I really do hate jump scares. I know most people say that in anticipation as they sit down in movie theaters, ready to scream, but I’m the sort of guy that just won’t go into the movie at all. As you can imagine, then, I’m always apprehensive about putting on a VR headset to play a horror game, and hesitated to pull the PS VR over my head when I knew I was going to be jumping into TianShe Media’s Weeping Doll.
Luckily, this is the sort of horror game I can get along with.
That is to say there are no jump scares here. Studio co-founder Vincent Chen assures me that players won’t have to worry about that.
“It is a psychological thriller,” Chen wrote over email. “The fear element is brought by the atmosphere and the unspoken secrets of the narrative. The game really focuses on the storytelling. The more the player immerses in the plot, the more secrets they will unveil.”
Horror fanatics might be disappointed by that and I can understand why; Weeping Doll really isn’t scary at all. What it loses in terror and tension, though, it makes up for with intrigue. As Chen alludes to, the plot is pivotal here. You play as a house maid named Atong that cares for the residence of two twin sisters and their mother and father. Upon arriving at the house on day, however, you find the family missing, many of their doors locked, and a series of puzzles blocking the way. You could probably turn around and take the day off if you wanted to, but where would be the fun in that?
Resident Evil 7 may be looking to scare the pants off of us in VR, but Weeping Doll feels like much more of a throwback to the puzzle-intensive, exploration-focused days of the original game.
Moving around is a noteworthy mechanic. TianShe has employed what it calls the ‘Shadow Step’ locomotion system, which is pretty easy to get the hang of. Pushing the right stick on the DualShock 4 in any direction will bring up a sort of projection of yourself that you can move around the environment. When it’s placed where it needs to be, you can teleport over there. It’s similar to some other systems we’ve seen, but it’s intuitive enough to make for fast movement in and around the house. Within moments I was confidently taking back and side steps with a quick flick of the stick and making exact movements to be in front of items with which I needed to interact.
Chen reads from the VR developer rulebook when explaining why the team went with teleportation: “We believe it is very important when creating the immersive experience: to give the feeling of comfort by giving players no dizziness at all.” While some of us are indeed comfortable with free movement (and I suspect many more will be once they’ve gotten acquainted to PlayStation VR) it is important to make sure no one wants to throw up during this early stage, so I can accept the system.
Once you’re confident with the system, you’ll be able to easily tackle the game’s puzzles, which generally unlock doors and reveal hidden paths upon completion. At one point, I literally have to match dolls’ heads with different bodies and then place them on the correct stand on a fireplace. Elsewhere, some simple exploration reveals keys to other rooms that provide keys to get out of where you came from. I didn’t spot anything devilishly clever in the puzzle design, but the decision to focus on simpler, exploration-based trials in an early PS VR game is a wise one. It just might be a little boring for brain-teasing fans.
Chen tells me the full experience should last just over an hour. You can’t die, so the only thing to halt your progress will be harder puzzles, which we’re really hoping will present themselves before that short running time expires. We’re yet to see the price for Weeping Doll, but something tells me that could be a big issue unless TianShe and publisher Oasis Games get the tag just right. I played for about half an hour and saw two puzzles in that time; had I really beaten half of the game?
Still, it’s been a few weeks since I played Weeping Doll and I do find myself thinking about it often. Ultimately, I think it will amount to a memorable adventure for those that are keen to dive into every piece of content available in PS VR’s launch window, though it can just as easily be ignored by those seeking the very best experiences.
“If the player just wants to get through the game and solve the puzzle they probably won’t get that scared,” Chen says. “But if they embrace the environment we have created and engage with the plot, they will be affected by the horrific secrets behind this “normal” family. This kind of thriller, unlike a one-time jump scare session, will stay with you for a long time.”
You can’t ask for more than that, can you? Weeping Doll hits PS VR on October 27th. Oculus Rift and HTC Vive versions are also planned.
