Mace and Grace

Mace and Grace is a medieval VR arcade game where players take on the role of a giant protector defending their kingdom and beloved Grace from invading enemy knights. Utilizing a variety of weapons like maces, axes, and even fire breath, players engage in hack-and-slash combat, dodging bombs and scoring points in various game modes. The game features motion controls, multiple levels, and a global leaderboard for competitive play.

Mace and Grace: Review

Introduction

In the nascent landscape of virtual reality gaming, where developers grappled with defining the medium’s potential, Mace and Grace emerged in May 2019 not as a technological marvel, but as a bold, unapologetic statement of pure arcade fun. Developed by PlatformaVR, this first-person VR title thrusts players into the colossal boots of a giant tasked with protecting their “Grace” – a captured noblewoman – from a relentless horde of pantless, airborne enemy knights. Its premise is gloriously absurd, its mechanics deceptively simple, and its execution rooted in the satisfying physicality of motion control. While lacking in narrative depth and polish, Mace and Grace stands as a fascinating artifact of VR’s early arcade-focused era, a testament to the genre’s potential for creating uniquely kinetic and cathartic experiences that traditional gaming couldn’t replicate. This review deconstructs its development, thematic underpinnings, mechanical design, aesthetic choices, and its modest, yet specific, legacy within the VR pantheon.

Development History & Context

Mace and Grace was a product of PlatformaVR, a developer seemingly dedicated to harnessing the visceral potential of VR motion controllers. Released on May 15, 2019, for Windows-based VR systems (SteamVR, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Windows Mixed Reality), it arrived during a pivotal, yet somewhat turbulent, period for consumer VR. The initial wave of VR headsets had established the concept, but the market was still searching for compelling, accessible “killer apps” beyond tech demos and immersive experiences. The Unity engine powered the title, a common choice allowing for rapid development and multi-platform support, but also hinting at the inherent limitations in visual fidelity and performance optimization faced by smaller studios tackling VR.

PlatformaVR’s vision was explicitly arcade and fitness-oriented. As stated in their promotional material, the goal was to create “a furious Medieval VR arcade game” where players “stand your ground” and engage in cathartic combat. They embraced the constraints and strengths of VR, particularly the room-scale motion tracking, to design a game centered on physical exertion and immediate, tactile feedback. The development cycle was relatively short, and the game launched in Early Access, a common model for VR titles allowing developers to gather community feedback and iterate. The studio acknowledged this, explicitly stating plans to “add more weapons and game modes” post-launch via platforms like Discord. The 2019 VR gaming landscape was characterized by a mix of high-budget experiments and a burgeoning scene of smaller, more experimental titles like Mace and Grace. It competed for attention alongside established franchises adapting to VR and a flood of indie experiments, often struggling to break through the noise, especially without significant marketing push or critical acclaim.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Mace and Grace wears its narrative lightly, prioritizing gameplay over storytelling. The setup is pure, distilled fairy tale trope: a giant player character must defend their “Grace” (a captured maiden) from the invading army of a rival king. The motivation is primal and simple – protect what’s yours through overwhelming force. This lack of intricate lore or character development is entirely intentional, serving the arcade nature of the experience.

The narrative is communicated almost entirely through gameplay vignettes. Waves of enemy knights, stylized as comically simplistic and notably pantless (a recurring source of absurd humor), assault the player’s position. Their goal is implied – to breach the defenses and presumably steal or harm the Grace. The player’s counter-narrative is one of unbridled dominance. The “story” unfolds in the escalating chaos of combat, the satisfaction of dismemberment, and the final, cathartic act of crushing the “prototype enemy prince” represented by a flower.

