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Review: Into Black
Into Black was a game that appeared to captivate the Meta Quest audience, yet I never had the chance to experience it on that platform. Therefore, when it was revealed for PlayStation VR2, I realised it was the right moment to explore the game, as its settings appeared ideal for the benefits provided by the OLED displays. Having now played the game on PSVR2, did it live up to the excitement created by players on Meta’s platform.
Game Details
Release Date: August 28th 2025
Developer: The Binary Mill
Publisher: The Binary Mill
Price: £24.99 / US $29.99
Reviewed On: PlayStation VR2
* Access Provided For Review *
Starting With Disaster
Into Black begins with your character’s ship crash-landing on an alien world. Your AI companion, Jonathan, points out the evident fact that your ship is in dire condition – just by glancing around, it’s clear that it’s wrecked and ablaze. Together, you must now collect resources, enhance your gear, and unveil mysteries surrounding an ancient alien civilization – which may also originate from a different dimension.
The Thrill Of The Expedition
As previously stated, you must venture out to gather resources, which is the core of the gameplay loop, all while battling insect-like monsters and enhancing your equipment. By collecting these resources, you’ll be able to improve your mining beam, tools, and weapons – including a battle axe, pistol, shotgun, and SMG. This cycle of gathering materials and upgrading will make you feel increasingly powerful on your next expedition.
Deciding on which upgrades to pursue is crucial and should align with your play style. You may prefer to enhance your mining efficiency to gather resources, or perhaps you want to improve your combat skills to defeat enemies more effectively, making your expedition smoother. This decision-making process is intertwined with the game’s risk-reward mechanics, such as the timed weapon reload feature. This mechanic is reminiscent of the active reload system in Gears of War, where perfect timing can accelerate your reload speed. However, if you fail to time it right, you’ll face a delay compared to a regular reload—which can be incredibly beneficial but also a significant drawback in certain scenarios.
Similar to the risk for reward reload system, the game encourages you to explore extensively during your expedition. You’ll be rewarded with extra resources, discover chests that offer great rewards, and experience the thrill of exploration. The narrative is woven into your current expedition, and while achieving your objective is important, it doesn’t limit your ability to continue exploring, as you have the choice of when to return to your ship. However, keep in mind that this comes with the risk of not completing the expedition if you die while exploring further.
The game also features a significant amount of platforming, but the team at The Binary Mill has designed this system to be incredibly smooth and easy to manage. You’ll experience a sensation akin to low gravity as you combine jumps, double jumps, and dashes to reach your destinations. If you encounter an area that seems out of reach and there are mushrooms (or mushroom-like plants) nearby, use them to gain an extra boost. More importantly, these moves can also be utilised in combat, not just for getting around – they have definitely come to my rescue on several occasions.
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Combat is both fast-paced and gratifying. You will encounter a variety of enemies that necessitate different strategies for defeat, making it essential to comprehend their behaviours for effective management. Initially, with just your basic weapons, the combat feels straightforward, but as you advance, the difficulty increases, highlighting the importance of upgrading your weapons. The diverse enemy types contribute to a more engaging exploration experience, as you must adapt your tactics frequently.
Like any game, Into Black has its flaws and is not without its challenges. Initially, I found the tool-switching to be quite bothersome, but as you begin to upgrade your equipment, this becomes less of a concern. While the variety of enemies keeps the exploration interesting, the environments can start to feel somewhat repetitive. The hacking mini-game adds a fresh twist to interactions, though it can sometimes feel a bit cumbersome; an update to the tool that makes these interactions smoother or even an auto-hack feature would be beneficial. Additionally, there have been some technical glitches, particularly with enemies clipping through various parts of the environment. However, despite these minor issues, they do not significantly detract from the overall experience the game provides, and they certainly shouldn’t discourage you from playing it.
The Binary Mill has made the game playable in both single-player and multi-player modes, which I believe is crucial for a game of this nature. While the single-player campaign is engaging and an excellent way to experience the game, it truly elevates the experience when playing with friends, allowing you to tackle the campaign alongside up to three companions. Additionally, there is a PVP mode available, although I didn’t test it for this review since competitive gameplay isn’t my preference. However, if you’re looking for that competitive thrill, it’s there for you.
Decent Into Darkness
The team didn’t merely port the Meta Quest version to the PlayStation VR; they dedicated time to ensure the game fully utilises the enhanced capabilities of the PS5 and the PSVR2. The environments have been remastered, incorporating dynamic real-time shadows that bring them to life as you navigate through the cave-like settings, using your torch to cast shadows that can be more frightening than the insectoid enemies, especially in co-op mode when shadows loom overhead. Everything looks stunning in the headset, thanks to eye-tracked foveated rendering that makes visuals sharp, while HDR enhances colours, making them pop against the deep blacks of the OLED displays. What impressed me the most was the absence of MURA, which is significant for someone like me who is sensitive to MURA in dark games; this was a concern that could have been detrimental to the experience.
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The sound work is also fantastic with the humming environments joined by the bubbling sounds of nearby lava, gives you the feeling of being in the closed off underground like settings. The weapons all have the punchy sound, which when mixed the haptics and adaptive-triggers on the DualSense controllers makes them feel so good to shoot. When the atmospheric sounds are joined by the sounds of the enemies and the combat it all comes together to make you feel completely immersed in the world of Into Black.
Finally, the voice acting in the game is outstanding, which keeps you engaged in the narrative and makes Jonathan a delightful companion during your exploration. You may observe that Jonathan’s character seems to draw some influence from Codsworth in Fallout, as he exhibits quite similar traits. He can be both useful and offer some mildly irritating yet humorous remarks while you explore – but this is precisely why you’ll grow fond of your little AI assistant. Additionally, he provides companionship when playing solo, which is definitely a plus.
Comfort
Verdict
Into Black merges the finest aspects of sci-fi, exploration, and platforming, creating a gameplay loop that is both addictive and immersive. As you embark on expeditions, explore, gather materials, and upgrade your gear, showcasing the potential of modern VR – especially when it steers clear of the prevalent trends in free-to-play experiences targeted at younger audiences. The vibrant environments are alive with alien creatures and flora, and the narrative is intricately woven into the exploration of these breathtaking settings. This experience is further enhanced by the team’s commitment to fully utilise the PS5 and PSVR2 hardware, delivering a more detailed world, real-time lighting, exceptional use of DualSense controllers, foveated rendering, and headset haptics – making this version the ultimate way to experience Into Black. This game is undoubtedly a worthy addition to your library, offering an immersive descent as you explore this alien world, either alone or with up to three friends.
Copyright / Virtual Grip (formally The VR Realm) / 2016 -
