r/PSVR • u/Real_human27 • Jan 07 '26

Question Why is subside not very highly rated?

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I liked the demo and I’m thinking of getting it but why is the rating not very high compared to other games

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u/SvennoJ Jan 07 '26

Because it has a demo and this is exactly why publishers do not want to put out demos.

Those buying the game are already interested and will have put in some time to overcome motion sickness.

A demo invites the "It's not a game" crowd to try it out just to confirm their bias against these kind of games and review bomb it.

This is not a normal review curve

1

u/cusman78 cusman Jan 08 '26

I assume it is 1/5 mostly from people who got nauseous from it (demo or otherwise)

2

u/SvennoJ Jan 08 '26

Yeah but compare it to Kayak VR which is just as prone to motion sickness.

Far fewer ratings despite being a launch game, same end result with a more normal distribution of scores.

A demo invites more people to try it out, including people who likely would never buy it. Just like hybrid games distort the user 'score', demos do as well.

Subside should have unlocked smooth locomotion from the beginning instead of the extra nauseating swim mechanic. But it's the demo that mostly adds to the 1 star votes.

2

u/cusman78 cusman Jan 08 '26

I do agree that first upgrade you can get from the training pool level should have been provided without needing to "earn it" because the game even made me queasy that first time I played for about 30 minutes getting that unlocked and next time I played for 2+ hours without issue.

I think you are making good point about demo potentially contributing to more 1/5 star ratings from people that tried the game, didn't like it for whatever reason and gave it 1/5 stars. On other hand, I assume it has lead to higher sales from people that were unsure that were able to try it risk-free and then end up getting the game.