DIG VR Review: Excavating Fun with a Side of British Humor

DIG VR is a sandbox construction simulator that combines realism and unique British humor. Set in the thriving town of Diglington, players complete tasks ranging from prosaic pipe installs to ridiculous dinosaur excavations.

The game’s tone is whimsical yet grounded, creating a fun and satisfying world. First impressions reveal a mix of immersive, tactile gameplay and playful charm, tempting players to dig into its unusual mechanics.

The game has two control schemes: motion controls for an immersive lever-and-joystick experience and thumbstick-based controls for simplicity. Tutorials effectively teach the fundamentals, but as missions become more complicated, they leave advanced strategies for players to figure out, balancing accessibility and challenge.

Building Depth: DIG VR’s Gameplay and Mission Design

DIG VR’s subtle and intuitive digging mechanics are central to the experience. The game encourages players to engage with their excavators in a way anchored in realism by utilizing VR’s motion controls to simulate the physicality of operating heavy gear.

As long as players are prepared to navigate the learning curve, each piece of the excavator, from the boom arm to the bucket, may be handled with precision. Tools like drills, saws, compactors, and even grippers are available in the game, each adding a new layer to gameplay. Although switching between attachments introduces variety, it can occasionally disrupt the flow of gameplay, particularly during missions that require frequent tool changes.

The physics engine adds a satisfying sense of weight to every movement, whether scooping dirt, shattering rocks, or meticulously putting construction supplies. Dirt mechanics, in particular, stand out as a highlight—watching soil change and pile up in reaction to your excavator’s actions feels surprisingly rewarding.

However, this realism occasionally interferes with the game’s tempo. Precision tasks, such as cleaning a specific percentage of dirt or compacting around tight corners, can get tedious due to the fussy controls. For perfectionists striving for the highest mission rankings, these times can feel more like annoying hurdles than satisfying challenges.

DIG VR’s mission structure seeks a balance between amusing absurdity and meticulous problem-solving. The campaign consists of roughly 30 missions set in the deliciously tongue-in-cheek town of Diglington, where tasks range from prosaic construction jobs like laying pipes and cutting hedges to more fanciful adventures like unearthing dinosaur bones or cleaning debris from a meteor crash site. The game’s humor shows through various scenes, encouraging players not to take the experience too seriously while dealing with its technological demands.

The progression of difficulty is consistent but occasionally inconsistent. Early missions provide a straightforward start before gradually adding increasingly challenging tasks as players unlock new tools and vehicles. Later missions require precision that may feel at odds with the game’s cheerful tone, but this structure assures a sense of growth and expertise.

Players must balance the benefits of aiming for high scores, which unlock cosmetic goodies, with the risk of becoming annoyed by the game’s punitive grading system. For those seeking a more relaxed experience, the optional Zen Mode eliminates penalties. Still, it limits prizes, creating a trade-off that emphasizes DIG VR’s emphasis on player choice.

DIG VR’s success lies in its ability to make even the most monotonous tasks feel exciting, thanks to its deep mechanics and whimsical atmosphere. However, the lack of mid-mission checkpoints and the occasional monotony of precision tasks expose its otherwise good design flaws. It’s a game that thrives when it embraces its fun absurdity but fails when it expects perfection from its players.

Digging Deeper: Game Modes and Narrative Layers

DIG VR’s Career Mode is the narrative backbone and the major playground for its mechanics. The story is about improving the fictional town of Diglington and is lively and full of absurdist British humor. The narrative does not delve into truly emotional or morally difficult terrain, but it does provide enough charm and context to make each mission feel worthwhile.

The eccentric cast of characters, from pompous nobles like Sir Harold Diggersly to oddballs commissioning strange projects, adds personality to the usually task-oriented gameplay. The theme of community improvement and environmental restoration adds a subtle emotional resonance to the excavation’s repetitious, systematic nature.

Career Mode progression is tied to unlocking additional tools, vehicles, and cosmetic customizations for your diggers. This provides a satisfying sense of growth since each accomplished mission extends your fleet and introduces new gameplay possibilities via attachments like saws or drills.

