James Bond Simulator

(Image credit: Schell Games)

I finally found the time to go through my neglected backlog of VR games and discovered a gem made in 2016. I Expect You to Die is a seated puzzle game that holds up to modern VR. The game has proven to be a hit on Oculus devices having sold almost 100,000 copies for $2 million according to a Schell Games news release. It has gameplay, distinctive graphics, and a groovy score that will pull you into the 60s spy game. You can live out your fantasy of being a secret agent trapped by an evil villain in his lair with nothing but your wits and a lighter to save yourself and the world.

Explore everywhere around a seated position to find those gadgets and disable the mad genius’s weapon. By limiting the player’s movement, it really helps to cancel out any VR nausea issues and can be a good game style for new VR players. The start menu gets the action going at your office where loading one of the seven levels requires inserting the proper reel and pushing the play button. Like any good agent make sure to read the mission brief for what tools are hidden in the environment. While some levels require sabotaging evil creations, each level brings a unique puzzle to solve. One of my favorite levels is Squeaky Clean: the endless ways to pretend to wash a window even after I broke it was only part of the fun of losing and replaying this difficult puzzle. There are some parts of certain puzzles that have timing components like dodging lasers, but if a time bomb drops out, you better handle that in a hurry.

(Image credit: Schell Games)

Beating levels is nerve-racking under those explosive circumstances, but each mission contains unique challenges for you to unleash your inner spy. In I Expect You to Die, you are an agent for the Enhanced Operative Division which means you will have some telekinetic powers to help defeat the Zoraxis organization. Their leader, the evil Dr. Zor, will test your secret agent skills with some familiar classic spy movie themes like a spy-car, secret lab, island liar, and more. There is never a dull moment as you thwart every plan and death trap Dr. Zor throws at you. I would constantly ask myself: Did Zor hide a clue behind that painting? Did I just trigger his death ray or disarm it? And most importantly, can I burn it?

It has been four years since the game’s release, and it only shows in the overall graphics. The textures for the walls and surfaces are simple which can optimize the VR experience across devices but are lacking higher end quality available in modern VR releases. The grabbable and burnable objects feel 4K worthy and stand out from the less textured backgrounds. I spent a few moments looking at everything I could grab, like ash trays because of the fine engraving details and the potential for hidden clues on its inscription. The particle effects were so good they had me instinctively jumping back when I burned books, alcohol, and money or accidentally set off a smoke bomb.

The sound effects helped with that instinctive reaction as I set off the fuse on a stick of dynamite or heard the distinct click sound as I accidentally pull the pin on a grenade. Laser and gas traps look and sound deadly when triggered. The music adds to the spy theme with tunes that intensify with the action and will have you thinking like a 60s covert agent in no time. 

Despite I Expect You to Die coming out in 2016, it is still one of the best VR games I have played, I was on the edge of my seat from the start and played for more than 3 hours in one sitting. Anyone who has ever wanted to be a classic secret agent will love this game. You can even share it with inexperienced VR users because of the light and playful seated gameplay. I will definitely play I Expect You to Die again, not just to beat my best time for each level but to gleefully test my wits against Dr. Zor one more time.

I Expect You To Die

• Platforms: Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, PlayStation VR, Vive, Microsoft Mixed Reality Headsets, Viveport

• Developer: Schell Games

• Publisher: Schell Games

• Release Date: December 5, 2016