The early-to-mid ’90s were one hell of an era for computer gaming. LucasArts was in full swing, dropping adventure titles like The Secret of Monkey Island, Full Throttle, and Day of the Tentacle at a furious clip. The King’s Quest series was still very much a big deal. And on the horror side of things, we had killer titles like Gabriel Knight, Alone in the Dark, and Dark Seed.
One PC horror game reigned supreme, though: Virgin Interactive Entertainment’s The 7th Guest, which combined pre-rendered 3D graphics, full-motion video, and a generous supply of freaky puzzles into one irresistible package. The game, which put players in the role of someone investigating the exceptionally haunted mansion of evil toymaker Henry Stauf, sold 2M copies at the time, and is still fondly recalled by every ’90s kid who took a crack at it.
Well, today we’ve learned that The 7th Guest is coming back … but perhaps not in the form we expected.
As you can see, this is the announcement trailer for Vertigo Games’ The 7th Guest VR, which transposes Virgin’s legendary horror puzzler into the world of virtual reality. Here’s how they’re describing the experience over on the game’s Steam page:
“Experience the most spine-tingling VR mystery adventure of your life.
The classic game that chilled you to the bone in the ’90s has been brought back to life, with cutting-edge VR technology that delivers an atmospheric story like no other.
Six guests have been welcomed to the foreboding mansion. But something sinister is at play. The wealthy recluse and toymaker, Henry Stauf, hides in the shadows, and there is a dark power here, shrouded in mysteries. Who is the 7th Guest? What does Henry want with them? And who will live to tell the tale?
As you explore the eerie mansion, the puzzles become increasingly challenging, and there are dangers lurking around every corner, with every shadow, creak, and flicker of light adding to the haunting tension.
Unlock new rooms and uncover hidden secrets, all while trying to keep your wits about you against the eerie horrors. The 7th Guest VR is the ultimate adventure for fans of mystery-puzzle games and those seeking a new and terrifying VR experience.”
Listen, I don’t own a VR headset. I have no ambitions towards purchasing one, as I suspect I would look deeply foolish flailing my arms around and stumbling into my coffee table while using said device in the living room. That said, seeing The 7th Guest brought back to life in this format has me intrigued in a way that very few VR game announcements ever have, and I do know someone whose kid has VR. Perhaps I will befriend this child and show him what life was like back in 1993. Or I’ll just borrow it, that’d probably be easier.
There’s no word on when The 7th Guest VR will drop (the game’s Steam page simply says “Coming Soon”), but rest assured I’ll be keeping a close eye on this one as the situation develops, and will return with updates as they roll in. Stay tuned for those, folks, and in the meantime: maybe start trying to remember how the hell to solve that Infection puzzle.