Thematically, the game explores several layers of absurdity and primal power:
1. Absurdity as Liberation: The pantless knights, the oversized weapons, the cartoonish violence – all embrace a deliberate, over-the-top absurdity. This absurdist humor isn’t just comedic; it serves a crucial function. It removes the potential for grim seriousness, allowing players to fully engage in the cathartic, almost cartoonish violence without moral weight. It’s a self-aware rejection of gritty realism, celebrating the sheer fun of virtual destruction.
2. Primal Power & Catharsis: The core fantasy is that of the giant. Players wield disproportionate power, able to swat away armored soldiers like flies. This fantasy taps into a deep-seated desire for unmitigated strength and control. The game becomes a digital punching bag, a safe space to unleash physical aggression through motion controls. The scoring system (“More Power = More Points!”) directly reinforces this, rewarding the force of the blow, turning cathartic violence into a quantifiable performance.
3. Protection and Possession: The “protect Grace” premise, while thin, grounds the action in a familiar heroic archetype. However, it’s framed less as chivalry and more as territorial defense. The Grace becomes the MacGuffin, the reason for the conflict, emphasizing the player’s role as a territorial behemoth defending its space and prize. The “Two Knight Trance” mechanic, rewarding simultaneous kills, subtly reinforces the idea of overwhelming force as the only necessary defense.

The dialogue is virtually non-existent beyond grunts, squelches, and comical impact sounds. This minimalist approach forces the narrative to reside entirely within the player’s actions and the game’s visual and mechanical language. The “Grace” herself is a passive figure, a trophy rather than a character, further highlighting the game’s focus on the player’s agency and power fantasy over interpersonal drama.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Mace and Grace revolves around three core game modes, each offering a distinct twist on the central loop of fending off waves of knights. The entire experience is built around the physicality of tracked motion controllers, translating player movements directly onto the battlefield.

• Core Loop & Combat: Players stand on designated footprints within their play area, representing their giant’s position. Enemy knights fly towards the player from various directions – front, sides, and occasionally above. The primary objective is to strike them out of the air before they reach the player or the castle. The combat is purely reactive and physical. Players must time their swings, thrusts, or blocks based on the knights’ trajectories. The core satisfaction comes from the tactile feedback of the motion controllers and the visual spectacle of knights being violently dispatched.
• Weapon System: The initial arsenal is varied and central to the gameplay:
  • Bare Hands: The default, requiring precise timing for punches or grapples (especially in Gore mode).
  • Mace, Axe, Club: Blunt instruments offering satisfying thuds and knockback. Their weight is simulated through swing mechanics.
  • Spear: Allows for thrusting attacks with good reach, praised in previews for its satisfying feel.
  • Crossbow: A projectile weapon, likely offering a different ranged playstyle, though less emphasized in early descriptions.
    The “More Power = More Points” system directly impacts combat strategy. Harder, well-timed strikes (often initiated with a wind-up motion) yield significantly higher scores than glancing blows. This encourages powerful, committed swings over frantic flailing.
• Game Modes:
  • Rage: A timed mode where players start with clubs. The goal is to smash as many knights as possible. Key mechanics include the “Two Knight Trance” – eliminating two knights simultaneously activates a “rage mode,” granting score multipliers and empowering the player. Dodging explosive projectiles (bombs) is critical as they cause instant death if they hit or the player misses a knight. The mode escalates until the arrival of the “prototype enemy prince” (a flower target).
  • Survival: Players start with gauntlets and must endure endless waves, losing a life each time a knight gets past or a bomb hits. Timed power-ups grant access to the full weapon arsenal (including the favored spear) and special abilities like a “nocuous gas” attack for grounded enemies and a slow-motion bonus. This mode tests endurance, reflexes, and strategic power-up usage.
  • Gore: A timed mode focused on dismemberment. Players catch knights (using the trigger) and rip off limbs (heads, arms, legs) for points. The remaining torso of the last enemy in a wave can be thrown at specially marked knights for bonus points. This mode emphasizes precision timing and the grotesque satisfaction of creative dismemberment, adding a layer of dark humor.
• Scoring & Progression: Points are awarded based on weapon type, strike power (linked to controller swing speed/force), enemy type (knights vs. bombs vs. prince), and specific actions (Two Knight Trance, dismemberment, torso throws). Global leaderboards drive replayability, encouraging players to hone their skills and compete for high scores.
• UI & Interface: The UI is minimalist and functional. Health/lives indicators, timers, score, and active power-ups are displayed within the player’s field of view. The lack of complex menus reflects the arcade focus. Occasional feedback mentions include issues like controller vibration not functioning for some players and potential play area re-centering problems, highlighting the challenges of integrating VR hardware seamlessly.
• Innovation & Flaws: Its primary innovation lies in leveraging VR motion controls for pure physical arcade action in a fantasy setting. The Three Knight Trance and Gore mode mechanics offer unique twists. However, flaws are evident: the narrative is non-existent, visual fidelity is basic, the enemy variety is limited (pantless knights are the primary foe), and the content depth was relatively shallow at launch, relying heavily on the leaderboard chase. The Early Access status promised more, but the core loop, while fun, risked repetition without significant mode or enemy additions.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Mace and Grace constructs a world that is intentionally stylized and cartoonish, prioritizing clarity, performance, and a sense of absurd fun over photorealism.

