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Pardon the dust! This page includes some jargon that hasn't been added to the site's glossary yet. I'll be around to fix this later, but sorry for the inconvenience in the meantime. |
Review: InCell VR
At a Glance
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How to Save and Pause:Your overall score is recorded when you reach the nucleus, but there is no way to save a game in progress. To pause this game, press ESC. Time needed per session:You'll need to complete this game in one sitting, so plan to play for at least half an hour.
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Does this game pose issues for Christian players?
 | No - this is a great game for Christians There's nothing offensive about this game. |
Screenshots
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/incell_vr_0.jpg)
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/incell_vr_1.jpg)
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/incell_vr_2.jpg)
Game Overview
Normally when I review a game, I can describe it using a genre that everybody's familiar with. For example, Doom is a first person shooter, and Cave Story is a metroidvania. InCell VR, on the other hand, doesn't quite fit in anywhere. It seems like it should either be an edutainment game about our immune system, or a racing game, yet it doesn't really fit in either category.
Let's start with the game's story. In the far future, scientists will be experimenting with a new method to fight disease. Their plan is to shrink a human being down smaller than a single cell, have them pilot a tiny little ship through live human cells, and deliver a vaccine straight into the cell nucleus before it can become infected. You're taking on the role of the pilot in these early test flights.
So we are talking about science and human biology. At the same time, you are racing against an opponent (the viruses invading the patient's system). Yet, this isn't an educational trip, nor is this your normal racing game, hence the problem with categorizing InCell VR.
Playing it, however, is really quite easy. You're travelling down an intercellular thread, so there's no need to steer. You simply rotate the ship around the thread so that you'll pass through speed boosting green walls, run through proteins to collect them, and avoid red blocking walls. As long as you can keep ahead of the virus wave, you're winning. There will be a brief stopover at different organelles to purchase buffs or upgrades, but it's otherwise a pretty straight shot from the edge of the cell into the nucleus.
Ultimately, this is a fun little game that's good for killing an afternoon or a rainy day, but not much else. There isn't enough unique content to last you more than an hour, and only the highest difficulty level is an actual challenge. To be frank, this game feels more like a tech demo than a polished product - specifically, it feels like a simple exercise to make sure that your VR headset is set up properly.
But hey, it's free, so there's no risk in trying it out.
Let's start with the game's story. In the far future, scientists will be experimenting with a new method to fight disease. Their plan is to shrink a human being down smaller than a single cell, have them pilot a tiny little ship through live human cells, and deliver a vaccine straight into the cell nucleus before it can become infected. You're taking on the role of the pilot in these early test flights.
So we are talking about science and human biology. At the same time, you are racing against an opponent (the viruses invading the patient's system). Yet, this isn't an educational trip, nor is this your normal racing game, hence the problem with categorizing InCell VR.
Playing it, however, is really quite easy. You're travelling down an intercellular thread, so there's no need to steer. You simply rotate the ship around the thread so that you'll pass through speed boosting green walls, run through proteins to collect them, and avoid red blocking walls. As long as you can keep ahead of the virus wave, you're winning. There will be a brief stopover at different organelles to purchase buffs or upgrades, but it's otherwise a pretty straight shot from the edge of the cell into the nucleus.
Ultimately, this is a fun little game that's good for killing an afternoon or a rainy day, but not much else. There isn't enough unique content to last you more than an hour, and only the highest difficulty level is an actual challenge. To be frank, this game feels more like a tech demo than a polished product - specifically, it feels like a simple exercise to make sure that your VR headset is set up properly.
But hey, it's free, so there's no risk in trying it out.
Points of Interest
The Beauty of Biology
The inner workings of the human body can be extremely beautiful, especially when they are shown using false color animation and at the microscopic level. Even in this simple game, the details are stunning and very visually appealing. Most of what you find in this game is also part of you right now, so if this sort of thing interests you, consider researching your cellular makeup!
I'd particularly recommend the animated short, The Inner Life of the Cell
, as a number of things are going to look familiar after playing this game.
I'd particularly recommend the animated short, The Inner Life of the Cell
, as a number of things are going to look familiar after playing this game.
Steam community features
There are seven achievements available in this game. With one exception, they are all based on your progress through the game, so you'll be able to earn them pretty easily. The one exception is the "Got the Vision" achievement, which is earned just by playing the game with a VR headset configured.
Oddly, there's a set of Steam trading cards for this game. Thing is, the game is too short for anyone to earn them all.
Oddly, there's a set of Steam trading cards for this game. Thing is, the game is too short for anyone to earn them all.
Very short
There are only 23 levels in total. The tutorial has only one stage (which is pathetically easy), while the other difficulties are split into six, seven, and nine rounds each, giving the virus wave more of a chance to catch up with you. Importantly, the good ending is reached upon successfully completing level 2 or level 3 difficulty, so you don't even need to play every level to have beaten the game.
Concerns and Issues
Cell death
There are three possible endings to this game. Which one you get is determined by the difficulty level and whether or not you managed to outrun the viruses. If you fail to outrun the viruses, then the cell becomes infected and dies as a result. On the other hand, outrunning the viruses doesn't guarantee anything either, as the cell ruptures on Level 1. Outrunning the viruses on level 2 or 3 results in the best ending, where the cell survives.
As bad as this sounds, it's really not much of an issue. The test patient isn't dying, just sick with the flu, and cells die all the time from all sorts of causes - for example, several thousand of your cells have died naturally while you were reading this paragraph.
As bad as this sounds, it's really not much of an issue. The test patient isn't dying, just sick with the flu, and cells die all the time from all sorts of causes - for example, several thousand of your cells have died naturally while you were reading this paragraph.
Really bad luck with the title
Times change, and with them, so does the language we use. Unfortunately for this game, "incel" has become derogatory slang for a certain kind of person. It's short for "involuntary celibate", which refers to a man who isn't able to have a relationship with anyone because of their incredibly rude and crass behavior.
Or to put it another way, this game's title makes it sound like a manchild simulator. And yes, a lot of people have noticed this and laughed about it.
Or to put it another way, this game's title makes it sound like a manchild simulator. And yes, a lot of people have noticed this and laughed about it.