Polybius (2017 video game)
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| Polybius (2017 video game) | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| VR/AR | Virtual Reality |
| Developer | Llamasoft |
| Publisher | Llamasoft |
| Platform | PlayStation VR, SteamVR |
| Device | PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift |
| Operating System | PlayStation 4, Windows |
| Type | Game |
| Genre | Shooter, Arcade |
| Input Device | Gamepad |
| Game Mode | Single-player |
| Release Date | May 9, 2017 (PS4, North America), May 10, 2017 (PS4, United Kingdom), December 21, 2018 (Windows) |
| Price | US$15.49 (US PlayStation Store), US$6.99 (Steam), as of October 2026 |
| App Store | PlayStation Store, Steam |
| Website | http://minotaurproject.co.uk/Virtual/Polybius.php |
Polybius (stylized POLYBIUS on Steam) is a fast-moving arcade shooter developed and published by Llamasoft, the small studio of game designer Jeff Minter. It was released for PlayStation 4 with optional PlayStation VR support on 9 May 2017 in North America and 10 May 2017 in the United Kingdom, and for Windows on Steam, with SteamVR support, on 21 December 2018.[1][2][3] The player flies a small ship forward through 50 levels, shooting enemies and steering through gates that raise both speed and scoring potential.[4][5]
The game takes its name from an urban legend about an arcade cabinet said to have appeared briefly in the early 1980s and to have harmed the minds of its players. Llamasoft describes its game as an "interpretation of the mythical Polybius", designed to be "entrancing, but certainly not harmful".[4] The studio built it to run at 120 frames per second on PlayStation VR while keeping the risk of virtual reality sickness low.[5][4] The PS4 version holds a Metascore of 84 on Metacritic and a Top Critic Average of 86 on OpenCritic.[6][7]
Gameplay
Polybius is a tunnel and surface shooter in which the ship always moves into the distance. The player strafes left and right over a differently shaped surface on each level, such as a flat plain, the inside or outside of a tube, or a half-pipe, and shoots everything ahead.[5][8] Llamasoft describes the design as a shooter combined with elements of racing games: flying through boost gates increases speed, and the faster the ship goes, the more points each kill is worth.[4][3] In his review for Eurogamer, Christian Donlan explained that a collision slows the ship and removes one of its shields, and that once the shields are gone the next hit ends the game. He also noted that the gates are narrow and often placed on awkward lines, so the player chooses how much risk to take.[5]
Pickups take the form of colored pills. According to the Steam listing they increase firepower, grant temporary invincibility, launch the ship to very high speeds or slow down time.[3] Eurogamer described other mechanics introduced as the game goes on, including gates that launch the ship into the air, gates that must be passed on a particular side, and a pulse that clears enemies ahead once the ship is going fast enough.[5] The game has no boss fights. Llamasoft says difficulty rises gradually and that the player is never sent back or held up within a level until the game ends.[4]
Llamasoft's site lists three modes: Standard (called Normal on the PlayStation Store), which uses the studio's "Restart Best" system so the player can build up a best score over time and improve the score on any level; Pure, which starts from the first level with fewer shields returned at the end of each level; and YOLO, which starts from level 1 and never awards extra shields. Each mode has online leaderboards.[4][2] The Steam listing names the modes Normal, Pure and Endurance. It says Normal mode lets the player restart from any level already reached, with the best lives and score previously recorded at that point, and describes Endurance as a game from the beginning with a fixed number of lives and no extras.[3] The soundtrack comes from the musicians who scored Llamasoft's earlier PS Vita game TxK; the PlayStation Store lists 25 original tracks.[4][2]
Virtual reality support
VR is optional. Llamasoft states that PlayStation VR is "optimal but optional": the game also runs in 2D and supports 3D televisions, reaches 120 frames per second "even on a standard PlayStation 4", and supports UHD 4K output on PS4 Pro.[4] The PlayStation Store lists the PS4 version as "PS VR headset enabled", with the PlayStation Camera optional.[2] Llamasoft attributes the low risk of motion sickness to the absence of sudden accelerations and of yaw or roll movement, while warning players about the risk of photosensitive epilepsy because of the bright, fast-moving colors.[4]
Reviewers commented on comfort. Eurogamer's Christian Donlan called it "the least nausea-inducing VR game I have ever encountered", and also said the game was a "no-go" for players with epilepsy.[5] PlayStation Country, in a less positive review, wrote that VR did not add as much as expected but made the game a little easier.[8]
