Dying: Reborn Review (PS4)

Dying: Reborn's one of those games that, as a reviewer, makes you feel a bit rubbish. It's not a good game – in fact, it's pretty bloody bad – but you can tell that a tiny studio has tried its very best to make something cool. Also available on PlayStation VR and the Vita (either individually or as part of a three game bundle), this is another title to make its way overseas care of China's fledgling indie scene. And obviously, there's plenty to respect about that – but we'd be doing you a disservice if we suggested you spend money on it.

Much like Weeping Doll, this first-person horror title lacks the production values to pull off its objectives. The voice acting is beyond abysmal – and the writing is riddled with typing errors as well. The story essentially sees you locked away in a psycho's guest house, and unfortunately for the developer it mimics many aspects of the excellent Resident Evil 7 – just nowhere near as well.

You'll be searching locked off rooms for items and objects that can help you to solve puzzles. It all gets a bit obscure in places, but some of the solutions are fun, and you'll definitely have at least one or two "a-ha" moments. It's just all so contrived at times: you'll find lock combinations written on walls and the like, which has been recycled so many times that it just feels like lazy design these days.

Visually it's not bad and it runs fine, though you'll only ever find yourself in small spaces so that's no real surprise. To the game's credit, its final chapter goes for a real shock conclusion, and even though you'll see it telegraphed a mile away, it's still alright. It ends abruptly, however, and there's no real reason to revisit the story once you've seen it through.