Espire 1: VR Operative

Espire 1: VR Operative has been on my anticipated list ever since I got to play a slice of it at E3 2020. My impressions of that demo still ring true today as I’m playing the full game and thankful that the final product is as good as I was hoping. Since VR’s big resurgence I have been hoping a studio would make a true espionage, 007 Goldeneye, Metal Gear Solid type game with stealth as a focus. Stealth is one of my favorite genre’s and Espire 1 does not disappoint in providing stealth...

In all, Espire 1 is a decent stealth action game. It contains replayability through its Challenges mode, but what it offers in terms of main story is a bit short - roughly four hours of story, padded to five or six hours via gates that force you to finish a certain number of Challenges to continue to the next mission. Of course, the main draw of Espire 1 is that it takes place in VR, and it uses that to its benefit. Sneaking around and using the bevy of Espire gadgets and traversal options available to do so feels great, but is overshadowed by a combat system and AI that is so exploitable that...

Espire 1: VR Operative is good for those new to VR wanting to experience what the platform has to offer without getting easily motion sick. But for those wanting to play a serious stealth title with incredible gameplay mechanics, the unmistakable bugs and annoying enemies may make you want to put down the controllers.

Espire 1: VR Operative is a fun stealth game that suffers from bad AI and a dull story. It's saved by great movement and replayability.

Despite having all the right gadgets, this VR stealth game is no superspy.