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Games : Must Own
Ranking:
Release Date: December 13th, 2016 Movie Release Year: 2016

I Expect You To Die (PS VR)

Overview -

One of the early Oculus Rift highlights was a 2015 prototype for an escape room title called 'I Expect You To Die.' The virtual reality title allowed players to live out their fantasy of being a secret agent, and tasked them with getting an experimental car out of a plane. Now, over a year later, 'I Expect You To Die' has finished development and Schell Games' anticipated puzzle game is available for both the Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR.

OVERALL:
Must Own
Rating Breakdown
VIDEO
AUDIO
Tech Specs & Release Details
Release Date:
December 13th, 2016

Video Review

Ranking:

The opening credits of 'I Expect You To Die' features an extremely stylized look that is reminiscent of a 'Bond' film opening. Sadly, that awesome art style isn't present in the actual game, as the game opts for a more realistic look (although one that is pretty cartoonish). This look is fine, and is probably better from a gameplay point-of-view since objects are instantly recognizable in the environment. Either way, there's a lot of polish that went into making the environments highly detailed (from fake books to handwritten notes), and the game is great to look at.

Audio Review

Ranking:

'I Expect You To Die' opens with an amazing original song that has a female vocalist singing about various death traps the player will face off against (such as a "a lake filled with acid"), and how they expect them to die. It sets the mood perfectly for the game, and audio is one of the many areas where Schell Games' puzzle game shines. The voice acting is strong as well, as there's an agent (who is voiced by Jared Mason) that gives the player overviews before missions, and occasionally gives them tips when stuck. Mason's lines and delivery are hilarious, and the game's sense of dark humor makes the trial-and-error nature of the gameplay much more bearable.

Final Thoughts

'I Expect You To Die' is a must-have puzzle game for PlayStation VR owners. It's one of the most polished titles available for the headset, and really shows how the medium can open up new ideas for developers. It takes the light-hearted interactions that made 'Job Simulator' a blast to play, but gives the player a greater purpose by having them solve brilliantly crafted puzzles. The only disappointment is that the experience ends a bit too quickly, but thankfully it looks like more is on the way (either in the form of a sequel or DLC) if the game's credits are to be believed.