What the Bat review: How does Bat-Girl perform on the PSVR 2?
Creative level design and wacky humor - What The Bat for PSVR 2 provides plenty of WTF moments in our test.
What the Bat for PSVR 2 sends you into a colorful comic world full of skill games. You take on the role of the Bat-Girl and go through many absurd situations from her life from childhood to adulthood.
Those who now imagine an adventure in Gotham City will be surprised. The "Bat" here stands for baseball bats, and they replace Bat-Girl's hands. I tried out how life can be managed with two baseball bat hands.
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What The Bat: Review in a nutshell
If the PSVR 2 is your first VR headset, you've come to the right place. What The Bat is the perfect game for VR beginners. Its absurdly funny skill games slowly introduce you to movement in virtual reality without overtaxing you at any point. Everyone else will find a pleasant pastime in the VR game - nothing more, nothing less.
Note: What The Bat is available for SteamVR, Meta Quest 2, and Playstation VR 2.
Primarily tested: Playstation VR 2
What the Bat is suitable for you if you ...
- have a heart for indie titles with quirky humor,
- have had little experience with VR, and
- like skill games.
What the Bat is less suitable for you if you ...
- are looking for an extensive VR game,
- don't want to play mini-games, and
- expect grandiose graphics on a triple-A level.
Swinging a baseball bat, but with finesse
After the start, What The Bat throws me onto a small baseball field without any instructions. In front of me is a golden trophy on a small pillar. I look down at myself and have a revelation — where my virtual hands should be; there are two baseball bats. Nice.
In the finest Sherlock manner, I combine the clues and knock the trophy off its pedestal with a vengeance. Confetti rains, and loud horns sound to confirm my success. I use my racket hands to hit balls at golden trophies, which change location around and around or sometimes dodge just before a hit with a cheeky laugh.
Already in the tutorial, it becomes clear that I can't just smash everything wildly and often only progress by using some finesse. For example, in one of the first rounds, the trophy lies under a wooden crate. Only a thin wooden stick holds it up. If I hit the box or the stick, it collapses and buries the trophy underneath. Here only a delicate tap at the correct angle will help to hit the cup.
Funny journey through the life of Bat-Girl
After the tutorial, a crazy journey through the life of my virtual self begins. I'm always accompanied by my imaginary friend - a blue elephant - I rattle through different worlds with several stations representing the daily activities in a Bat-Girl's life. Let's start in the virtual sandbox.
The hungry guests in the cat café watch me operate the fish machine. In What The Bat, this scenario still passes for normal. | Image: Triband / MIXED
The mini-games become increasingly absurd as I progress and have little to do with the initial baseball variety. In the bathroom, I try to get toothpaste out of the tube and brush my teeth and those of my elephant companion.
Later, I iron, fill my breakfast bowl with cereal, or steer paper airplanes through obstacles with a joystick.
A customer would rather have a zebra, so let's get to work with the paint can. | Image: Triband / MIXED
It may sound banal, but everyday things quickly become challenging when accomplished with baseball bats instead of hands. Next, I work as a barista in a cat café and serve fish or amuse my dog by knocking treats his way. With my imaginary friend, I shoot baskets, become a basket myself, or move a bowling ball through a kind of mini-golf course - all with baseball bat hands, mind you.
What the Bat: A creative, undemanding feast of silliness
Bat-Girl's journey takes you from the nursery to the city and from the South Sea island to orbit. Developer Triband comes up with all kinds of absurd level designs and funny activities, which I can't even list here.
In any case, you won't get bored in What The Bat — as long as you like the game principle and the humor is convincing. As creatively designed as the individual levels are, the game is never really challenging. You won't find any head-scratchers, and even the most clumsy players among you will be able to burst all the cups - guaranteed.
The game's presentation is also extremely minimalistic and offers hardly any spectacle apart from the quirky games. There is no voice output, but the text and playing time are quite short for a $25 game. The over one hundred mini-games will keep you busy for about three hours.
However, What The Bat is ideally suited for VR beginners, young gamers, or to introduce virtual reality to friends in a funny way, regardless of whether you own a PSVR 2, Meta Quest 2, or PC VR system.
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