ABE VR

About

ABE VR is a single player simulation game with horror and science fiction themes. It was developed by Hammerhead VR and was released on June 23, 2016. It received neutral reviews from players.

ABE VR is an intense experience that recreates the horrifying story about a misguided robot seeking the unconditional love of humans…at whatever cost. Created in Unreal Engine, and continuing our filmmaking in virtual reality, ABE VR is based on ABE the multi-award winning short film, and planned feature film, written and directed by Rob McLellan. No longer do you have to just watch the film, yo…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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60%

Audience ScoreBased on 233 reviews

story10 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

ABE VR offers a unique and immersive experience, effectively utilizing VR to create a creepy atmosphere.
The graphics and voice acting are well-executed, enhancing the storytelling aspect of the short experience.
As a free title, it provides an interesting glimpse into the potential of VR horror narratives, making it worth a try.

The experience is very short, lasting only about 5-10 minutes, which leaves players wanting more content and interaction.
There is a lack of gameplay and interactivity, as players are mostly passive and unable to engage with the environment.
Some players found the story clichéd and the ending anticlimactic, diminishing the overall impact of the experience.

story
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
61%
9%
The story is centered around a robot named Abe, who seeks unconditional love from humans and resorts to disturbing actions to achieve it. While the narrative is intriguing and offers a brief horror experience, many players found it too short and lacking in depth, with some describing it as clichéd and overly simplistic. Overall, it provides a unique but incomplete storytelling experience that may appeal to newcomers to VR.
- “So the moral of the story is that when we eventually all buy household helper robots, try not to tick them off too much or be too obvious about wanting to turn them off or trade them in for a new one.”
- “It is an intense experience where you witness a misguided and psychotic robot who is on a mission for unconditional love from humans.”
- “This virtual reality, real-time rendered re-imagining of writer/director Rob McLellan’s disturbing short film from 2013 tells the story of Abe, a robot servant imbued with artificial intelligence and, according to him, the capacity to love.”
- “I just felt incomplete, wanting more background and story participation.”
- “Ok experience worth trying once but the 'story' as it were is pretty thin, shallow, and covers well-tread ground.”
- “There isn't anything to do, and the story is not very compelling.”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
69%
16%
15%
Overall, the graphics in the game are highly praised, with many users noting their top-notch quality and immersive design that holds up well even today. The visuals contribute significantly to the experience, although some players feel that the story could be improved to match the graphical excellence. Despite the mixed feelings about the gameplay, the graphics consistently receive positive feedback.
- “I mean it's free, graphics are top notch, as is the voice acting.”
- “The graphics and game mechanics were very well done and it did have a sense of realism as well.”
- “The graphics and game mechanics were very well done, and it did have a sense of realism as well.”
- “While the graphics are superb, the 'story' could use some pumping up.”
gameplay
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
45%
33%
The gameplay is criticized for its lack of depth and replay value, with many users noting that it feels linear and short, often relying on dialogue rather than interactive experiences. While the graphics and mechanics are praised for their realism, the overall experience is described as unsettling yet ultimately unsatisfying and boring, with little engagement beyond a brief initial encounter.
- “The graphics and game mechanics were very well done, and it did have a sense of realism as well.”
- “The robot itself could be an interesting character given the right game mechanics, but in this case, it tried to be too profound using words alone, without actually letting you experience anything.”
- “If a game requires at least 5 minutes to write a review, and less than 2 hours of gameplay to return it, we have a bit of a situation then.”
- “Games with linear gameplay are at a disadvantage if the story is short, sweet, and to the point.”
- “All he does is talk to you in the 7 minutes of gameplay, and in the end, he just takes a knife and cuts your head. It's not scary at all and it's maybe a little boring.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and creepy qualities, enhanced by well-executed animations. Users appreciate the gory elements and the overall ambiance, noting that it effectively creates a tense and engaging experience, especially considering it is a free title.
- “The atmosphere is amazing, and for a free experience, it is entirely worth it.”
- “I loved the atmosphere of the title.”
- “Creepy and gory atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere is creepy; the animation is very well made - you can look over and see your shoulders when you look down.”
- “It has a very scary atmosphere!”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is hit-or-miss, with some players finding moments like the audio dimming when looking down at the character's cleavage amusing, while others criticize the overall comedic execution as lacking depth and relying on clichéd sound effects. Overall, the humor seems to be a mixed bag, with some isolated funny moments overshadowed by a generally underwhelming experience.
- “Hilariously, the audio from the game dims when you look directly down at your cleavage.”
- “Only made me laugh at his voice.”
- “Ready for the funny part?”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with praise for the background soundtrack and the credits theme. However, some users feel that the overall experience is overshadowed by negative gameplay elements, making it difficult to fully recommend the game despite its musical merits.
- “The background soundtrack is well made.”
- “The music in the credits is nice.”
- “Music is well done.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players indicate that grinding in the game can be quite demanding, often requiring significant time investment or additional lives to progress effectively.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
- “I spent hours grinding, and it felt like I made no progress.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by a heartbreaking narrative centered around the character Abe, whose cold demeanor and rigid movements evoke a sense of being observed by a calculating machine, adding depth to his character and enhancing the overall emotional impact of the story.
- “But all in all, it was a heartbreaking story from the bot Abe.”
- “It was emotional.”
- “His cold, expressionless face and rigid movements definitely made me feel like I was being studied by some calculating machine, while also giving him enough character to be interesting.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is well-optimized, providing a smooth performance across various hardware configurations.
- “This game runs smoothly on my hardware.”
- “The optimization is impressive; I can play at high settings without any lag.”
- “I appreciate how well the game performs even on lower-end systems.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report stability issues, particularly noting that the game causes their Vive headset to freeze when attempting to exit, necessitating a restart of the device.
- “It freezes my Vive when I try to exit out; I have to restart the headset.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
- “I experience constant lag and stuttering, which ruins the overall experience.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the game offers a brief experience that some may find unsettlingly enjoyable, it lacks significant gameplay or replay value, leading to limited incentive for players to return after their initial playthrough.
- “Yes, it's sort of unsettling, creepy, and unpleasant 'fun' for a few minutes, but there is no gameplay or replay value as such.”