Hands-on with Into Black on Quest 3: A highly polished sleeper hit
Into Black combines elements of Deep Rock Galactic, No Man's Sky and Borderlands and translates them well into VR.
It's hard to make good VR games. So it's always nice when a VR game surprises you in a positive way. Like Into Black, which was released yesterday for Meta Quest. I played it, and although I can't give a final verdict due to the limited time I had, I have to say that Into Black made a strong first impression on me.
From the very first minute, you can feel that this is the work of developers who understand VR and have a lot of experience with the medium. The movement, the interactions, everything flows beautifully and makes you feel like VR games have been around for decades, not just a few years.
A familiar and addictive gameplay loop
You take on the role of space scavenger Ben Mitchell, who discovers a strange asteroid and, upon closer inspection, is sucked into a wormhole with his spaceship. On the other side, Mitchell finds himself in the cave system of a mysterious alien planet, which he must explore as the adventure progresses.
On my first journey into the unknown, I had only a torch and a pickaxe with me, followed later by a mining laser and a blaster.
You will use these and other tools to explore the vast cave systems, collect and mine resources, kill hordes of insect-like aliens and find schematics to improve your equipment and weapons. Jonathan, the AI drone that accompanies you, is a humorous distraction, with voice acting and jokes to keep you entertained.
A co-op mode is also included
If you prefer to play socially, you can invite up to three friends to play through the campaign with you. Into the Black also features a competitive multiplayer mode, where you can battle it out with up to eleven players.
Into Black is optimized for Meta Quest 3S and 3 and makes a good visual impression. The caves are large and spacious, and even if there is a lack of detail, the mix of alien flora and fauna and glowing crystals creates a great atmosphere. The VR game has more than 20 levels with different biomes.
If you like the gameplay and are looking for a title that will keep you hooked for more than a few hours, you should definitely take a look at this VR game. The experienced VR studio Binary Mill (Rush, Resist, Gun Club VR) has landed a hit here.
You can purchase Into The Black from the Horizon Store now.
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