Into the Radius [Quest 2] | REVIEW

After spending a couple of years exclusive to PC VR devices, Into the Radius has now brought its post-apocalyptic escapade over to the Meta Quest 2. Combining exploration, survival mechanics, and gunplay into one robust and enjoyable package, it has a lot to offer players who want a deep experience to stick their teeth into. Just don’t expect a visual masterclass… the wasteland of the game has some marvels to behold, but the limitations of the Meta Quest 2 really show with the lacking presentation.

Check out some screenshots down below:

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Story-wise, Into the Radius plays things by the book as far as post-apocalyptic games are concerned. A disastrous event had struck the Russian town of Pechrosk years ago, leaving behind an array of deadly creatures and a bizarre orb in the sky. It’s left abandoned, of course, but that doesn’t stop wannabe adventurers from breaching the radius of the town and exploring what remains. You just so happen to be one of those adventurers and set yourself on a deadly plight as you look to uncover the secrets of Pechrosk.

Much like the story, Into the Radius also feels very by the numbers as far as its gameplay is concerned, with players exploring the ruined remains of Pechrosk and its surrounding land as they scavenge resources, shoot down enemies, and progress through the main missions. Players have to manage their health, hunger, and inventory space as they scour across the land, whilst there’s also an emphasis placed on taking a ‘hands on’ approach to everything you do – the player is expected to be physically invested in the adventure, whether that’s when manually loading the bullets into their weapon, moving objects in the environment, or when traversing their way through buildings. A lot of virtual reality titles try to go all out with immersion, with Into the Radius a fine example of one that puts a lot of actions directly into the player’s hands.

It’s worth noting that this is definitely a game for hardcore survival fans. Whilst maintaining your wellbeing is a given, you’ve also got to look after your weapons to ensure they don’t malfunction, carefully ensure your inventory is perfectly arranged so you can carry it all (which is oddly satisfying) and manage each resource you have perfectly. The game expects a real commitment from the player to invest themselves into the experience and be part of the world, and believe me, it makes the survival aspects all the more rewarding. I’ve never been a huge fan of the survival genre before, but there was something about Intro the Radius’ rough demands that had me fully invested from the word go.

“Whilst I wouldn’t necessarily call Into the Radius a horror game, the aftereffects of the disaster that hit Pechrosk have left some horrid creatures that’ll hunt you down, with an array of humanoid entities ready to kill you at any given moment.”

There is a bit of a learning curve though, whilst the game isn’t always the best at directing players as to what they need to do or how a mechanic works. The menus are really clunky to get through too, especially in the game’s opening hours where you won’t fully know what you need to do. Want some advice? Check out some tutorials or beginner videos online first, you won’t regret it and it’ll help you get the most out of the game. There’s plenty of room for punishment for even the most seasoned of players, so you can probably expect to die regularly – especially with the vicious enemies that are roaming within the radius.

Believe me, some of these enemies you encounter can be really creepy. Whilst I wouldn’t necessarily call Into the Radius a horror game, the aftereffects of the disaster that hit Pechrosk have left some horrid creatures that’ll hunt you down, with an array of humanoid entities ready to kill you at any given moment. They come in different shapes and sizes and have a variety of strengths and weaknesses, so you’ve got to be prepared for any given situation when facing them. A lot of the time it’ll just take a few bullets to take them out, but there are also times where you’ve got to be a bit cleverer in your approach… it’s all part of that learning curve.

It’s just a very fun game to play, with the extra immersion offered by virtual reality making it easier to get absorbed into the experience. I found myself carefully sneaking through the remains of buildings so carefully, all whilst hunting for resources and trying my best to avoid the gaze of any creatures, and I had a great time simply trying to survive. Combat is good too, with weapons feeling realistic to use and some showdowns certainly proving to be incredibly intense. With a wide array of missions on offer, there’s plenty to get stuck into during the adventure – some can get a little repetitive, but the satisfying yet uneasy gameplay loop of exploration ensures players won’t get bored. You’ll constantly unlock new gear too, so there’s a neat sense of progression to the game where you’ll feel like you can better handle the deadlier situations that come your way.

Check out some screenshots down below:

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One of my favourite things about the game is just how unsettling it can be. Like I said, Into the Radius doesn’t feel like a horror game, but some of the sights across the environment just feel so bizarre that it’s hard not to feel uneasy (in the best way possible). At the same time, it’s not a pretty game at all, with the limitations of the Quest 2 on full display here. Some locales just look a bit drab and lacking in detail, with plenty of dull textures on display and barren lands to explore that don’t offer a whole lot to look at. Don’t get me wrong, there are times where the game can look really great (which is something owed to the creativity of the world design more than anything), but for the most part the presentation is just a bit ugly. It’s a good job looks aren’t everything, right?

It is worth noting that I also ran into a few bugs when playing. I got stuck in the environment in one instance, for example, whilst another time the game wouldn’t let me interact with objects. On one bizarre occasion I couldn’t shoot my gun, whilst another time I found myself stuck in an infinite fall through the environment. The save system is generous enough that these weren’t game breaking issues whilst most just required a quick re-load to fix, but it’s clear that there are some issues that need ironing out.

Developer: CM Games
Publisher: CM Games
Platform(s): Meta Quest 2 (Reviewed), PC VR
Website: https://cm.games/