The 7th Guest VR [PlayStation VR 2] | REVIEW

It was a surprise to see The 7th Guest get a revival in 2023, with The 7th Guest VR offering a re-imagined take on the classic PC release that brings with it a fresh spin on the narrative as well as all-new puzzles to solve. Admittedly, I went in with a bit of trepidation, especially since I loved playing the original game with my Dad back in the day, but I found myself completely won over from the word go. It has a few issues, but The 7th Guest VR is a fascinating experience that really embraces the wonders of virtual reality.

Check out some screenshots down below:

The 7th Guest VR shares a lot of the same narrative details from the original release, with players once again finding themselves in an eerie mansion with mysterious and spooky happenings. And yes, once again, there’s also a murder mystery to deal with throughout your time there, with the player having to investigate the house and the ghostly visions of the guests it hosted in order to crack the case. It’s a quirky yet spooky tale that embraces the source material fully, though it also adds its own little twists to the formula to make for an experience that’ll still manage to surprise those who experienced the original release thirty years ago.

I’ve got to give a shout out to the actors that portray the characters too, each of which are represented in-game by their real-life counterparts as opposed to character models. Not only does It help capture the essence of the original game that did the same trick back in the day, but it also looks really, really cool in virtual reality. I’m a sucker for little details like this anyway, but it helped set the tone of The 7th Guest VR perfectly.

The mansion itself is a real treat to uncover too, with it packed full of spooky little details that’ll keep players on edge as they explore each room and hallway. Now I wouldn’t necessarily say that the game is scary to play, but playing in virtual reality does make certain sights all the more unnerving. The game embraces a slightly camper and quirkier tone than other ‘horror’ titles, but don’t be surprised if you find yourself caught out by some of its more unpredictable scares…

“The 7th Guest VR had enough sparks of brilliance to ensure that its issues don’t mar what is otherwise a very memorable experience that lives up to the original game.”

As mentioned, The 7th Guest VR changes things up when it comes to the gameplay, so there are a whole bunch of new puzzles for players to solve during their stay in the mansion. They’re cleverly designed for the most part too, with players having to physically interact with their surroundings and use objects in a variety of ways in order to solve each conundrum. They also feel like they thematically fit in with the game’s eerie vibe and also the characters that they are connected to, with each puzzle creatively designed to have a deeper meaning – there are some that feel like throwbacks to the original game too, which is a nice touch. Admittedly, the puzzles themselves aren’t too difficult to solve so you won’t find yourself perplexed for long, but there’s a generous hint system in place if you do need a helping hand.

Players are also equipped with a special lantern that can be used to reveal secret messages across the mansion and return certain items within it to their past state, giving players a peek at what the mansion was like before it became what it is now… you know… derelict and icky. This lantern doesn’t only tie into the puzzle-solving but also exploration, with players uncovering plenty of secrets within the mansion simply by shining the light across their surroundings. It’s a really cool idea that essentially gives players a parallel world to explore, which is especially impressive when experienced in virtual reality.

If it isn’t clear already, I had a REALLY good time playing The 7th Guest VR. The balance of clever puzzling and enjoyable exploration added a really neat twist to the classic formula, whilst simply taking in the sights of the mansion and finding its secrets kept me entertained for longer than I’d like to admit. However, there were some little niggles that did rear their head when playing, most notably around the controls. Traversing the mansion and interacting with it was fine, but when you needed to do something with precision, things could get a little clumsy. It’d be fine if it just happened once or twice, but there were a lot of puzzles in the game where it felt awkward just to perform the simplest of tasks. It is something you get used to when playing (and it is never game-breaking by any means), but it’s a little disappointing that these little frustrations would occur when in the midst of a brainteaser.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Oh, and the last puzzle of the game? What a lame way to finish. The 7th Guest VR is full of ingenuity and creative design, but it ends with a puzzle that just feels a little lazy and dull. Again, it’s not broken, but the fact it relies more on rolling the dice than using your logic does feel insulting after all of the head-scratching and ‘eureka!’ moments you’d have gone through to reach the conclusion.

It has some flaws then, but you know what? I still loved my time with the game. Maybe it’s my history with the original, maybe it’s the alluring storytelling and clever use of real actors, or maybe it’s the creative puzzling – either way, The 7th Guest VR had enough sparks of brilliance to ensure that its issues don’t mar what is otherwise a very memorable experience that more than lives up to the original game.

Developer: Vertigo Games
Publisher: Vertigo Games
Platform(s): PlayStation VR 2 (Reviewed), Meta Quest 2|3, PC VR
Website: https://www.the7thguest-vr.com/