The Inpatient

 PlayStation 4
User Score
6.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 101 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 45 out of 101
  2. Mixed: 22 out of 101
  3. Negative: 34 out of 101
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  1. GrumpyReviewer
    Feb 14, 2018
    5
    I love Until Dawn. And Rush of Blood is the VR game I had the most fun with so far.

    So getting The Inpatient was an easy decision for me... I think I might be missing something, because I really don't get what they wanted to do with this game... Ok, I know it sets the context of a prequel that should try to tie things up a little bit. But I was hoping the game would give me more bang    I love Until Dawn. And Rush of Blood is the VR game I had the most fun with so far.

    So getting The Inpatient was an easy decision for me... I think I might be missing something, because I really don't get what they wanted to do with this game... Ok, I know it sets the context of a prequel that should try to tie things up a little bit. But I was hoping the game would give me more bang for my buck. Truth be told, it's not an expensive game - because it is not worth 50, 60 dollars I can assure you that.

    You can walk this time, at least. And explore the asylum, enjoy a few jump scares, find some collectibles. But I expected the game to be darker, scarier. It did not work very well for me in that area.

    I love that they call VR games "experiences". So, yeah, maybe this is a way to see it. The Inpatient is more of an "experience" than it is an actual game. And a very (very) quick one. I had some fun with it, cleared it, and moved on. Kind of a disappointment for me to be honest.    … Expand
  2. Bitek
    Apr 17, 2018
    5
    Great showcase of VR capabilities. The game itself is a sloooow burn. some cool scary moments but overall a bit boring and short. I did enjoy Until Down but inpatient not so much. get this game on sale.
  3. joaopontesvaz
    Mar 5, 2018
    6
    Graphics: 8.8 Sound: 9.0 Gameplay: 5.0 Fun/Story: 6.5

    Despite its high technically quality (graphics and sound are really good, near resident evil 7), the gameplay is really bad with errors in controls that spoils the experience at all. Despite that, this game reinforces the VR capabilities to terror games.
  4. dash383535
    Feb 3, 2018
    5
    Introduction: The Inpatient is a VR chose your own adventure story game that takes place 60 years before the events of the hit game Until Dawn. Can this game stack up to the great Until Dawn and will the VR improve the game or hinder the overall cinematic feel of the story?

    Story: The Inpatient takes place in the Blackwood Pines Sanatorium, showing what event took place to lead to the    Introduction: The Inpatient is a VR chose your own adventure story game that takes place 60 years before the events of the hit game Until Dawn. Can this game stack up to the great Until Dawn and will the VR improve the game or hinder the overall cinematic feel of the story?

    Story: The Inpatient takes place in the Blackwood Pines Sanatorium, showing what event took place to lead to the infestation of Wendigo that we see in Until Dawn. You play as a nameless character that does not remember who they are or how they became a patient. That basically it for the story. The story is a catalyst to make a psychological horror game that does a good job at the start but quickly falls part by a second half that is filled with no scares, boring characters, and a disappointing and anti-climactic ending. The story only lasts for 2 hours and can be pretty short and daunting for a 40 dollar game.

    Gameplay: The gameplay is pretty simple, you have two ways of play. Choosing dialog and moving around an area and occasionally picking up collectibles. Choosing dialog can be interesting since you can choose said dialog by using the VR built-in microphone. Its bring immersion to the game and helps with the immersion of the character. Moving around on the hand is a chore. The left stick can only move you up and down and the right stick can only move the left and right. Since you can only move up and down with the left stick, I was repeatedly getting stuck on walls and other objects. If you even slightly click down on the right stick, you will turn in a 180 degree, which can be disorienting, especially if you keep repeating the mistake. While the voice option can help immerse you in the game, the movement for said character will slowly kill any immersion that the game try’s to build.

