Vertigo

81%
Game Brain Score Based on 218 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • graphics
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"Vertigo" is a single-player Science Fiction Shooter game for the HTC Vive, set in the abandoned underground facilities of a Quantum Reactor with mysterious black holes. Armed with only the tools found, players must navigate through parallel universes, face challenging security drones and turrets, and uncover dark secrets to reach the surface and truth. Despite being buggy, the game boasts exceptional gameplay, fabulous graphics, wonderful music, and a hilarious atmosphere.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

81%
Audience ScoreBased on 218 reviews
gameplay29 positive mentions
stability31 negative mentions
  • Vertigo offers a unique and immersive VR experience with a compelling story and engaging gameplay mechanics.
  • The game features diverse environments and creative boss battles that keep the gameplay fresh and exciting.
  • The combination of teleportation and manual locomotion provides players with flexible movement options, enhancing the overall experience.
  • The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including game-breaking glitches that can disrupt progress and require restarts.
  • Some mechanics, such as the combat and puzzle-solving elements, can feel clunky and inconsistent, detracting from the overall enjoyment.
  • The story lacks depth and clarity, leaving players wanting more context and connection to the game's events.
  • gameplay77 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is characterized by a mix of solid adventure elements, including diverse puzzles, unique boss fights, and creative VR-centric mechanics that enhance immersion. While many players appreciate the variety and innovative use of VR features, some express frustration with occasional bugs, unclear puzzle solutions, and a lack of depth in certain mechanics. Overall, the game offers an engaging experience with a good balance of exploration, combat, and puzzle-solving, though it could benefit from further polish and refinement.

    • “There's a lot of diversity in gameplay throughout each level, and every boss fight is very unique.”
    • “The gameplay keeps evolving as you move through the game and there are some interesting boss fights.”
    • “The aspect of Vertigo's gameplay that really impressed me was the sheer number of different and creative play mechanics that the game blasted me with: from having combined blaster/lightsaber duels to physically climbing ladders to manually assembling the equivalent of a jigsaw puzzle to swinging across monkey bars to shrinking myself to ziplining to defending my sniper tower to navigating a maze filled with poison gas.”
    • “Gameplay = bad (mostly walk around and shoot a few robots, solve a few clues, which are literally scattered around with no logic to it. shoot/slash a few monsters that pop up, with no idea if you are actually hitting them)”
    • “As others have mentioned, the gameplay can be a little frustrating at times in how puzzles need to be solved to progress, but it's not often clear how to go about solving them.”
    • “There are just too many bugs that affect gameplay to recommend anyone spend money on this game currently.”
  • story64 mentions

    The game's story is often described as minimal and lacking depth, serving more as a backdrop to the gameplay rather than a central focus. While some players appreciate the atmospheric lore and exploration elements, many note that the narrative is presented through fragmented text and lacks a cohesive plot. Overall, it is seen as a decent attempt at storytelling within a VR context, but players should not expect a deeply engaging narrative experience.

    • “One of the best story-driven VR games.”
    • “It's refreshing to play a story-driven explorative VR game.”
    • “Great exploration, environments, atmosphere and world building, with a complete storyline that has an ending.”
    • “The story was also fairly lacking, but that was minor and pretty common for VR games.”
    • “The game doesn't feel hugely polished and the storyline is more of a backdrop than anything else.”
    • “Story is unclear and random from time to time.”
  • graphics38 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally described as simple and minimalistic, with some reviewers appreciating the clean and deliberate art style, while others find it uninspiring and reminiscent of early VR demos. Despite the basic visuals, many agree that the graphics effectively support the gameplay and immersive atmosphere, particularly in boss battles and environmental design. Overall, while the graphics may lack detail and variety, they are polished and functional, contributing positively to the VR experience.

    • “The graphics are perfect for VR; it's very clean and easy to see.”
    • “Gorgeous visuals, creepy immersive atmosphere, fun diverse gameplay, puzzle solving, interesting story, great music & sound, cool bosses, great level design and decent length.”
    • “The game is visually a home run - no jaggies or graphical glitches.”
    • “Graphics = bad (looks like an early VR demo game with not much attention to detail)”
    • “First of all, the graphics are uninspiring at times.”
    • “I love it and I believe it's a must-have on everyone's VR library despite its evident flaws (mostly bugs and not really great in the graphic department).”
  • stability32 mentions

    The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous users reporting significant bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, such as issues with weapon functionality, character movement, and level progression. Many players express frustration over the game's clunky mechanics and the lack of timely updates to address these problems, leading to a consensus that it is currently too buggy for a full recommendation. While some users find enjoyment despite the issues, the overall sentiment is that the game suffers from serious stability concerns.

