Game Review · Purchased January 1, 2024 · $35.94 CAD via PSN
The Setup
Switchback VR is Supermassive Games’ on-rails horror shooter spin-off from their Dark Pictures Anthology, pulling characters, monsters, and settings from the existing narrative games into a faster, more arcade-focused format built specifically for VR.
The Review
This is not trying to be a deep narrative experience the way the mainline Dark Pictures games are, and it is better for embracing that instead of fighting it. The on-rails structure keeps the pacing tight, jump scares land with real physical presence in VR in a way they simply cannot on a flat screen, and the callbacks to existing Dark Pictures lore and characters give longtime fans of the anthology a genuine reason to care about scenes that would otherwise just be shooting galleries with a horror coat of paint.
For anyone who has played Man of Medan, House of Ashes, or the other anthology entries, spotting familiar faces and locations adds a layer of context that elevates what is, mechanically, a fairly simple format.
What I Liked
- Genuinely effective horror atmosphere and jump scares in VR
- Tight, arcade-style pacing
- Meaningful fan service for existing Dark Pictures players
- Solid replay value chasing different scoring and branching moments
What I Didn’t
- Shallow compared to the mainline narrative games in the same series
- On-rails structure limits player agency by design, which will not appeal to everyone
The Verdict
Rating: 3/5
Reasonable for what it sets out to be: a shorter, arcade-style horror experience rather than a full narrative adventure. Existing Dark Pictures fans will get the most value out of the callbacks and cameos here.
The Compulsive Canadian Gamer 