VGC Tries Virtual Reality

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VideoGameCritic
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VGC Tries Virtual Reality

Postby VideoGameCritic » August 17th, 2018, 7:09 pm

So I was over an old friend's house the other day and his kids immediately set me up with the Playstation 4 VR and the game Until Dawn: Rush of Blood. As a fan of all things Halloween, this was right up my alley. I think I mentioned to them I was the VGC, but to them I was just another old guy trying to play their game. Needless to say, they were pretty surprised when they saw how good I was, getting a lot further than they ever did.

This was my first foray into Virtual Reality and I have to say I was impressed. I was kind of expecting a normal game that let me look around, but it was better than that. It felt like I was in a dark mineshaft with wooden walls and shadowy areas. Completely immersive. And when the cart moved down the rails, I felt like I was moving. When I went down a dip, my stomach dropped. I did notice the "screen door" effect a lot of people talk about, but only when I looked very closely. I never felt sick or queasy.

The gameplay was a little less exciting. You simply shoot clowns and monsters while aiming with your two flashlights. Since there is no crisp crosshair, I found the accuracy kind of loose. In addition to monsters, there were little targets peppered around the scenery. Some allowed you to alter the path of the track, which was pretty cool for replay value. I didn't find the game particularly scary but there were a good number of "pop up" scares.

In general though, I didn't feel a burning desire to replay the game. During boss battles you just tend to stop for five minutes and unload ammo at everything that moves. It hurts the momentum of the game. I don't know if there is a mode that lets you just ride through the game non-stop like an amusement park ride, but I think I would prefer that.

But what really took its toll was the uncomfortable visor. Granted, it was not fitted for my head; they just stuck in on me. But after playing for the better part of an hour I had to take it off - well before I even ran out of lives. It felt so good to get that thing off my head!

Overall I guess it didn't change my perception of VR much (one game notwithstanding). Very impressive for short bursts but probably not worth a major investment. If I could get a cheap setup (under $200) I would be tempted, but otherwise I'll remain on the sidelines for now.

GameOfThrones
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Re: VGC Tries Virtual Reality

Postby GameOfThrones » August 18th, 2018, 4:10 pm

I played the HTC Vive. An incredible piece of kit. I totally loved it. Though I could not see myself playing it for more that 10 minutes in a month. Impressive, immersive but improbable.

Other than that everything you said Critic is true. Right on the money.

matmico399
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Re: VGC Tries Virtual Reality

Postby matmico399 » August 19th, 2018, 1:28 pm

Great story and thanks for the info "old guy".

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ptdebate
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Re: VGC Tries Virtual Reality

Postby ptdebate » August 20th, 2018, 7:23 am

The only kind of VR headset that interests me is the cheap one that pairs with your smartphone. Has anyone tried out one of these?

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Retro STrife
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Re: VGC Tries Virtual Reality

Postby Retro STrife » August 20th, 2018, 11:10 am

A year or so ago, I got to try the HTC Vive for about 30 minutes at an arcade near my house. I played a few FPS style games, where you stand in one spot and shoot things. One was a survival horror zombie game, one was set in space, and one was a castle defense game with a bow and arrow (which was my favorite). I was very impressed with the technology, and think it's a great short-term experience, although I can't imagine it ever replacing a TV and controller as our preferred way of playing video games. (Not for a few system generations at least.)

My understanding is that the HTC Vive is considered the top from a technology perspective (followed by Oculus second and PS VR third), but my sense is that the PS VR is going to be the best option for gaming, simply because it's much cheaper to own and should end up having the best library (due to the Sony influence and the larger install base).

One thing I have to say -- I feel like we have finally reached what we envisioned as VR when we were dreaming it up in the 80s and 90s. Sure, there's still some limitations and probably always will be, but for me it has accomplished what I always had in mind.

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Retro STrife
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Re: VGC Tries Virtual Reality

Postby Retro STrife » August 20th, 2018, 6:27 pm

VideoGameCritic wrote:If I could get a cheap setup (under $200) I would be tempted, but otherwise I'll remain on the sidelines for now.


Btw, as luck would have it, the Oculus Go sells for $200, which is the only genuine VR system that you can get at that price right now. It has everything built right in, whereas the regular Oculus and the HTC Vive both require you to connect to a high-end PC. The Oculus Go got very solid reviews. Here's one from CNET:

https://www.cnet.com/reviews/oculus-go-review/

That said, waiting a couple years for the PS VR to drop to $200 might be the better choice. That's my plan.

GameOfThrones
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Re: VGC Tries Virtual Reality

Postby GameOfThrones » August 20th, 2018, 8:22 pm

I wanted the critic to say he had played the new battlezone and that it was amazing. It is available on the psvr. Then I was going to play it on the non vr xbox 1. Oh well I will just have to wait a bit longer.

JWK
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Re: VGC Tries Virtual Reality

Postby JWK » August 22nd, 2018, 5:43 pm

About a year ago, I said— and still maintain— that Resident Evil 7 in PSVR is one of the most amazing gaming experiences I’ve ever had. I still look fondly back on that time I spent with it. Unfortunately, I haven’t found a potential second AAA game like RE7 to persuade me to buy the thing. There are a few smaller type games I’m interested in; Super Hot, Thumper, Rez, Until Dawn... but that’s it. I’d love to be proven wrong because I want to *want* it. But I have no interest in purchasing a $300 peripheral and then letting it collect dust.

Sut
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Re: VGC Tries Virtual Reality

Postby Sut » August 23rd, 2018, 5:46 am

I’m really interested in PSVR and have been downloading all the PS+ games so I have a good selection ready to go.
But like others it’s still pricey for me, just waiting for that price drop Sony then you can have my money.


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