Drakheir VR Meta Quest 2 Review
Summary: Use the power of your hands to fight your way through this fantasy world and master the magic within you.
4.1
Magic Mitts
Arx Fatalis, a PC game from years past (intended as Ultima Underworld 3, if anyone remembers that series—a sequel would be fantastic!), while released independently due to various issues, was notable for its innovative gestural magic system using keyboard and mouse. Now, over 20 years later, we have Drakheir, which, while not stylistically similar to Ultima Underworld, takes that gestural magic and runs with it.
Touted as “The first hand-tracking ARPG,” Drakheir lives up to its claim. After enabling hand tracking in your Quest settings, the game revolves entirely around it. While movement could have been more innovative, Drakheir uses a “pull” mechanic: grab in the direction you want to move (like a mime pulling a rope) and pull towards you.
But the magic is the real draw. Like Arx Fatalis, your spells require specific gestures. The simplest is essentially “finger guns,” which launches a fireball. A two-handed gesture sends enemies airborne (allowing you to juggle them with fireballs). As you progress, you unlock more gestures, combinable for devastating effects. Different hand positions and finger arrangements represent different spells. My only issue was with the spell unlock screen. While the required gesture was displayed, it sometimes wouldn’t register, likely due to the angle of my hand relative to the tracking cameras. However, this was a rare occurrence (maybe 1% of the time); the tracking was generally very forgiving. I suspect the unlock screen had a bug.
It’s hard to overstate how fun it is to play a game solely with your hands. It’s like being back on the playground. Enemies become more challenging and numerous, but because you can simply point and fire spells while freely looking around to spot or dodge them, it remains consistently enjoyable. That free look is crucial for dodging; sure, you can summon a shield, but physically moving to avoid attacks (after ensuring you have ample space) is also an option.
Final Thoughts?
Drakheir could have easily been a gimmicky showcase for VR hand tracking. Instead, it demonstrates thoughtful design and clever implementation. It makes me yearn for a Dr. Strange VR game—we had Iron Man; imagine opening portals by simply tracing the circle! Drakheir proves the potential of hand tracking and does it exceptionally well. It’s fun, reasonably priced, and lets you live out your magical fantasies.
Grab a copy!
About the Author
Chris O'Connor Father of four, husband of one and all round oddity. Gaming at home since about 1982 with a Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Moving on to the more traditional PC genre in the years that followed with the classic Jump Joe and Alley Cat. CGA, EGA, VGA and beyond PC's have been central to my gaming but I've also enjoyed consoles and hand helds along the way (who remembers the Atari Lynx?). Would have been actor/film maker, jack of many trades master of none.
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