Sentenced VR

About

Sentenced VR is a single player casual role playing game with drama and historical themes. It was developed by Samuel Gordon and was released on June 25, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

What does it mean to become an agent of authority? Master the art of beheading, become an agent of authority, and enact a divine drama of justice, death, and redemption.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

70%

Audience ScoreBased on 50 reviews

emotional3 positive mentions

gameplay5 negative mentions

The game offers a unique and interesting concept, allowing players to step into the shoes of a medieval executioner while learning historical facts.
Voice acting and sound design are well-executed, enhancing the immersive experience and emotional weight of the narrative.
Despite its short length, the game provides an enjoyable hour of gameplay with engaging interactions and a quirky sense of humor.

Gameplay can become repetitive, with limited scenarios and minimal variation in execution scenes, leading to a lack of replay value.
Controls are often janky and unresponsive, making movement and interactions frustrating, particularly on certain VR systems.
The game is very short, lasting about an hour, which some players feel does not justify the price, especially given the lack of additional content or meaningful choices.

story
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
68%
16%
The game's story, centered around the role of an executioner in early European times, is described as slow and repetitive, with some players finding it mediocre despite its interesting premise. While the narrative allows for moral choices, many reviewers expressed a desire for more freedom in decision-making, particularly regarding executions. Overall, the story offers a unique concept but suffers from pacing issues and limited engagement.
- “Interesting story overall, just wish there were more options with disobeying executions.”
- “Starting with the good, this game has a fairly unique concept, you are an executioner (in VR, duh), and your job is to behead prisoners who have been sentenced to death. It's fairly straightforward, has a good plot line, and you can see how morals would play into the game.”
- “If you haven't played the game yet, the intro sequence to the story is you meet the beadle, who goes on a rather long spiel about justice and your role as the executioner. He wraps up talking about your first convict to execute and tells you to sign the paper.”
- “The story is slow and very, very repetitive.”
- “If you really want to play the story, then sure go ahead and get this game, but after 1 hour, you will regret it.”
- “There's no reason for me not to execute someone to advance the story when doing so would just end the game and force me to restart from the beginning.”
gameplay
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
31%
38%
The gameplay is generally described as repetitive and minimal, with some players finding it uninteresting and lacking in variety. While swordplay mechanics are satisfying and immersive, the overall experience is hindered by poor controls and limited interactions. Despite these drawbacks, some players appreciate the unique elements, such as the ritual of cleaning the sword and the engaging voice acting, suggesting that the game may be worth trying at a lower price.
- “The swordplay is satisfying, and the mechanics feel immersive as you carefully execute your task.”
- “The gameplay is interesting, with some especially neat stats at the end of the game from other players.”
- “A bit repetitive in gameplay but otherwise an interesting game.”
- “However, the gameplay can get repetitive, as the scenarios don’t change much, which could benefit from more variety.”
- “The gameplay is minimal and VR interactions are poor.”
- “That said, gameplay wasn't fun enough to make me want to play more, at least not with the painfully bad controls.”
graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the beautiful and striking art style, while others note a lack of smoothness and basic visuals. Although the visuals can be immersive and evoke nostalgia, there are concerns about the user interface and the absence of gore in a gruesome context. Overall, while the graphics are serviceable, there is hope for future improvements.
- “The visuals are beautiful, bold and striking.”
- “The art style is very striking, and the voicework really brings the characters to life.”
- “From the visuals to the custom voice acting, that has some real gems in it for such a small project, it is really worth your time.”
- “A bit lack of smoothness in graphics and movements, although a curious example of immersion experience along with some historical facts.”
- “The visuals are very basic and the UI is quite ugly.”
- “The game's art style - a complete lack of red in the color palette - reminds me of an old CRT I had when I was a kid that had a broken SCART, so that made me smile, but I have to say for a game that is pretty gruesome in concept, it seems odd to shy away from gore.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is criticized for its low replayability, with players noting that it consists of repetitive execution scenes and offers little incentive to revisit after completion. Many users express that, despite its short length, the experience does not warrant a second playthrough.
- “No replay value.”
- “It is a very repetitive slog through 10-11 execution scenes with little replay value.”
- “Having finished the game now, I'm unlikely to play again, as it's a very short but not very replayable experience.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
150%
The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its artistic style and immersive experience, though some players have expressed frustration with certain gameplay elements that detract from the overall ambiance. While the game is short, it offers a unique experience that resonates with many, despite occasional moments that can disrupt the mood.
- “The atmosphere is captivating, the artistic style is impressive, and I appreciate that it's a short game; it feels more like an experience than just a game.”
- “The ambiance is immersive, drawing you into its world with stunning visuals and sound design that enhance the overall experience.”
- “Every element of the atmosphere contributes to a sense of wonder and exploration, making each moment feel unique and engaging.”
- “I was pretty frustrated, and this may seem minor to some, but for me, this completely ruined the atmosphere of the game. I was about 15 minutes into playtime and was about to give up when I had one last idea: rebooting once more and filling the paper with ink during the beadle's speech.”
- “The lack of ambient sounds made the world feel empty and lifeless, which detracted from the overall atmosphere.”
- “I expected a rich, immersive environment, but instead, the atmosphere felt flat and uninspired, leaving me disconnected from the game.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be impactful, often presenting morally challenging scenarios that evoke strong feelings, making it a more profound experience than typical games.
- “Some moments were difficult to experience, presenting emotional and moral challenges that most games have not made me confront.”
- “The emotional depth of the story left a lasting impact on me, making me reflect on my own values and choices.”
- “I was genuinely moved by the characters' struggles, which added a profound layer of emotion to the gameplay.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been reported to have significant stability issues, particularly on the Oculus platform, with users experiencing various bugs.
- “This game is buggy, at least on the Oculus.”