I AM YOUR BEAST VR Review

A brutal, fast-paced action shooter that turns every encounter into an adrenaline-fuelled playground of destruction

Flat games can be tricky to translate to VR, especially if the original game relies on quick movement, precise aiming, and carefully considered encounters. Getting the mechanics to work in virtual reality is more than just letting you aim with motion controllers.

I AM YOUR BEAST VR debuted on flat screens in 2024 and quickly earned a reputation for its furious action, short levels, hard objectives, and addictive replayability. That translates well to the VR adaptation, where you can physically interact with guns, throw stuff, evade incoming attacks, and move around environments with much more freedom.

The best part is that you don’t have to have played the original to enjoy what the VR version has to offer.

If you go in knowing nothing about it, the mix of brief missions, progressively harder objectives, and insane amounts of action makes for a strong first impression. Its extra physical engagement greatly boosts the entertainment of its action. You’re not just mashing buttons to swap weapons or pull off specific moves; you’re grabbing gear, ditching guns when they’re no longer useful, kicking foes, and making snap decisions when enemy troops encircle you.

I AM YOUR BEAST VR centers on Harding, a former covert operator and retired military contractor who just wants to be left alone. But those who have dealt with him before have other thoughts. The Covert Operations Initiative wants him back for another assignment, telling him over and over that his country needs him, that he should take on one last duty.

Harding says no, and the decision soon escalates a strained relationship into full-blown hostility. Instead of recognizing his decision, the organization sends armed teams to kill him. What follows is basically a guerrilla struggle between one very deadly ex-operative and the armed forces out to get him.

The story gives a simple reason you spend so much time fighting larger and larger groups of adversaries. Harding has no intention of going back to the world he left, and the people chasing him are not about to let him go. This creates a fun setting for the game's action without demanding too much of your attention.

The game tells its story mostly through short cutscenes and conversations between missions.

These sequences are mostly dialogue-based and gradually reveal more about Harding's past and his complex connection to the organization. The talks also highlight the characters involved, with Harding’s snarky replies adding welcome humor throughout. One particularly fun aspect is that the game doesn’t take itself too seriously. The dialogue is often hilarious, despite the brutality and the increasingly ludicrous situations Harding finds himself in.

The story isn't overly complex, and readers looking for a highly developed military thriller may find it a little plain.  I AM YOUR BEASTVR's greatest strength is its gameplay. Instead of the standard first-person shooter design with long missions, exploration segments, and typical weapon progression, the game breaks into small, quick confrontations that force you to move fast and think on your feet.

The game has around 25 stages, most of which take between two and five minutes to complete. Each level starts with Harding emerging from a subterranean hatch, then entering a world full of opposing warriors. But while the goals are simple, the gaming loop is surprisingly tough. Each stage has a timer, and if you take too long, you fail. You must know where the enemies are, what weapons and environmental objects are available, and the fastest way to reach your goals.

Objectives also vary by stage, so the experience doesn't become a repetitive shooting gallery. The level structure is especially beneficial in that it promotes experimentation. You may have an encounter where you blast everything in sight, only to get a much better result by taking a different tack.

A grading system also shows how well you are doing. Finishing a stage may not mean everything after it is unlocked. You earn specific scores and grades, with goals and challenges that encourage you to revisit missions you have already done. Obstacles also force you to change how you approach an encounter, such as completing a run without killing anyone.

This development approach adds real longevity to short levels.

It motivates you to go back, beat your time, and try other techniques, rather than doing a job once and forgetting about it. You might find yourself attempting the same stage numerous times that initially looked like a breeze, yet you still end up getting an A grade. This might be annoying, especially if you need to accomplish a certain level of performance before you can proceed.

But it also creates a satisfying sense of progress. The first time can feel chaotic, but as you learn the area and get used to the equipment, your reactions get faster, and your routes get more efficient. The original experience is supposed to be about two and a half hours long if you stick to the main story. However, if you want to complete all objectives and challenges, it can take much longer, with an estimated eight to twelve hours depending on your skill level.

