Let's talk about VR, my friends!
A month or so ago, I went over and hung out with Miles and he showed me the marvelous wonders of virtual reality. I was really trying to hold out until I could find some games that would really justify such a big purchase.
Now before I go on, VR is still pretty dang pricey, and not likely worth the buy for a lot of consumers. That being said, if you happen to have some money available and want to explore a new gaming experience, now's as good a time as any to jump in.
Hey Chris! What device do you recommend?: The HTC Vive
Why?!: Well, truthfully, outside of the old dev kits, I never played with the Oculus and the PS VR didn't really give me what I was looking for. I did enough reading, however, to see that the Vive just fit within what I was looking for a bit better (more surface area with less bases, more game options that were up my alley, etc.). There are plenty of resources out there, if you're looking for more technical breakdowns, of course.
I just found what I liked and rolled with it. OH! And I also got $100 off via Office Depot when I purchased it (that was also a pretty big defining factor).
What Games should I try out? Great question, anonymous user!
I'm typically a FPS fella, so.. there are a lot of options in this realm. Though, some have issues with that motion sick 'my body is moving but I'm not' business. Here are the games I played and my thoughts on them:
- Superhot VR: Ever want to feel like Neo from The Matrix? Like a super badass that dodges bullets, knocks guns into the air and shoots things in the face? Play this game. It's amazing.
- DOOM VFR: Not the same storyline as the main game. But all the right feels of a DOOM game. When Mick Gordon's soundtrack comes on, you're in 'melt the f*$*ing faces off some hellspawn with your BFG' mode. It's pretty fantastic.
- Arizona Sunshine: Really fun zombie survival game. Truthfully, I spent more time playing horde mode than I did in the campaign. You just get lost in getting weapon upgrades and dual wielding pistols while protecting your tender insides from the zomboz. The story was pretty neat, but I think the bread and butter of this game is definitely the 'how accurately can I shoot a zombie in the face?'
- Beat (f%*king) Saber: An ABSOLUTE must. This lightsaber rhythm game is so simple and yet, so much fun. Additionally the modding community is doing such a great job of making new content for the game. Be prepared to sweat your ass off.
- Tiltbrush: I can't tell you how neat this is. This is just an experience worth checking out. Being able to draw things in the 3D Space and just get enveloped in it, it's absolutely breathtaking.
- The Lab: I love this series of experiences so much! And it's free! 10/10. :)
With the Steam Summer Sale happening, I'm potentially picking up a few other games, too!:
- Skyrim VR
- Fallout 4
- Budget Cuts
- Raw Data
- Job Simulator
...and some others!
How much playtime will I get? Are there any side effects?
Well, informed user, from purchase to now (~4ish weeks), I played for about 2 weeks straight. Early on, I observed some interesting things with my vision (often feeling like I'm in a 3D VR environment) and movement (I didn't want to move my legs, like I had the magical capability to just teleport to the next spot). Like, my brain wasn't understanding what was real/fake. BUT! That resolved pretty quickly. It was a bit on the spoopy side, though. I've since taken a break to resume regular PC activity, but I will likely break it out again for a week or so to play more games next month.
In short:
VR is pretty sweet. But I think there's still a long ways to go before this becomes a regular household console. It still lacks in some ways right out of the box (more trackers for other limbs on your body, movement (e.g. the omnidirectional treadmill), and some other little things here and there. That being said, if you have the funds, consider picking it up. From pew-pewing to painting to having VR chat with your friends, there's quite a bit you can do in that realm these days, and I feel like there's something for errbody.
That's all I got! Hope this was somewhat informative for some of ya. :)
Next blog post, we'll talk about some sound stuff! Based on a tweet I came across, I've been thinking about sharing some info about some techniques I used to design some Grimm.
Catch ya next time!
-ck.
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