Do Not Open

It seems like Do Not Open had set up itself for a failure with just its name alone' After a quick glance you might expect an exciting escape room VR experience, which is unfortunately not true. This horror-less, VR-less, empty shell of a rushed game is extremely short, lacks any polish and painfully bores me to my core. At the current stage, not opening it is the only viable option!

Do Not Open has a very interesting story with great graphics and okay sound. However an entire horror game based on timed puzzles which you will die and have to repeat many times to a point it becomes frustrating. Does not work for me. I will be revisiting this game on the new PS5 VR headset if it is supported.

Do Not Open starts with great premises and quickly presents some brilliant ideas, creating an oppressive and mysterious atmosphere. Unfortunately, the house of cards collapses when Nox Noctis's gameplay mechanics take center stage, turning the game into something truly scary for all the wrong reasons. Exasperated trial and error, sometimes absurd difficulty (compounded by unreadable hints due to poor screen rendering), and an enemy that, once appearing, makes everything frustrating and unplayable, all undermine the debut of the Spanish team. Despite showing some promising elements, they need to refine their aim.

Do Not Open delivers on its escape room horror promise with cleverly designed puzzles that are fun and challenging to solve. Combined with its spooky story and high-quality environmental visuals, there's enough here to make a solid recommendation to horror fans. One caveat though: depending on your budget, its $24.99 price tag may be a little steep considering the game's length, so you might want to hold out for a sale.

It’s debateable whether most players will have the patience and persistence to see Do Not Open through until its end. It’s a shame, because the premise here is interesting, and the puzzles themselves are mostly clever and fun to solve. The entity is its downfall, an ill-conceived obstacle that’s relentless and a little bit broken. Rather than make Do Not Open scary, it makes it needlessly frustrating.

Do Not Open is sorely lacking in all aspects and not even its Burkittsville setting can save it.