• Setting & Atmosphere: The game takes place in two primary medieval fantasy environments: a castle courtyard and a more open battlefield. Both are simple but functional arenas designed to contain the action while providing visual context. The atmosphere is one of chaotic, pitched battle. The war drums in the soundtrack establish a serious tone immediately undercut by the pantless knights and cartoonish violence, creating a dissonant, humorous backdrop for the carnage.
• Art Direction: The art style is deliberately low-poly and cartoonish. Characters, particularly the player’s giant hands and the enemy knights, are exaggerated and stylized. The knights are notably simplistic, lacking armor detail and featuring the conspicuous absence of trousers – a deliberate design choice contributing significantly to the game’s absurdist humor. This visual simplicity aids performance in VR and makes the action clear and readable, crucial for fast-paced gameplay where enemies come from all directions. The environments, while basic, provide enough visual cues to ground the player in the fantasy setting without being distracting. The use of color is bright and distinct, aiding in enemy visibility amidst the chaos.
• Sound Design: The audio is a masterclass in supporting the game’s tone and mechanics:
  • Music: Primarily consists of driving, repetitive war drums, creating a sense of relentless conflict that builds tension and fuels the action.
  • Sound Effects: These are paramount to the experience. The comical “whooshes” of knights flying through the air, the deeply satisfying thuds, crunches, and squelches of impacts and dismemberments, the sharp clangs of weapon strikes, and the muffled thumps of missed hits all provide critical tactile feedback. The bubbling sounds of knights drowning in water and the distinct squelch of impalement on spikes add grotesque, darkly comedic layers to the Gore mode. The lack of controller vibration feedback (a noted issue by some players) meant these auditory cues were even more vital for conveying impact and connection.
  • Voice: Virtually absent beyond grunts, yelps, and comical pain sounds from enemies. This reinforces the silent dominance of the player character and the arcade nature of the experience.
    The art and sound work in concert to create a unique atmosphere: a medieval battlefield filtered through the lens of Looney Tunes-inspired cartoon violence. The visual simplicity ensures smooth performance and clear target acquisition, while the rich, exaggerated sound design provides the crucial physical feedback and comedic punch that makes the swinging and smashing so viscerally satisfying. It’s a world built not for immersion in a realistic sense, but for immersion in the pure, cathartic act of violent play.

Reception & Legacy

At launch, Mace and Grace received notably limited critical attention and commercial success. The single aggregate critic score on MobyGames is a modest 74%, derived solely from the review by Christ Centered Gamer. Their review, dated May 29, 2019, acknowledged the game’s arcade fun but noted its relative lightness on content, stating, “If you’ve been active in the VR scene for a while, this might be a little light on content for you.” They highlighted its potential for Early Access growth, mentioning planned additions and observing the nascent community activity on Steam and Discord. Player reviews on Steam at the time were sparse, with initial impressions ranging from amusement (“Gameplay looks fun!”) to frustration over technical issues like controller vibration problems, play area conflicts, and lack of controller input recognition.

