Death Horizon: Reloaded is a virtual reality first-person shooter developed and published by Horizon Lab LLP that leans hard into tactile immersion, claustrophobic tension, and the physicality that VR does best. Set inside a derelict sci-fi research station after a catastrophic outbreak, the game positions you as a lone survivor fighting through corridors filled with undead remnants of the facility’s former staff. Rather than focusing on elaborate lore or cinematic storytelling, Death Horizon: Reloaded builds its identity around moment-to-moment survival, using environmental pressure, limited resources, and close-quarters combat to keep players constantly alert.

The campaign unfolds across the Horizon station’s industrial interiors, where narrow hallways, maintenance shafts, and laboratories create a sense of confinement that works particularly well in VR. Movement through the station often feels tense and deliberate, as enemies can emerge from blind corners or suddenly push through doorways, forcing players to react instinctively. The pacing alternates between quiet exploration and sudden spikes of violence, allowing brief moments of calm that heighten the impact of the next ambush. While the environments share a consistent visual language that can occasionally feel repetitive, the oppressive atmosphere and strong lighting design help maintain immersion throughout the journey.

Combat is the game’s strongest pillar, built entirely around physical interaction. Weapons must be handled manually, with reloading, aiming, and switching all performed through natural VR motions. This creates a level of engagement that traditional shooters can’t replicate, especially during high-pressure encounters where fumbling a reload or misjudging distance can lead to immediate danger. Firearms feel weighty and deliberate, while melee weapons provide a visceral alternative for close encounters, reinforcing the sense that every fight is a physical effort rather than a simple button press. The ability to climb, grab ledges, and interact with the environment using both hands adds further depth to traversal and combat, making the station feel like a tangible space rather than a static backdrop.

Enemy design focuses on overwhelming pressure rather than complex AI. Zombies move aggressively and often in numbers, forcing players to manage space, ammunition, and positioning carefully. Encounters are less about precision shooting and more about crowd control and situational awareness, especially in tight corridors where retreat options are limited. While enemy variety is somewhat limited, the way encounters are staged keeps them threatening, particularly when combined with the game’s sound design, which uses distant moans, sudden impacts, and echoing footsteps to signal danger before it appears.

Progression is straightforward, emphasizing survival and adaptation over deep RPG systems. As players advance, they gain access to better weapons and tools, allowing them to handle increasingly intense encounters. The simplicity of this progression keeps the focus on action and immersion rather than menus and stat management, which suits the VR format well. Instead of complex customization, the game relies on player skill and familiarity with weapon handling to create a sense of growth, rewarding practice and composure under pressure.

One of the notable additions in Death Horizon: Reloaded is its cooperative mode, which allows two players to tackle the campaign together. Co-op fundamentally changes the tone of the experience, transforming isolated horror into shared survival. Coordinating reloads, covering angles, and helping each other through dangerous sections adds a layer of strategy and social engagement that extends replay value. While setup and matchmaking can occasionally feel clunky, the core co-op gameplay delivers some of the game’s most memorable moments, especially when both players are overwhelmed by incoming threats.

Visually, the game prioritizes clarity and performance over spectacle, which is a sensible choice for VR. Environments are detailed enough to feel believable without overloading the headset, and lighting plays a major role in shaping mood and guiding player attention. Character models and animations are serviceable rather than exceptional, but they rarely detract from the experience once the action ramps up. Sound design, on the other hand, is consistently effective, using ambient noise and directional audio to reinforce tension and spatial awareness.

Overall, Death Horizon: Reloaded is a focused and immersive VR shooter that succeeds by embracing the strengths of its platform. It doesn’t attempt to reinvent the zombie genre or deliver a deeply layered narrative, instead offering a physically engaging survival experience built around tactile gunplay, environmental interaction, and sustained tension. While it has some rough edges in enemy variety and environmental diversity, its hands-on combat and cooperative options make it a compelling choice for VR players seeking a solid, action-driven horror experience. For fans of zombie shooters who want something that feels intense, physical, and purpose-built for virtual reality, Death Horizon: Reloaded delivers a satisfying and often adrenaline-fueled journey through a collapsing space station.

Rating: 7/10