Men in Black: Most Wanted - Quest 3 Review

Men in Black: Most Wanted Main Cover art

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In what almost feels like a shadow drop, Men in Black: Most Wanted has been released on the Meta Store. It’s available now for download on the Quest 2, 3 & 3S. MIB: Most Wanted is an action, adventure, shooter with some light puzzle elements thrown in for good measure. Published by Sony Pictures Virtual Reality, the game was developed by Coatsink, who have brought us some great VR titles over the years, including another major franchise IP in the form of Jurassic World: Aftermath. I was genuinely surprised when I received my review copy, as I’d not seen any build-up for this game. Is that a bad thing? Let’s jump in and find out!

Have I been neuralised?

Considering how big the MIB franchise is, I would have expected to see a lot of trailers for this game. Was it just me, or did I completely miss the hype? Or maybe I accidentally came across a spoiler and now need to be “taken care of”?

Gameplay

Men in Black: Most Wanted is primarily single-player focused. There is a Co-op mode, but this is not part of the main storyline. Instead, it’s called the Invasion mode. This is a fun wave shooter set as a training exercise at MIB headquarters.

The single-player campaign begins with the player stepping into the role of Agent I, a seasoned MIB agent who has just been neuralised. Stripped of all memories and knowledge, you’re guided by your partner, Agent L, through the core mechanics as an introduction to the game. While I usually hate “amnesia” as a plot device, in this setting, the neuraliser’s iconic status makes it a clever way to let the player explore and learn about the game world without questioning why a veteran agent needs the basics explained.

MIB operations floor viewed from the elevator — There are less pretty places to work

You quickly find out there’s an alien conspiracy, and you need to hunt down a list of the agencies, Most Wanted alien fugitives. Each of the aliens on the list sets out the distinct levels. You go into the field with your array of MIB tech and weaponry that you will know from the films.

The levels are divided between detective work and shooting action. Missions will have you exploring the areas for clues or items, occasionally solving puzzles to reach your objectives. If any human spots you using your gadgets, they’ll grow suspicious, and you’ll need to wipe their memories of what they’ve seen with your trusty neuraliser.

Shoot first, ask questions later

When the time comes, you’ll get to blast some aliens—plenty of shooting involved. The reload mechanic is awesome: press a button to eject your ammo cartridge, then flick your wrist back to snap the gun shut with a new cartridge loaded. It’s a super satisfying way to reload in the middle of a fight. As you move through the game, you’ll upgrade your arsenal and unlock new upgrades by finding hidden items scattered throughout the levels.

Shooting range as seen in the original movie — Hasn’t Tiffany realised it’s still not safe out here?

Graphics & Audio

The cell-shaded style really makes the graphics stand out, and it’s a delight to see iconic locations from the movie brought to life in VR. The voice acting is excellent, and the familiar charm of the ‘worm guys’ adds an extra layer of enjoyment.

A worm guy "working" at the shooting range — Working hard or…you know the rest

Longevity

There are around 6-8 hours of gameplay to be had in the main campaign, but given each level has hidden items and a rating on your performance, this can increase as you’ll likely want to jump into a level again to find everything.

There is the usual options of locomotion with smooth or snap turning. The game can be played standing or seated, with comfort features dialled in if needed.

Final Thoughts

So there is no concern that the lack of hype for this game was due to it not being very good. Men in Black: Most Wanted is a very enjoyable VR experience. It finds a great balance of being rewarding for existing fans of the franchise, whilst not allowing newcomers to feel alien in this world. I definitely recommend giving it a try. Even though I’ve wrapped up my review, I’ll still be making sure to finish my playthrough.

I award Men in Black: Most Wanted the Thumb Culture Gold Award.