HINGE VR
- November 27, 2020
- Arcadia
- 38h median play time
"Hinge VR" is a physics-based puzzle game in virtual reality. Manipulate and connect various pieces in imaginative ways to solve increasingly complex challenges. With a focus on creativity and experimentation, each level offers a unique experience that puts your problem-solving skills to the test.
Reviews
- The game features excellent graphics and a unique atmosphere that enhances the horror experience.
- It offers a surreal and challenging gameplay experience, with many interactive elements and a compelling story.
- The developers have shown commitment to improving the game through updates, addressing performance issues and adding content.
- The game suffers from significant performance issues, including stuttering and low frame rates, even on high-end systems.
- Gameplay can be confusing and frustrating, with unclear objectives and poorly implemented mechanics that hinder player progress.
- Many players have reported bugs, including issues with audio cutting out and problems with item interactions, leading to a lack of immersion.
- graphics84 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning visuals, impressive lighting, and unique art style reminiscent of titles like Bioshock. However, many players report performance issues, including lag and glitches, particularly on lower-end systems, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these technical challenges, the game's aesthetic appeal remains a highlight for many reviewers.
“As far as graphics go, this game is one of the most beautiful VR titles, although it's very indie and you can kind of feel that while playing. Not that it's unpolished, it just doesn't follow a lot of the gaming norms other games in this genre do, which I admire this game for.”
“The graphics in the game are at the highest level, the developers also improved the performance of their game, for which they are very grateful.”
“The game is gorgeous and the visuals are impressive.”
“I loaded up the game and alarm bells were ringing when the game menu looked like it was running in 640 x 480. I jumped into the graphical settings and it turns out that at default it is set to 60% of the resolution of my Steam render settings; it describes 80% as 'high' and 100% as 'ultra'.”
“But even with that patch and graphics settings all set to low, on a GTX 1080 the FPS graph of this game is fully in the red with reprojection on 100% of the time and potentially nauseating artifacts from the reprojection as you move around.”
“Even with all graphics settings switched off or set to low, the game still struggles to run at an acceptable level of performance.”
- story80 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it intriguing and atmospheric, particularly appreciating its unique storytelling and horror elements. However, many expressed frustration with its convoluted narrative structure, lack of clear direction, and technical issues that detracted from the overall experience. While some praised the depth and creativity of the plot, others felt it was overly complex and not engaging enough to warrant multiple playthroughs.
“The developers have worked hard to make a really intimidating storyline with puzzles.”
“The story seems pretty interesting so far & some of the writing in the diaries, newspapers, etc. is great, especially the diary about the cannibals; very chilling.”
“For me, the game is (though there are of course things to improve like hands, colliders, and stuff) an outstanding experience, a great story, a super oppressing atmosphere, and just refreshing with a lot of cool ideas - especially one will stay in mind as I have never seen this in any other game...”
“The story is okay, but there's just way too much to it.”
“End of the story, after 2 hours I'm bored and frustrated by the repetitive and abstruse experience; I'm not willing to play it again!”
“I had a few frustrations with how the story/paths progress without warning; it seems to demand you to play it multiple times if you have a curious mind, but I could not get myself to do a replay, sadly.”
- optimization80 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been a significant point of contention among players, with many reporting persistent performance issues such as stuttering, frame drops, and janky controls, even on high-end hardware like the RTX 3080. While some users note improvements following updates, others still experience severe lag and recommend waiting for further optimization before playing. Overall, the game shows potential but requires substantial work to achieve a smooth and enjoyable experience across various systems.
“In my opinion, the game is very well detailed, I also noticed that the game has optimization, for VR games that I have encountered, this is a rarity.”
“The graphics in the game are at the highest level, the developers also improved the performance of their game, for which they are very grateful.”
“The performance got way better with each update and the devs still improve this.”
“This game was a stuttering mess on both the Quest 2 and Pico 4 wired connection.”
“The game has serious optimization issues but also poor direction for the user.”
“I rarely leave a comment on a game, but unfortunately I have to advise people to stay away from this until it gets optimized.”
- atmosphere54 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its oppressive and immersive qualities, drawing comparisons to titles like BioShock. Reviewers highlight the effective use of lighting and art design to create a deeply unsettling environment that enhances the horror experience, making it a standout feature despite some gameplay criticisms. Overall, the game is recommended for those who appreciate atmospheric and eerie settings, with many noting its ability to evoke strong feelings of fear and mystery.
“A game that completely immerses you in the atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere is very intimidating and oppressive!”
“An incredibly deep immersion in the atmosphere of horror, fear and darkness is breathtaking; you can feel it with every cell of your body.”
“The game does not live from jumpscares but more from creating a very oppressive atmosphere.”
- gameplay48 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players highlighting significant issues such as bugs, performance problems, and unintuitive mechanics that detract from the overall experience. While some appreciate the core mechanics and atmospheric elements, others find the gameplay tedious and poorly designed, leading to a disjointed experience. Despite ongoing improvements, many feel that the game still lacks polish, particularly in VR interactions and control responsiveness.
“The core mechanics of the game are great.”
“There are moments where it is very scary and this makes the gameplay even more interesting.”
“The game got constantly improved, technically and gameplay-wise during my playthrough.”
“A great reward for suffering through a playthrough filled with bugs, performance issues, janky controls, and unintuitive gameplay mechanics.”
“The art direction is nice, though a bit blunt for my taste, but the design—the level design, the interaction, the flow of the game, and the mechanics—are a mess.”
“It looks amazing, but the gameplay is more tedious than it is fun.”
- stability10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting frequent glitches, freezes, and lag, even on high-end systems. Many find the gameplay to be repetitive and frustrating, which detracts from the overall experience, making it difficult to appreciate the game's visual effects due to constant technical issues.
“I have a top of the line computer with 32GB RAM, i7-8700K, NVIDIA 3080 Ti graphics card, and I have had a number of glitches.”
“It's hard to enjoy the nice intentional visual distortions and effects when you can't tell the difference between them and the reprojection glitches you're seeing constantly.”
“I have a 1080 Ti, 16GB RAM, i7-8700K, and with the Index, it is just a buggy mess.”
- music8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -12 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its ability to enhance the horror atmosphere, drawing inspiration from Lovecraft's "The Music of Erich Zann." Players find the soundtrack both chilling and immersive, effectively complementing the game's exciting plot and stunning visuals. Overall, the music significantly contributes to the game's eerie and engaging experience.
“With 'The Music of Erich Zann' being one of the Lovecraft stories etched in my mind, this game resonated well with me via the usage of music.”
“Excellent soundtrack, supported by stunning graphics.”
“The music in the background is very scary, enhancing the excitement of the plot.”
“The music in Hinge VR is unsettling and adds to the horror atmosphere, but it can become repetitive and lose its impact over time.”
“While the background music is intended to be scary, it often feels out of place and detracts from the overall immersion of the game.”
“The soundtrack in Hinge VR lacks variety, making the experience feel monotonous despite the game's intriguing plot.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and at times frustrating, detracting from the overall enjoyment. Despite these challenges, many still appreciate the game's visual appeal and overall experience.
“It looks amazing, but the gameplay is more tedious than it is fun.”
“Bottom line - it has some tedious segments which are frustrating, but I really enjoyed the overall experience.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express frustration and confusion regarding the emotional experience of the game, highlighting moments of unexpected deaths and jump scares that contribute to a sense of anxiety and disorientation. This unpredictability can evoke strong emotional reactions, but it may also lead to feelings of helplessness.