FROM RUSSIA WITH GLOVES

Ah, I see that you’re still here. Probably want a bit more detail about the mission before pitching yourself headlong into the risky business. Well, fair enough. Here’s the briefing proper. I Expect You to Die 3: Cog in the Machine is the latest instalment in a series by Schell Games, dependably solid developers who have a very good handle on what constitutes a solid VR title. Just like the other I Expect You to Die games, it’s a puzzle-based escape-the-room type of affair that you’re expected to play seated, interacting with the levels using a nifty virtual telekinetic implant that allows you to grab, manipulate and freeze items in place while you work out how everything fits together. It’s a very well-wrought and designed system that feels intuitive and right and has remained largely unchanged since the first game. 

YOU ONLY LIVE THRICE

Two things really define this series for me; the first is the satisfying and clever puzzles, which are beautifully realised and a pleasure to mess about with. The second is the setting; a really likeable 1960s retro-but-current James Bond parody, which also pulls in aspects of all the other well-loved parodies of such things, like Austin Powers, Despicable Me and Get Smart. And perhaps of all the possible influences it channels, The Avengers is the most apt of all. (The wonderfully wry 60s TV series, not the unrelated modern superhero extended cinematic universe shite bearing the same name). There’s a joyous confidence to the whole thing, from the voice acting to the utterly wonderful Bond-style intro sequence and bombastic theme song which puts a lot of actual Bond efforts to shame. Honestly, A Cog in the Machine features the best VR credits sequence yet, even compared to its sister games, and the song is a classic. The setting and atmosphere are absolutely crucial to what makes these games sing so beautifully, and it’s safe to say that Schell haven’t put a foot wrong here.

DOUBLE OH BLOODY HELL FIRE

The spy game environment may have a cuddly, stylised feel but there are some outlandish, sudden and shocking player deaths, as you may – ahem – expect from the title. This will really be the only bone of contention here for some players. The puzzles are superbly designed. You start every level with no real clue what you should be doing and the game centres around reaching an understanding of each setting and the objects and gadgets within. While you’re doing that and being made to feel very clever when you start to comprehend, there will be moments when you do something that will lead to you dying. Quite a bit.

With no mid-level checkpoints, you may find that dying repeatedly leads to quite a bit of frustration. But it’s not an oversight, it’s a deliberate design trope of the game and one I really enjoy. Sometimes it’s funny when the game sort of tricks you into self-destruction, and sometimes it’s enraging. But you’ll find yourself clicking restart with determination and the desire to be just that little bit more clever and mindful next time. The feeling of reward when you perfect a level is immense, because it’s been so hard won. And don’t think that because the game plays as a seated, escape room-style affair that it will not have thrilling action sequences because it does. No spoilers here, but some of the levels will have you grinning at the clever way they weave that spy action into the game’s structure. It’s truly excellent stuff. 

DR. YES

There’s not much more I can say about I Expect You To Die 3 without spoiling something. And there’s very little I feel I can criticise about it, because it does everything it sets out to do with style and finesse, and for the core audience that love these games it’s more high-quality spy puzzle action that manages to have both a lovely sense of humour and a genuine sense of danger. There are no doubt some people who might say ‘It’s still just like DLC for the first game’, but this would be to demean the amount of work on display here, and the fun to be had. The first game hit upon a genre-defining formula which hasn’t been bettered and won’t be any time soon – it shouldn’t be denigrated for trying not trying to reinvent the wheel, any more than Tetris should be criticised for always using the same blocks.

The Basics

You play as an unnamed secret agent trying to thwart an arch-villain, Dr. Zor, whose nefarious plans include multiple doomsday devices. There are a total of six scenarios with classic spy setups, like driving a car out of a plane or infiltrating a chemical lab. You’re guided through these missions by a chief handler with a smooth British accent. Your handler will gently tease you by overstating the simplicity of each mission and then promising a well-deserved vacation after you narrowly escape death.

I Expect You To Die is a sit-down game, so you won’t have the opportunity to explore room-scale environments, but even seated, you’ll find a lot to interact with. Hidden compartments hold guns and cash, and innocuous decorations contain vital clues. Interactive items turn your reticle blue, so you’ll rarely feel like you can’t find the tools you need to solve a puzzle.

Gameplay

To interact with items beyond your reach, your super-spy also has psychic powers that allow you to grab items from a distance, rotate them, and make them float for your convenience. It all works seamlessly to make the gameplay feel natural, even if the psychic powers don’t quite match the spy genre.

What matches quite nicely are the numerous callbacks to Bond films and even parodies like Austin Powers! In one scene, toxic gas spews out of a stuffed deer head. In another, you can activate deadly trapdoors beneath boardroom seats. Though you never see the game’s villains in person, dialogue delivered through recordings, phones, and intercoms paints a vivid mental picture of the type of bad guys you’re dealing with. One is even voiced by Anthony Daniels, C-3PO himself.

Solving each scenario requires some trial-and-error, as mistakes can easily result in your demise. This only becomes frustrating as you approach the end of a level and have to figure out a way to avoid death after several minutes of meticulous setup. The stakes always feel high, requiring you to think your way out of a situation with the pain of virtual death a constant threat. There’s nothing like a self-destruct sequence countdown to motivate you, and it’ll leave your hands shaky as you try to input a code or solve a puzzle.

Longevity

This level of immersion and pitch-perfect level design is I Expect You To Die’s greatest asset. The levels are finely polished, with multiple solutions and hidden achievements. That alone will make you want to play them over and over again. In the end, it only took me about three hours to beat the game, but doing so unlocks a developer commentary. The commentary is fun and will give you greater insight into the choices made during the game’s creation. For the truly hardcore, a speed run achievement for each level will test your skills and mental fortitude.

Although the number of levels is somewhat limited, the developer, Schell Games, has already updated the Quest version with an extra mission called ‘SEAT OF POWER’, so hopefully, we’ll see more missions added in the long run.

Last Words

Like VR gaming itself, the potential of I Expect You To Die’s clever world of spycraft is limitless. I wish there were more levels and scenarios to fight through, and maybe a bit more gunplay. Room-scale shootouts, face-to-face confrontations with the villains, and perhaps mixing that perfect martini might make good fodder for the sequels. Like the Bond films, let’s hope I Expect You To Die goes on for fifty years.