The Room VR: A Dark Matter

84%
Game Brain Score Based on 4,491 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • atmosphere
The Room VR: A Dark Matter Game Cover
The Room VR: A Dark Matter Review – An Atmospheric Powerhouse
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"The Room VR: A Dark Matter" is a virtual reality game that transports players to the British Institute of Archaeology in 1908. Players must solve puzzles and uncover the mystery behind the disappearance of an Egyptologist. The game features cryptic locations, strange gadgets, and an otherworldly discovery that blurs the line between reality and illusion. Designed specifically for VR, players can fully immerse themselves in the game's eerie world.

  • PC
  • Virtual Reality
  • Windows
  • Oculus Quest
  • Oculus VR
  • Play​Station
  • Play​Station VR
  • Play​Station VR2
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

84%
Audience ScoreBased on 4,491 reviews
story311 positive mentions
replayability35 negative mentions
  • Stunning visuals and immersive atmosphere enhance the puzzle-solving experience.
  • Clever and engaging puzzles that are challenging but not overly difficult.
  • Great use of VR mechanics, making interactions feel more tactile and rewarding.
  • Short playtime of around 3-5 hours, which may not justify the full price for some players.
  • Limited movement options, as players can only teleport to predefined spots rather than explore freely.
  • Some puzzles may feel too easy or straightforward, lacking the complexity of previous titles in the series.
  • story707 mentions

    The story in "The Room VR: A Dark Matter" is generally described as intriguing but often vague and minimally developed, primarily conveyed through environmental clues and notes rather than direct dialogue. While some players appreciated the continuation of the series' lore and found the narrative engaging, others felt it lacked depth and coherence, with a few noting that the pacing and resolution were unsatisfactory. Overall, the game is seen as a solid puzzle experience that may appeal more to fans of the series than to newcomers seeking a strong narrative.

    • “The story is intriguing, the puzzles challenging but not crazy difficult to figure out (except for one that stumped me, but then when I figured it out I was smacking my head at how easy it was).”
    • “The story continues the lore you've learned from the other games and if you enjoyed them you'll like this one just as much.”
    • “It concludes the story so beautifully and without giving anything away, it ties things together so well.”
    • “The story is also basically non-existent; everything is explained via letters you read with absolutely no voice acting or NPCs at all.”
    • “It tries to cobble something together but it fails at actually telling a story; you know people have gone missing and something odd is up, but it gets lost pretty much straight after the museum area and leaves you in a pile of 'what is actually happening'.”
    • “The story is still very poorly told with cryptic, boring, and basically useless texts, and it ultimately goes nowhere like the other games in the series.”
  • graphics629 mentions

    The graphics in this game have received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising the stunning visuals, intricate details, and immersive atmosphere that enhance the overall experience. Players noted that the graphics are top-notch, particularly in VR, creating a captivating environment that complements the clever puzzle design. While some mentioned minor limitations compared to other high-end VR titles, the overall consensus is that the game's visual fidelity significantly contributes to its appeal and enjoyment.

    • “It has a great atmosphere which totally immerses you, the graphics are top notch, the detail on all the surfaces is breathtaking.”
    • “The visuals alone are positively stunning and left me awestruck.”
    • “The graphics are outstanding and the puzzles, although simpler than the original games, are incredible fun and satisfying once you figure them out.”
    • “I understand this game is meant to also run on standalone headsets like the Quest 2, but it still feels like the PC release could have had better graphics, especially since both this game and Half-Life: Alyx came out the same month.”
    • “Additionally, likely as a sacrifice to accommodate lower powered VR setups, the game's graphical fidelity has taken a pretty big hit.”
    • “I wish the graphics were a bit better (higher res textures + a bit more bump mapping and tessellation), but I get that VR can be hard to optimize for.”
  • atmosphere493 mentions

    The atmosphere in "The Room VR: A Dark Matter" is widely praised for its immersive and captivating qualities, enhanced by stunning graphics, detailed environments, and a haunting soundtrack. Players appreciate the game's ability to create a spooky yet non-jump scare experience, maintaining the series' signature eerie ambiance while allowing for engaging puzzle-solving. Overall, the VR setting significantly amplifies the atmospheric experience, making it a standout feature of the game.

    • “The atmosphere of the game is truly captivating, giving me goosebumps at times, particularly during the climactic ending, which was exceptionally well-executed and enjoyable.”
    • “The atmosphere was phenomenal, and gave me many moments of just being in awe.”
    • “The atmosphere and visuals are excellent.”
    • “Unfortunately, the game does not have a smooth turning option, which completely ruins the atmosphere.”
    • “The previous ones felt like they had a way darker atmosphere around them.”
    • “While there are some potentially creepy things, it's mostly the atmosphere.”
  • gameplay433 mentions

    The gameplay in "The Room VR: A Dark Matter" is generally praised for its engaging puzzles and atmospheric design, effectively utilizing VR mechanics to enhance the experience. While the puzzles are well-balanced and introduce new mechanics throughout, many players note the game's short length (around 3-6 hours) and some finicky controls as drawbacks, leading to mixed feelings about its value at full price. Overall, it is recommended for fans of puzzle games and VR, especially if purchased on sale.

