Doctor Who: The Edge of Reality | Xbox Review

November 6, 2021 Alyssa White

I am a massive fan of Doctor Who and aim to devour as much content that is tied into the franchise as possible. I missed out on the chance to play Maze Theory’s VR experience The Edge of Time, but their newly released title The Edge of Reality is an updated and expanded version of that original game. This is strictly for fans of Doctor Who, though, and will probably hold limited appeal if you’re not familiar with the source material.

Allons-y!

You are tasked with helping Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor obtain three Time Crystals. The Doctor needs these to prevent the Reality Virus from destroying the universe. Those are some pretty high stakes, but you’re aided on your journey by an AI named Emer, and even David Tennant’s beloved Tenth Doctor. The story is fantastic and easily could have been its own TV special or even expanded into a season.

There are treats galore for Whovians. Collectible items in the game tie into previous Doctors and events. Finding these Easter eggs was always a delight and I thoroughly scoured every environment for them. The voice acting by Whittaker and Tennant is also excellent and really made me feel like I was wholly immersed in the universe. Add in some of the most iconic enemies from Doctor Who and your nerdy little brain will explode with sheer happiness. I only wish the game itself matched its story and atmosphere.

Wibbly Wobbly

The gameplay is severely lacking. Most of your time in The Edge of Reality is spent walking along linear paths and solving puzzles to progress further in your quest. The puzzles are pretty easy for the most part, with only a couple stumping me for a bit. There are a few segments that turn the game into a stealth-horror experience, but these are sadly underutilized. The graphics are also quite underwhelming. The TARDIS is beautifully rendered, but the rest of the environments feel stale and dated.

On the technical side, there are a few hiccups as well. The subtitles often don’t match what the characters are saying at all, and I found myself staring at the Doctors while they were speaking but their mouths stayed closed during the entire speech. Objects clipped into the environment, and the controls could be somewhat finicky at times. I also ran into a glitch that ultimately made me restart an entire level.

Case Closed

Doctor Who: The Edge of Reality offers Easter eggs, a fantastic story, and top-notch voice acting for Whovians, but its lackluster gameplay, dated visuals, and technical hiccups make this a hard game to recommend to anyone who isn’t a fan. I had high hopes that this would be a wonderful gaming experience, but it sadly only scratched my fangirl itch.

This review is based on an Xbox copy of Doctor Who: The Edge of Reality provided by HomeRun PR for coverage purposes. It is also available on PlayStation and PC via Steam.