These numbers suggest the experience isn’t all that long, but replayability is a big part of the design. Where I AM YOUR BEAST VR really distinguishes itself from the pack of first-person shooters is in the combat. There’s plenty of room to play with different weapons and physical maneuvers, so encounters feel much more complicated than just pointing a rifle at an enemy and pulling the trigger.

You can use conventional guns such as pistols, shotguns, assault rifles, and sniper rifles. But these guns work a little differently than you might imagine. There is no conventional manual reload system. When a gun is out of ammo, it's pretty much DOA. You need to drop it and pick up another gun.

At first, this sounds limiting, but it ends up being one of the more enjoyable parts of the combat.

If your gun runs out of ammo, you can really hurl it at an oncoming attacker, possibly knocking their weapon out of their hands. Then you can take their gun and continue battling until it runs out of ammo too. This creates a fantastically chaotic battle loop, where you keep switching between weapons instead of pausing to reload. You have to stay aware of your surroundings, because running out of bullets at the wrong time can get you in trouble fast.

Headshots are crucial because enemies wear armor. Shooting the torso usually takes more ammo, but a good headshot can take them out instantly. This means accurate targeting is critical, even when several soldiers surround you and try to get away from oncoming fire in desperation.

But guns are just one facet of the battle system. You can punch and kick foes, knock them down, toss knives, and physically engage with items strewn around the environment. The fights feel far more intimate when you start by kicking opponents and then follow up with more assaults, and knives are another method to satisfyingly take them out from a distance.

The ambient interactions are just as much fun. You can set bear traps for approaching soldiers, while shooting beehives can lure in distracted enemies. You can also blow up explosive barrels to kill groups of opponents, turning everyday objects into useful combat tools. These exchanges are vital, as the game often asks you to improvise. You're not supposed to use one weapon for the entire encounter.

Instead, you use whatever you have at hand, whether it's picking up a shotgun, tossing a dagger, setting off an explosion, or kicking an enemy within range. Movement is another big part of the experience. Harding can jump, slide, climb trees, and traverse between different areas of the world. Some sections include extra movement aids, such as branches Harding automatically hangs on while jumping across them.

Outside these restricted zones, you have much more flexibility to move around. Roam freely combined with physical fighting makes the experience especially vivid. You’re always ducking, grasping, flinging, jumping, and moving around, trying to survive. It can be unexpectedly tiring, especially in long gaming sessions, but that physical involvement is part of the pleasure.

The combat feels like being dropped into an action movie and having to orchestrate every fight.

You might jump on top of an enemy, grab his dagger and hurl it at another soldier, spin around and kick someone coming up behind you, then grab a nearby shotgun and take care of the rest. This adaptability is what makes the fighting so much fun. Even if you revisit the same level, diverse weapons and contextual elements mean you can approach encounters in radically different ways.

The combat system is great, but the enemy AI isn't quite as strong. Soldiers are rather predictable in their behavior. Some run for you as soon as they have knives; others just sit in place and shoot. Sometimes enemies also seem a little perplexed, especially if you get to a higher or otherwise unreachable place. They might not even try to find another way; they will just stand there and stare at you.

This can make some interactions feel less intelligent than they are. But the limits don’t really hurt because I AM YOUR BEAST VR is all about fast-paced action rather than tactical fighting. You're rarely standing still long enough to worry much about what the enemy is thinking.

Another consideration is survival. Harding doesn't replenish health immediately, so you will need to search for medical supplies and beneficial flora scattered throughout the surroundings. These supplies can help you get through the stages quickly without taking needless harm. Also, Harding is surprisingly fragile. His movement and fighting skills are amazing, but he won’t take endless damage. If you let enemies get around you or stay in exposed positions too long, you can perish fast.

It’s a very fascinating balance between violence and survival. You are encouraged to act fast and take out foes before they can crush you, yet a rash move can easily cost you. With health management, ammo constraints, and timed objectives, every encounter seems like a race against the clock. You have to be aggressive, but not reckless, which is a lot easier said than done when you've got a bunch of guys with guns all shooting at you at the same time.

Visually, I AM YOUR BEAST VR has a unique art approach, going for a stylized look.

Almost a cel-shaded style. It may not suit everyone, especially if you prefer realistic surroundings and character models. Still, the visual presentation works surprisingly well for the experience the game aims to deliver.

