When you take the horror genre and mix that with Virtual Reality, good things can happen. Don’t Knock Twice from Wales Interactive takes a working formula with some very much appreciative controls and throw that into PlayStation VR, add some creepy sounds and watch as some good things happen.
In case you did not know, Don’t Knock Twice is the VR companion to the movie of the same name which is based on a witch of the demonic nature that appears when you guessed it, knock twice on her door. When you first start out, you will find some small details such as notes and your cell phone that allows you to receive texts. This really comes in handy if you feel you are stuck and the text message kinda helps you in the right direction. I really like what was done here with the cell phone when it is not being used, it’s at your waist and throughout the game, your cell phone goes off and with that little buzzing, can actually make fun jump scares that you were not expecting. And speaking of jump scares, there is this one (along with others) that will get you. I am not going to tell you where just appreciate what is presented.
The controls used in Don’t Knock Twice are quite refreshing but with familiarity with them. To move around you teleport (which some may or may not like) but, it works really well and not once did I feel nauseous. But you know how sometimes when you play in Virtual Reality and if you drop your item, even though you try to reach for it, the camera may lose sight of you and you may not be able to pick up the item? Wales Interactive has solved this. If you drop an item, you press the button on the move controller to almost like a mini teleport light to the item and while holding the button, you are able to pick up the item. I can really say that I appreciated this on so many levels.
As you try to figure out what is going on, doors will slam shut and yet other doors are locked in the path you need to go. It’s almost like some rooms have a life of their own. And the screams that you hear really do add to the life that is presented here. And sometimes you may be stuck in a room for a certain amount of time and no matter what you do, nothing seems to work. But then suddenly something unlocks and it almost has this ghostly presence just trying to have fun with you. But once you get that ax, feel free to let all your built up aggression out and use the house as your pallet for your new-found artistic abilities.
I don’t want to spoil too much, but Don’t Knock Twice does what it set out to do…have some fun, add some jump scares, and it gives you a 2 – 3 hour (depending on how you like to explore )immersive experience. And with Halloween being here before we know it, you never know what tricks will be played with this treat.
Don’t Knock Twice is out now on PlayStation VR and is also available on the Oculus Store, Steam, and Viveport. A review code was provided.
To learn more about Wales Interactive, please visit their site, like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter and subscribe to their Youtube channel.
In case you missed the trailer, please enjoy. Until next time, I am going back into the house and using the ax on whatever I can.
Mr. PSVR, September 7, 2017, theplaystationbrahs.com
