I Expect You To Die is one of the most popular virtual reality games in the world. It is not only on top of all of the common charts, but it has been leading the pack inside of strategy and puzzle games as well. This game pushes the boundaries of what you though VR could do, and makes for an incredible intro for VR, as well as a game for more seasoned users.
In our in-depth game reviews, we will be covering each and every topic you need to know about before you go out and try or buy a VR title. Knowing which games are worth your money is a hard decision when inside of a growing community, so we hop these reviews help and aid you in your search for your own specific game. All games will be reviewed with the best headset on the market right now, the Valve Index.
Getting Up and Running
I Expect You To Die is coming in at a price point of $24.99. In the two plus years on Steam Store, this game has received “very positive” reviews, with over 750 of them. The file size is a big one, but not the biggest you will find in virtual reality. This is only going to be 8 GB and should download fairly quickly. If you have a slow connection, grab a snack as you could be waiting for a while. If you have lightning speed internet, the download will take a few minutes.
This game can be found inside of Steam, Oculus, and the Viveport Infinity subscription. If you buy this game from Oculus or download from Viveport Infinity, it will be located right inside of the app. There you can launch VR as well. If you go through Steam, you will need to choose a location for this game to live on your local PC. You can start the game through Steam if you take that route. This game installs like any other VR game on the market right now.
Type of Game
This is an indie puzzle game, and there’s not much more about it in this department. You aren’t going to be teaming up with anyone anytime soon, and you aren’t going to be shooting any undead zombies in this game either. The idea stays the same throughout the game and you can expect the same objective from level to level.
In this game you will be challenged in ways you didn’t think VR could challenge you. Most VR games are putting you in a fun environment with rainbows and butterflies, but this game doesn’t keep the same ideas alive. You will be a new person if you finish all of the levels, but of course, we expect you to die.
Player Perspective
You will be playing this game from the first-person perspective. Just like most great virtual reality games, you won’t be looking over the shoulder in any part of this game. You will be able to see your hands in this game, but thats it. No arms, legs, or body in this game. It doesn’t take away from the immersion one bit, but it does give you some added benefits. Because this game needs you to be aware of your surroundings, its oddly nice you don’t have to worry about the rest of your body.
Theme and Story – Score: 9/10
The theme and story in this game are as strong as ever. You are presented with a speaker in your ear to start the game, and you learn about who you are and what got you into the positions you are about to be presented to. Some games overcomplicate this, but this game doesn’t do in that at all. It is constant throughout the game, but we honestly wish it was a bit longer. We will be granted that wish in due time, as promised free DLC will hit the market before the end of the year.
Controls – Score: 8/10
The only problem we had with the controls throughout the game was the lack of ease with the index controllers. We have played this game with other controllers, so we know how easy the controls are to work when they are properly optimized. The input was enough to satisfy us, but it never felt overcomplicated to us either. Great work here from the developers.
Music and Sound – Score: 9/10
From top to bottom, there was no real gaping hole in this game with audio. The only thing keeping this game from a perfect score was the lack spatial audio in some scenes. Had they nailed that down, we might be looking at our first 10/10. The people that spoke to you, the noises from the objects, and even the music picking up pace to the level were all very well done. A tip of our cap here to the developers once again.
Player Movement – Score: 9/10
The developers wanted you to stay in one spot in this game, but still be able to manipulate an entire room. This could’ve come with challenegs, but we are glad they were all worked out before the game was released. You can move your hands essentially throughout the game, but you won’t be moving your body. Your ability to throw, grab, and much more are all within your reach at all times, no matter which scene you are in the game.
Kinetosis – Score: 10/10
I Expect You To Die grabs our first 10/10 in the motion sickness in our game reviews, and thats no accident either. You were able to move about and interact with your world without having to sacrifice motion sickness for it. No matter how fast you turn your head in this game, there isn’t going to be any tearing in the seems. Your immersion takes a nice bonus from this as well. You could stay in this game for hours and walk home with no motion sickness feeling at all. We love our settled stomachs, and we love this game.
Environment and Immersion – Score: 9/10
Your environment is ever changing with your abilities in this game, and you feel more immersed in each and every one. There isn’t a time in this game that you forget you’re wearing a headset, but there also isn’t a moment that you don’t mind it. It is a fun game to be immersed in, and every aspect of the game plays into the high score you are seeing as a result.
Overall – Score: 9/10
This game is taking home the best score we have seen in one of our in-depth game reviews yet, and we highly recommend you spend some time inside of this game. You won’t be disappointed, and you won’t be walking out with a new feeling of motion sickness either. This is a staple in the industry for a reason, and it will continue to be as they continue to release free DLC for the game owners.