On PC, the Steam store lists SteamVR as the VR platform and the game as "VR Supported", with tracked controller support and partial gamepad support. Its system requirements tell players using VR to meet Oculus' minimum specifications.[3] Before the PC release, UploadVR reported that the Steam page listed Oculus Rift support but not the HTC Vive, which Minter attributed to the studio having access only to Oculus hardware. Minter also confirmed that the PC version could be played on a standard screen.[9]
Development
Llamasoft started working with VR after finishing TxK for the PS Vita. In a May 2017 development diary, Minter wrote that the studio obtained early PlayStation VR prototypes, made a small gaze-controlled VR game inspired by its iOS game Minotaur Rescue (later ported to Oculus and Samsung Gear VR and shown at exhibitions), and then built PS4 and PSVR versions of TxK that were ported to PC and Oculus but never released. Playing TxK in VR gave what he called a "Tron-like feeling" of being inside an 1980s arcade game, which he had in mind when making Polybius.[10]
Minter pitched the game to Sony with a video of an environment test made on Oculus hardware and a folder of reference images. After Sony agreed, he chose the Polybius name. He had seen players become "positively euphoric" in the VR versions of TxK and thought a game that produced that feeling would fit the legendary cabinet's reputation for being psychoactive, but in a harmless way.[10] The studio ported its Neon lightsynth engine to PS4, extended it to stereo 3D and built an environment editor that worked inside VR. Minter wrote that the editor took a few months and that the core gameplay came together late, shortly before a progress meeting with Sony, when he added boost gates to a simple scrolling test plane. At that meeting, the first person to play the demo came out of the headset saying that after two minutes he had "felt like a Jedi", and Sony approved the next stage of development.[10] In a second post, Minter showed the folder of screenshots and images he had gathered as influences before the game's design was settled.[11]
Minter announced the game on the PlayStation Blog on 7 October 2016 as a PlayStation VR exclusive, in a post written as a story about being shown a mysterious original Polybius cabinet in a warehouse in Basingstoke. The post said the game was designed to run at 120 frames per second without dropped frames, that a proof of concept had been shown toward the end of 2015, and that some levels would be playable at Play Expo that weekend; it gave no release date.[12][13] UploadVR featured the game in its pre-launch PlayStation VR series a few days later.[14]
Release
The PS4 version went on sale on the PlayStation Store on 9 May 2017 in North America and 10 May 2017 in the United Kingdom.[1][2] In late May 2017, PC Gamer reported that Minter had begun testing a PC version that would be playable with or without VR.[15] The Windows version was released on Steam on 21 December 2018, on the same day as Llamasoft's Minotaur Arcade Volume 1.[3][16]
UploadVR reported in November 2018 that Minter had said in April of that year that Llamasoft had not yet "made a penny" from the game.[9] Hardcore Gamer later wrote that this had turned out to be an accounting error and that the game had in fact done reasonably well.[16]
| Platform | VR support | Release date | Store | Price (October 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PlayStation 4 (North America) | PlayStation VR (optional) | 9 May 2017 | PlayStation Store | US$15.49[1] |
| PlayStation 4 (United Kingdom) | PlayStation VR (optional) | 10 May 2017 | PlayStation Store | GBP 13.99 (UK)[2] |
| Windows | SteamVR (optional) | 21 December 2018 | Steam | US$6.99[3] |
The PlayStation Store lists only a PS4 version. It notes that the game can be played on PlayStation 5, though some PS4 features may be absent; it does not list a native PS5 or PlayStation VR2 version.[1]
Nine Inch Nails music video
In July 2017, Nine Inch Nails released the video for "Less Than", from the Add Violence EP, which uses Polybius gameplay as its main visual, with the action building in time with the music.[17] Llamasoft's Steam listing says the PC version of the game was the basis for the video.[3]
Reception
On Metacritic, the PS4 version has a Metascore of 84 ("generally favorable") based on 13 critic reviews, and a user score of 7.6.[6] OpenCritic lists a Top Critic Average of 86, with 100% of critics recommending the game.[7]
| Publication | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Metacritic (aggregate) | 84/100 | PS4, 13 critic reviews[6] |
| OpenCritic (aggregate) | 86 | Top Critic Average, 100% recommend[7] |
| Eurogamer | Recommended | Christian Donlan[5][7] |
