However, as you venture further into its shadowy tunnels and vast extraterrestrial cities, the game unveils a contrast: a technical triumph from the surface but falters as you approach the end.
Delving into the Depths
You assume the role of Ben Mitchell, an interstellar scavenger who, with the help of his AI companion Jonathan, ends up on an alien planet after being caught in a wormhole. The main goal of Into Black is straightforward: explore, collect resources, enhance your gear, combat alien foes, and attempt to fix your ship for your escape. This isn’t purely a solitary endeavor; you can enlist up to three friends for the campaign in co-op mode, introducing a communal element to the fundamental gameplay.
The game provides various modes to enjoy. The primary campaign navigates through caverns, lava-filled chambers, submerged cities, and more, with Jonathan adding humor and light-hearted commentary during the quest. Additionally, there are resource-collecting missions for players aiming to grind sans storyline. There’s also a PvPvE mode, “Singularity,” where twelve players engage in combat on a dynamically shrinking map, searching for resources while fending off both extraterrestrials and each other. On paper, this setup is incredibly appealing—promising diversity, excitement, and ample replayability.
Unearthing Gameplay Treasures
The first notable feature in Into Black is the seamlessness of movement. The Binary Mill’s expertise in VR shines through as you dash, leap, and fire your way across a sprawling, hazardous realm. The mechanics feel refined—there’s no jitteriness or awkwardness in how you engage with the environment. The controls are user-friendly and fluid, turning even basic tasks like resource mining into an enjoyable activity.
Into Black are truly enjoyable. You’re given a selection of weaponry—pistol, shotgun, SMG, and a returning axe that evokes major God of War themes. The game also incorporates elements from other influential titles. You’ll find a Gears of War-style quick reload feature, some Super Mario-inspired bouncing mechanics, and clever references to various classics throughout.
That being said, the gameplay starts to show its weaknesses. While the shooting mechanics are gratifying, the combat can become repetitive over extended gameplay. Boss battles, in particular, are underwhelming—these encounters become tedious, lacking in tactical engagement. You find yourself evading shots while unloading rounds into alien static figures that barely respond. It’s disappointing because the combat system has significant potential, yet these segments feel half-baked.
Visually Stunning Exploration
In terms of graphics, Into Black is absolutely breathtaking. The stylized graphics complement VR beautifully, particularly aided by the game’s exceptional lighting effects. One unforgettable moment occurs early on when you shoot a flare into a cave, watching it light up the alien terrain in real-time. It’s awe-inspiring. The game’s varied environments—lava chambers, ancient extraterrestrial relics, and submerged caves—provide a sense of delight and discovery that feels fresh for a time.
Nonetheless, as your playtime increases, the frequency of technical glitches becomes more noticeable. There are various bugs—literal and metaphorical—such as clipping through surfaces, getting trapped in the environment, or failing to respond adequately to the game’s physics. There have been instances where a co-op partner suddenly levitated, or flora hovered above the ground, undermining the game’s initial immersion. These issues are quite unsettling, particularly in a title that appears so polished in the beginning.
The Remarkable Jonathan
The audio design in Into Black has its peaks and valleys. The highlight here is Jonathan, your loyal AI partner. His playful remarks and occasional humor effectively lighten the often grim atmosphere of the game. Some players have even mistaken his voice for that of our very own Pete Austin from 6DOF Reviews! The sound design for weapons is dynamic and gratifying—guns sound impactful, and the feedback while shooting is tangible.
However, the game struggles on the music front. The soundtrack can be quite monotonous, particularly during combat when you’re subjected to the same adrenaline-infused track repetitively. This tiresome score represents a lost opportunity to amplify the emotional highs or dramatic engagements in the game.
Glitches and Blackouts
The further you dive into Into Black, the more it seems like the game is barely held together. Minor issues stack up: creatures behave erratically, environmental components don’t respond appropriately, and certain design aspects feel incomplete. Puzzles, for instance, could have served as a fantastic way to mix up the action, yet they remain overly simplistic throughout, lacking any increase in complexity, often serving more as filler than real challenges.
Creating resources, a key element of upgrading your gear, turns into a tiresome task as well. The interface lacks batch crafting options, forcing you through lengthy animations for each item. This becomes a painstaking process that truly drags down the pace.
Extended Play, Diminished Patience
On a brighter note, Into Black presents a wealth of content. Between the main storyline, cooperative features, and PvPvE mode, there’s ample entertainment to be found for hours on end. However, as previously stated, the longer you engage with the game, the more its blemishes become apparent. There’s a palpable feeling that the framework supporting this experience could benefit from more reinforcement.
Reaching for the Light, Yet Not Quite
Into Black begins like a fantasy—excellent mechanics, stunning environments, and delightful voice performances. The immersion is captivating and addictive, pulling you into its alien realm with remarkable assurance. However, as you delve deeper, the game appears to lose its firmness. Glitches, repetitive music, and unsatisfactory boss encounters hinder it from attaining true greatness.
Nevertheless, many of these issues, barring perhaps the uninspired boss battles, are addressable, and if The Binary Mill provides post-launch support with fixes, Into Black could easily become a remarkable entry in the VR landscape. Should you read this review post-updates, consider it an 8.5/10, but currently, it’s not quite at that level.
