We remember fondly when the first Moss came out. It was at the same time that we got our PSVR, and everyone was saying how adorable Moss was and that it was a crime not to try the game. We didn’t just try the game, we lived it! Polyarc created a title that grabbed us by our sleeves and pulled us right into the center of an captivating fairy tale. By guiding a little mouse, we explored a memorable world filled with puzzles and magical moments.
Moss: Book II slipped out of our fingers and, try as we might, we never got the chance to experience it. Now, the good people at Uberstrategist have granted us the chance to remedy the situation, albeit not as a VR title but in front of our big TV.
Moss: The Forgotten Relic is an enhanced and reimagined collection of both games, built for the PC. The experience is enriched with new handcrafted cutscenes and a smart camera that carefully follows our hero. The Twilight Garden DLC is included as well. It’s a complete package, all right, but, outside the VR environments, can it stand on its own two legs or oes it lose some of its charm?
To answer our own question right out of the gate and get the suspense out of the way: yes, it absolutely stands on its own two legs. Transitioning a game built entirely around the magic of VR to a standard monitor could have been a messy process, but this is Polyarc Games that we’re talking about. They don’t do messy, and playing The Forgotten Relic feels surprisingly natural.
Even without a headset, the game looks and feels like a beautiful, living storybook. These are the same games that are now played from a different perspective. We are once again tasked with guiding the brave mouse Quill through a fallen kingdom covered in vines and ancient ruins. The levels are still built like gorgeous little dioramas. You have to carefully look around the environment to solve clever puzzles and help Quill move forward. We remember fondly of how strong of a connection we formed with Quill, especially when she would raise her hand and look right at the screen for our guidance and trust. She does that here as well, that connection is completely intact and that heartfelt bond works just as well on a flat TV.
The new cutscenes don’t radically change the story, but they make the transition between key moments feel smoother and give Quill a little more personality than before.
The visuals and overall performance in both games have been bumped up nicely. The Smart Follow Camera deserves a mention because, it had the hardest job in this entire conversion. In VR we were constantly leaning around scenery and peeking into corners. On a monitor, the game has to do that work for us, and it usually gets it right.
There is now an optional “Skip Combat” feature, and while we appreciate why it’s there, we can’t imagine using it ourselves. Combat feels like an integral part of the experience. It’s what gives Quill’s journey much of its tension, making every successful encounter feel earned. Skipping those moments would, to us, be a bit like skipping the puzzles or ignoring the exploration. You’d still reach the ending, but you’d miss some of what makes the adventure memorable.
Taking Moss out of VR didn’t strip away its magic. We expected to spend most of our time comparing this version to the VR original. After an hour or two, however, we stopped thinking about what was missing and simply enjoyed being back alongside Quill. That’s probably the biggest compliment we can give this collection. If you’re into meaningful platformers with great puzzles in a very detailed and highly unique world, then, make sure you embark on this special journey.
9/10
- Developer: Polyarc, Blackbird Interactive
- Publisher: Polyarc
- Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
- Release Date: 16 Jul, 2026
- Genre: Exploration, 3D Platformer, Puzzle, Platformer, Puzzle, 3D
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