    Technical: This is graphically the best looking game on the PlayStation VR at the moment. Character look ultra-realistic and lighting and detail are fine-tuned. The sound design is generic and basic for a horror game. A lot of forced jump scars due to audio ques even though nothing scarring was happening on screen. A great looking game but that the only technical praise I can give it

    Verdict: The Inpatient has its moment of genuine horror near the beginning of the game but once it introduces its main cast, it turns in to a boring slog of a game. This is a $40 game that has the run-time of two hours and only charges that much for its replayability of different choices, too bad it’s not interesting after its first run. If you like Until Dawn or story-based games, wait for a price drop if you really want to play this game.

    Pros-
    +Realistic looking graphics
    +Scary and fun opening hour
    +Mic voice option for dialog adds to the immersion.

    Cons-
    -Terrible movement controls
    - Boring second half
    -Too boring and sluggish for
    multiple playthroughs
    -$40 for a two-hour game.    … Expand
  5. RandomWyrd
    Mar 29, 2018
    8
    Much like the original Until Dawn, this is a narrative driven game rather than a gameplay focused game. A lot of people seem to have been surprised and disappointed by that. It also tries to push a very particular kind of isolated psychological horror, taking advantage of the idea of you sitting there trapped in the dark.

    It does more to push VR forward than any other game yet    Much like the original Until Dawn, this is a narrative driven game rather than a gameplay focused game. A lot of people seem to have been surprised and disappointed by that. It also tries to push a very particular kind of isolated psychological horror, taking advantage of the idea of you sitting there trapped in the dark.

    It does more to push VR forward than any other game yet released. The best graphics yet in VR; voice-activated dialogue choices; "touch" feedback when you reach out and bang on virtual doors or walls. It's not the best story ever made or the best game ever made, but it's absolutely a great step forward for game design.    … Expand
  6. Vseslav
    Jan 23, 2018
    4
    I enjoyed Until Dawn, it has a decent story, game play has good pace and intriguing mechanics. I was quite excited for this tittle and was looking forward to exploring the sanitarium since the first game. The Inpatient completely fell flat in my opinion. This tip toe simulator played out at an excruciating slow pace. Made worse by awe ful tracking and a terrible in game avatar (loadingI enjoyed Until Dawn, it has a decent story, game play has good pace and intriguing mechanics. I was quite excited for this tittle and was looking forward to exploring the sanitarium since the first game. The Inpatient completely fell flat in my opinion. This tip toe simulator played out at an excruciating slow pace. Made worse by awe ful tracking and a terrible in game avatar (loading human was a psvr release title and has a far better in game body) no matter what i tried my hands and head would not mesh with my in game hand locations. Interactivity in game was basically non existence (minus chess boards and mugs) game was short and sadly very boring with easily forgettable characters. I was looking forward to some re-playability with the multiple endings, but i will not subject myself to that again. Was a good idea with a ton of potential, excellent visuals, a creepy atmosphere, amazing facials expressions and npcs looking you in the eyes made while talking was pretty neat. Sadly I do not recommend this game.… Expand
