If You Can’t Handle Horror In VR, Star Trek: Infection Isn’t For You

Star Trek: Infection VR is a horror game through and through, and thus not for the faint of heart.

I don’t believe I’m exaggerating to say the announcement at gamescom took many by surprise. Developed by Played With Fire (Mixture) and published by Broken Mirror Games, who are part of Bloober Team, Star Trek: Infection VR is described as a narrative survival game where you play as a Vulcan Starfleet officer. Working on a covert mission on the USS Lumen, you soon find things spiraling out of control.

With the ship seemingly empty and the crew missing, what’s particularly compelling to me is the body horror this leans into. That sense of disturbing intrigue caught my attention as this infection slowly takes over, offering new powers and abilities while losing your sense of self. For me though, there’s just one problem. I cannot stomach VR horror.

Personally, I’m often fascinated by horror across other formats. I wasn’t exactly first in line for recent movies like Bring Her Back, Together, or Weapons; this is more of a morbid curiosity that I’m drawn to. It’s a different proposition in games when you’re actively participating, though I’m thinking less Dead Space and more Martha Is Dead. Horror in a headset though? No.

Horror is arguably one of the most effective genres you could pull off in VR if done well. There’s an atmospheric tension you simply can’t match on a flatscreen while traversing these dark environments, which typically comes down to strong sound design. You suddenly become much more aware of every creak as you wander through this dangerous land.

So, you might wonder then. Why on earth would I play Star Trek: Infection VR at Gamescom? When you’re offered a preview for one of the biggest sci-fi series ever made, that’s a tough one to refuse. It also wasn’t as simple as asking a freelancer to handle this for us; it’s an event that continues getting pricier across the year. I grew up watching The Original Series thanks to my Dad, and without our team’s resident Trekkies here, I decided to jump in.

I almost immediately regretted that, but I don’t say that to slight Infection. Trying out the native Quest 3 version, I found Played With Fire is already doing a fine job with the visual presentation. Visually it looks good; the environments are certifiably creepy with their horrifying atmosphere, and while I can’t say I would’ve personally chosen Star Trek for this, that familiarity is unnerving.

Though I can’t imagine the USS Lumen will follow the Enterprise designs over the years too closely as you advance, there’s enough here so far that wouldn’t feel out of place in Star Trek. To see everything in ruin, battered by this deadly infection that’s plagued the whole ship, it’s all rather unsettling.

What’s slightly disappointing is how Infection VR doesn’t use an on-body system for inventory, instead requiring you to hold down a face button and physically grab what you’re after. I’ve not yet found my phaser, though the tricorder was soon spotted in the early stages, highlighting the path ahead.

It’s a difficult thing to admit, but I eventually stopped playing this demo because claustrophobia got the better of me. For as fondly remembered as Star Trek: Bridge Crew is across VR, Infection is not a follow-up in any sense, and you shouldn’t expect such going in. This is its own beast, both literally and figuratively, and we’ll return with our full impressions when it launches.

Star Trek: Infection VR arrives later this year on Quest 3, while a PC VR version will follow “soon after” on Steam.