If you’ve read my article on the Vita and why I believe it
failed you’re probably already aware of why I was on the fence, the crux of that
article was Sony do not market portable consoles well in the West and
drop support for it altogether eventually, I still have this fear in the
back of my mind that VR is literally just a gimmick for Sony (and an
expensive one at that currently) and I’ve fucked myself believing only a few
games will ever properly utilise the technology, it’s too early to say
that of course but the thought is still there.
The main reason I was so hesitant to buy it was
the price I think, It’s to be expected with new technology so close to the
launch window and I know it will get cheaper eventually but I was one of
those people who did not have the PS Move controllers previously or
the PS Camera so I had to get a bundle with those included. I think I
paid approx £400 for all that and Batman VR. I’m actually still waiting
on my delivery of the two Move controllers because they are sold out
EVERYWHERE in the UK but thankfully every game I own can be played with
the PS4 controller and I’ve found it to work fine, I’m sure the Move is
better for the immersion but hey it’s optional so far!
My thoughts on virtual reality before the release of PSVR were indifferent
really, I saw it was becoming a thing and really taking off but I
thought it was all for PC and I don’t really play games on the PC so I would
think ‘oh looks cool’ but never imagine owning any myself, I did have a
brief go on the Oculus Rift at EuroGamer Expo about two years ago. I
couldn’t tell you the name of what I played but you were sitting in a
helicopter and flying around a Cartoonish looking city, there were objectives
but I just messed around and what stood out to me was flying as high as I
could, looking down and getting a bit of vertigo, it was amazing! then
letting myself drop to the ground and generally flinching on impact. I
knew at that point that VR could really become something amazing.
Moving back to my device I found the headset very comfortable to wear,
I’ve only played for maybe an hour and a half tops at a time or less and
never found any discomfort, I am so happy it easily fits my somewhat
larger than average glasses with no negative effects such as outside
lighting coming in, I found the headset to be easily adjustable and each
person I have allowed to try it has never made any complaints about how it feels when applied, the only negative aspect of it is the wire attached to the headset, it kind
of just sits there at the side of you and is always brushing
against your shoulder, it’s not uncomfortable it’s just always there but it
makes for easy access to adjust the built in Mic and volume control as
well as the standard headphone jack.
The parts that come with the device are quite
simple to hook up but you better have room for a bunch of wires because
there are a hell of a lot, I still haven’t put mine in the perhaps best
position yet but I certainly need to as there are bound to be a large
number of tangled wires in my room if I’m not quick, you’re
probably way better with you wires than I am but there will still be a
lot of kit to connect to your TV and PS4!
I currently have three games for the device not including any demos which I just wanted to briefly touch on. I’m happy there was a free full fledged game available to download from the store upon the release of the device Playroom VR. It's just a collection of mini games which are mainly based around multiplayer experiences, I think it is a great game to show to friends and get them involved in fact I think this title will be like Nintendoland to me and my friends, every time we get together we play it, it was included with the Wii U and just focuses on short mini games that let you know what the console can do, they're really quite similar.
I currently have three games for the device not including any demos which I just wanted to briefly touch on. I’m happy there was a free full fledged game available to download from the store upon the release of the device Playroom VR. It's just a collection of mini games which are mainly based around multiplayer experiences, I think it is a great game to show to friends and get them involved in fact I think this title will be like Nintendoland to me and my friends, every time we get together we play it, it was included with the Wii U and just focuses on short mini games that let you know what the console can do, they're really quite similar.
I got that Until Dawn Spin off Rush Of Blood as it was only
£15.00 and I knew it was not going to be like the original (which I’ve
not played still!) I knew it was an on rails shooter and usually I don’t like
them but I thought Hey it’s VR it might be better suited and it
certainly is. It’s a budget title and it’s a great game to test out VR
with, there are minimal jump scares but it’s nice to be able to see what
VR can do in terms of shooting games, I think it would be way better if
I had the PS Movecontrollers though and a fair bit easier to move both
arms independently rather than having to do a whole load of stuff in
order to make both guns aim different ways.
Batman Arkham VR is by far the most immersive
experience I have had on the device but it really is not the game I thought it
would be and it is only an hour or so long if you’re just doing the
story and not bothered by collectables and such but my god I felt like Batman!, I sat for
ages after the suit up sequence and just marvelled at the intricacy of
the Batcave, picking up all the things at the Bat-Computer and just
being truly being the worlds greatest detective. The game is basically
the Detective mode from other games and a walking simulator in some
respects rather than the typical Arkham experience I and many others expected!
I really didn’t like that I can’t actually walk in the game though!, there is no free movement in that sense as you just click a button and
teleport forward like 6 steps or if I want to change my perspective and this
really took me out of it a lot. The only other issue I have is that it
was short, I’m sure Rocksteady are done with the franchise now but I
would have loved more time with Arkham VR as it was one of the best
batman experiences I’ve had.
The shortest experience and the one that has given me the most hope for the device is the demo ‘Kitchen’ which is yet another Resident Evil 7 demo but this time just for PSVR, it’s not really a game as it’s about 4 minutes long and you’re just tied to a chair while sitting in a ratty disgusting kitchen, there is someone else with you and, well I wouldn’t want to spoil it but he doesn’t have the best time with what’s in there with you, all I will say is don’t look up! The jump scare I got from this short demo solidified my purchase of Resident Evil 7 for sure.
So do I feel VR is the future? I’m still not sure
really, I think enough people need to be given the chance to demo it
properly, I know some companies (GAME in the UK) are charging people £5
for a 15 min try out of it which I understand in terms of not wanting
people to hog it and then not buy but it makes it a bit less accessible
for those who do want to try and may even put them off if they have to
pay. If enough people try it word of mouth spreads and more sales are
made which will make the device more popular and get more support from
developers and Sony.
Right now I think we are on the honeymoon period,
it’s had a good number of launch titles and functionality with other
games but this needs to continue, they can’t let it wane too much like
they did with first party Vita Games they need to continue to nurture
this device as much as they can because there are some really amazing
experiences just waiting to happen and some that are already available
to you if you give it a shot.
I’d say right now it may be best to wait unless
you absolutely must try it, With Resident Evil 7 coming near XMAS with
some decent VR support it may be best to wait and see if there are any
Xmas deals for the device and that game but honestly I’m in no way
disappointed with my purchase, it was never going to replace my PS4 it
was just going to enhance my experience with it and provide some unique
ones along the way, I’m thankful we live in a time where this can happen
and it makes me excited at the thought of what is to come, I know
Horror games are the hot ticket currently and they certainly work well
in VR but I’m ready for some really immersive games to be made by the
right people!
Twitter: @DetestChan
Tumblr: http://sometimesvideogames.tumblr.com/
PSN/XBL: ScatmanBegins
Twitter: @DetestChan
Tumblr: http://sometimesvideogames.tumblr.com/
PSN/XBL: ScatmanBegins
Still no Gears of war trilogy review
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