Red Matter

About

"Red Matter" is a story-driven virtual reality game set in a alternate Cold War era. As an astronaut for the "Empire," you explore a mysteriously deserted Volgravian base on Saturn's moon, Titan. Uncover the truth behind the Soviet-inspired Volgravians' research and the ominous "Red Matter" substance they created.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 745 reviews

story222 positive mentions

replayability6 negative mentions

The game features stunning graphics and a well-crafted atmosphere that immerses players in a retro-futuristic Soviet space setting.
Puzzles are engaging and well-integrated into the story, providing a satisfying challenge without being overly difficult.
The narrative unfolds through environmental storytelling and clues, creating an intriguing mystery that keeps players invested.

The game is relatively short, typically taking around 3-4 hours to complete, which may not justify the full price for some players.
Controls can be cumbersome, particularly the movement mechanics, which may lead to frustration for some users.
The story can feel disjointed or confusing at times, leaving players wanting more clarity and depth in the narrative.

story
467 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
49%
4%
The game's story is generally described as intriguing and atmospheric, set against a cold war backdrop with elements of mystery and horror. While many players appreciate the immersive storytelling and environmental clues that unfold the narrative, some find the plot to be short, disjointed, or lacking depth, leading to mixed feelings about its overall execution. Despite its brevity, the story is often highlighted as a key aspect that enhances the gameplay experience, particularly in the context of VR.
- “The story is advanced via slow exploration and fairly easy puzzles.”
- “The story is intriguing, but like everything else, there's far too little of it.”
- “The story is interesting, the difficulty of the puzzles is fine as there are always clues about what needs to be done.”
- “The story is confusing at least, but will grow on you over time.”
- “The story is complete but continues seamlessly in red matter 2.”
- “The story is a little short but I think it's a great game all around and I'm going to go buy the second game right now.”
graphics
232 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
24%
1%
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers highlighting their impressive quality, detail, and atmospheric effects, especially considering the game's age. Players noted that the visuals are not only beautiful but also enhance the overall immersive experience, making it one of the standout features of the game. While a few critiques mentioned simplicity in some graphics elements, the consensus is that the game delivers stunning visuals that elevate its storytelling and gameplay.
- “The graphics are gorgeous, with phenomenal lighting and really detailed textures, and everything works so smooth in VR.”
- “The visuals are incredibly detailed and are immersive enough to keep you playing the entire time.”
- “Great atmosphere conjured through very realistic and stylish graphics, plus good use of physics.”
- “Some reviewers are praising the graphics, but I found them to be far too simplistic.”
- “It is a really small game at less than 3GB, and the graphics are simply not that good.”
- “Graphics are okay for a 2018 VR game but nothing fancy either.”
atmosphere
129 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
15%
2%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning graphics, immersive sound design, and engaging environmental storytelling, creating a captivating experience that draws players into its dystopian, cold war-inspired setting. Many reviewers highlight the balance of eerie and beautiful elements, with a mix of puzzle-solving and exploration that enhances the overall mood without relying on jump scares. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered one of its strongest aspects, making it a standout in the VR genre.
- “The atmosphere is excellent as well as you really are immersed in this fictional dystopian sci-fi Soviet era cold war style space mystery.”
- “The atmosphere through the whole game is captivating.”
- “Very immersive cold war-ish retrofuturistic atmosphere powered by impressive, highly realistic visuals.”
- “The atmosphere makes it feel like it, and there are some parts that are a little scary, but I wanted to be traumatized.”
- “What the game lacks in difficulty and duration, it makes up for in atmosphere and story.”
- “Or to be more accurate, the atmosphere and general setup got me excited for something that did not happen.”
gameplay
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
54%
10%
The gameplay is generally well-received, characterized by engaging puzzles and immersive mechanics that enhance the VR experience, though many players note that the puzzles tend to be on the easier side. The game offers a short playtime of around 2-4 hours, which some find insufficient for the price, but the high production values and unique mechanics contribute to a satisfying experience. However, issues with movement mechanics and a linear structure are common criticisms, suggesting that while the gameplay is enjoyable, it could benefit from more complexity and variety.
- “The gameplay is great; no wonder others like to compare it to Half-Life: Alyx. Not many games of this type come close.”
- “The graphics are wonderful, gameplay is fairly intuitive, and the puzzles strike a nice balance between intricate enough to feel rewarding and straightforward enough to rarely be frustrating.”
- “This is one of the very few good VR games that walk you through a complete story, with nice mechanics, puzzles, graphics, and that actually immerse you in the environment.”
- “The mechanics to solve the puzzles are a bit simplistic.”
- “The gameplay is 100% linear; you walk around in a base scanning stuff - mostly because they are in some unknown language, so you scan them to read what is written on them.”
- “Gameplay-wise, the puzzles are nothing special and tend to be on the easier side.”
music
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
24%
9%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising the soundtrack for enhancing the atmosphere and creating an engaging experience, while others find it repetitive and annoying. Many appreciate the cinematic quality of the music, noting its ability to complement the visuals and story, but some feel it lacks variety and can become tiresome. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a significant aspect of the game's ambiance, though opinions on its effectiveness vary widely.
