Here They Lie (VR) Reviews
Though it has a few unsettling, adrenaline-pumping moments, Here They Lie fails to deliver believable psychological horror. It definitely tries — it’s filled with the requisite creepy, gargling monster sounds and reality-bending that can contribute tension to scares — but it doesn’t blend its horror elements well enough to be consistently terrifying. Relying so heavily on overwrought surrealism and a few haunted house-style jumps to create tension rather than fostering any true discomfort (besides nausea) leaves it feeling flat.
You’ll want to see everything the game has to offer, then show your friends to justify the new PlayStation VR you just bought
Prog-rock album-cover aesthetics meets occult imagery in this gripping psychological horror excursion on PlayStation VR.
Horror elements are overcooked and, alongside seriously limited interactions, lead to a game that’s not half as frightening as it thinks it is.
A nice idea that does not work due to it's repetitiveness and 'cos it can cause (a lot) of nausea,
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A walking simulator with a disturbing and unique atmosphere, but also with a limited gameplay and basic and poor graphics.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Four things prevent “Here They Lie” from being completely creditable. It’s unrelentingly depressing. You never feel you’ve triumphed against anything. And although you make the occasional moral choice, it’s less a game than an experience. It’s also the most nausea-inducing VR offering I’ve ever played. The developers care more about affecting your mind and controlling your emotions than they do about your physical ability to complete their slice of grim fantasy.
Daring and provocative, but also poorly written and technically inept. PlayStation VR will no doubt get much better horror games in the future, but this is still a notable first step.
Here They Lie is a successful use of the PlayStation VR, but outside of the novelty of transporting yourself into the veil of a unique hellish landscape created by beautifully tortured souls, the actual delivery and writing fall flat. I don't mind the heavy emphasis on morality, but there's only some exploration of basic philosophical concepts that range from mildly thought-provoking to "I bet these are Jaden Smith quotes."
It’s a shame we weren’t able to review the game prior to launch, because Here They Lie is by far the best game I have played on the system. It’s definitely not for everyone and the weirdness may put a lot of people off, but I loved every moment and couldn’t wait to see what the game was going to throw at me next. Screaming creatures, cities on fire, underground stations that warp and shudder like an intestine, and a humanoid pig giving an antelope a high-five as they tag team a CRT television. What’s not to love?
This PlayStation VR exclusive delivers on dread, but its confusing narrative and awkward controls make it a failed experiment
With Here They Lie, I stared long and hard into the abyss, only this time it didn’t stir; instead, I was left gazing at an under-cooked horror experience that while surreal, fails to deliver a fulfilling end product. Horror games should present an exercise in nerve-shredding tension whether they’re built for virtual reality or not. Sadly, Here They Lie leans too heavily on VR as a novelty to justify a by-the-numbers entry into the genre.
Here They Lie smacks of cynicism – a game designed with the knowledge that horror works really well in VR, without anybody involved knowing how VR games should operate. It’s distinctly unpleasant to play, and I fear it’ll be only one of many horror games that pull the same stunt as virtual reality continues to hold sway.
Here They Lie is not a perfect horror game – but it's tense and well worth experiencing if you're looking for some frights for your new PlayStation VR headset. The narrative could have been stronger, and the way it displays textures is odd, but the cavernous environments and clever control scheme make this a ride worth taking.
An engaging surrealist horror that is elevated by some great sound design and a wonderfully nihilistic setting, Here They Lie might not change up the formula too much but it remains an effective PSVR scare-a-thon that you don't want to leave in the ground.
Here They Lie is a disturbing psychological thriller, the digitization of a nightmare. The gaming experience is, for this reason, interesting and meaningful. Much of the credit goes to the virtual reality headset, which transforms this disturbing Walking Simulator in a hellish journey.
Review in Italian | Read full review
I simply find its visuals too compromised for it to be playable. Looking at this game in VR is like looking at a deteriorated painting while wearing someone else's prescription glasses... after they've been dipped in marmalade.
Here They Lie has some scary moments, and some totally bizarre ones, that will stick with me for a while. Sadly, I'm more likely to remember the game making no sense, ultimately being rather boring, ugly, unintentionally funny, and requiring VR without actually making use of the system.
What follows next is lacklustre. Predictable jump scares, ringing telephones, spooky notes, guys in animal masks humping things and malfunctioning flashlights litter the landscape, and with each new instance, you’re left less and less impressed. Take your pick; this could be a result of mickey mouse writing or because you’re more concerned with how much game you can take before you need a sick break.
Here They Lie is grotesque and horrifying, but it’s also a thought-provoking, philosophical head trip that makes some of the best use of VR to date.