Doctor Who: The Edge of Reality

57%
Game Brain Score Based on 190 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Doctor Who: The Edge of Reality Game Cover
Doctor Who: The Edge of Reality is a fun trip for fans that still has some flaws, but offers up a look at what a good Doctor Who game can be.
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In Doctor Who: The Edge of Reality, voiced by Jodie Whittaker and David Tennant, players join the Thirteenth and Tenth Doctors on a journey through space and time. They must enter the Chaosverse to save the universe from time-breaking glitches, facing classic monsters and a new threat, the CyberReaper. This story-driven adventure is available on non-VR platforms and features new characters.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

57%
Audience ScoreBased on 190 reviews
story41 positive mentions
stability38 negative mentions
  • The game features a great storyline that captures the essence of Doctor Who, with engaging twists and familiar characters like the Daleks and Cybermen.
  • The graphics and environments are visually appealing, providing an immersive experience for fans of the series.
  • Voice acting, including performances by David Tennant and Jodie Whittaker, adds depth to the characters and enhances the overall experience.
  • The game suffers from numerous bugs and glitches, including issues with controls, mouse sensitivity, and visual inconsistencies that detract from gameplay.
  • There is a lack of customization options, such as keybindings and graphics settings, making it difficult for players to tailor the experience to their preferences.
  • Gameplay can feel linear and repetitive, with puzzles that are often too easy and a reliance on backtracking, leading to a less engaging experience.
  • story116 mentions

    The game's story is generally well-received, capturing the essence of Doctor Who with intriguing plot twists, beloved characters, and engaging lore. However, many players note that it feels like a rehash of the previous VR title, "Edge of Time," and suffers from bugs and pacing issues that detract from the overall experience. While fans of the series may find enjoyment in the narrative, others criticize it for being convoluted and lacking depth, suggesting that it may not appeal to those unfamiliar with the franchise.

    • “The story is very intriguing, like a Doctor Who episode with twists and turns and epic action and fun puzzles.”
    • “The game's key strengths come from its story and how it fits into the Doctor Who world.”
    • “Everything about the story was phenomenally written, especially the ending.”
    • “I had really high expectations for this game only to find out that this game is just a copy of the Doctor Who: Edge of Time VR game but just has more stuff. The storyline is hard to understand, and the gameplay is severely limited.”
    • “The story is very two-dimensional, and the tacked-on Cyberman stuff that was developed for this version of the game feels... well... tacked on.”
    • “The story itself is completely rubbish, and I don't even think the people who made this knew what was going on.”
  • graphics61 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the stunning environments and immersive visuals, while others criticize the overall quality as outdated and inconsistent, likening it to older titles. Many users express frustration over the lack of adjustable graphics settings, which hampers performance on lower-end machines. Overall, while there are moments of impressive design, the game suffers from technical issues and a lack of polish that detracts from the visual experience.

    • “Secondly, the atmosphere and landscapes of most of the chapters of the game were stunning, the graphics were insane and very well done.”
    • “Aesthetically, this game works; everything looks exactly like it should from a design perspective, the TARDIS is gorgeous, and the environments are very engaging and immersive.”
    • “The graphics are stunning.”
    • “The graphics aren't even up to the level of id software's Quake II updates, much less a recently-written game.”
    • “What makes this problem worse is that you cannot adjust the graphic settings in any significant way and you have to suffer low-detailed levels and cutscenes.”
    • “There aren't any graphics settings aside from: subtitles, fullscreen, gamma, and vsync which is rather disappointing for people with lower-end machines and want to set the graphics down a tad.”
  • gameplay40 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players noting significant issues such as bugs, limited mechanics, and a lack of excitement, often describing it as boring or simplistic. While some sections introduce chase mechanics that add a layer of strategy, overall, the gameplay is criticized for being rough, lacking depth, and feeling more like a walking simulator with minimal engaging content. Despite these drawbacks, a few players appreciated the intuitive controls and the effort of developers to address problems, suggesting that the game may still appeal to fans of the franchise.

    • “The gameplay is intuitive and creative - a true upgrade to the VR version with 2 stars of TV, not just the show.”
    • “I like how it's an extension of the VR game and the addition of the Tenth Doctor was great; the gameplay is simple but effective.”
    • “Gameplay sections are okay, though quite a lot can be either left down to trial and error or backtracking most of the level to find an item that's not very well hidden.”
    • “Judging this game by 2021 standards, it severely lacks in that this game is buggy, its storyline is hard to understand, its gameplay is severely limited and it has no replayability.”
    • “The gameplay is jerky, the graphics are almost back to the good old Wolf 3D days!”
    • “The second half saw Tennant return, which was great and I loved him, but the gameplay seemed a bit lame and lazy in that part due to most of it being chased by a cyberreaper, which I imagine was invented to keep boring parts of the gameplay exciting by having him chase you everywhere, which I found quite annoying rather than scary.”
  • stability39 mentions

    The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous players reporting persistent bugs, glitches, and performance issues that significantly detract from the overall experience. Many users express frustration over the game's unfinished feel, with frequent crashes and graphical inconsistencies making it nearly unplayable at times. Despite some players experiencing fewer issues, the overwhelming consensus is that the game requires substantial fixes to reach an acceptable level of stability.

