Review: Detective VR
We’re witnessing a significant leap forward in mixed reality gaming, with longer and more immersive games being launched more frequently. Detective VR, has joined the fray, blending virtual and mixed reality components to unravel a puzzling disappearance.
Release Date: February 27th 2025
Developer: Studio CHIPO Y JUAN & VALEM Studio
Publisher: Studio CHIPO Y JUAN
Price: £23.99
Reviewed On: Meta Quest 3
* Access Provided For Review *
What Happened To Richard Hue?
In this intriguing game, you take on the role of an unnamed detective tasked with unravelling the mystery of artist Richard Hue’s sudden vanishing. Famous for his provocative artwork that incorporates blood, you’ll encounter a fascinating array of characters as you work to uncover the truth behind his disappearance.
Immersive Investigation
The game unfolds in two unique styles: one that is ideal for virtual reality and another that shines in mixed reality. The team skilfully merges these styles to ensure you remain completely engaged, regardless of the medium you’re using.
You’ll kick off each segment of the investigation in virtual reality, navigating to specific locations within each scene to carry out your inquiry. As you explore these spots, you’ll snap photos of possible evidence until you gather everything needed to unravel the mystery of the current scene.
You will then move into your own personal room, where the investigation board awaits your findings. Here, you’ll start connecting the dots regarding each person’s motives for being at the scene. In this phase, you’ll place your Polaroid on the pedestal in your room, which will allow you to examine that item closely. You’ll search for fingerprints, blood, or any crucial information related to it. Once you’ve gathered all the necessary details, you can return the Polaroid to the investigation board and associate what you’ve discovered with each individual. You’ll continue this process until everything is connected. If you’ve successfully linked an item to a person, the string will turn green, and a VHS tape will appear on that linked string.
You will then take these VHS tapes to the pedestal and insert them. This will give you the opportunity to question anyone you’ve successfully connected to that item. By touching their image on the pedestal, you’ll hear their response related to that item, bringing the character into your space as they explain. On your investigation board, you’ll find clipboards outlining what you’re trying to uncover with your questions, such as linking them to the scene and their motives for wanting Richard to vanish.
After you’ve gathered all the information you need from the questioning, a VHS will be attached to their clipboard. Placing this on the pedestal will transport you to the next scene for that character, where you’ll observe the scene unfold in stages while collecting evidence and repeating the process.
I have just one main concern with the game: it doesn’t save your item placements when you switch back to mixed reality. This means I have to reposition the investigation board and pedestal every time I reach that part of the investigation in each scene. While this is a minor issue, most mixed reality experiences typically remember where you placed items in your space. I hope this is something that can be fixed in a future update, or perhaps it’s a setting I’ve missed during my playthrough, but I haven’t been able to find a solution yet.
You have the option to play the game using either controllers or hand-tracking, but the developers suggest using hand-tracking for a more immersive experience. Personally, I mostly used the controllers, not because the hand-tracking was poor, but because I had some lighting issues in my room – which affects all hand-tracking games. However, when I tried it during the day, the hand-tracking worked flawlessly and truly enhanced my gaming experience.
A Crime Show In Your Home
The game offers a unique experience, as the team has utilised full motion capture technology to bring the characters to life, creating an immersive theatre-like experience within the headset. However, there are a few strange moments where the characters’ movements can appear a bit off, which caught me off guard given the capture method. Nevertheless, the visual quality and the motion capture technique do a good job of keeping you engaged, even if there’s still some potential for enhancement in this aspect.
One aspect where I believe the investigation boards could be enhanced is in the arrangement of the Polaroids. It would be great if you could organise them in a way that suits your preferences. The tangled web of strings connecting evidence to individuals often resembles Charlie’s chaotic investigation board from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, rather than the neat setups typically shown in detective shows. For someone who prefers a more orderly approach, this clutter can be quite unsettling and creates a rather chaotic visual.
The audio quality is a bit of a mixed bag, but it doesn’t detract from the overall experience. There are moments where the sound levels fluctuate, with some parts being quieter and others peaking with a slight crackle. However, for the most part, the audio is excellent. The strong voice acting really enhances the scenes, and when combined with the motion capture, it creates an immersive experience.
Comfort
The Verdict
Detective VR brilliantly combines virtual reality and mixed reality to deliver an outstanding detective experience on the Meta Quest. You’ll find yourself collecting evidence in immersive virtual environments and then conducting investigations right from your own space in mixed reality, seamlessly blending the two formats. Although the gameplay loop can feel repetitive, I never found it dull. There are areas where gameplay and presentation could be enhanced, but the overall experience remains highly engaging, showcasing a fantastic integration of VR and MR. It will be exciting to see if the developers choose to expand on this concept with a sequel or episodic updates that introduce new cases over time. Regardless, Detective VR provides a fun and captivating experience.