The game's surroundings center on its isolated forest setting, including trees, branches, underground passages, and a variety of objects you can use in combat. These locations aren't just places to kill baddies; they are designed to get you moving and experimenting. Whether it’s a weapon, an explosive barrel, or a handy environmental trap, you’re always hunting for something to give you the edge.

The art style also helps preserve the game’s uniqueness without making the action hard to follow. A clear presentation helps you spot foes and vital objects, especially given how quickly an encounter can turn into chaos. The VR conversion also gets kudos for making the original environments feel right for a headset. Familiar settings take on a new sense of presence when you can physically interact with weapons and objects.

The conversion also has other favorable aspects, such as performance. The game ran OBS and a virtual camera at the same time, and we didn't notice any performance issues. And by disabling the in-game virtual camera while recording with OBS made performance especially smooth, with almost no stuttering or perceptible frame-rate drops.

Using a Meta Quest 3 through Steam Link, there were occasional performance problems, though these seemed more likely due to the streaming setup than the game itself. Overall, the conversion appears well optimized, although individual results may vary depending on your PC and headphone setup. Sound is vital in giving the action a sense of dynamism. In combat, there is never a dull moment, with gunshots, explosions, enemies’ reactions, and weapon interactions.

Another nice touch is the voice acting.

The tale develops through Harding's interactions with those chasing him, and his sardonic demeanor adds an interesting edge to the dialogue. You can even hear enemy soldiers conversing among themselves before clashes start; there are also background conversations. These little touches make the environments feel more alive. Instead of foes just standing around ready to be attacked, their conversations add extra personality before the action starts.

The music also fits the fast-paced gameplay, serving as an enthusiastic backdrop as you fight through tougher battles. The audio presentation, with its sound effects and voice acting, does an excellent job of maintaining intensity throughout the encounter.

A major reason I AM YOUR BEAST VR works so well is that its conversion knows what to change when translating a flat-screen game into virtual reality. Weapon control feels natural, movement is responsive, and physically hurling items makes the combat significantly more engaging. Steam Link also lets you play on a Meta Quest 3, and PC VR gamers can try the game with their favorite headset setup.

Accessibility options are also included. The game also has a sit mode and other settings that let you change your character's height for more comfort. This is especially helpful for those who find it uncomfortable to play standing for an entire session. But the conflict is physical, and you should know that before you start. Constantly throwing weapons, grabbing objects, and making repetitive motions can be tiring.

This isn't strictly a critique of the game, but it shows how physically taxing the gameplay can get. It’s wise to take pauses and adapt your play sessions accordingly. The change also works because it doesn’t slow things down to fit VR; instead, it keeps the original game's fast-paced personality.  This is a real virtual reality adaptation, not just a normal shooter that happens to support motion controllers.

I AM YOUR BEAST VR is a great example of how to make a flat-screen game especially fun in VR. Its greatest triumph is maintaining the original's breakneck pace while turning battle into a more physical, immersive affair.

Short levels, time-limited goals, disposable weaponry, environmental interactions, and increasingly difficult challenges form an addictive gaming cycle.

They constantly push you to return to earlier levels and do better, finding better ways to kill adversaries. There are the shortcomings. The enemy AI can be rather rudimentary, the story is nothing special, and the campaign is short if you focus only on the main goals. The grade requirements can be frustrating when you are forced to retry stages to get more stuff.

But none of these shortcomings really take away from what makes the experience fun. The fighting is really fun, the VR implementation feels well thought out, and the movement system gives you enough freedom to make confrontations feel different from standard VR shooters. The best thing I can say about the game is that it makes you want to keep playing even when your arms start to hurt.

It feels so good to get to a level after trying so many times and then get the grade you wanted. If you like fast-paced first-person shooters and physical VR action, this is an easy recommendation. I’d also love to see this experience get a PSVR2 release in the future, especially given the audience this kind of action game could attract.

At the end of the day, I AM YOUR BEAST VR may not have the most memorable story and the campaign isn’t particularly long, but the gameplay in between is great. Flat2VR Studios has done a good job translating this experience to virtual reality, and it’s one of those conversions that helps you appreciate how much an existing game can benefit from a fresh perspective.