'I Expect You to Die' is a must own for VR

I Expect You to Die is one of the best games to grace the Oculus VR family to date. It’s an homage to the golden age of super spies and dastardly villains from Schell Games. Humor and tense situations combine to make for a truly memorable experience. This is one of those defining VR titles that make me glad to be an early adopter. If you’ve ever wanted to use mist to reveal a grid of lasers or disarm a super weapon, this game is for you. It has become my go to game for showing off the Oculus Touch controllers to curious friends. Being a super spy seems to be a dream shared by many of the nerds I know.

I Expect You to Die places you in the role of a super spy after things have gone sideways. You’ll need to examine your environment, listen to advice over your ear piece, and find a way out of trouble. Death will be the result more times than not. What’s a little death for the world’s greatest spy, am I right? Locations include a high-tech car trapped in a plane, a submarine at the bottom of the ocean, and an alpine lodge/death trap. It’s like a virtual escape room with a 1960s spy theme. Besides indulging all of my childhood fantasies of what it meant to be a spy, I Expect You to Die has the best opening sequence. Strap in, have a cigar, and disappoint the nefarious Dr. Zor by foiling his plans for world domination.

I played I Expect You to Die on the Oculus Rift using the new Touch controllers. Designed as a seated experience, the environments still provide a good sense of depth. From the very first mission, I was hooked. The first thing I had to do in the car was open the glove box, poke around, and then find the key up in the visor. Once the car was started, I experienced my first taste of death in the game. Traps are scattered throughout every inch of the environment. Learning to anticipate and avoid them is the key to success. Leaning to the side allowed me to avoid the security eye scanner during my second play through. The death laser was avoided, but that’s when the dynamite appeared.

Despite the range and immersion allowed by the Touch controllers, there are still times where the use of “telekinesis” is required. Part of the game play mechanic is the ability to grab, pull, and push items that would otherwise be outside of your reach. I like to think that makes me a sort of Jean Grey, super spy. (I certainly die and come back again about as often.) Suspending objects in the air near me is probably the most useful application of this telekinetic ability. Bomb defusing instructions as well as a knife are placed conveniently nearby in anticipation of that dynamite the next time around. Sure, it breaks the realism of being an international super spy tracking down a power mad villain, but it does make the puzzles a tad more manageable.

If you own the Touch controllers, I Expect You to Die is a must own game. Realism may not be its biggest selling point, but I can’t think of a more fun way to spend an afternoon. Length of play is the biggest drawback to the game. A single play through will probably take no more than a couple hours. Trophies and achievements are there for replayability, but only extend things so far. I admit, I haven’t actually come close to a speed run achievement for any of the levels so far. Levels are definitely worth exploring in depth at least once. Besides, you know that crossbow-wielding bear in the corner needs a fedora. Yeah, it does. I love the humor and absurdity of the situations so much that I can only hope we see a sequel in the near future.