  7. Fishler108
    Jan 23, 2018
    10
    The Inpatient is an immersive and dynamic experience. A must play, especially for the PSVR! Great story and visuals, impactful decisions, and lots of twists and turns.
  8. mitcher78
    Jan 24, 2018
    4
    Unfortunately, this game is another "experiment" for virtual reality. Lenght is less than three hours. No puzzles. No enemies. Boring story. Bad controls. It has good visuals, but that does not make a game. Do not trust scores of 10 from fanboys, you are warned!
  9. kraenk
    Jan 24, 2018
    10
    This game is another victim of the recent illness, that’s plaguing so called “professional reviewers” lately. The unability to judge a game by its own merits instead of comparing it to other, different games. Just like amazing GT Sport was judged as something it never wanted to be, this game should not be compared to Until Dawn, even though it serves as a kind of a prequel which lets youThis game is another victim of the recent illness, that’s plaguing so called “professional reviewers” lately. The unability to judge a game by its own merits instead of comparing it to other, different games. Just like amazing GT Sport was judged as something it never wanted to be, this game should not be compared to Until Dawn, even though it serves as a kind of a prequel which lets you experience the events in the sanatorium from a unique perspective.
    It might not be for everyone and 40,- might be a tenner too much for some, but there is replay-ability and I’d definitely recommend the game to anyone.    … Expand
  10. TreadLightly55
    Jan 24, 2018
    10
    This game is not for people who like jump scares or dumb slasher flicks like Until Dawn was. This takes a more mature approach to horror so its not going to be or everyone. This game is a slow burn and about the decay of a human mind. This is probably the best looking title for playstation VR right now. Like i said it isn't for everyone if you love your kiddy jump scares this gameThis game is not for people who like jump scares or dumb slasher flicks like Until Dawn was. This takes a more mature approach to horror so its not going to be or everyone. This game is a slow burn and about the decay of a human mind. This is probably the best looking title for playstation VR right now. Like i said it isn't for everyone if you love your kiddy jump scares this game isn't for you. If your looking for more Until Dawn look else where and if your a mature adult who enjoys a good story with a slow burn into crazy then sit back and enjoy.… Expand
  11. RossBlack
    Mar 3, 2018
    1
    At first i thought it was overpriced for two hours long game. But I got it as used cheaper. My God, it wasn't about the duration after all, it was about that this short duration was boring and dull. Numerous dialogues when you are just standing, so much darkness (maybe 3/4 of the game duration is in the dark). You actually do nothing, it's almost like watching a boring vr video thatsAt first i thought it was overpriced for two hours long game. But I got it as used cheaper. My God, it wasn't about the duration after all, it was about that this short duration was boring and dull. Numerous dialogues when you are just standing, so much darkness (maybe 3/4 of the game duration is in the dark). You actually do nothing, it's almost like watching a boring vr video thats leaves you wishing it ended even sooner.… Expand
  12. crazymurdock
    Aug 17, 2018
    3
    Awful controls, not 1:1 or even close. Found the world was way too big, with MASSIVE 7'6" tall NPCs, and my character too. Walking speed way too slow, but even with that the game takes less that 3 hours to complete.

