Spring-Loaded Antics: Stilt on PSVR2 Review
- XPN Network
- 2 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Stilt is a VR game, inspired by classic platformers. After a giant octopus living atop a volcano decided it took a liking to your fuzzball style body and your intergalactic delivery craft is snatched away, you don spring-loaded stilts to bounce across playful, toy-like worlds in search of the missing gift packages. The plot serves mainly as a fun backdrop, giving structure to each stage without slowing down the action.
I hadn’t strapped on my PSVR2 in months, so firing up Stilt felt like dusting off an old guitar and promptly forgetting how to play. Cinching the headset around my head, I wiggled into position and braced for impact. The pastel platforms looked as inviting as ever, but my first few bounces had me flailing more than flying. Controllers slipped, I overshot jumps, and every stumble reminded me how much I’d missed VR’s disorienting charm.
Once I got past the awkward warm-up, Stilt’s simple thrill clicked. There’s no sweeping story dragging you along. Its just you, your springy stilts, and a series of precision hops that demand focus. Every perfectly timed leap felt like a small victory, even if it meant dozens of retries. For someone who only boots up the PSVR2 now and then, those moments of sweet, weightless triumph are exactly why I’ll be back for more.
Stilt offers a compact yet engaging VR experience, with ten distinct worlds that each house five collectibles. Three gifts hide behind environmental puzzles or enemy gauntlets, while two demand razor-sharp timing to collect collectible stamps. You can bounce through the main objectives in three to five hours, while those hunting every hidden gift and perfect-speed stamp may rack up closer to eight or nine hours.
Stilt swaps traditional walking for a rhythmic hopping system. Lifting and angling your PSVR2 controllers directly influences jump height and direction, so your real-world arm movements sync with in-game stilts. At first, mastering this full-body engagement can feel a bit awkward, but once you find the groove, it becomes one of the most rewarding locomotion styles in VR.
On PSVR2, Stilt excels in smooth performance and intuitive controls. The game consistently hits 120 fps without reprojection, and the headset’s enhanced tracking maps your arm motions to spring-loaded stilts with pinpoint accuracy. Haptic feedback through the Sense controllers adds a satisfying thud to each landing, while comfort options like adjustable vignette and snap turning will help newcomers manage motion without compromising the thrill of bouncing.
Stilt can feel punishing at first if you’re not ready for its spring-loaded precision. Nailing the right hop angle takes practice, and early stages can frustrate with one wrong bounce sending you back to the start. Visually, the worlds look charming, but the pastel platforms and recurring obstacle layouts start to blur together after a few hours. Every so often you’ll also catch a tracking hiccup with your controllers drifting out of view or the haptics misfiring on a landing, which can snap you out of the flow at the worst moment.
Beyond the gameplay quirks, the game’s bare-bones story and sparse hub interactions leave you wanting more context for all that bouncing. If you’re hoping to jump into public lobbies, be warned: they’re often empty unless you round up friends ahead of time, and there’s little in the way of leaderboards or new events to keep races feeling fresh. Finally, even with comfort settings enabled, the constant camera shake and intensity of longer sessions can be rough on VR newbies or anyone prone to motion discomfort.
Pros
Innovative locomotion that maps real arm movements to in-game hops
Consistent 120 fps performance on PSVR2
Charming low-poly visuals and vibrant colour palette
Addictive collectible and speed-running challenges
Cons
Steep learning curve for mastering precise jumps
Potential for VR fatigue during longer play sessions
Level themes can feel repetitive over time
Limited musical variety in later stages
Story primarily exists to frame the gameplay
For someone who doesn’t play a ton of VR titles, Stilt hits the sweet spot between novelty and accessibility. You don’t need a mastery of VR locomotion tricks to have fun, its basic bouncing is intuitive enough that you’re off and hopping within minutes. Comfort features let you dial down motion blur or add snap-turning to avoid discomfort, so you can focus on the joy of spring-powered exploration without feeling overwhelmed.
Even if your headset mostly collects dust, this game makes a compelling case to dust it off. The clear objectives and short level count respect your time, while the rhythmic challenge keeps you coming back for “just one more bounce.” Stilt is proof that VR doesn’t have to be a big commitment to be memorable. It’s a bite-sized adventure you won’t want to put down.
XPN Rating: 3 out of 5 (SILVER)
Stilt Is AVAILABLE NOW
I played the game on PS5. A copy of the game was provided for this review. A huge thank you for that!
If you liked this review, why not take a look at my review for Star Wars: Episode 1 Jedi Power Battles HERE.