- “I liked the story, the music, and the atmosphere.”
- “The soundtrack is nice and builds the atmosphere well.”
- “The soundtrack and the atmosphere are amazing.”
- “The whole game feels so fake and pretend; it was driving me nuts, and the soundtrack never changes. It's always the same annoying soundtrack.”
- “I would only recommend this game if you gave it to your 8-year-old to play with a pack of Twizzlers and some headphones playing the Street Surfers soundtrack, with the entire in-game sound and subtitles turned entirely off because the game is more interesting and better without any sound or subtitles at all.”
- “Without that catharsis, all those ominous musical scores and sudden sound effects, no matter how effective, just get a bit wearing.”
optimization
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
32%
16%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally praised, with many users reporting excellent graphics and stable performance, particularly on mid-range systems. While some players experienced occasional FPS drops and minor stuttering, these issues were not significant enough to detract from the overall experience. The game's performance is considered better than many AAA titles, showcasing effective optimization by the developers.
- “It seems well optimized, and it’s always refreshing to have a game work the way it is supposed to.”
- “Additionally, the graphics are well optimized and my PC was able to play the game with minimal issues.”
- “I only have an RX 480 with 8GB of memory and an i7 3770 non-K CPU with 16GB of memory, and this game's performance was smooth and flawless, a credit to the programming prowess of the developers.”
- “My only problem is that the performance isn't as great as it should be, but its optimization is better than some AAA studios out there today.”
- “The performance was a little shaky at times but certainly not enough to be unplayable.”
- “My only small complaint is the controls aren't optimized for the Index controllers; you basically play on the old Vive wands.”
replayability
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
47%
35%
Overall, the game is criticized for its lack of replayability, with many reviewers noting that it offers only a short experience of 2-5 hours and no significant incentives to play again. While some appreciate the initial gameplay, they recommend waiting for a sale due to the limited content and fixed story structure, which diminishes its long-term value.
- “There is some replayability just to appreciate that.”
- “I don't see there being much replay value in this for me, however, it's something I'll share with my parents, and get some extra playtime and value that way.”
- “Would rank this as one of my favorite VR games although there's barely any replay value.”
- “While I still recommend this game, I think you should wait for a good sale; don't pay full price for a 4-5 hour experience with zero replayability.”
- “The game's certainly not bad, but compared to games like Budget Cuts, which, for the same price point, has far more content and various additional modes for replay value beyond the main story, it's definitely overpriced.”
- “I don't think the game is worth full price solely due to the length of the game and lack of replayability, but if you can get the game on sale for $10 or so, it would probably be worth it.”
grinding
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
92%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, with many expressing frustration over slow interactions and repetitive puzzles. While some appreciate the unique mechanics and art, the general consensus leans towards a desire for more engaging content rather than extended periods of grinding. The experience can feel drawn out, especially for those seeking a more streamlined gameplay experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “I didn't care for the puzzles at all and found them to be mind-numbingly tedious.”
- “I'd rather have few-hour long experiences rather than a game that has '200 hours of content' that's just the same grindy filler with no substance.”
- “Puzzles were all easy and sometimes kind of tedious, so don't expect a challenge if you're into that sort of thing.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while many players report smooth gameplay and no significant glitches, some experience issues such as random freezes and crashes when accessing the options menu. Physics interactions can be clunky, and a few graphic glitches have been noted, but these do not seem to stem from hardware limitations.
- “Other than that, the game runs great and looks great with an interesting story and setting.”
- “Really good game, had no glitches and had nice difficult puzzles, also chess.”
- “The major issue with this game is that it randomly freezes, requiring you to kill the process and restart from the same save game location.”
- “A little buggy for me; just going into the options menu would crash the game, but the actual game mechanics worked very well with no issues.”
- “The controls on the index work great, but there are a few graphic glitches that are not due to the hardware.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its humor, featuring funny moments and creative elements like a computer-hacking puzzle that adds to the overall enjoyment. Players appreciate the blend of humor with a story-driven experience and a subtly scary atmosphere, making it an engaging and entertaining adventure.
- “It's well done, story-driven, with super background music, some funny moments, a constant subtle scary atmosphere (without any monsters or jump scares), and has some beautiful views on a strange planet.”
- “It has a wonderful, funny, and creative computer-hacking puzzle!”
- “For devs - the videotapes were so funny! Thanks for that tension reliever.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game emotionally immersive, likening it to a space horror movie that effectively draws them into its narrative and setting. The combination of mystery, intrigue, and a touching storyline enhances the feeling of being present in a Russian space base, making the experience deeply engaging for newcomers to VR.
- “The game made me feel like I was part of a space horror movie, something I wish more games had.”
- “I adore the story and setting, and it really made me feel like I was rooting around a Russian space base.”
- “Enough mystery and intrigue to get you going, and also touching.”