I EXPECT YOU TO DIE
And you will. Over and over again
There’s a reason people dream of being a suave ’60s secret agent. Who wouldn’t to experience the heart-pounding thrill of saving the world – and yourself – at the very last second? Alas, the quick wits of James Bond are not ones most of us possess. In his shoes, it’s more likely we would find ourselves suffocating, drowning and exploding instead. So consider the name of this quirky escape room-style VR jaunt fair warning. Fortunately, the unlucky agent in the leading role of I Expect You To Die is special in more ways than one, thanks to telekinetic abilities. Using his mind’s eye, you can make objects hover in the air, draw them closer and push them away. And because you’re always static, this ingenious method of control is an effective way to explore.
Experimenting with what you can play with in the game’s briefing office is just as much fun as when you’re doing it in the main operations you undertake. These missions – should you choose to accept them – involve wriggling out of deadly situations with some creative thinking and a fair bit of patience. Whether it’s breaking into a lab that’s housing an apocalyptic super-virus or attempting to steal a car that’s inside a flying plane, this nails the tone of early Bond films.
Hewing closer to traditional point-and-click design, the puzzles rely a fair amount on trial and error. (Early on, I make the mistake of breaking a window to grab an item and let poison gas seep everywhere.) This means there’s nothing here that will punish your grey cells like The Witness, and the repetition of learning through death is limiting in its appeal.
DR YES
But that’s also the point. You need to treat this like messing around in Q’s lab, where failure is just part of the deal. The best moments come from playing around with random objects in ways that don’t solve puzzles, but do have effects. A personal favourite involves pulling a cigar close enough so it pops into my mouth and then, with a wave of a lighter, it puffs away. Smoking’s not cool, but the depth of interaction is.
It’s a shame this party finishes just when it should be taking off. The credits roll after a measly four levels, and each level only clocks in around the half-hour mark once you’ve factored in the constant restarts owing to dying. While there are multiple objectives you won’t hit on your first attempt and tough speed-running times to strive for, this isn’t a VR title that’ll have you playing for weeks and weeks.
Still, it’s one that explodes onto the scene (in more ways than one), and it’s a good thing I’m left wanting more, rather than less. While we see a lot of VR games providing fun playgrounds that put aimless experimentation at their heart, I Expect You To Die brilliantly adds the daydream appeal of being a cucumber-cool spy. Don’t wait to Die Another Day – these Diamonds Are ForeVR.
VERDICT
“TREAT THIS LIKE MESSING AROUND IN Q’S LAB: FAILURE IS JUST PART OF THE DEAL.”
You won’t be sweating with confusion over its brainteasers, but the laser focus on making you feel like a super spy earns this bite-size experience a Licence To Thrill. Ben Tyrer