The year was 1993, and ten year old me sat at my family’s newly acquired PC, absolutely enraptured by two groundbreaking games that had recently released: Myst and The 7th Guest. While both puzzle games, the former was far more about exploration and investigation, while the later featured more horror themes and some truly memorable FMV sequences (for better or worse). Both of those games have been near and dear to my heart for decades, which is why I was ecstatic when Myst finally got a remake in VR back in 2021. However, even though The 7th Guest received critical and commercial success, I had never in my wildest dreams thought it would ever get the VR treatment. Well, thanks to the hard work from the people over at Vertigo Games, my dreams became a reality… mostly.

The story starts with you arriving at a dilapidated mansion, with no memory of who you are. This mansion belongs to the legendary Henry Stauf, a brilliant toy maker who became reclusive after the children in town started dying from a strange illness. Shortly after arriving, you see the specters of six guests who had been invited to Stauf’s mansion one night, never to be seen again. It’s up to you to solve the mysteries surrounding Stauf’s mansion, the guests, and your own identity.

Even though the stories are mostly the same, The 7th Guest VR is not a 1:1 remake of the original. This is both good and bad. The 7th Guest VR does a lot to fix various plot holes from the original game, such as a few characters being shown to have met their end more than once in the 1993 version. Several cutscenes have either been been cut or altered from the first game, in favor of a much more cohesive storyline. Overall this works very well, although I did find myself missing some of the brief scenes that gave the game more flavor and personality.

This brings me to my biggest issue with The 7th Guest VR: the lack of creep factor. Now I’m not saying that this game doesn’t have any creepiness to it (it certainly does), but it’s a very different feel from the original game. In the older version, Henry Stauf is a cryptic, intelligent enigma who exudes a sense of malice long before we see him become an unhinged madman. He’s a constant presence within the game, frequently taunting the player and toying with his guests.

In The 7th Guest VR, however, he’s barely around, with the player only hearing his stoic voice through audio logs to the guests, or yelling in frustration upon the player solving a puzzle. I can only recall what he looks like from the large painting of him atop the main staircase, because he’s hardly in the game. It’s disappointing that such an iconic villain seems to take a backseat to the eerie atmosphere of the house in a game that’s suppose to be centered around him.

The six guests are also a bit of a mixed bag. Much like their 1993 counterparts, the acting is extremely cheesy. The difference though (at least in my opinion), is that the original delivered a campiness that was endearing in a hilariously over-the-top way. Where the problem lies in The 7th Guest VR, is that actors are all trying to recreate that same feel, but it feels forced. I will admit that few of the guests, such as Edward and Elinor Knox, and Julia Heine, are presented better here, being a bit less cartoonish and more fleshed out, but the others can come off as cringeworthy at times.

For the record, I wanted to ensure I wasn’t misremembering the original game, so I played it once again in preparation for this review. Yes, the acting is absolutely ridiculous, but in that charming B movie kind of way. In this regard, the performances in The 7th Guest VR feel more contrived. There’s also a spirit butterfly who helps guide you, who sounds entirely too upbeat for being an imprisoned soul. It’s a bizarre choice that was pretty distracting in the early parts of the game.

Thankfully, as far as the gameplay is concerned, The 7th Guest VR is excellent. Right from the start we’re introduced to the Spirit Lamp, which reveals hidden clues and shows the mansion as it once was all those years ago. This is an excellent mechanic, which enriches the experience in a few ways. One of my favorites is using it to shine light on the countless paintings within the mansion, which reveals more sinister or demonic images you don’t see normally. As mentioned already, it can also be used to reveal hidden messages and clues, adding another layer to the puzzles.

None of the puzzles are the same as in the original version, but several pay homage to the classic puzzles. Gone are the numerous chess puzzles, basement maze, and microscope puzzle (good riddance). Instead, The 7th Guest VR offers entirely new sets of challenges, each differing drastically from one another. They’re also themed to coincide with each room and/or guest. The puzzles in struggling actress’ Martine Burden’s room all involve jewelry or clothing mannequins, while the stage magician Hamilton Temple has all magic-themed puzzles. His room was one of my favorites, utilizing magic hats as portals for your hand to travel through to reach seemingly impossible areas.