| Edge | 9/10 | Score as listed by Metacritic (90)[6] |
| Metro GameCentral | 9/10 | [6][7] |
| Push Square | 9/10 | [7] |
| Hardcore Gamer | 4.5/5 | [7] |
| Destructoid | 8/10 | [7] |
| Digital Chumps | 8/10 | [7] |
| PlayStation Country | 6/10 | Listed as 60 by Metacritic[8][6] |
Christian Donlan of Eurogamer compared the game with Minter's Space Giraffe, praised the level design built around single gimmicks such as new gate types, and noted the 171.8 MB download size and the frame rate. He ended his review by calling the game "magical".[5] Eurogamer placed Polybius 44th in its list of the top 50 games of 2017; one staff entry said it was "great on a normal telly, but it's truly magical in VR".[18] PlayStation Country was more critical, finding the gameplay too simple, the visuals hard to read and the game's lack of instructions confusing at first, while acknowledging that it was reviewing well elsewhere.[8]
Thumbsticks reported in January 2018 that Polybius had won one of Edge magazine's 2017 year-end awards.[19] Llamasoft's Steam listing describes the PS4 version as Edge's "VR GOTY in 2017".[3]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Polybius". PlayStation Store (US). Sony Interactive Entertainment. https://store.playstation.com/en-us/concept/225315. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "Polybius". PlayStation Store (UK). Sony Interactive Entertainment. https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/concept/225315. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 "POLYBIUS on Steam". Steam. Valve. https://store.steampowered.com/app/906120/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 "Polybius". Llamasoft. Llamasoft Ltd. http://minotaurproject.co.uk/Virtual/Polybius.php. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 Christian Donlan (2017-05-12). "Polybius review". Eurogamer. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-05-12-polybius-review. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 "Polybius". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/polybius/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 "Polybius". OpenCritic. https://opencritic.com/game/4315/polybius. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Richie (2017-05-15). "Polybius - PSVR Review". PlayStation Country. https://www.playstationcountry.com/polybius-psvr-review/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Jamie Feltham (2018-11-07). "Jeff Minter's Polybius Is Finally Coming To SteamVR". UploadVR. https://uploadvr.com/jeff-minters-polybius-is-finally-coming-to-steamvr/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Jeff Minter (2017-05-11). "Early Days". The Grunting Ox (Llamasoft blog). http://minotaurproject.co.uk/blog/?p=440. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ Jeff Minter (2017-05-10). "Influences". The Grunting Ox (Llamasoft blog). http://minotaurproject.co.uk/blog/?p=433. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ Jeff Minter (2016-10-07). "Sample the ludic psychedelia of Polybius: a PlayStation VR exclusive from Jeff Minter". PlayStation Blog. Sony Interactive Entertainment. https://blog.playstation.com/archive/2016/10/07/sample-the-ludic-psychedelia-of-polybius-a-playstation-vr-exclusive-from-jeff-minter/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ Aran Suddi (2016-10-07). "Llamasoft Announces Polybius For PSVR". TheSixthAxis. https://www.thesixthaxis.com/2016/10/07/llamasoft-announces-polybius-for-psvr/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ Jamie Feltham (2016-10-09). "50 Days Of PS VR #3: Jeff Minter Brings Urban Legend 'Polybius' to VR". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/50-days-ps-vr-3-jeff-minter-brings-urban-legend-polybius-vr/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ Tom Sykes (2017-05-29). "Jeff Minter's Polybius is coming to PC". PC Gamer. https://www.pcgamer.com/jeff-minters-polybius-is-coming-to-pc/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 James Cunningham (2018-12-21). "Double Llamasoft Day With PC Release of Both Minotaur Arcade and Polybius". Hardcore Gamer. https://hardcoregamer.com/features/articles/double-llamasoft-day-with-pc-release-of-both-minotaur-arcade-and-polybius/320937/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ Timothy J. Seppala (2017-07-13). "Nine Inch Nails' latest video taps into gaming legend". Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/2017-07-13-nine-inch-nails-less-than-video-add-violence-polybius.html. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ "Eurogamer's Top 50 Games of 2017: 50-41". Eurogamer. 2017-12-26. https://www.eurogamer.net/eurogamers-top-50-games-of-2017-50-41. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ Daniel New (2018-01-05). "Nintendo sweeps the 2017 Edge Awards". Thumbsticks. https://www.thumbsticks.com/nintendo-sweeps-2017-edge-awards-01052018/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.