Here They Lie (VR) Reviews
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?
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.
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.
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
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 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.
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
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.
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.
Walking (Home at Night) Simulator
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."
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
Horror elements are overcooked and, alongside seriously limited interactions, lead to a game that’s not half as frightening as it thinks it is.
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.
This PlayStation VR exclusive delivers on dread, but its confusing narrative and awkward controls make it a failed experiment
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.
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.