Here They Lie (VR) Reviews
After a promising start, Here They Lie tries too hard to tell its story and ends up turning into a nightmare to play
Here They Lie is a clever game for the PlayStation VR and its motion sickness does make wonder whether this game would be better suited for the PS4 Pro for faster framerates. The game’s momentum starts slow and every now and then the game will really make you jump which is where the developers have succeeded. However in terms of gameplay, it is a little light in its nature but the nonetheless is an interesting look into both the horror genre and into the psyche of the main character in this horror thriller.
I’ll be honest; by the time Here They Lie’s credits rolled, I still didn’t really have a firm grasp of what it was all about… All I know is that it kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.
If you're ready to spend a few hours holding up on your control stick, looking at some colorless environments for shoddy clues that are imperative to the plot, and a lot of head turning for some cheap jump scares, then Here They Lie was made for you. Otherwise, I would not waste the time with it.
Walking (Home at Night) Simulator
Here They Lie is likely doomed to obscurity and it probably is for the best. This is a weird and cult type game that may one day find its fans, but limiting it to VR may not have been the best choice, since there really is nothing here that demanded it. If Here They Lie is ever on sale and you need to get use out of the PlayStation VR headset, it will make for an interesting experience, just not a deep game.
Horror is a very natural fit for [VR technology], but some awkward juxtapositions between Here They Lie’s art direction and theming, and the critical lack of physical feedback after providing such a sensory overload in other ways, is perhaps an argument that the best horror experiences we’ll see on VR will be the “walking simulators” that focus on psychological fear rather than physical threats.
Ultimately, Here They Lie is not a particularly great game. It's very average, and if this wasn't taking place in a virtual setting, and wasn't one of the original show pieces for the tech on PlayStation, it'd probably be borderline bad.