Before we dive into this review for Chess Club, I’d like to take a minute for a very brief disclosure; I love chess. There. Said it. On every single console, phone and tablet I own, there’s at least one chess game. And to date I have somewhere around 30 chess boards scattered around the house, treasured mementos from every country I’ve visited.
So with this thought in mind, you can imagine my excitement to hear that VR chess was being brought to the Quest. I’m not ashamed to admit that I was grinning and rubbing my hands together like a randy uncle at a family wedding.
Developed by Odders Lab (the people of OhShape fame ) Chess Club looks set to be the successor to the mighty Pure Chess, a worthy franchise that has been running for some ten years now. And after a week or so of putting Chess Club through its paces, I can officially say the days of Pure Chess domination are numbered.
Here’s the skinny; Chess Club comes with a robust AI single player challenge with increasing levels of difficulty starting from wannabe novice to grand master level. There are (to date) two environments to play in – a Grand Palace and Stonehenge – and the suggestion is that more will be added as the game grows in popularly. And of course there’s the multiplayer. Yes, you heard that right.
You can also challenge other players to a game of VR chess in real time. The game’s matchmaking system ensures you’re never pitted against someone far better (or worse) than you. And you move up in the ranking the more games you win. For anyone tired of using the Quest controllers, Odders Lab have also included hand tracking so you can pick up your chess pieces with your virtual hands. Excellent.
Graphically, Chess Club is nothing short of stunning. Despite the Quest’s limited processing power, the game looks incredibly polished. Compared to Pure Chess on the PSVR, Chess Club is as pretty as a home coming queen. And the fact that it also features animated pieces that will shoot, kick, punch and even swipe each other with weapons, means that Chess Club is a joy to watch and play. Especially if you’re the one dishing out the pain.
During my play-through the only gripe I had with the game was the noticeable absence of a take back option. Granted, this wouldn’t work in multiplayer, but, in single player mode, being able to take back a move once you’ve realised your mistake would have gone some way towards enhancing the learning aspect of the game.
While we’re nitpicking, the in-game hand tracking was still a little hit or miss, but, in the most part, worked well. Oh, I also missed the inclusion of challenging chess puzzles that you can solve in single player mode.
But these minor gripes aside, Chess Club is by far one of the best chess games on any console to date. And the fact that it’s rendered in immersive VR is just icing on the cake. For anyone new to chess, then Chess Club is a great introduction to the greatest strategy game of all time. For seasoned players, Chess Club may well have answered all of your prayers. Go buy.
9 out of 10
