The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR
A horror roller coaster rail shooter for PlayStation VR2.
The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR is a rail shooter for the PlayStation VR2, created and released by Supermassive Games on 16 March 2023. It is a spin-off from The Dark Pictures Anthology, putting players on a horror-themed roller coaster. The game is a spiritual successor to Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, a VR title from 2016.
**Gameplay** As a spin-off, the game draws locations from all four main Dark Pictures titles. Players wield pistols to shoot targets, objects, and enemies, with boxes providing temporary weapon upgrades like semi-automatic fire or a shotgun. From the third level to the eighth, special items appear: a UV light, a Flare Gun, and a Stun Gun. These help overcome obstacles, solve puzzles, and interact with the environment. Players shoot switches on the roller coaster track to change the ride’s path and make critical decisions that affect their fate. Puzzles also determine the fate of other passengers, who can die, be abandoned, or be saved. Once a passenger dies or is left behind, that outcome is permanent.
**Synopsis** The player is a passenger on a train who meets a young woman before a crash, while listening to a voicemail from their sister—who planned to meet them at an amusement park to honor their father’s death. Badly injured and near death, the player enters a limbo state and finds themselves on a series of rail rides called "The Inferno," each tied to a previous Dark Pictures game. Using tools like the UV light, Flare Gun, and Stun Gun, they solve puzzles to potentially save the souls of other train passengers. The Curator watches at certain points, and a demonic entity taunts them.
The journey begins on the Chinese coast, passing shipwrecks. A passenger trapped in a flooding box dies unless the player stops the water. On the SS Ourang Medan, the player defeats the telekinetic ghost of the Sailor Girl. Next is Little Hope, an abandoned town where demons from its past appear, and a passenger tied to a stake burns alive unless the player destroys the ropes. In the church, the Burned Demon is faced. Under the Akkadian Desert, in caves holding an alien crash site, a third passenger can be saved from a falling cage by weakening supports. The player fights vampires and alien parasites, eventually confronting The Ancient One—Balathu, an Akkadian soldier turned vampiric creature 4,000 years ago. In the fourth area, the player enters H.H.
Quick Facts
- Title
- The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR
- Developer
- Supermassive Games
- Director
- Alejandro Arque Gallardo · Will Doyle
- Producer
- Peter Szegedi
- Artist
- David Hirst
- Programmer
- Edwin Bell · Volodymyr Shafran
- Designer
- Sofia Romualdo · Cordelia Chui
- Writer
- Andrew Ewington · Vicky Wheeler
- Composer
- Jason Graves
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Platforms
- PlayStation 5
- Series
- The Dark Pictures Anthology
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR is a rail shooter video game developed and published by Supermassive Games for the PlayStation VR2. It was released on 16 March 2023. It is a spin-off of The Dark Pictures Anthology and features the player riding a horror-themed roller coaster. It is a spiritual sequel to the 2016 VR game Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, which was also a game released near the original PlayStation VR's launch.
The game is a spin-off from The Dark Pictures Anthology and features various locations from the four games. Much like the previous rail shooter, the player is armed with a set of pistols to shoot targets, objects and enemies, shooting boxes that give brief upgrades to their guns. In this game, particularly in the third-through-eighth levels, the player is given special items (namely the UV light, Flare Gun and Stun Gun) to aid in overcoming specific obstacles and solving puzzles. Players shoot switches on the rollercoaster track to alter course and make important decisions that will determine the player's fate. The player also has to solve puzzles to save the other passengers, whose fates cannot be reversed should they die or be abandoned.
The game is played from the perspective of a passenger on a train, who encounters a young woman before the train crashes while they listen to a voicemail from their sister. Heavily injured and on the verge of death, the player falls into limbo as they find themselves in a series of rail rides called 'The Inferno' with multiple locations correlating to previous games from the Dark Pictures series. Throughout the game they use various tricks and tools to progress and solve puzzles to possibly save the souls of the other passengers. All the while they are being watched by the Curator at certain points and being taunted by a demonic entity. The game begins on the Chinese coast, then moves through the SS Ourang Medan, the abandoned town of Little Hope, the cavernous ruined temples beneath the Akkadian Desert, and the replica of H.H. Holmes' World's Fair Hotel. In the final level, the player finds themselves in a Frozen Hell, where the young woman reveals herself to be the demoness Belial, Mother of Lies. There are two endings depending on how quickly the player defeats Belial.
Reader's Guide
The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR holds significance as a spiritual successor to Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, continuing the tradition of horror-themed rail shooters for PlayStation VR platforms. It expands the Dark Pictures Anthology universe by incorporating locations and elements from the four main games, offering fans a connected experience. The game's release was notable for being self-published by Supermassive Games, unlike previous entries published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Its delayed launch from the original PlayStation VR2 release date to 16 March 2023 generated anticipation. The gameplay introduces decision-making mechanics via track switches and passenger rescue puzzles, adding replayability and consequence. The narrative, featuring a limbo-like journey and a demonic antagonist, provides a cohesive story across multiple horror settings. As a VR exclusive, it showcases the capabilities of the PlayStation VR2 hardware. Its legacy lies in bridging the Until Dawn and Dark Pictures franchises while delivering an immersive, interactive horror experience.
Did You Know?
- It was originally planned to release alongside the PlayStation VR2 headset on 22 February 2023, but was delayed to 16 March 2023.
- Unlike previous entries of The Dark Pictures Anthology, Switchback VR was self-published by Supermassive Games rather than by Bandai Namco Entertainment.
- The game features two endings that depend on how quickly the player defeats the demoness Belial in the final level.
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