![The Room VR: A Dark Matter Review - Screenshot 1 of 8](https://images.pushsquare.com/screenshots/137894/900x.jpg)
Escape rooms are a fantastic match for VR. You possibly can craft fantastical eventualities 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 collection 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 in search of a lacking Egyptologist within the early 1900s, you’ll go to numerous places throughout the title’s 5 ranges. The title begins you off gradual, 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 stage to stage ratchets up on the good fee, by no means overstepping or falling into the trimmings of classical point-and-click journey titles with obtuse, nonsensical options. As a substitute, you might be handled to puzzles with logical options, a lot of which embrace dozens of steps to finish. And when you do get caught, the sport has a strong clue system, nice for pointing you in the proper course with out fixing puzzles for you.
The puzzles rising in complexity additionally gives the chance to point out off unbelievable environments. Textures look good all through, some environments are huge, and in VR, the size is offered in a really convincing method. You’ll normally be capable of see different clues or steps within the puzzles throughout the room, which may help jog your reminiscence about the place to go or what to do subsequent in a compelling method.
Every stage being self-contained permits the staff to dabble with completely different tones, too. An early stage coping with an historical Sarcophagus is especially adept at splicing horror into the expertise, whereas a stage going down in a church makes use of an organ to include musical parts into the sport. It’s all dealt with flawlessly, and vastly enhances the worth of the product, by providing different, distinctive experiences level-to-level.
That being mentioned, in relation to the worth of the product, the worth is without doubt one of the solely actual gripes we’ve with the expertise. It merely doesn’t have sufficient content material to match its £24.99/ $29.99 price ticket. Should you can abdomen the fee, although — or make the most of the free improve from PS4 to PS5 — there’s so much to love right here.