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I Expect You To Die 3: Cog in the Machine is a spy-fi puzzle game where you must outwit your adversary, Dr. Roxana Prism, who thinks she can create a better agent. With new gadgets and custom disguises, race through six action-packed locales to protect the Agency and the world. Expect fast-paced missions that will test your advanced covert agent skills.

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94%
Audience ScoreBased on 786 reviews
story88 positive mentions
stability6 negative mentions

  • The game features engaging puzzles and a fun story, making it a great addition to the series.
  • The graphics and humor are top-notch, with many players praising the opening credits and overall presentation.
  • Replayability is high due to side objectives and collectibles, providing additional content for completionists.
  • Many players found the puzzles to be unintuitive and frustrating, often requiring external guides to progress.
  • The game suffers from bugs and control issues, particularly with certain VR setups, leading to a less polished experience.
  • Some missions are criticized for being too short or lacking the depth and challenge of previous installments.
  • story
    242 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in this game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its humor and character development, while others find it weaker and less memorable compared to previous installments. Many appreciate the balance of engaging narrative and puzzle-solving, though some criticize the pacing and the underwhelming villain. Overall, while the story is seen as a significant aspect of the game, opinions vary on its execution and impact within the franchise.

    • “This franchise is honestly one of the best story-driven franchises I've ever seen, and it's the perfect balance of goofy humor and a really good story.”
    • “Absolutely loving the story and simply can't wait to see what puzzles they come up with and where they go next.”
    • “The story, music, and feel is even stronger in this one, and I'm getting genuinely invested in the world.”
    • “The story is bleh, the villain doesn't hold her own (especially not in comparison to John Juniper. Can't even remember her name) and the puzzles, while fun, are missing something, relying more on spectacle than interesting ideas.”
    • “The mechanics have really not gotten any better (if anything, they feel a bit worse but maybe that's just me), the story was lackluster, the gameplay was really more frustrating than the fun that was the original two games.”
    • “The story is much weaker than the last two and the ending is extremely unsatisfying.”
  • music
    46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its high quality and ability to enhance the spy-thriller atmosphere. The soundtrack features standout tracks, including an introductory song by Haley Reinhart, which adds to the overall experience. While some noted that certain pieces weren't as memorable, the majority found the music to be engaging and fitting for the game's themes, contributing significantly to the enjoyment of the gameplay.

    • “Great music and visuals that really hammer in the spy-thriller theme of the game and gets you ready for what to expect.”
    • “Amazing game, amazing story, amazing music.”
    • “The soundtrack is high quality but wasn't as memorable; the villain is kinda bland and, despite the stakes being high, the final mission didn't have that epic pizzazz that 1 and 2 had.”
    • “I also encountered more bugs in this game (such as loss of control even though the game appeared to be in focus or the end of level music being extremely loud).”
    • “You feel like you are trapped in a James Bond opening scene and the music is on par with the real deal too.”
  • gameplay
    44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Gameplay reviews are mixed, with some players praising the fun mechanics and engaging puzzles, while others criticize the unintuitive puzzle design and frustrating controls, leading to a lack of enjoyment. Many noted issues such as game freezing and a lack of updates to address these problems, which detracted from the overall experience. While some fans of the series found it an improvement over the second installment, others felt it did not live up to the original games.

    • “Love the story, gameplay, puzzles.”
    • “The game runs smooth and overall gameplay is a lot of fun.”
    • “I love the gameplay, the puzzles, and the art; it's all awesome.”
    • “Pretty much every level has an unintuitive puzzle mechanic that had me stumped for way too long, to the point of having to look up guides.”
    • “Between levels lasting longer than they should and each one trying to juggle too many mechanics that don't mesh well together, I couldn't make it past level 4 without calling it quits.”
    • “I really wanted to like this game, but every time I've tried, I've been stuck with broken mechanics, game freezing, and more often than not my controls freezing up, forcing me to reboot my entire PC just to fix it. This game was not ready for launch, at least on Steam, and I doubt it will ever get the fixes I need.”
  • humor
    28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in this franchise is praised for its perfect blend of goofy elements and engaging storytelling, particularly within the spy-themed puzzle context. While many players find the comedic aspects enjoyable and integral to the experience, some express frustration with the game's mechanics, which can detract from the fun. Overall, the humor is seen as a significant highlight, contributing to the game's charm and appeal.

    • “This franchise is honestly one of the best story-driven franchises I've ever seen, and it's the perfect balance of goofy humor and a really good story.”
    • “My favorite installment of the series so far; the addition of side objectives is so much fun and super hilarious.”
    • “The game doesn't expect you to die; it wants you to die and will take multiple opportunities to do so while laughing in your face about it, even going so far as to break itself just to ensure you cannot finish a level.”
    • “This game is the most antagonistic by far and it's just plain not funny anymore.”
    • “Then the controls do not work at all if the game window decides to move into the background for whatever reason, that is also not funny when it stops working all of a sudden and adds even more to the frustration level being already high.”
  • graphics
    28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics in the game are generally praised for their vibrant style and consistency, with many noting a significant improvement from previous installments. While some reviews mention that the graphics may not be the best up close, they effectively complement the game's humor and themes, particularly in the spy-thriller context. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong aspect, enhancing the gameplay experience despite some minor critiques.

    • “Very fun, challenging puzzles with amazing graphics and story.”
    • “Spy thriller action adventure story rich beautiful graphics and visuals.”
    • “Deeper puzzles, expanding the world, and great visuals make it an easy recommend.”
    • “To the cartoonish graphics and the challenging gameplay.”
    • “7/10 graphics: not the best up close but does the job.”
    • “Graphically, it's a decent game (in keeping with the humor and style they want to convey).”
  • replayability
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game offers strong replayability, particularly for completionists, with numerous hidden challenges, side missions, and collectibles to discover. While some players note the game may feel short for its price, the engaging puzzles and humor contribute to a satisfying experience that encourages multiple playthroughs.

    • “These games are always super fun and have surprising replayability, especially if you're a completionist.”
    • “Another great VR puzzle game from Schell, with lots of jokes, hidden stuff, and extra challenges for replayability.”
    • “I found this to be the hardest of the three games... some of the challenges in it, once I realized what I was missing, were pure groans... but it was incredibly satisfying once I figured them out. For replayability, I still have a lot to get through in the side missions and collectibles, which I'm looking forward to.”
    • “I found this to be the hardest of the 3 games... some of the challenges in it, once I realized what I was missing, were pure groans... but it was incredibly satisfying once I figured them out. For replayability, I still have a lot to get through in the side missions and collectibles, which I'm looking forward to.”
  • emotional
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players report a strong emotional connection to the game, expressing feelings of excitement, attachment, and even sadness upon completion. Many noted that the narrative and character development elicited tears and introspection, particularly regarding the antagonist, highlighting the game's ability to evoke deep emotional responses. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging storytelling and immersive experience.

    • “This game was just what I needed right now, and I'm so sad that I finished it already. It was so fun, and I have to admit I did shed a tear.”
    • “Made me feel stupid, made me question my sexuality, made me cry a little because I got too attached to the antagonist, and then they hit us with the scenes. Very good game!”
    • “I was thoroughly charmed; every level made me feel excited when they described it and delivered on what I expected.”
  • stability
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous bugs and glitches reported by users. The increased difficulty, combined with the lack of checkpoints, exacerbates the frustration, as players often find themselves having to restart entire levels after dying. Overall, the stability of the game is a major concern for players.

    • “Very buggy!”
    • “The difficulty has been upped (expect to die not just a few times but just about every time you try anything other than the exact path the devs have plotted out for you), there's still no checkpoints to offer any kind of mercy (meaning yes, you can die on the last puzzle of a level and have to do the entire thing over again from the start), and now, just for fun, there's a whole host of glitches too.”
  • grinding
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to lengthy cutscenes that interrupt gameplay, making it frustrating for those aiming for speedrun achievements. The repetitive nature of these cutscenes can detract from the overall experience, leading some to feel that extensive grinding is necessary.

    • “The levels are all broken up by lengthy cutscenes which are not bad on their own, but become extremely tedious when trying for the speedrun achievements and you have to sit through the same 2-minute long speech multiple times.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
  • optimization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is well-received overall, but players have noted significant issues with the control settings for the Valve Index controller, indicating that optimization appears to favor the Quest controller instead.

    • “The game itself is great, but the control settings for the Valve Index controller are very poor; it seems they only optimized the game for the Quest controller.”
    • “The game itself is great, but the control settings for the Valve Index controller are very poor; it seems they only optimized the game for the Quest controller.”

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