    • “The gameplay is engaging and just challenging enough without being frustrating.”
    • “Gameplay is absolutely fantastic and the puzzles truly shine as unique game mechanics.”
    • “The room vr is dazzling to witness, with many of the special effects and mechanics from previous games adapted to work in virtual reality.”
    • “I wouldn't recommend this for $30 - it's very short at about 3.5 hours and the mechanics are dated by modern VR standards - but it's not a bad little puzzle game, if you can get it on sale.”
    • “Which is why the actual gameplay being so disappointing is a massive let down for the game overall.”
    • “If spending $30 for 3-4 hours of gameplay bothers you, then don't buy.”
  • replayability91 mentions

    Overall, the game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with many reviewers noting that once the puzzles are solved, there is little incentive to play again. The short playtime of 3-5 hours further compounds this issue, leading to a consensus that the game offers minimal replay value, primarily relying on players returning only after forgetting the solutions. While some enjoyed the experience, they expressed a desire for additional content or alternate endings to enhance replayability.

    • “Most of the replay value is either months later when you've forgotten things, or making other people play through it.”
    • “If you don't act like a speedrunner and don't look at clues every single chance you have, this game could easily entertain you for 4-5 hours; replayability is practically 0, but the game is really well made and there are a ton of mechanics, there's never the same thing twice.”
    • “Good replayability.”
    • “There's no replay value since once you've solved the puzzles there's no reason to replay the game only to do the puzzles all over again.”
    • “The only downside to this game is that there is not enough of it; at 3-5 hours you will be done with no additional content or replay value.”
    • “It's not very long (four hours) and, like most puzzle games, has no real replay value.”
  • music80 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, enhancing the overall experience with a haunting soundtrack that complements the visuals and gameplay. While some players noted a lack of background music in certain areas, the central theme and ambient sounds effectively create a captivating environment. Overall, the combination of sound effects and music contributes significantly to the game's engaging atmosphere and storytelling.

    • “Great mystical soundtrack and ambient sounds as well!”
    • “The soundtrack perfectly fits to give the entire ordeal an eerily haunting, spine-tingling feel.”
    • “The music is excellent, the story is engaging, the environments are detailed and immersive, and the puzzles are challenging and creative.”
    • “Cons: snap turn and teleport forced movement (not an issue just preference), lack of background music, somewhat finicky object interaction and the lack of object interaction feedback (items not apparently interactable).”
    • “I was drawn into the sequence by the visuals, sound and music then completely let down when the stone door seemed to make no sound at all when it closed completely.”
    • “However, other than that, there isn't much in terms of music.”
  • optimization26 mentions

    Overall, the game is praised for its strong optimization, particularly for VR, delivering smooth performance and high-quality graphics without significant immersion-breaking issues. While some users noted memory leaks and gradual performance loss over extended play sessions, the majority found it well-polished and capable of maintaining solid frame rates on various hardware setups. The visuals are consistently appealing, making it a recommended experience for VR users, even those hesitant about performance in VR titles.

    • “Also, performance is awesome. Disabling SSAO (which doesn't mean much), I get solid 90 fps using resolution 200% with my overclocked GTX 1080 and the Valve Index.”
    • “It felt very well optimized for VR while staying visually consistent and nice to look at.”
    • “I haven't seen anything that broke the immersion; a really well polished and optimized game.”
    • “The deal breaker for me are the memory leaks, gradual performance loss over an hour or two, and graphical glitches.”
    • “If the price seems a little high, you should try some other VR games out there and see how buggy they can get or how poorly optimized they are.”
    • “It is a bit short, finished it at around 4 hours but it is a recommended experience even for a VR user that is afraid of purchasing VR titles (such as myself) because they always end up having terrible performance or the gameplay isn't fun at all!”
  • grinding20 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, particularly in later chapters and during certain puzzles. While some challenges are engaging, the repetitive nature of grinding can detract from the experience, leading to mixed feelings about its enjoyment. Despite these issues, many still recommend the game for its fun settings and atmosphere.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “It can be tedious at times with the teleportation and puzzles.”
    • “Anyways, sorry for my little rant, but that's my main complaint for the game, along with some of the puzzles being slightly tedious, and that's a rarity.”
  • stability20 mentions

    Overall, stability in the game receives mixed feedback; while some players report significant issues like memory leaks and performance degradation over time, others experience minimal glitches and smooth gameplay. Many users highlight that the game runs well on mid-range hardware, with only minor bugs noted, particularly with specific mechanics like turning wheels. Despite some concerns, the game's stability is generally seen as better than many other VR titles.

    • “It runs great and looks great, even on a mid-range card (RTX 2060 Super).”
    • “I believe that the kind of games people could get behind if they were smooth and bug-free.”
    • “It runs great and looks great, even on a mid-range card (RTX 2060 Super).”
    • “The deal breaker for me are the memory leaks, gradual performance loss over an hour or two, and graphical glitches.”
    • “The only thing I would say that needs to be improved is turning wheels in the game; it was always a bit buggy for me.”
    • “(Played on an Acer WMR set with only a couple of small glitches in the beginning.)”
  • emotional14 mentions

    Players report a strong emotional engagement with the game, feeling a sense of accomplishment when solving puzzles without hints and a heightened presence due to the immersive VR experience. The creepy atmosphere, enhanced by sound effects like footsteps and thunder, contributes to a feeling of tension and involvement, making players feel like an integral part of the game world. Overall, the combination of challenging puzzles and an engaging environment fosters a deep emotional connection.

    • “The atmosphere on this is so creepy as well, the footsteps and creaks and thunder really made me feel on edge.”
    • “This game really brought me in and made me feel part of it for a while.”
    • “Really made me feel like Indy.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is consistently described as funny, indicating that players find it entertaining and enjoyable.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

80% average critic score

Buy The Room VR: A Dark Matter

Play time

4hMedian play time
11hAverage play time
4-6hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 94 analyzed playthroughs

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