The puzzles are extremely creative and well varied. They’re not too hard to solve, but they’re not stupidly simple either. If you do find yourself needing help, there’s a hint system you can use on your pull-up map board. You can even trade in any gold coins you find hidden around the mansion to have the game auto-solve the puzzle for you. Personally, I didn’t find myself stuck on any of the puzzles for more than a few minutes, but every player is different. I will say that I was extremely disappointed by the final puzzle, though. Instead of a challenge that tests your thinking and logic like the rest of the game, the final puzzle is nothing more than an infuriating tabletop game, which requires luck rather than skill to solve. It also drags on for far too long, making an already frustrating experience even more aggravating.

Luckily, that’s the only real sour note of the game, and the majority of it is an absolute blast to play. The controls work remarkably well and the graphics are amazing. I was honestly blown away by the visuals in this game. Where the original version was groundbreaking at the time, with its FMV cutscenes of the ghosts in blurry, pre-rendered 3D graphics, it obviously hasn’t aged well.

The 7th Guest VR on the other hand, has taken the concept of the 3D live action graphics and actually made them fully 3D with volumetric videos. Instead of being frozen in place watching the events play out, you can now walk around during each encounter and see the ghosts from every angle like they’re right there in the room with you. Naturally, you can’t interact with them, they are ghosts from long ago after all, but it makes the cutscenes feel much more engrossing and dynamic.

Then there’s the mansion itself. Exploring the mansion fills you with a sense of both wonder and unease. When first entering, everything is covered in cobwebs and rotting wood, but things change when using the Spirit Lantern or solving all the puzzles in a room, which reverts that room back to its former glory. Every room has a story to tell, beyond what is presented during the cutscenes. The 7th Guest VR packs tons of small details into every corner of Stauf’s mansion, encouraging players to scour every knickknack and piece of furniture. 

The sound design further adds to the immersion, with your footsteps making the wooden floor creak, the squeaking of hinges on cupboard doors, and the rattling of metal door handles as you open them. All the dialogue from cutscenes, audio boxes, and your spirit guide are clear, in all their goofy glory. For anyone who was a fan of the 1993 game though, the real highlight is in The 7th Guest VR‘s soundtrack, which pays homage by remixing songs from the original game into a more modern feel.

I’ll be honest and say that The 7th Guest VR took me a while to warm up to. Sometimes it’s hard to remove the nostalgia glasses and appreciate the new version of something you once held so dear. I stand by my sentiments that I wish Stauf had been more sinister, menacing, and present in this remake. The original also has more mystery surrounding what transpired, especially with the kids, but this one lays most of it out for you right at the start. In the end though, The 7th Guest VR did manage to win me over, thanks to its jaw-dropping graphics, disquieting atmosphere, and inventive puzzle designs. It’s clear that a lot of love and passion went into the making of this game, and fans of the original will find plenty to love here, while newcomers to the IP undoubtedly celebrate everything it has to offer.

 

Graphics: 9.0 The graphics are absolutely stunning, with fully 3D character models you can walk around. Seeing the mansion change under the spirit lamp makes for some visually creepy moments.	Gameplay: 8.0 A first-person puzzle adventure game, with some truly creative puzzles to solve. Moving around feels smooth and poses little risk for VR nausea or headaches.
Sound: 7.0 The sound design is fantastic, remixing songs from the original game into a more modern feel. My main complaint is with the acting, which is over-the-top cheesy, but not in an endearing way.	Fun Factor: 7.5 This is an incredibly fun, atmospheric, environmental puzzle game, but it misses the creep factor of the original. Most of the puzzles are are clever, but not too tough to figure out, either. Although, the very last puzzle is overly long and relies more on luck than strategy.
Final Verdict: 8.0

The 7th Guest VR is available now on PS VR2, Steam VR, Meta Quest 2, and Meta Quest 3.

Reviewed on Meta Quest 3.

A copy of The 7th Guest VR was provided by the publisher.