Its legacy, while not monumental, is specific and multi-faceted:
1. VR Fitness Pioneer: The most significant and enduring legacy of Mace and Grace is its status as an unintentional but effective VR fitness title. Multiple sources, including previews and player discussions, explicitly noted the physical exertion involved. The constant swinging, dodging, lunging, and arm movements required to survive the waves and land powerful blows transformed the game into a surprisingly intense workout. This positioned it alongside early VR fitness apps and games as a compelling example of VR’s potential for physical activity, predating the massive wave of dedicated VR fitness games that would follow.
2. Motion Control Arcade Niche: It carved out a specific niche within the VR arcade genre. While many VR games focused on simulation, exploration, or complex narratives, Mace and Grace doubled down on the pure, unadulterated arcade experience made possible by motion controls. Its focus on high-score chasing, simple rulesets, and visceral physical feedback resonated with players seeking short, intense bursts of fun rather than deep campaigns. Its presence in VR arcades (noted via SpringboardVR) further cemented its arcade credentials.
3. Absurdist Humor & Stylized Violence: The game’s embrace of pantless knights and cartoonish gore provided a counterpoint to the more serious or realistic VR titles of the era. It demonstrated that VR could successfully support a specific brand of absurdist, comedic violence, leveraging the physicality to enhance the humor. The “dismemberment for points” mechanic in Gore mode was a unique, if gruesome, take on the scoring system.
4. Developer Ambition & Early Access Model: PlatformaVR’s approach – launching in Early Access with a clear roadmap for adding weapons and modes – exemplified the common strategy for smaller VR studios of the time. While the promised content expansion may or may not have materialized significantly, the model itself was a noteworthy part of the 2019 VR landscape, reflecting the collaborative development ethos fostered by platforms like Steam.
Mace and Grace did not spawn a direct sequel or revolutionize game design. Its influence is felt more as a proof-of-concept and a cultural touchstone within specific VR communities – those seeking physicality, absurdity, and high-score arcade thrills. It remains a curious footnote, remembered less for its graphics or story and more for the sheer, sweaty fun of smiting pantless knights with virtual morningstars in VR.

Conclusion

Mace and Grace is a product of its time and technology – a defiantly simple, physically-driven VR arcade game that emerged amidst the industry’s struggle to define virtual reality’s place in gaming. Its development by PlatformaVR was a focused effort to leverage the unique strengths of motion control, creating an experience centered on cathartic, absurdist violence rather than complex narrative or graphical fidelity.

While its narrative is practically non-existent, its themes of primal power and absurd protection resonate through its gameplay loop. The core mechanics – swinging, blocking, dodging, and dismemberming pantless knights – are translated effectively into motion-controlled action, providing a level of physical satisfaction that traditional controllers cannot replicate. The three distinct modes (Rage, Survival, Gore) offered varied, if repetitive, challenges, driven by a compelling high-score chase. Its art style, cartoonish and low-poly, ensured performance clarity and leaned into the game’s inherent humor, while the sound design – thuds, crunches, and squelches – was integral to the tactile feedback and comedic tone.

Critically, it received a lukewarm reception (74%) at launch, noted for its light content but potential for growth via Early Access. Commercially, it remained a niche title. However, its true legacy lies elsewhere. Mace and Grace stands as an early, effective, and unintentional VR fitness game, demonstrating the medium’s potential for physical exertion in an engaging package. It also carved out a distinct niche as an arcade-focused title celebrating absurdist humor and stylized violence made possible only through VR’s unique interface.

Ultimately, Mace and Grace is not a masterpiece of game design or a landmark in VR evolution. It is, however, a charming, flawed, and important artifact. It perfectly captures a specific moment – a time when developers were exploring the wild frontiers of VR, experimenting with its physicality, and discovering that sometimes, the most compelling experiences come from the simplest, most visceral pleasures: swinging a giant mace and laughing as pantless knights fly through the air. Its place in video game history is secured not by revolutionizing the medium, but by being a pure, unfiltered, and uniquely VR expression of arcade fun.