On its release 30 years ago, The 7th Guest helped bring about a seismic change in the way that games were made. At its core, it was a relatively simple collection of puzzles but, thanks to its ground-breaking use of CD-ROM technology, it took place in a gorgeously pre-rendered Queen Anne-style US mansion, filled with revolutionary full-motion video performances and a wonderful CD quality soundtrack by George ‘The Fat Man’ Sanger.

Now, Vertigo Games has reinterpreted The 7th Guest for VR and the result is a wonderful homage and brilliant puzzler in its own right. Whereas the original game featured a single conundrum in each of its many rooms, here every location contains a number of brain-teasers. These new puzzles are much more varied and visually interesting, and they’re tactile in a way that really suits VR. A sprawling train set features numerous controls that must be used to rearrange carriages in a specific order. Elsewhere, a collection of top hats become trans-dimensional portals. It’s all a long way from the first game’s simple tricks.

New theatrical set-pieces have been captured using ‘volumetric video’ which means that it’s possible to walk around the ghostly actors as they perform; it’s not quite as spooky as it sounds but it’s technically impressive. While the performances are a big improvement on the original’s famously hammy sequences, they’re knowingly arch and fit right into the setting. And although the mansion design has been slightly tweaked, fans of the first game will feel right at home; the house starts off in a ruinous state but progression helps to bring it back to life by dusting cobwebs and fixing its disrepair. There remains much love for this franchise and it’s great to see new technology and artistry being used to bring it bang up to date for a modern audience. 

The 7th Guest VR is out now on SteamVR, PS VR2 and Meta Quest.