Virtual reality games continue to impress us here at Honey’s Anime. Every day, we see innovations in VR making experiences that normal games just can’t capture. Most VR games though tend to be simple titles that, while they ramp up in difficulty, never truly capture the toughness of games like Dark Souls…until now. In Death from developer—and publisher—Solfar Studios proves that VR games can be beautiful, tough and filled with action. Are you curious about In Death and its roguelike gameplay that mirrors the difficulty of Dark Souls all while being a truly VR experience? Of course you are and that’s why we recommend reading on. Below you will find our full review of In Death and you won’t want to miss it as this might be the toughest VR game we’ve ever played!

In Death is a first-person VR game where players enter a strange otherworldly landscape—the afterlife—armed with only a bow and shield. Players will need to defeat various enemies like archers, knights templar and various beasts as they shoot, dodge and survive in a constantly changing landscape. As the player progresses, they will earn new weapons and will die—a lot—thus forcing them to retry an area that changes in formation procedural. In Death is similar to Dark Souls in where death isn’t meant to be a punishment but a learning tool to help the player get better and smarter. Just be prepared for a lot of “learning” as In Death isn’t an easy VR game by any stretch of the imagination.

For unknown reasons, God has abandoned the afterlife. Now this peaceful place has become a warzone filled with warriors and angels doing battle with one another for dominance. Thankfully, hope is found in a hero that has appeared in the afterlife. Armed with a bow and arrows, this hero will need to rise up and defeat the beings who have become corrupted. However, in a place where death doesn’t exist, can this hero win?

Archery focused VR games are usually a genre we are scared to play here at Honey’s Anime. It’s not because we don’t enjoy them, but more so because VR archery needs precision to be fun and enjoyable. In fact, most first-person shooters for VR need precision controls to really be considered good. There was one game that came out on the PC that piqued our interest called In Death, but we weren’t able to play it…until now! That’s right owners of the PSVR, rejoice as In Depth has finally made its way to the PS4! Has this amazing PC VR title improved since its conception and is it worthy of your PSVR? Why don’t we find out in our review of In Death?

In Depth is a rather straightforward game to explain. You’ll assume the role of an unknown hero who has gone to the great place beyond—the afterlife—to find a world not full of beauty and rest, but instead this game is filled with chaos and strife. Armed only with a bow and shield you enter this landscape and must defeat various enemies that want nothing more to send you to your death…again. Though that is what awaits you In Death, death and a lot of it. Dying is an essential element to In Death and one you will find not as punishing as it seems.

In Death has a rather unique roguelike system. Besides the usual randomly generated maps, In Death also has a progression system that both helps you and hurts you in equal measures. For example, there are ways to get a crossbow as your primary weapon. This requires the player to obtain 101 kills and then you’ll get the best weapon in game by far! Yet, as you amass those kills In Death, it also unleashes more enemies at you and begins to throw more threats to deal with. When you do get the crossbow, you might have an overpowered weapon that is accurate—more than the bow—but it also means you’ll get tons more enemies to deal with in an area.

That’s the unique element to In Death. It rewards players by giving them new skills—more accurate arrows and even more power for your weapons—but equally, it makes sure that you’re not becoming overpowered at any given turn. Even as we become stronger archers, we continually died from low level enemies who would swarm us in tight hallways or when we went to a dead end. The progression system within In Death is like Dark Souls. You might get better stuff and stronger equipment but that doesn’t mean you can’t be killed by even the lowest level enemies.

The most important aspect though to In Death is how it plays. While the progression system might be awesome, if you can’t aim to save your life, it’s all a moot point. Thankfully, we here at Honey’s Anime are proud to say that In Death is one of the best controlling PSVR games we’ve ever played! Nocking the arrows on the bow and shooting at enemies even from a distance is precise and perfected. Dodging with small shards that are thrown and using arrows to move also works quite well as you get use to it. The shield that you armed with will become your life support as you block arrows from enemy archers and time blocks from knights who rush you with maces and swords. In Death makes you feel like an archer and it creates an immersion you only occasionally get with PSVR titles.

Lastly, let us talk about the graphics and sound. In terms of sound, there’s not much to say, good or bad. We loved the monk orchestras but during combat, we didn’t notice any really stand out tunes. In Death goes with a Dark Souls level of ambiance meaning that only set locations have stunning tracks. When it comes to the visuals though, that’s where In Death blew us away just like its gameplay. Visually, In Death is a real charming experience with strong character models, environments that have a large level of detail and overall some wicked set pieces that feel eerie but otherworldly. In Death is a treat to the eyes and that’s important when playing any VR game regardless of the console.

In Death is tough and we mean tough. VR games usually need practice to get use to their mechanics and become better but In Death literally requires a player to learn how to aim better, improve their movements and quickly adapt to changes the game throws at them. What is even more clever is that In Death sees the player’s growth and alters the gameplay with more challenges like increasing the number of enemies. In Death is truly comparable to Dark Souls but that is what makes this PSVR title so incredibly fun, addicting and challenging. With precision controls and a system that caters to those willing to endure difficult trials, In Death is easily one of the most impressive PSVR games out there. There shouldn’t be a doubt in your mind to pick up In Death if you own a PSVR.

In Death isn’t a perfect PSVR game but gosh darn does it come close. We haven’t seen many games for the PSVR that have the perfect melding of beautiful graphics and precision controls like In Death and that’s why we were blown away by our time with this impressive game. Even with its lack of story and weapons, In Death is a real treat to play and will be a PSVR title we come back to quite often on our down time. Are you excited to pick up In Death for your PSVR or have you already? Comment below to let us know as we always love talking to you guys and girls to hear your thoughts. Be sure to keep stuck to our hive for even more game reviews and articles done by us busy bees here at Honey’s Anime.