Jeff Minter Is At It Again – THE MOOSE IS ON THE LOOSE PSVR

Jeff Minter’s back! And maybe best of all is that, unlike his last game (Tempest 4000), this new one is in VR and I am sure most of our followers here by now remember how much I loved Polybius VR and that I even made it my GOTY title that very same year.

Will Moose Life be my GOTY of 2021?

Acid-Soaked Rollercoaster?

Moose Life is Llamasoft’s latest acid-soaked rollercoaster, and true to form, it’s bursting with Easter eggs, meticulously crafted levels, and an avalanche of eye-searing colors. Instead of the traditional vector graphics we’ve come to expect, this one bombards you with voxels—tons of them—fired at your face in the most gloriously chaotic ways imaginable. It’s like an interactive interpretation of an LSD overdose… or, well, an early ’80s arcade machine on maximum overdrive.

Taking cues from both Polybius and Tempest, Moose Life ramps up the confusion factor—but somehow, it all just works. Whether you survive by luck, skill, or sheer determination (aka replaying a level to death), there’s an undeniable satisfaction when that “Next Level” text finally appears. It hooks you, level by level, in the most addictive way possible.

Llamasoft’s design ethos has been evolving for over 40 years now, and once again, they’ve nailed that “lost arcade game from the ’80s” aesthetic. The decision to bring Moose Life to VR makes it even more compelling—this kind of sensory madness is meant to be experienced in immersive environments. And once you try it, you’ll see why Llamasoft’s games are in a league of their own when it comes to retro-futuristic VR mayhem.

What In The Name Of Mo-mo Is this?

The game is absolutely packed with Easter eggs, and half the time, you won’t even realise what just happened until much later. One of my favourites is a cheeky nod—at least I hope it is—to the Amiga. As a lifelong Amiga nut, this one had me grinning: shoot a Boing Ball and a flock of sheep bursts out, which you then need to rescue and deliver to what I can only assume is… Atari? (Care to comment, Jeff? I dare you 😄)

As of writing this, I’m on level 33, and the music alone has filled my brain with enough energy and joy to power me through the next few decades. It might not quite reach Polybius VR levels of audio-visual immersion, but it’s still a sonic and visual feast that only Llamasoft seems capable of delivering. No other studio comes close when it comes to this blend of old-school chaos and full-blown psychedelic madness. And yes, I’ve found myself giggling, laughing, and apparently making all sorts of “weird noises”—according to my family—while playing this beautifully insane game.

The Verdict?

Wondering what the goal of Moose Life is, or how to even play it? Yeah, same here. And that’s kind of the point. This isn’t the kind of game you review in a traditional sense—it’s more of an experience. It nails the feeling of an early ’80s arcade machine so perfectly that you start to believe this is exactly how those games looked and played… until you go back and realise how slow and clunky most of them actually were.

I’ll give it a score—but only because the game practically commanded me to. For me, Moose Life is the answer to everything and nothing all at once.

Want to fry your eyes, your forehead, and your brain cells while reliving a version of the ’80s that never existed? Then Moose Life—like all Llamasoft games—is absolutely the ride you’re looking for.