First Impressions: V.A Proxy

Hello friends and enemies!

On September 7, 2023 I saw this tweet:

I thought, “Whoa. That’s badass.” Nearly 3 months later, December 9, 2023, the demo for V.A Proxy came out. And I played it.

Before I go on, please keep in mind that a demo is not necessarily representative of the final product. Since this is a look at the first impressions a game gives off, I will do my best to avoid any story spoilers (though, I wasn’t able to get far into the demo so that shouldn’t be a problem). With that said, let me talk about V.A Proxy.

V.A Proxy is a game about being a cool robot. You awaken in a world that seems post-apocalyptic, and plenty of things are out there to kill you. Another writer might call the game Souls-like.

V.A Proxy is an open world action-adventure game with gameplay elements reminiscent of the Dark Souls series. It dwells within a world of big, difficult bosses and combat made for someone more skilled than I. Everything about the gameplay that the demo provides feels good: running, jumping, fighting, and – the big one – parrying. However, we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves here.

First, the world of V.A Proxy is huge. The demo’s sense of scale is incredibly accentuated, especially in the beginning moments. Heights are high and landscapes are vast. NPC’s and enemies are oftentimes much larger than you are, making you feel small and making everything you do feel that much stronger. Large buildings litter the wasteland, and the cherry on top is the large robotic eye that acts as a sun on the horizon.

Given the size of the world, you’d think this would feel like a slog to explore, but the traversal mechanics feel perfect for the type of game V.A Proxy strives to be. You run fast, you can climb almost everything, and you can basically triple jump. Try doing that at your next party.

The game also rewards you for exploring the world. For example: I found a trader on the far edge of the map who offers me upgrades for parts. Later, I went to trade parts only to be told I’ve been blacklisted. Either this is locked behind a boss, or this isn’t in the demo yet. However, that doesn’t make this interaction feel any less rewarding. I found something and it felt good. Some of these are more obvious than others. You’ll find that plenty of things in the distance are meant to stand out to you, yet there are some hidden areas that you can find as well. Some of these areas are empty but give off the impression that something is supposed to be there, which we can assume will likely be added into the final release.

As I said before, I did not get far in the demo, but I have faced 2 bosses. I did not beat that second boss. The first boss gave me something I love in video games: a large enemy that I feel cool fighting. I fought this boss twice: the first time parrying each attack perfectly, and a second time missing every parry and dying. A lot. Video game parrying requires a level of reaction time that I’m not entirely sure I possess.

The skill level the game asks of you might be higher than you’re used to, however this does not feel discouraging. The game gives you plenty of lower-level enemies to hone your skills against. In this way, practice feels rewarding as different enemies have different move sets, giving you variety when training.

I would like to quickly note here that V.A Proxy’s art style is nice on the eyes and adds to the game’s emotion, but it does lead to the small problem of the colors blending and mixing foreground with background. This isn’t a dealbreaker from my perspective and only acts as the most minor of nuisances.

Unfortunately, I cannot comment on the demo’s storytelling with how seemingly early in I am, but the tiny nuggets of story that I’ve been able to gleam via NPC’s and save stations keep my interest piqued. I want to know what happened to my main character, and who the other voices in their dreams are.

I fully intend to return to the world of V.A Proxy, immerse myself in its story, and train myself in the art of the parry, and I believe you should too. The demo for V.A Proxy is available to play now on Steam.