Game Review 🎮 | Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes (PSVR, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift)

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes was one of the first released virtual reality titles on multiple platforms and has certainly amassed large amounts of publicity and for good reason. The game has become somewhat of a phenomenon because of its asynchronous multiplayer gameplay. In the game, one player with the VR headset is tasked with defusing a live bomb, while the other players have to give instructions to the player via a manual instruction booklet. A unique concept that works wonderfully in VR: that’s Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes in a nutshell.

Preface

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is a virtual reality title for PSVR, PC as well as mobile Oculus devices and requires a headset to play. The concept of the game is simple: the player with the headset receives a randomly generated bomb that has to be defused within a certain timeframe. As you’d expect, there’s a bit of a catch: the player wearing the headset has no instructions at all – only the other player(s) can use a manual of 22 pages to figure out how the bomb can be stopped.

You’ll have to print the instruction booklet yourself, or you can just use a digital version in the game instead. Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is one of the few virtual reality titles that allows for a unique and asynchronous multiplayer experience. The only thing you can see as the player is that nerve-wracking time bomb that just keeps ticking away.

Gameplay

The bombs in Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes all have a timer and usually consist of six different modules. Examples of these modules are a sort of minefield, a Simon Says-like panel, a big and mysterious button, a labyrinth of symbols or just a few wires you’ll have to cut – just like in the movies.

Each of these modules and its variants is described in detail in the manual. All of them are also randomly generated, so chances are extremely slim that you’ll ever deal with the same bomb twice. Which cable you’ll have to cut, which button combination you’ll have to press, all of these factors depends on a few elements that are described in the manual. To give you a small example: if there are six different cables and one of them is red, you can safely cut the last cable. Repeat this step for each of the six modules and when all of them are dismantled safely within the time limit, the bomb is defused.

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes does a great job at putting multiple difficulty levels in the game. In some moments, gathering information from the manual can be incredibly complex. Whether you’d like to play calmly or if you’re just up for a feisty challenge – Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes can do both.

The controls for the virtual reality player are quite simple. Thanks to the VR headset, you can look around you but you’ll use a regular gamepad to interact with the different modules on the bomb.

Graphics and audio

In terms of graphics, Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes isn’t a particularly exciting title. You’ll be strapped to a desk along with the exploding device, but the presentation overall is very sharp and while the game doesn’t offer exciting visuals, they’re certainly not disappointing as well.

Performance is great on all platforms which enhances the virtual reality experience. Audio-wise, the game doesn’t have a whole lot to offer, but a ticking time bomb is really all the audio you’ll need in this game.

Conclusion

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is a virtual reality pinnacle, and it has certainly survived the transition to PlayStation VR. It’s an excellent party game with great asymmetrical gameplay. It’s also quite accessible, as both newcomers and experienced players alike will be able to enjoy the game’s diverse difficulty settings. The bombs are also randomly generated, so there’s definitely a ton of replay value present.

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is available on PS4, Gear VR, and PC (Vive, Rift). Image sources: official Steam page.

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