First things first, I've prolonged getting my decided upon choice of VR headset for a 'while'. An Oculus Rift was on the verge of purchase when news hit that the Rift S would be out. So I waited. Mulled and waited some more. This week was the straw the broke that camels back; Mainly due to the high volume of....the entire country that's ordering online for the December season(as retail is pretty much closed with a lock-down). No better time for VR.... I saw it being sold a few days ago at a local store chain(click and collect) for slightly more than if I'd gotten it from source... In my mind I could get it there and then be home with it for an extra €20 instead of waiting a week or two for delivery. So I did it and had it on my PC and on my head within an hour. Bit of a surreal moment to get the thing I've been mulling for such a long time so quickly.
On a side note about the Facebook sign-in ..... It's not something I'm overly concerned about. At a basic level of the argument I'll be using the Rift S with Steam for the most part and not the Oculus store so....... Meh?!
The Rift S controllers and VR in general are so easy to use and get into..... VR interaction is intuitive. Reaching out and grabbing something in VR is natural. So much so that you forget you've got controllers in your hands.
So the game I've spent the most time in so far.....
Gunjack.... While the game is simple in overall gameplay mechanics. It's a fun VR shooter. Gunjack is usually €4.99 and I picked it up on sale for €2.49 about a year and a half ago although it feels longer(yea I mull things over, bit of a contradiction given some of my impulse buy's). I've got my monies worth in just a few minutes playing it now.
The 'Boss' fights in the game are Battleships from Eve Online so the Abandon and the Scorpion make a big impression that I can appreciate. A mini boss that I really enjoy (as a Caldari at heart) is the Drake with it's 5 repping drones. Each of which you need to kill before you can damage the ship. Not that you need to know any of that going into the game, it doesn't make a difference. Them showing up will be an event even if you know them or not. The way they act in Gunjack is not how they act in Eve(for the most part). Different game different mechanics etc....
As with all VR a video for YouTube doesn't do it justice. Being in the 3D/360 degree environment even sitting down with a controller is a literal enveloping blast. Here's mission 2:
I know saying all of this is really late to the party but I'm not waffling on this blog to be cutting edge or for profit. I'm just here to waffle about my gaming and this is a big step. I've no regrets in buying it. A gaming device I'd recommend but not one I'd say is essential. Definitely try before you buy if there's the slightest doubt. There are plenty of VR centers where you can try out VR for 30 minutes to an hour. More than enough time to see for yourself.
There are downsides to VR. Wearing the headset is easy but the view initially starting out felt like it was blinkered(in a scuba goggles kind of way). The view in VR is wider and not like the slit video above; Yet there's still a black surround but once your in an activity/game all that becomes imperceptible and your only going to 'see ' the content your concentrating on.
So yea I've no regrets about buying the Rift S, not at all. I went with it because it was specifically PC oriented as opposed to the Quest 2 etc(listed as *PC VR-compatible*) . Where it's optional to be connected to a PC. I'm a PC gamer, I don't want a headset that will be non PC centric. It's not like they could change something down the line.... Like needing a Facebook login....(bucket load of sarcasm). So otherwise I'm taking a chance that it won't be cheaper for the next few months before it disappears form being sold.
I chose the headset instead of the current hassle of getting a next gen console. I'm all about the Xbox but for now going from Xbox One to Series X does nothing for me that I can't already do. Series X will be a buy in a year or so.
The headset built in directional sound is also kinda cool. While not a user only sound system..... I could be in Gunjack combat sitting a few feet from my wife and she could only hear about as much as if I'd my normal headphones on(Razer Kraken 7.1 v2).
Other games I've tried in VR so far:
Everspace. As a more dedicated VR implementation, one I was looking froward to it let me down. I was unhappy at how it felt. I spent 2 minutes in combat and said no to more. Graphically is was jagged and not the smooth, slick game I've played normally.
Google Earth VR is a fun time waster. A bit like your in a god mode for the new Flight Simulator just to see the landscape.
House of the Dying Sun's implementation of a cockpit space flight shooter was epic. A real surprise. A really cool game to play in VR. I'll be doing more with it.
Race the Sun was fun in VR. I felt it made the game easier to play in first person mode. 3rd person mode took a moment to get used to. In game spacial awareness etc.... As fast as the game is I felt no motion sickness with it.
Subnautica; a Game I've enjoyed for over 200 hours was both a joy and a nightmare to see in VR. After 200 hours of normal gameplay I've been trained to play the game a certain way and getting used to a controller instead of a keyboard and mouse was hard. Setting up the Rift controllers was a no go as they didn't work with the game(not for me). The initial loading time for my main playthrough was always long but for VR it was really long. Make a cup of tea long. The subnautica listing says that VR is still experimental and in development(I doubt it, at this stage given it been out a while). Don't get me wrong, it was great to walk around one of my bases, lean to look around a corner and just experience things from a 'real' first person perspective, actually in the shoes of the main character. Overall as a VR game it feels unfinished in a lot of ways so maybe it's never going to feel 'finished'. Like being in the Seamoth and viewing a headless character model while trying to pilot the thing!
It was also the first game to make me feel a 'that's not right' disorientation. At least in walking mode; In the water was a different story, freedom was a bit hampered by using a controller. Worth seeing and experiencing some locations for the initial fun awe factor but I can't play the game in VR. After having left the game I was still a little unbalanced after taking the headset off and for a little while after that. As if my own real world spacial awareness was off kilter. Hmmmm don't VR and drive; Different games may affect different players differently. The worst I did was misjudge a step on the stairs and spill a drink I was carrying.
One VR game I'm looking forward to getting further into is Tetris Effect Connected which gets a VR patch in December.
As for Gunjack 2: End of shift it seems to be for the Gear VR only. It might have been a game I'd buy if it was on Steam but since all VR has ceased from CCP I won't get to find out.
And last but not least Beat Sabre is one I want to get.
Fun to be had yet for sure.
No comments:
Post a Comment