Doctor Who: The Edge of Reality

54%
Game Brain Score Based on 179 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

54%
Audience ScoreBased on 179 reviews
story35 positive mentions
gameplay8 negative mentions
  • The game features good voice acting, including performances from Jodie Whittaker and David Tennant, which adds to the overall experience for Doctor Who fans.
  • The storyline includes references and collectibles from various eras of Doctor Who, appealing to long-time fans of the series.
  • The game successfully creates an immersive atmosphere that makes players feel like they are part of a Doctor Who episode, especially during encounters with iconic villains like the Weeping Angels.
  • The game suffers from numerous bugs and glitches, including issues with character models, animations, and gameplay mechanics that can hinder the overall experience.
  • It is criticized for being very short and lacking replayability, with many players feeling it is not worth the full price.
  • The controls and user interface are poorly designed, with no options for key binding or sensitivity adjustments, making gameplay frustrating at times.
  • story106 mentions

    The story of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its connection to the Doctor Who universe and finding it engaging, while others criticize it for being convoluted, buggy, and lacking depth. Many fans noted that it feels like a rehash of the previous VR game, "Edge of Time," with only minor changes, leading to disappointment in its execution. Overall, while the narrative has its moments and appeals to die-hard fans, it suffers from technical issues and a lack of replayability, making it a less satisfying experience for many players.

    • “The story is pretty good, and similar to episodes of the series that the Doctor doesn't appear in much (ex. Blink).”
    • “The game's key strengths come from its story and how it fits into the Doctor Who world.”
    • “The story is TV-episode quality; it's interesting and engaging with clearly some thought put into it.”
    • “Weird storyline felt kind of all over the place.”
    • “The story is completely rubbish and I don't even think the people who made this knew what was going on.”
    • “The story is pretty inconsistent and doesn't fit in well with the world of Doctor Who.”
  • graphics50 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the immersive and engaging environments while others criticize the visuals as outdated and inconsistent, likening them to mobile games or even PS2 graphics. Many users express frustration over the lack of adjustable graphic settings, which hampers performance on lower-end machines, and note various bugs and glitches that detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, some players appreciate the art style and find the graphics acceptable within the context of the game's design goals.

    • “I thought I was playing Metal Gear Solid with these epic 4K graphics.”
    • “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 are surprisingly drab, which adds to the 'meh' feeling overall.”
    • “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.”
    • “No graphics options, minimal sound options, glitches everywhere, no mouse control on menus, audio mixing problems, the audio slider resets every time the map changes, blowing my ears out each time.”
  • gameplay38 mentions

    The gameplay has been widely criticized for being boring, buggy, and lacking depth, with many sections feeling like a walking simulator and offering little replayability. While some later levels introduce chase mechanics that enhance strategy, overall, the mechanics are poorly explained and often uninspired, leading to a frustrating experience. Despite a few redeeming features, such as decent controls and simple puzzle design, the game ultimately fails to deliver an engaging and cohesive gameplay experience.

    • “However, the later levels (which I believe were not developed for VR) address this by adding chase mechanics, forcing the player to strategize and remain a step ahead of pursuers - very on brand for the show!”
    • “Controls are very good and gameplay is intuitive and creative - a true upgrade (if you pardon the pun) to the VR version with 2 stars of TV, not just the show join the cast and Nicholas Briggs reprises his role as the Daleks/Cybermen.”
    • “I like how it's an extension of the VR game and the addition of the Tenth Doctor was great, the models are fine, and the gameplay is simple but effective.”
    • “Certain gameplay sections are simply boring.”
    • “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!”
  • stability37 mentions

    The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting persistent bugs, glitches, and performance issues that significantly detract from the overall experience. Despite some attempts at bug fixes, many users still encounter frequent crashes, lag, and graphical inconsistencies, making the game feel unpolished and frustrating to play. While a few players have reported minimal issues, the overwhelming consensus is that the game remains a "buggy mess," especially given its price point.

    • “I've had no glitches and no FPS issues so far. The controls can be a bit tricky to get a hold of, but they're not a huge issue like others seem to think they are.”
    • “For the price of €24.99, it's truly a buggy mess.”
    • “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.”
    • “This game is a broken, buggy, tedious mess.”
  • music16 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the soundtrack as "gorgeous" and well-composed, while others criticize it for being generic and poorly balanced with dialogue and sound effects. Many players noted issues with audio mixing, where music often drowned out important character dialogue, making it difficult to enjoy the overall experience. Additionally, the inability to independently adjust music volume detracted from the gameplay for some users.

    • “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.”
    • “There is no way to turn off the stupid background 'music' (it's kinda swooshy sounds) without turning off all the sound.”
    • “The music drowned out the characters and could not be lowered independently.”
  • optimization7 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with users noting significant performance issues, bugs, and poor texture quality. While some players experienced good frame rates on lower-end systems, others reported frustrating inconsistencies and a lack of clear save points, which detracted from the overall experience. Recent updates have improved performance, but optimization remains a key concern that affects enjoyment.

    • “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.”
    • “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.”
    • “The fact that performance is so all over the place is Edge of Reality's main issue, and one that will absolutely affect your enjoyment of an otherwise serviceable adventure.”
  • atmosphere5 mentions

    The game is praised for its immersive atmosphere, combining creepy elements with enjoyable dialogue and well-designed locations. While some players note the presence of invisible walls and locked doors that limit exploration, the overall ambiance is considered engaging and effectively crafted.

    • “Creepy atmosphere with enjoyable dialogue.”
    • “Nice atmosphere, scary from time to time.”
    • “This game is big in creating an atmosphere for you to enjoy.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    The game is criticized for its lack of replayability, with users noting that it offers a limited experience and a short playtime. Many reviewers feel that the storyline is hard to follow and the gameplay is restricted, contributing to the overall impression 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.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Players have found the game to be unexpectedly emotional, with some experiencing tears of joy within the first moments. The presence of genuinely touching moments has surprised many, especially considering the game's context as a 2021 Doctor Who title.

    • “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?”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often describing it as a broken and buggy experience that detracts from overall enjoyment.

    • “Tedious and cringe to play.”
    • “This game is a broken, buggy, tedious mess.”
  • character development1 mentions

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

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

51% average critic score

Buy Doctor Who: The Edge of Reality

Play time

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

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