It’s particularly strange because most of the DualShock’s face buttons go unused here. I found myself locked in a clumsy juggling act in later fights as I tried to quickly swap weapons on the fly and activate a charged ability before an enemy could hit me, all while still dodging around as Quill. To equip a weapon, players open up a radial menu as the Reader and drag it over to Quill. The only problem with the new system is its implementation. The sequel still lacks in enemy variety, but the slow drip of new tools keeps fights from getting repetitive. Those special skills add more variety to battles, fixing the first game’s biggest flaw. The sword’s special power allows Quill to quickly zip forward, while the hammer readies a phantom copy of itself that the Reader can detonate at any time. In addition to those new tools, each weapon has a special power that’s activated by holding the attack button and touching Quill as the Reader. Polyarc has added more weapons to the game, including a boomerang-like chakram and a slow, but powerful hammer. Quill’s toolset was extremely limited in the original Moss, with battles largely revolving around simple sword slashes against the same handful of enemies. On the mouse side, the most notable difference comes in the form of combat. The slow drip of new tools keeps fights from getting repetitive. Both of those characters have more abilities this time around, deepening the interplay between them.

Players are simultaneously controlling another character in first-person: The God-like Reader who can move large objects and heal Quill from afar. Players once again control Quill, an adorable white mouse who adventures through diorama-like worlds. Moss: Book 2 picks up right where its predecessor left off. The experience isn’t much longer than the original, but the added variety makes a four-year-old game feel brand new again. New combat options, abilities, and tactile interactions elevate Moss: Book 2 above a VR proof of concept.

The original looked to bring adventure game fundamentals to VR, but the sequel feels more akin to more modern games like Ori and the Will of the Wisps.

While it looks and feels identical to its predecessor at first glance, the latest chapter steadily peppers in new ideas that help the series reach its potential. Developer Polyarc has risen to that challenge with its sequel, available now on PS VR.

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