System: Valve Index, HTC Vive & Oculus Rift
Price at Time Of Review: £6.19
Comfort Rating: Green (No Movement)
Genre: Strategy
Input: Tracked Motion Controllers, Gamepad, Keyboard & Mouse
Best Playing Position: Sitting
Multi-Player: No
Age Rating: 15+
Description: Magician’s Gambit is a virtual reality makeover of Chess, a game that has captivated players for centuries. Experience one of the world’s favorite games of strategy in a beautifully rendered fantasy world where magic is the norm, wielded with just a flick of the wrist. You won’t find any stylised icon interfaces here – this is the way chess against an AI is meant to be played. Even though it is still in Early Access, this is an exquisitely polished single player game. A full release is planned for the inclusion of multi-player gaming. Featuring numerous levels of difficulty, this game will pose a challenge for players of all abilities, from beginners to grandmasters. With graphics rendered in Unreal Engine 4 and AI powered by the Stockfish Chess Engine, Magician’s Gambit provides plenty of eye candy for casual gamers whilst still providing a real challenge for serious chess players.
Review: There is no doubt in my mind that Magician’s Gambit is probably the best-looking chess game in VR. With its dark, fantasy cavern style its like you are in middle earth playing a game of chess in a bar. Now, if this was part of a much better game it would have been something very special indeed, but it isn’t. All it is is a game of chess against some sort of evil dwarf and you can both use magic to control the pieces on the board. There are many other chess games in VR that are much, much better for free that also have a load of options. This costs £6.19 and you get none. But at least what you do get looks amazing so if you like the look of it maybe try and get it on the cheap. Definitely one for people who love deeply love both chess and D&D.
