I’m confident on) which really pulled me into these absurd, dangerous, and beautiful worlds.

Anyone without a PSVR headset can also enjoy this game but it’s not the ideal way to play. Sitting with the headset and looking around feels really immersive and just makes immediate sense. Having to control the camera and move Trover is doable with just a DualShock 4 but it can be pretty cumbersome. Any hardcore Roiland fan should look into playing this however they can though.

Truthfully, this is Roiland’s signature style at its best. The humor is great and the characters are all unique designs that will stick with players long after the headset is removed. There’s also a funny and satisfying conclusion that is a playable credits sequence and a final level to snag those sneaky power babies.

This is this generation’s Conker’s Bad Fur Day, a crass, self-aware journey that will have anyone who plays it wanting more.

Thankfully there are in-game jokes that jab at a sequel and even a PlayStation trophy pointing to it. We were also told that there will be free DLC, which will likely put us in the role of a returning character or two. This was also confirmed at the game’s title screen.

There’s not a whole lot more I want to go into about Trover Saves the Universe. This is the type of game I just want to urge people to pick up without spoiling too much. I cannot stress enough that this is my new favorite PSVR title and so far it’s the best execution of VR as a way to play games that I have experienced.

Go pick up Trover Saves the Universe! It’s just fucking good.

Trover Saves the Universe is available on PSVR, PS4, and HTC Vive or Oculus Rift through Steam and the Epic Store. A digital copy was provided for the purpose of review. More information can be found on the official website. Images captured with share functionality of the PS4. Featured image credit to Squanch Games.

For another recent and amazing release, check out our review of A Plague Tale: Innocence.