    • “I've had no glitches and no FPS issues so far, and while the controls can be a bit tricky to master, they're not a significant problem like others seem to think.”
    • “It's mostly just a buggy mess with poor direction for the player.”
    • “So, to see that months after the release of the expanded story: the edge of reality is still buggy, ugly, and painful to play is incredibly disappointing.”
    • “This game is a broken, buggy, tedious mess.”
  • music18 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising the soundtrack as "gorgeous" and enjoyable, while others criticize it for being generic and poorly balanced with dialogue and sound effects. Many players noted the lack of audio separation, making it difficult to adjust volumes independently, which often resulted in music overpowering important dialogue. Overall, while the music has its highlights, technical issues hinder the overall audio experience.

    • “The soundtrack is actually pretty dang good and the environment and graphics are not bad.”
    • “I loved the in-game music and ambient music.”
    • “The soundtrack is gorgeous; the opening theme rendition rivals the best on the show.”
    • “Music is generic; nothing here you'll recognize.”
    • “My biggest complaint would be that the music at a few parts was too loud for me to make out the audio clearly and there sadly wasn't a way to change just the music to a lower volume.”
    • “There is no way to turn off the stupid background 'music' (it's kinda swooshy sounds) without turning off all the sound.”
  • atmosphere8 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its creepy and immersive qualities, enhanced by stunning graphics and well-crafted landscapes. Players appreciate the combination of enjoyable dialogue and a consistently eerie ambiance, although some note that the presence of invisible walls and locked doors can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the atmosphere effectively draws players in, making it a significant highlight of the game.

    • “Secondly, the atmosphere and landscapes of most of the chapters of the game were stunning; the graphics were insane and very well done.”
    • “The atmosphere is very scary (which is a plus for me).”
    • “This game is big in creating an atmosphere for you to enjoy.”
    • “The atmosphere is very neat.”
    • “The atmosphere is very scary (which is a + for me).”
  • replayability4 mentions

    Overall, the game is criticized for its lack of replayability, with multiple users noting that it offers a limited experience and a short playtime. Many feel that the storyline is difficult to follow and the gameplay is restricted, contributing to the perception that there is little incentive to revisit the game after completion.

    • “No replayability; it's a very limited experience.”
    • “Judging this game by 2021 standards, it severely lacks in that it is buggy, its storyline is hard to understand, its gameplay is severely limited, and it has no replayability.”
    • “It's apparently a port from the VR version, and I can kind of see where that's coming from, but it's still just a regular game. It's a quick port, and they really didn't bother too much with it. The game itself is not really bad; I've had fun, and the story is okay as well. However, it's short and has no replay value.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews; while some players experienced significant performance improvements after updates, others reported persistent bugs, poor textures, and sound issues that detracted from the experience. Despite these challenges, some users noted that even on lower-end systems, they achieved good frame rates, indicating potential for optimization in future patches.

    • “I have an awful computer and have had amazing FPS and performance, considering how realistic the graphics are. There was only about 10 minutes of gameplay where I experienced very low FPS; however, updates released after I played those sections have drastically improved performance.”
    • “The optimization in this game is impressive, with only a couple of areas where I noticed performance issues.”
    • “On a minor level, the sound is not optimized incredibly well, and certain pieces of dialogue were outmatched by music or sound effects with no option to moderate.”
    • “What I was greeted with was a mess of bugs, poor performance, and worse textures.”
    • “Optimization: there were a couple of areas in the game where it was obviously having issues.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The game evokes strong emotional responses, with players reporting moments of genuine happiness and touching experiences, particularly surprising for a Doctor Who video game. Many find themselves deeply moved, highlighting its ability to connect on an emotional level.

    • “I'm not sure how reliable my review is because I cried tears of happiness in the first minute of the game, but I'm loving this.”
    • “Genuinely touching moments—who would have thought we'd get any of those in a 2021 Doctor Who video game?”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by absurd and unexpected moments, such as the amusing scene involving a Dalek stuck to a crane. Additionally, the presence of nonsensical collectibles adds a layer of comedic absurdity, contributing to the overall lighthearted tone.

    • “One of my favorite parts is in the first scene when you lift a bus with a crane and can get a Dalek stuck to it. Had me laughing, haha.”
    • “There are a lot of collectibles that just don't make sense in their environments, which takes you out of the moment but can be seen as a funny joke.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development is noted to be visually appealing, but it suffers from a low-budget execution that limits depth and complexity.

  • grinding1 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often exacerbated by numerous bugs and technical issues that hinder the overall experience.

    • “This game is a broken, buggy, tedious mess.”
    • “The grinding feels endless and monotonous, making it hard to stay engaged.”
    • “I spent hours doing the same tasks over and over, and it just became frustrating.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

51% average critic score

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Play time

5hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
5-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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