    A couple of good jump scares, and saying the answers works well, but overall avoid this game.
  13. Jaytmek
    Jan 27, 2018
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I really wanted to like "The Inpatient" but found it impossible. It's a game of two halves.

    The first involves spending several days in a locked cell. Each day has a small interaction with a character or two, and maybe an object to interact with triggering a "memory" which is just a short sequence of dialogue in which you aren't able to move. Some of the days end with a dream sequence which are mildly creepy with the occasional jump scare, but are mostly too dark to see what is happening.

    The second half of the game is when the cell door opens and you can take a linear path from your cell to the end game. There are a few characters to meet although the acting and dialogue isn't great.

    I have replayed a few seconds to see the butterfly effect in action. Some of the actions are obvious, some are subtle but since you only know the characters for about 30 minutes before you hit the end of the game you hardly care about them.

    The game lasts 2 - 3 hours, although if the walking speed was increased to a sensible level it would probably be 2 hours or less.

    The perspective of the game is totally off. The characters and your own player model appear to be massive. This is very off putting and totally ruins the sense of immersion. The Move and Dual shock controls are awful. Interacting with door knobs or cups (which are basically the only things to interact with) is awkward and frustrating.

    I was able to see how decisions affected the characters in the second half of the game, as resuming once completed allowed me to make different choices. I will play the game again to see how much difference the early questions make to the survival of characters which had already died by the time I was released from my cell, but I can't imagine it changing my overall score of the game. Worth buying for £10 or lower.    … Expand
  14. Rodrigo_
    Jul 26, 2020
    0
    Practically the decisions you make do not influence the game, basically it is a slightly better VR reality video, it is not worth buying the game.
  15. Leocolt
    Nov 20, 2020
    4
    I’m not opposed to heavy-narrative-focused games, walking simulators, or any other name you want to throw at them. I like the good ones though and this isn’t one of them.
    Ps: Jump scares in VR should be illegal.
  16. rrafemi
    Sep 24, 2019
    6
    Solo da miedo los primeros 10 min. El resto se resume en caminar sin que nada suceda. Le salva de la quema la posibilidad de ver distintos finales según nuestras decisiones. La detección de los move es un desastre, cuesta horrores abrir puertas o coger objetos. Los brazos se mueven como si el personaje tuviera parálisis cerebral.
  17. pacific1
    Feb 4, 2019
    5
    Boring but thankfully short as everyone else has said. There are a few decent moments and the graphics are ok but nothing special. I had high hopes for this but it was not to be.
  18. xxxsssjjjk
    May 24, 2018
    6
    Disappointing game.... I expect more from PlayStation exclusives. About the only thing the game has going for it are its graphics/visuals and acting but the story is mediocre at best and there is no gameplay.
  19. Bloodnes
    Feb 12, 2020
    4
    Игра не о чем. Рейтинг явно завышен, проходится быстро, сюжета по факту нет. Мы оказываемся в больнице, мы не знаем кто мы, мы пытаемся выбраться из больницы, мы узнаем в финальных титрах кто мы, конец, 3-4 часа и игра пройдена. Однозначно второсортная игра, 4/10Игра не о чем. Рейтинг явно завышен, проходится быстро, сюжета по факту нет. Мы оказываемся в больнице, мы не знаем кто мы, мы пытаемся выбраться из больницы, мы узнаем в финальных титрах кто мы, конец, 3-4 часа и игра пройдена. Однозначно второсортная игра, 4/10
  20. PMS_Jordan
    Dec 16, 2021
    3
    I’m a huge VR fan. I own multiple VR HMDs and this game had me so hyped since I enjoyed Until Dawn...sadly this game turned out to be the worst VR game as well as worst game in general that I played this gen. Very disappointing :(
  21. TroublingGem_YT
    Oct 9, 2022
    8
    I haven’t played a whole lot yet, but let me say this game has scared the ever living crap out of me so far. The graphics are great, the story is intriguing, and oh boy the scares are on another level. This game got me screaming like a little baby, and I’ve played re7 vr all the way through so that’s impressive. Definitely high up there so far. I really like it.
  22. Larxi
    Feb 3, 2023
    7
    Curiosa precuela de Until Dawn que basa su fuerte en una buena recreación atmosférica gracias a las PS VR. Hila bien con los hechos de su secuela y presenta buenas opciones de conversación, flashbacks interesantes y buen desarrollo con algún sustito por ahí o algún momento de tensión donde no hay que moverse, hace un buen uso de las gafas el mando y el sonido 3D, sin embargo, todo se ve unCuriosa precuela de Until Dawn que basa su fuerte en una buena recreación atmosférica gracias a las PS VR. Hila bien con los hechos de su secuela y presenta buenas opciones de conversación, flashbacks interesantes y buen desarrollo con algún sustito por ahí o algún momento de tensión donde no hay que moverse, hace un buen uso de las gafas el mando y el sonido 3D, sin embargo, todo se ve un poco empañado por una duración muy corta, pocas opciones de exploración y un elenco de personajes totalmente olvidable. Como curiosidad y precuela está bastante bien, y mejor si se juega acompañado ya que te pueden meter algún susto que no te esperas en general, una experiencia de realidad virtual correcta y entretenida.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

71
#71 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
59

Mixed or average reviews - based on 57 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 57
  2. Mixed: 47 out of 57
  3. Negative: 5 out of 57
  1. Adventure Gamers
    Dec 21, 2018
    30
    The Inpatient sounds amazing on paper, but the terror is watered down so quickly and to such a large degree that it manages to make three hours feel easily twice as long, and not in a good way.
    Read full review
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Sep 13, 2018
    60
    The Inpatient does not bring revolution to VR horror games, but thanks to butterfly wings effect it offers a solid re-playability. The game is from the beginning very good and interesting, unfortunately it is not able to hold (keep) this level to the end. [Issue#284]
  3. Edge Magazine
    Mar 1, 2018
    40
    It's yet another curiously half-hearted side project from Supermassive that, appropriately, won't linger long in the memory. [Apr 2018, p.120]
See all critic reviews »