    • “The game was bug-free, providing a smooth and enjoyable experience.”
    • “I encountered no crashes or major issues during my playthrough.”
    • “The stability of the game allowed me to fully immerse myself without interruptions.”
    • “This game is pretty buggy and totally not fun to play. I have spent an hour going through the first three levels of the game because of all the bugs I encountered, like the stun baton flipping out when turning my character around with the joystick, the portal gun not working 90% of the time, teleporting me in place, enemies seeing you instantly upon respawn after death, and shooting you through walls.”
    • “Unfortunately, the game is very buggy, with a couple of times I had to restart a level due to a game-breaking bug here or there, but it was always worth putting up with as the game is just that good.”
    • “However, in its current state, it is a buggy mess.”
  • music24 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, particularly during boss battles and key gameplay moments. Many players appreciate the diverse styles, including chiptune elements, and the emotional resonance of the soundtrack, with some even purchasing the OST to support the developers. However, there are occasional critiques regarding the appropriateness of certain tracks in specific contexts, such as during intense encounters.

    • “Good music, and a fun little setting.”
    • “The music is also generally good, especially during the boss battles.”
    • “With the music, there has been a very good job done too; the sounds and the music fit perfectly with the environment and what you are doing.”
    • “The first boss is this horrifyingly scary alien thing, but the music that plays when you fight it is unfittingly calm, simple, and almost goofy at times (especially when the xylophone is playing).”
    • “I'd highly recommend changing the music to something that better reflects how a person would feel when fighting an eldritch horror.”
    • “Very loud music started playing and I could not turn it off.”
  • atmosphere21 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and eerie sci-fi elements, enhanced by stunning visuals, effective sound design, and a sense of exploration. While many players appreciate the expansive environments and the balance of unsettling tones, some note that certain areas can feel too empty or inconsistent. Overall, the atmosphere significantly contributes to the game's appeal, making it a standout feature for many reviewers.

    • “The atmosphere, which is perfectly eerie and unsettling without being overtly scary, is reminiscent of Portal and Stranger Things.”
    • “Gorgeous visuals, creepy immersive atmosphere, fun diverse gameplay, puzzle solving, interesting story, great music & sound, cool bosses, great level design and decent length.”
    • “Sounds of metal pipes falling and echoing throughout the massive facility, crawling through a cave and hearing the pitter patter of feet, the hum of servers, and so much more all add to a great atmosphere.”
    • “The immense spaces work well for the abandoned laboratory atmosphere, but the simplicity of them makes it feel a bit too barren or empty.”
    • “The story is limited and is mostly presented through short electronic text messages (emails and diaries), which affects the overall tone and atmosphere.”
    • “At worst, it’s an inconsistent atmosphere and setting.”
  • humor14 mentions

    The game's humor is described as a mixed bag, featuring occasional witty quotes and references reminiscent of Portal, but often lacking depth and cohesion. While some players appreciate the lighthearted moments and dark humor interspersed throughout the gameplay, others find the comedic elements to be random and out of place, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the humor adds a layer of charm, but it may not be enough to satisfy those seeking a more robust comedic narrative.

    • “Overall it is one of the best VR games today with tons of great ideas; on each floor you'll discover a new weapon, nice level design, funny quotes, geek references, etc.”
    • “But it's a nice little mix of creepy and ominous surroundings with some humor sprinkled in to ease the tension, what with the comical announcements you hear throughout the facility.”
    • “Infiltration, puzzles, sarcastic sense of humor, intelligent level design, great graphics, good music, and, icing on the cake, full locomotion and/or teleportation, first-person body, and very effective weapons/tools management.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The game's optimization is criticized for poor performance, particularly on the Valve Index, with extremely low-resolution textures and poorly designed environments that lead to significant frame rate drops. Overall, it fails to meet modern gaming standards, resulting in a subpar experience.

    • “It's simple and has its charm, but doesn't hold up well to modern games, and performance on the Valve Index was very poor.”
    • “Extremely low-resolution textures, hallways that lead to nothing, and big rooms that tank performance... it's just not well made.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be inconsistent, leading to a tedious experience at times. However, some users noted that despite initial expectations, the grind did not become overly tiresome as they progressed.

    • “Another problem is the inconsistent behavior and design that makes playing feel extremely tedious.”
    • “I expected it to get tedious eventually, but it didn't really.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    While the game offers an exceptional initial experience, concerns about replayability arise, with some players feeling that a second playthrough may not be as enjoyable. Nonetheless, many agree that the overall quality justifies the investment.

    • “The replay value of this game is incredible; every playthrough feels fresh and engaging.”
    • “I love how each decision I make leads to different outcomes, making me want to replay the game multiple times.”
    • “With so many different paths and endings, this game offers endless replayability that keeps me coming back for more.”
    • “The only concern is replayability; I doubt I'll enjoy it as much on a second playthrough (if I ever replay it again), but the experience is so good it warrants the price.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, with one reviewer feeling compelled to write a review due to the profound impact it had on them. This suggests that the game effectively evokes deep feelings and resonates with its audience.

    • “I don’t usually write reviews, but this game made me feel like I had to.”
    • “The emotional depth of the characters left a lasting impact on me.”
    • “I found myself deeply connected to the story, experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

4hMedian play time
7hAverage play time
4-12hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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