D.E.C.A.Y. Review

A VR-Only Wasteland From a Studio That Knows the Genre

D.E.C.A.Y. is a VR-exclusive survival shooter that casts you as the operator of a remote bunker in a scorched, post-apocalyptic stretch of the United States, tasked with surviving 365 in-game days alongside a drone companion while scavenging the Atlas network's ruins. It's the latest project from AGaming+, and several reviewers came in already invested because of that history: "I'm a really big fan of the developer's previous games, Z.O.N.A Origins and Z.O.N.A Project X. The developer is extremely involved in the project and answering questions and responding to feedback." At review time the game sat at 70 positive reviews against 14 negative, an 83 percent "Very Positive" score for a title that had only been in Early Access a few weeks. One reviewer's succinct summary captures the appeal well: "War never changes.... I know this is early access and all but I would love a much bigger map as I cant get enough of this game."

The Bunker and the Atmosphere Land Immediately

Reviewers consistently praised the opening moments, the claustrophobic home base and the eerie approach to the wasteland beyond it, as some of the strongest material in the game. "An atmospheric VR game with an interesting world, exploration, and solid gunplay. There's still room to grow, but it's already engaging," read one typical comment. Another, more skeptical reviewer still conceded the strength of the opening: "The opening bunker is pretty darn cool, approaching ALEX levels of cool. The guns and gunplay are very nice and the acid wet green labyrinth leading to the main player area is creepy and atmospheric and set my expectations for the rest of the game." That reviewer's larger complaint, getting physically stuck and unable to progress out of the bunker on a first attempt, is a reminder that Early Access polish issues sit right alongside the game's genuine atmospheric strengths.

A Huge Map That Reviewers Say Is Mostly Empty

The most consistent, specific criticism in the negative review pool targets scale versus content. "Wide as an ocean deep as a puddle. First day early access I know but the map is enormous with little to nothing in it," one reviewer wrote, adding that "not only is there little to do other than a few fetch quests with lots of walking but after returning and going out again enemies and loot do not respawn making the map feel even more empty." Another reviewer echoed the same shape of complaint from a different angle: "sparse map, it feels like wasteland is an excuse for it." This is a pattern familiar from other big-map survival releases, size alone doesn't equal density, and multiple independent reviewers reached the same conclusion within days of launch.

Gun Handling Is the Recurring VR-Specific Complaint

Because D.E.C.A.Y. lives or dies on its VR interaction fidelity, gun handling complaints carry extra weight, and they show up repeatedly. "The gun reloading for cocking the guns needs some real work. It's about as awkward as I have had in any VR shooter, hand keeps grabbing the mag, even when done slowly," one reviewer wrote, adding pointedly, "anyone comparing this to Half-Life: Alyx is lying." Another player described a similar frustration with basic aiming: "when I aim my gun my hand is in one direction like far away from my shoulder and the other hand is a crisscross so it's kind of hard to even play with the guns." Not every review was negative on this front, several praised the "solid gunplay" and general feel, but the specific, mechanical nature of the reloading and grip complaints from multiple players suggests real room for refinement rather than simple unfamiliarity with VR controls.

The Robot Companion: Charming Idea, Uneven Execution

Your drone companion is one of the game's more distinctive pitches, and reviewers had a genuinely mixed reaction to it in practice. One player's account leaned wry and affectionate: "Went out into the wasteland for five minutes, came back two hours later, out of ammo, carrying corn, and wondering why my drone had once again charged in ahead of me. 10/10, operator shift completed." Others were more pointed about its shortcomings in combat: "the drone companion is annoying, gets in the way, and his weapon is like a fly to enemies," and another suggested a targeting fix, "the robot should aim for the head from time to time." It's a feature reviewers clearly want to like, and want improved, rather than one they're dismissing outright.

Onboarding and UI Rough Edges, With Visible Active Development

Several reviewers flagged the game's tutorial and interface as unclear for new players. "There's an overwhelming amount of green text to read and you'll digest some of this information before heading out. However, a lot of info is omitted, like cocking rifles and machine guns, names of guns you own and what ammo they require," one wrote. Another called the backpack system "a pain, it takes you like 10 tries" to use correctly. What tempers these complaints is a visible, active patch cadence, the developer shipped a companion feature update, a character progression system, an "Atlas" network overhaul, and a weapons-and-music update in the months leading up to launch, followed by five patches and hotfixes in the first two weeks of Early Access alone. Reviewers who'd followed the studio's prior games treated this pace as a reason for confidence rather than concern.

Verdict

D.E.C.A.Y. arrives as a promising, atmospheric VR survival shooter from a developer with real pedigree in the genre, its bunker-to-wasteland opening and drone-companion concept land well, and its gunplay shows real craft even where the reloading mechanics need refinement. What holds it back right now is a familiar Early Access shape, a map that's bigger than its current content can fill, onboarding that assumes more than it explains, and VR-interaction details, gun cocking and grip chief among them, that still feel unpolished next to genre leaders. If you're a VR shooter fan who values atmosphere and is willing to ride out Early Access growing pains, especially if you enjoyed the developer's earlier Z.O.N.A games, D.E.C.A.Y. is a reasonable, if not yet essential, $24.99 bet on where it's headed.