Pirates, secret treasures, constantly chattering parrots and islands imbued with mysticism - all this is what we expect when we dive into a virtual world inspired by classic stories like "Treasure Island".
Pirate VR Jolly Rogers tries to bring us exactly that feeling, combining elements of action-adventure, climbing and puzzle-solving, while rounding out the story of the search for long-lost treasure.
While it may not be a revolutionary title in the context of 2025 and the modern VR scene, the game has its strengths that make it a fun (and at least briefly) worth immersing yourself in a pirate adventure.
For the tl;dr crew, I'll explain why, despite some flaws, I think Pirate VR Jolly Rogers deserves a 7/10 rating.
Story and atmosphere
In the game, we assume the role of a nameless captain who arrives on a mysterious island in search of Davy Jones' treasure. It is clear from the very beginning that one should not expect an extremely deep narrative or an epic plot here.
The story serves more as a background that takes us from point A to point B, with some basic dialogues and occasional comments from the accompanying parrot. This parrot is cute at first and can help remind you of your goal or give you direction, but her comments can be repetitive.
Some players will laugh at her, while others will get on their nerves - especially since the game punishes you if you "get rid of" that feathered companion. Despite everything, the overall atmosphere of the Caribbean island still has a certain charm that motivates you to keep exploring, even when the story doesn't offer anything too original.
The pirate theme is used in the expected ways: skeleton enemies, old ships, rocky cliffs bordered by turquoise seas, treasure chests... All this contributes to the impression that you really are on a remote island.
Graphically, Pirate VR Jolly Rogers is built on Unreal Engine 4, which means you'll get a solid experience on a more powerful PC.
The charms of the island, especially the sunny beaches and the dark caves with torches, provide a somewhat pleasant, exotic atmosphere. There is certainly room for improvement, especially in the textures and some less refined segments of the environment. However, when you're in the full VR experience, the world feels engaging enough to keep you engaged.
Combat and movement mechanics
The bulk of the action consists of fighting skeleton enemies, which appear in waves or suddenly pop up from the floor. Here you can see the influence of earlier VR titles from the "wave" era (wave shooter style) that were popular around 2017.
Combat is simple - you have a flintlock pistol that automatically reloads when you approach a bullet belt, and often enough ammo to get the job done quickly. It lacks a deeper sense of immersion in reloading, since there is no manual loading, so everything comes down to one hand movement.
Also, skeletons cannot boast of innovative behavior patterns; they usually just march straight towards you or shoot from a distance. Over time, that repetitiveness can become tiresome, but when you consider the overall arcade feel, the combat is at least easy to understand and gets you into the action quickly.
The movement system also includes elements of climbing. Cliff climbs and rope climbs are reminiscent of a simpler, less developed version of mechanics like those from Horizon Call of the Mountain.
The stamina system is nominally present, but it rarely affects the game enough to make you wary – you're mostly free to climb without penalty. Climbing can be fun the first few times, but sometimes it feels repetitive and feels like the game drags out the campaign by stretching out the climbing time. Nevertheless, the possibility of viewing the landscape while hanging on a rope or a rock gives a certain adrenaline, and the mechanics themselves work smoothly and without major technical problems.
The game supports full locomotion, with the possibility of smooth or snap turn, as well as height adjustment and a crouch button. This is commendable as it gives players the opportunity to find a way of playing that suits them best, whether standing or sitting.
Puzzles and annoyances
The game occasionally throws in puzzles, which are unfortunately very average. Most often they boil down to "find the correct object" or "stick this symbol in the correct slot", with a few variations where you have to follow the tracks on the wall with the help of a flashlight. While this can be cute at first, the puzzles don't add much challenge or freshness.
One of the frustrations can be the unclear logic of the solutions (especially near the end), where without much indication you have to guess the order of placing the items. Still, at least they won't stall your progress too much – expect to solve some of them through speed trial and error.
Unfortunately, the inventory is one of the weakest links. It is activated by pressing a button, so a menu appears that is neither "pirate" nor thematically impressive. Irregular icons, slightly outdated design and the overall impression of being "out of place" from the environment disturb the immersion.
The currencies, coins, and various items you collect act more like digital numbers than actual pirate loot. Additionally, that gold is used to unlock modest mini-games (eg climbing and ax throw challenges) that don't expand the experience to any great extent. If you were hoping for some deeper pirate trade or buying more powerful weapons, you won't find it here.
Duration, technical performance and impression
The whole campaign lasts about four hours, depending on your speed and (un)luck with the checkpoint system. Checkpoints are not very frequent, which means that death or getting stuck in some situations can set you back a good chunk. However, most problems can be solved by simply resetting the last checkpoint, with the possibility of re-passing one or two smaller sections.
During testing, I encountered several bugs that "locked" me in space or prevented further progress, but by simply resetting and moving more carefully in narrow areas of the terrain, I managed to avoid major frustrations.
Aesthetically speaking, the game offers solid scenes of the Caribbean island, although outdated effects and rather flat textures are noticeable in some places. However, good lighting and an overall attractive color palette somewhat compensate for this shortcoming.
The soundstage does a good job, especially when you're in dark caves or when enemies approach from the darkness. The music is in keeping with the pirate theme, and the voice acting of the captain and the parrot isn't a masterpiece, but it's quite solid. The parrot can make you smile a few times, but be prepared for the sometimes irritating repetition of phrases.
Pirate VR Jolly Rogers may not go down in the annals of the most innovative VR titles, especially if we're looking at the standards of 2025. Many of its mechanics – like the simplistic automatic weapon loading and wave combat system – are reminiscent of old VR titles that were current around 2017.
While this may disappoint more experienced VR players, there are segments (such as the visual presentation of the island, some fun climbing, and generally accessible combat) that can provide short-term entertainment.
The story is simple, the puzzles are mostly generic, and the main motivation often comes from the very idea of a pirate's treasure hunt, which, let's face it, always has its charm. If you don't mind a short campaign, occasional repetitiveness and some technical shortcomings, Pirate VR Jolly Rogers can be a solid passing adventure for those who like pirate themes.
Considering all the above, my final rating is 7/10. Despite its flaws, the game still offers enough for fans of simple VR adventures and a pirate atmosphere, and the feeling of exploring beautiful (albeit occasionally generic) locations can comfortably entertain you for several hours.
If you're careful with your expectations and can get past the slightly dated mechanics, you might still enjoy this pirate expedition - especially if you're drawn to frolicking in (virtual) tropical seas and chasing down skeletal opponents. For those who want something more technically refined and significantly deeper, it might be better to wait for a discount or turn to other recent VR titles. However, if you're in the mood for some light pirate fun, feel free to hop aboard the Pirate VR Jolly Rogers - you might just find a piece of hidden treasure that will take you, at least for a little while, to an alluring and mischievous Caribbean experience.
[modula id="3620"]A copy of the game for review purposes was provided by the development studio Split Light Studio and the publisher VRKiwi Team
