Common Sense Media Review
By Marc Saltzman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
VR adventure is impressive but a bit short on gameplay.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Robinson: The Journey
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
ROBINSON: THE JOURNEY is a first-person adventure game. You play as Robin, a boy who becomes stranded on a planet called Tyson III after a spaceship crash-lands there. Your resourcefulness is put to the test, as you must stay alive among man-eating dinosaurs and other threats and obstacles that stand in your way. With the help of a floating artificial intelligence (AI) orb called HIGS and a baby T. rex named Laika, you'll solve puzzles, collect memory cells, and test your reflexes as you search for survivors and try to find a way off this brutal planet.
Is It Any Good?
This beautiful adventure title gets a lot right with its presentation while it also falls short in some ways. Robinson: The Journey has a breathtakingly beautiful world that looks like it's ripped out of Jurassic Park. It's easily the best-looking game for PlayStation VR, with dinosaurs and lush jungle environments that are something to experience. Climbing and running from a first-person perspective is presented in a way that really makes you feel like you're there. But it can be difficult to handle and manipulate some objects, which unfortunately breaks the all-important suspension of disbelief.
Most of the puzzles are quite good, especially for fans of the old point-and-click graphical adventure games popularized in the '90s. Don't expect a run-and-gun shooter here, because that's not what Robinson: The Journey is all about. A good story, a cheeky AI companion, and environmental puzzle-solving is what you'll get out of this single-player title -- all wrapped in an immersive, 360-degree and near photo-realistic world. The lone issues are that the game is short (at about two to three hours), and the path to success is quite linear, so there isn't much replayability. It's also too bad that it costs between $40 (disc) to $60 (download), because it would be a lot more compelling as a $20 title like Batman: Arkham VR. Still, it's gorgeous, challenging, and a great showcase of what virtual reality is capable of.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about screen-time limits. Since virtual reality gaming can be more immersive than regular gaming, how do you effectively manage screen time?
Talk about virtual reality. Is this game a great showcase of what virtual reality is capable of, or is it more of a tech demo? Should we be embracing this new technology for the "wow" factor, or can it truly be an innovative art form that can transport you to new worlds?
Game Details
- Platforms : PlayStation 4 , PlayStation VR
- Pricing structure : Paid
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : Sony Computer Entertainment America
- Release date : November 8, 2016
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Animals ( Dinosaurs , Wild Animals ) , Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Robots , STEM
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate