Into Black

About

Into Black is a single player and multiplayer role playing game. It was developed by The Binary Mill and was released on August 27, 2025. It received very positive reviews from players.

A lone wanderer on the edge of space, a mystery as old as the universe itself, and one little robot who just wants to make the tea. Into Black is a First-Person VR action adventure that takes you into the depths of a mysterious alien planet. Explore the endless darkness, mine valuable resources, and fight off alien beasts solo or co-op with up to three friends, as you try to repair your ship and e…

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93%

Audience ScoreBased on 69 reviews

story13 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The game features immersive VR gameplay with solid gunplay, smooth movement mechanics, and a variety of environments that encourage exploration.
Character customization and an engaging upgrade system enhance the gameplay experience, making players feel a sense of progression.
The game is well-optimized, runs smoothly on various hardware, and offers a fun co-op experience that adds to its replayability.

Some players experienced bugs, such as enemies getting stuck or health bars not updating correctly, which can disrupt gameplay.
The game can feel repetitive towards the end, with a lack of unique objectives and limited resource management options.
The story and dialogue, while entertaining, may not provide enough depth, and some players found the ending unsatisfying.

story
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
59%
8%
The game's story is generally considered decent, featuring engaging characters and a mix of missions that keep players interested, though some find it weak or repetitive towards the end. While the dialogue is often described as cheesy, the voice acting is praised, and the narrative provides enough intrigue to maintain player engagement. Overall, the story complements the gameplay, which is highlighted as the main strength of the experience.
- “The mechanics of the game are engaging and evolving, the story is good and the dialogue between the main character and his sidekick is well written and funny.”
- “It features a complete 10-12 hour campaign with an interesting-enough storyline to keep you wanting to know what's next.”
- “The campaign has likeable characters and tons of side missions which can all be experienced in co-op.”
- “It can get repetitive towards the end and the story is a bit weak.”
- “The story dialogue is cheesy.”
- “The storyline is just enough that I’m engaged.”
gameplay
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
30%
12%
Overall, the gameplay is highly praised for its smooth mechanics, engaging combat, and enjoyable movement systems, including features like sprinting and jetpacking. Players appreciate the variety in environments and the integration of co-op gameplay, while the upgrade and resource gathering systems add depth. Despite some minor issues, such as occasional bugs and grind, the gameplay loop is described as addictive and well-optimized, making for a fun and immersive experience.
- “The environments are beautiful and varied, and the shooting mechanics are spot on.”
- “The mechanics of the game are engaging and evolving, the story is good and the dialogue between the main character and his sidekick is well written and funny.”
- “It's incredibly addictive, has smooth gameplay, has great mechanics, and has integrated gameplay where you decide on each mission if you want to do it solo or multiplayer.”
- “Their mechanical movement also harms the overall sense of danger that your spelunking ought to have.”
- “With as much as Binary Mill seems to put into their movement mechanics, this one really fell flat.”
- “The gameplay seems more than just a No Man’s Sky mining vibe, but that seems to be a huge element.”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
39%
23%
The graphics of the game have received positive feedback for their excellent visuals, immersive atmosphere, and smooth performance, with particular praise for the lighting, fog, and water effects. While some players initially had reservations about the art style, many found it to be beautifully executed, enhancing the overall experience. The game's graphics are noted for being crisp and well-optimized, contributing to an engaging gameplay experience.
- “Excellent visuals and atmosphere.”
- “Hats off to the team for making jumping actually feel great and not nauseating I also am enjoying the aesthetics of the environments.”
- “But the lights, fog, water, and shading are really well done, and elevate the simple graphic design choices.”
- “Because of the graphic style, had it been procedurally generated, the environments would have been bland and repetitive.”
- “The graphics are a bit better (they are, but only a tiny bit. Apart from the lighting, you might not notice).”
- “Definitely a must play, don't be fooled by the quest graphics.”
optimization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The optimization of the game has received high praise, with many users noting its smooth performance and impressive visuals, especially in comparison to other VR titles. Players report that the game runs exceptionally well even on lower-end hardware, allowing for an immersive experience without the need to adjust settings. Overall, it is considered one of the best-optimized VR games available, enhancing enjoyment and gameplay fluidity.
- “The optimization is probably some of the best I have seen in a VR game.”
- “Upon launch, this has to be one of the best optimized VR games I’ve played.”
- “I game on a laptop and usually expect the VR performance to struggle, and I always have to turn the settings down, but immediately upon launch, this game played buttery smooth with defaults, and I could probably even turn the graphics up if I wanted.”
- “There is something really special here, and I'm glad I waited for the PC release for the extra performance and eye candy.”
- “Smooth, immersive gameplay with significantly improved visuals over Quest 3, strong optimization, and a slick, intuitive in-game interface.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The music in the game is generally criticized for being repetitive, with players noting that the limited number of tracks, particularly during combat, detracts from the overall experience. While the ambiance and environment are appreciated, many users express frustration with the lack of variety in the music, leading some to mute it entirely in favor of their own playlists. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a significant shortcoming that impacts enjoyment.
- “Love the environment, music, ambiance, as well as customization of your character.”
- “The problems I had did not stop my enjoyment, but here they are: enemies can clip through the world and pop under you, there isn't enough explanation early on for many of the interactions to get resources, the music could have used two or three more tracks, and the textures are very simple, though still totally suitable to the game.”
- “While the music for combat helps signal that there are enemies nearby, there’s only one track, and it gets repetitive very quickly.”
- “The music could have used two or three more tracks, and the textures are very simple, though still totally suitable to the game.”
- “The music, which as I mentioned, is absolutely dreadful after you've heard the same loop for the 100th time.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
Overall, the game's replayability is limited due to static maps and a lack of unique objectives in story missions, which can lead to familiarity by the end. However, players may find replay value in the singularity mode, farming, and the crafting system that encourages upgrading. The intuitive controls and fast-paced movement also contribute to a more engaging experience for repeated playthroughs.
- “Intuitive controls, simple and accessible UI, the ability for blistering movement, and collectathon madness all make the game easily replayable over and over again.”
- “The crafting system adds good replayability by encouraging players to gain all the upgrades.”
- “It's not procedurally or randomly generated; maps are static in the campaign and a few sections become familiar by the time you're near the end, so replayability for that reason may be a little low.”
- “All the replayability will come from the singularity mode and farming.”
- “Intuitive controls, simple and accessible UI, the ability for blistering movement, and collectathon madness all make it easily replayable over and over again.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is highlighted by well-written dialogue, particularly between the main character and a comedic robot sidekick, which is engaging and genuinely funny without being obnoxious. Players appreciate the cleverness of the interactions, making the humor a standout aspect of the experience.
- “The mechanics of the game are engaging and evolving, the story is good, and the dialogue between the main character and his sidekick is well written and funny.”
- “It's good to know someone can still do funny dialogue without being obnoxious.”
- “The dialogue is well written with a robot companion that really is funny.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its excellent visuals and immersive environments, particularly the ruins of a past civilization. However, some players feel that the overall brightness diminishes the impact of certain gameplay elements, such as the flare gun, making it feel less necessary throughout the campaign.
- “Excellent visuals and atmosphere.”
- “Atmospheric environments with ruins of a past civilization.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The monetization strategy of Into Black VR has been criticized for incorporating predatory practices such as microtransactions, time-limited events, and battle passes, which detract from its otherwise engaging gameplay experience. Despite its potential, the game's poor advertising has contributed to its lack of visibility in a crowded market.
- “With games full of predatory dark patterns, from microtransactions to time-limited events and battle passes.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be enjoyable and rewarding, particularly in the context of replayability through singularity mode and farming. Many express excitement about leveling up and anticipate that the grind will become even more engaging as they progress, especially with the addition of 12-player PvPvE content.
- “All the replayability will come from the singularity mode and farming.”
- “Can't wait to get back in and keep leveling up; it's such a fun grind so far, and I'm not even to the grinding part yet or the 12-player PvPvE!”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game exhibits some stability issues, including bugs that prevent player revivals and instances where boss encounters fail to trigger, necessitating reloads. Despite these glitches, players generally find the experience enjoyable, particularly in the context of its cooperative gameplay and diverse activities.
- “A little buggy; I died underwater and couldn't be revived by my friend. Sometimes, when reaching a part of the level where a boss or something would happen, it just wouldn't trigger, and I'd have to reload. Overall, a good experience for VR, feels like a co-op extraction game, collect materials for upgrades (which there are plenty of), slay bugs, fight sharks, defeat bosses, and get out alive, platform across space, swim underwater, and join your friends.”