Effectively unbeatable as far as unscripted survival horror goes. After patiently waiting for the game to leave early access, this superb sequel to an essential VR game boasts large improvements over the gameplay systems, structure, and visuals of the original. Despite its technical shortcomings and the occasional jank it inherited, ITR2 succeeded in once again transfixing me in the cycle of deliberate preparation, disquieting exploration, and nerve-racking firefights.
Being inside The Radius demands your constant visual and auditory attention. As you monitor the game’s unsettling ambient soundscape, you must continuously listen for the subtle ringing of anomalies as well as the scuttles, groans, and distorted voices of enemies. Scanning the distance for movement while also glancing at your map to keep yourself oriented keeps your eyes occupied between time spent navigating anomaly minefields. Advancing without an understanding of your environment makes you easy prey. Thinking that you’re safe can be a dangerous mistake. This is all set to the timers of the arrival of pitch-black night, a map-cleaning insta-death periodic “tide”, and your ever-dwindling supplies away from base.
VR has never been a better stage for this level of instinctual survival. Stopping to resupply your empty mags, eat, or heal during quiet moments creates these vulnerable scenarios where you’re gambling on being alone or simply praying that the distant searching voices don’t know you're there. In many circumstances, I found it difficult to aim on account of how physically scared and shaky I was. Being legitimately brave enough to face the dark, haunted forests or navigate eerily quiet buildings and stay mentally/physically composed enough to fight and survive is a powerful, sincere sensation no game has given me since ITR1. It’s worth noting that I’m medicated for anxiety. Yet I still subjected myself to ITR2’s intense VR horror and overcame the fear via planning, alertness, and skillful execution, which brought me intense catharsis. I’m personally fascinated with this idea of the ambiguity of real-life anxiety versus the artificially induced anxiety choreographed by games and what it can teach me about overcoming stress in day-to-day life.
Equipping yourself at base camp with everything you need to survive your unpredictable hikes is the compelling counterpart to the game’s horror. ITR2 features a deep equipment system that heavily rewards good organization and foresight. You can spend a lot of time kitting out your vest to maximize its potential and meet your ergonomic needs. Being in VR means your equipment exists spatially, so it’s like a 3D version of the satisfying item case system from RE4, with the addition that the location of items has very real consequences for how you’re able to react to sudden shifts in the situation. Choosing what can be in your backpack versus what needs to be immediately available on your vest gets you thinking hard. This makes it all the more rewarding to reach higher explorer ranks and unlock new gadgets, gear, guns, and ways to augment your personal setup.
Roaring praise aside, ITR2 still has some legitimate scuffs to clean off. Things such as performance, terrain collision, body inverse kinematics, and voice acting still leave room for improvement. Something I noticed that took me out of the game a number of times was that the collision of rocks/trees can be off slightly, which could interrupt movement or block tricky shots behind cover. Similarly, I wish that pistol mags were easier to catch after ejecting them (they kind of flip out). And while I’m airing grievances, scavenging could use a bit of a rebalance. Ammo that’s in the wild is needlessly sparse in quantity and useful items that aren’t just for selling are very rare. Actually building a “no shop run” setting into the game where scavenging becomes a livable source of ammo/weapons would be amazing and an interesting new way to play.
A short note on the game’s story: even with the limited role it plays and the amateurish voice acting, the story kept the game connected and grounded and I’d love to see more of it. The premise of "doomed explorer manipulated by an unseen organization" is intriguing and only gets mild elaboration, and not in an intentionally cryptic way. Not carrying over the echo recordings that played in ITR1 after you crush the ashen figments of citizens was a missed opportunity as well.
Few other games have captivated me the way this experience has. I’m thrilled to have another damned clever and highly engaging VR game that maximizes its usage of the medium’s strengths. ITR2 isn’t an easy game and it's certainly not a relaxing one. However, I urge you to reflect on other games that may have left you with impactful emergent stories and then imagine those moments merged with the immersion inherent in quality survival-horror, all set in full stereoscopy. That is what ITR2 gave me, and I hope it can give you the same.
