Imagine if parts of the world as we knew it were only habitable in the very cold regions such as the artic. Depending on where you live you would have some choices to make. Stay and try to make it or move for a chance to survive. But what if things were not as they seemed, what if it was to be believed that our past may have been the cause of everything to this point in time? Would you search for the truth no matter what? The reality of today can be the horror for some while the norm for others. But does Developer Shaftesbury show us what the horrors could bring in search for the truth when not everything is as it seems? Let’s find out with WREST for PCVR.
I will say this before continuing that if you have a fear of anything that can be considered “jump scares”, then be prepared now, you will experience them in WREST. Not only will you experience them, no matter how prepared you might be for them, don’t be overconfident in your abilities to handle them as some will jump and others may cry. With that said…let’s continue.
WREST is a psychological horror game set in a science fiction future where you play as Andy Bishop. The world as we know it is divided and the Earth is habitable in the areas in the extreme north and south aka the arctic. But it’s not just uncovering the past, but a lesson about who to trust. So before jumping in and hoping you survive the jump and things that may move in the darkness, you will want to make sure of a couple of things. One, make sure your controllers are fully charged and two, WREST is either a sitting or standing experience. Do not walk around, know your space limits, and just get ready to have some fun.
From the beginning, the developers introduce you to limited light areas to let you know what you are getting yourself into before going any further. Each room gives you more of how to move and finally how to interact with objects. Don’t be afraid to stop and mess with the settings (such as snap or smooth turning, turning speed, hand preference, quality, and brightness) as you want your time with WREST to be the most comfortable that it can be given what you are about to witness (which I will not spoil for anyone).
When you first start you, it’s more about just exploring the areas around you to get used to things that are nice to have that safe room of calmness…until you hear the cries for help and start to see the blood that you know right from the start something has happened Then the questions start to form. Who did this? When did this happen? Who was that voice? Am I next?
There are weapons that you can use for protection and while grabbing what I could, I was hoping for something with a little more force and that is when I found the Multitool that looks like this yellow metal device that no only has force but which fits over your wrist. The Multitool has quite a few purposes which I don’t want to give it all away, but being able to shoot from it is a nice touch. But just when you think you are alone without a friendly soul on your side, that’s when you meet LULU the ship’s AI, and not only can she guide you in ways, but it’s when you almost get into an escape through other’s dreams that start throwing twists from what you are first introduced with WREST which I really liked. And it’s within these dreams you start to learn some things and one might be careful entering one’s dreams as you never know what you may come across.
If there is anything I would love to be added is just more of the dream aspects. It is a different twist and gave a fresh feeling which if you are one to get scared easily, a nice change in scenery just might be helpful. But again, the grass is not always greener in someone elses dreams.
WREST gives you enough of horror and narrative to keep you on your toes and your heart beating all while keeping you intrigued with the mysteries of what has happened. Sometimes the only ones we thought we could trust turns out differently for some and that includes when we try to trust ourselves.
WREST is out now on Steam. A review code was provided.
Also, check out the WREST interview.
To learn more about Shaftesbury Lucid Inc., please visit their site, like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, and subscribe to their YouTube channel. Also, make sure to like WREST 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 to go pray that my dreams will be pleasant ones.
