Edge of Nowhere

Insomniac Games has a storied history that includes many beloved games and franchises, and with Edge of Nowhere, that legacy grows stronger.

Don’t be fooled: At its core Edge of Nowhere is nothing more (and certainly nothing less) than old school survival horror – unfortunately blended with too much stealth. But it is nonetheless a very good example that you don’t need new concepts to deliver an engrossing VR experience. [Tested with Oculus Rift]

Insomniac does a great job of taking advantage of the sense of presence VR technology can bring, with sequences that put disturbing images up close for examination. The experience isn’t about jump scares; it’s about making you dread what’s ahead, rather than trying to make you soak your seat. It’s not revolutionary, but Edge of Nowhere is a rewarding way to spend an afternoon. Just be sure to crank the AC. [Tested with Oculus Rift]

Finally a game in VR which shows that the third person is ideal for virtual reality, even if in the end it’s almost all talk and no action.

Edge of Nowhere is a VR experience with an impressive start, but after few hours the adventures weakens, reproducing the same situations for over and over again.

Without Oculus Rift it would be just another adventure, but Insomniac has done a great job making something that is worth your time if you own a VR headset.

VR can’t elevate Edge of Nowhere’s mediocre climbing, shallow combat, and contrived story. [Tested with Oculus Rift]

Short survival horror game (3 hours). Spent about a third of the game climbing with an ice pick - not fun even when done well (ie tomb raider/uncharted). Infuriating when done badly, as is the case here: unresponsive, directly disobeys in some situations, and bugged out on several others. The 'game' part of the game is 3rd person 'avoid the monster' and a few chase scenes. No puzzles. Nice story, but adds nothing new to the lore genre. The scenes where you find journals are very cool. 3rd person VR works well - especially when you can see the spotlight moving with your head. Maybe the best looking game I've played in VR, but I still don't think I could recommend it at more than $5. I look forward to seeing what Insomniac can do with a full budget behind them.

Edge of Nowhere is, simply put, too short. I am not the fastest player in the world, and I easily finished this in about 4 hours, not counting the time it takes to get it working. It is a lot like the introductory or training level you might find in a real game like Tomb Raider. Just about the time I was confident of all the controls and tactics of sneaking around, climbing with ice axes, shooting a very slow gun, and slashing goopy creatures (all look about the same) with the axe it is over. It's like, OK, we got them into a lot of trouble, we know what we're doing now...where's the rest of the game? Graphically it is reasonably beautiful. The RIFT is capable of more, but these graphics run smoothly and and the controls obey with reasonable accuracy. There is nothing "wrong" with it at all; good story line, good effects, smooth **** over almost before it gets started. Had anyone had the decency to let me know I was spending $30 for a few hours of play, I would not have. This is a good start in the VR gaming **** it is only that. I have played demos that ran longer.