Escape rooms are an excellent match for VR. You may craft fantastical situations and obtain extra convincing environments, all whereas permitting the expertise to happen at residence. And that is an thought developer Fireproof Video games has taken to coronary heart, because the fifth title in The Room sequence is VR-only. The Room VR: A Darkish Matter was beforehand launched on PSVR, however it’s higher than ever on Sony’s new headset.
As a detective on the lookout for a lacking Egyptologist within the early 1900s, you’ll go to various areas throughout the title’s 5 ranges. The title begins you off sluggish, with a barebones chapter that takes place in your workplace, earlier than introducing the sport’s biggest asset: its problem curve.
The complexity of puzzles from degree to degree ratchets up on the good price, by no means overstepping or falling into the trimmings of classical point-and-click journey titles with obtuse, nonsensical options. As an alternative, you’re handled to puzzles with logical options, a lot of which embody dozens of steps to finish. And for those who do get caught, the sport has a sturdy clue system, nice for pointing you in the best path with out fixing puzzles for you.
The puzzles rising in complexity additionally affords the chance to point out off unimaginable environments. Textures look sensible all through, some environments are large, and in VR, the size is offered in a really convincing approach. You’ll often have the ability to see different clues or steps within the puzzles throughout the room, which will help jog your reminiscence about the place to go or what to do subsequent in a compelling approach.
Every degree being self-contained permits the staff to dabble with totally different tones, too. An early degree coping with an historic Sarcophagus is especially adept at splicing horror into the expertise, whereas a degree happening in a church makes use of an organ to include musical parts into the sport. It’s all dealt with flawlessly, and drastically enhances the worth of the product, by providing various, distinctive experiences level-to-level.
That being mentioned, on the subject of the worth of the product, the worth is likely one of the solely actual gripes we’ve got with the expertise. It merely doesn’t have sufficient content material to match its £24.99/ $29.99 price ticket. In the event you can abdomen the associated fee, although — or benefit from the free improve from PS4 to PS5 — there’s rather a lot to love right here.