The grading system, which rewards strong performance with unlockable cosmetics, can be harsh to players who prefer a casual approach. The lack of real player choice or branching narratives in the structure may leave RPG aficionados wanting more consequences for their actions. However, the lighthearted tone helps to counteract this to some extent.

Aside from Career Mode, DIG VR has several extra modes that broaden the game’s sandbox appeal. Sandbox Mode allows players to experiment freely with unlocked tools and vehicles, providing a stress-free environment for creativity or destruction. Meanwhile, the mini-games, such as bowling and duck gathering, capitalize on the game’s humorous elements, providing pleasant diversions that embrace the absurdity of employing heavy machinery for carnival-style activities.

The Lost Treasure mode adds a scavenger hunt element, requiring players to use their excavators as metal detectors to find buried loot. Even if its replayability is limited, it’s a fascinating twist introducing a sense of discovery. The inclusion of multiplayer, while not widely tested, suggests the possibility for social encounters, whether cooperative or competitive. These modes underscore DIG VR’s character as a sandbox game that thrives on variety, even if some lack the depth required for long-term commitment.

Unearthing Atmosphere: Graphics, Audio, and Immersion

DIG VR uses a vivid and fun visual design that complements its joyful tone while making subtle allusions to realism where it counts the most. Despite the limits imposed by the Meta Quest 3’s technology, the game delivers a sophisticated appearance that feels clean and expressive, notably in rendering excavators and tools.

Each machine is meticulously designed, with moving elements that respond convincingly to player input, heightening the sense of handling huge gear. The dirt physics are particularly noteworthy—watching soil change, pile, and scatter convincingly under the bucket adds to the immersion in a tactile way, even in a virtual world.

While not overly complicated, the surroundings are deliberately crafted to capture Diglington’s quirky world. From the vibrant festival grounds of the “Grasp ‘N’ Bury” music festival to more humdrum construction sites, the game offers settings that feel alive while being reasonable to navigate.

However, the town feels like a background rather than a dynamic setting, lacking the interactive depth of comparable simulation or sandbox games. This simplicity may appeal to casual players but fails to satisfy those seeking more environmental storytelling.

The sound design in DIG VR is a noteworthy feature, boosting the overall experience with meticulous attention to detail. The mechanical buzz of excavators, the crunch of dirt under the bucket, and the satisfying clang of tools provide audio realism that anchors the gameplay.

DIG FM, an in-game radio station that plays a delightful mix of music genres and spoof advertising, enhances these effects. Changing stations or adjusting the volume requires physical interaction, a simple yet immersive element that improves the VR experience.

The music selection ranges from lo-fi sounds to lively rock, ensuring that there is something for every gamer. Meanwhile, the hilarious radio advertising and commentary add a layer of personality to the world, making Diglington feel a little more alive. The images and sounds provide an immersive experience, even if it occasionally relies on charm rather than depth.

Digging for More: Longevity, Replay Value, and Customization

DIG VR balances controlled progression and sandbox freedom, offering a mix of missions and activities to keep players occupied for hours. The primary campaign includes over 30 missions, ranging from simple excavation tasks to more humorous scenarios like unearthing dinosaur bones or preparing a festival setting.

While the variety of mission goals is admirable, the replay value mostly depends on the player’s desire for perfection. The grading system, which ranks tasks based on precision and efficiency, encourages players to return to missions for the coveted S rank. However, the lack of mission randomization or branching pathways means repeated playthroughs may feel repetitive, particularly for those who have already mastered the mechanics.

Outside of the game, the Sandbox Mode serves as a sandbox for free exploration, offering the opportunity to explore various tools and vehicles without the burden of completing objectives. Similarly, the Lost Treasure mode, in which players hunt for hidden things using their excavator as a metal detector, is a unique but ultimately limited diversion. Including mini-games like bowling and ball-pit scooping adds a funny, competitive element. However, these are more suited for quick bursts of fun than long-term participation.

DIG VR excels at customization, offering players over 70 skins, decals, and paint options to personalize their fleet of diggers. From bright fluorescent hues to quirky patterns (alarm clocks, anyone?), these cosmetic rewards add humor and personality to the gameplay. Unlocking these things is tied to mission performance, pushing players to improve their skills and strive for higher ratings. While the prizes are primarily cosmetic, they provide a sense of progression and a target for completionists to strive for.

The personalization system, while robust, lacks more profound gameplay ramifications. Unlike RPGs or independent games with substantial upgrades tied to player choice, these options have little effect on performance or strategy. This is ideal for players who prefer form above function, but those seeking more meaningful unlocks may feel let down. Nonetheless, the sheer variety of stylistic options means that no two diggers are alike, giving players a sense of ownership over their machines—a subtle but satisfying way to leave your stamp on Darlington.

Excavating Laughter: Humor, Narrative, and Tone

DIG VR thrives on a fun sense of humor that permeates all aspects of its world, with a strong British comedy influence. The town of Diglington feels like a character, with strange names (like Sir Harold Diggersly) and outrageous events that turn relatively boring construction tasks into laugh-out-loud moments.

From preparing a celebration for the delightfully called “Grasp ‘N’ Bury” event to digging up dinosaur bones, the game’s absurdity never ceases to amaze players. As the game refuses to take itself too seriously, this humor makes even repeated tasks like excavation feel fresh.

Much of the comedy is delivered through ambient elements and mission settings, evoking the irreverent charm in games like PowerWash Simulator and Goat Simulator, where the unexpected becomes a source of delight. While not every joke works, the humor effectively lowers the stakes. It keeps the tone light, making the game more approachable even when the mechanics require precision. One of DIG VR’s biggest qualities is its ability to balance comedy and gameplay, ensuring that the slower pace feels intentional rather than tiresome.

DIG VR’s narrative focuses on creating a whimsical backdrop for the gameplay rather than on emotional depth or complicated storytelling. The story concentrates on improving the quirky town of Darlington. While the broad plot is shallow, the characters you meet along the way bring personality to the experience. Job-givers range from over-the-top nobles to down-to-earth townspeople, each with their exaggerated peculiarities that make even simple tasks feel tied to a bigger (although silly) context.

Rather than branching choices or moral quandaries, the game opts for a linear progression in which the narrative contextualizes your actions. While this technique lacks meaningful player choice in RPGs or narrative-heavy indie titles, it creates an engaging atmosphere. The story is less about consequences and more about accepting the bizarre, ensuring that players are always delighted, even if they are digging a hole.

Accessible Excavation: Controls and Comfort in DIG VR

DIG VR has a dual control mechanism that appeals to immersion-seeking enthusiasts and players wanting simplicity. The primary control method takes advantage of VR’s haptic qualities by allowing players to physically handle levers and joysticks for movement and tool operation using motion controllers.

This method provides a very immersive experience by simulating the physicality of handling heavy machinery in a way that feels authentic and satisfying. However, precision can sometimes suffer, especially when performing tasks that need fine-tuned movements, like compacting dirt or aligning tools. The game offers an alternate thumbstick-based system for players who prefer simplicity or struggle with the complexities of motion controls. This option foregoes physical engagement in favor of smoother, more intuitive gameplay, making it an accessible alternative for casual players without compromising a sense of control.

Accessibility in DIG VR is meticulously integrated with various elements to ensure that various players can enjoy the experience. Smooth movement for individuals comfortable in VR and teleportation for players prone to motion sickness are two locomotion choices that can be customized for speed and comfort.

The addition of configurable vignettes during movement helps to alleviate nausea, and the ability to alter camera angles and reset the digger’s position assures smoother gameplay for people who may become physically disoriented.

DIG VR also allows artificial rotation for players who cannot physically turn, and its compatibility with the ROTO VR Explorer chair demonstrates a noteworthy commitment to accessibility. While the game’s emphasis on physical involvement may be scary for some, these comfort settings make it more approachable while maintaining the immersive experience. This deliberate balance of immersion and accessibility means that first-time VR users and seasoned veterans like them can enjoy DIG VR.