Of the three games I’ve been given the opportunity to review in the past two weeks, Downward Spiral: Horus Station was last on the list for one very particular reason: Looks. But, as I’ve learned, beautiful games can be terrible (Star Wars: Battle Front, anyone?), and even the most coarse of games can be incredible. Despite my initial bias, I opened my mind, and my heart, to Downward Spiral: Horus Station.

From developer 3rd Eye Studios, Downward Spiral: Horus Station is an innovative and seamless VR experience.

Taking players through an abandoned vessel, the game focuses on visual storytelling for single player or two player online co-op. Using their wits, players will have to piece together the mystery based on observation and interaction all while accompanied by the electronic ambient soundtrack composed by platinum selling HIM frontman, Ville Valo.

For the first few hours with this game, my time was spent try to get the hang of the two separate game modes, as Downward Spiral: Horus Station plays in both a VR mode and Normal mode. It needs to be said again, that without a doubt, this game absolutely needs to be played in VR. The attention to detail in a deep space setting is entrancingly realistic, and just like movement in a zero gravity environment, the player is expected to grab handrails or shove yourself off walls to propel your body across a room.

On the opposite end, Normal mode makes the game almost impossible to play.  Even after turning mouse sensitivity up to maximum, the look speed is too slow to react to threats, look around naturally, and the max is about 15 degrees a second.  Though the slower movement speed makes sense in a interstellar environment, look, grab, look, shove shouldn’t take upwards of 10 seconds of play time.

Environmental and object interaction is equally innovative or utterly frustrating, depending on if you’re in VR or Normal modes, as the physics involved are the same. I noticed at times in Normal mode when entering a compartment of the station at a different orientation to the previous, there exists no mechanism to reorient yourself to that room, adding another layer of difficulty to movement, and the extra punch of disorientation.

As it turns out, the VR mode was my preference, as you can grab surfaces, reorient yourself, and launch off again in a matter of seconds. It forces gameplay at a slow and methodical pace through levels that adds tension and gives a sense of pride as you progressively learn how to best manipulate your momentum in each confined space.

The soundtrack by Ville Valo utilizes an 80’s sci-fi ambiance that swells and adds a consuming intensity at appropriate moments to your surroundings. With an unexpected direction to the sound design and silent narration, the enthralling aspect of Downward Spiral: Horus Station is in the feelings of anxiety and apprehension as you navigate your surroundings in deep space.

Though Downward Spiral: Horus Station can at times have no clear sense of direction of plot or story past going forward and figuring things out for yourself, and even then generally by accident, the sense of urgency in VR mode of Downward Spiral: Horus Station is immersive and entrancing. Downward Spiral: Horus Station was made for VR, or rather, VR was made for this game.