Not sure what to think about VR. I just saw a trailer for a VR game on youtube. Something like an amusement ride with rollercoasters and such. Seems fun, but I should try VR at some convention and see for myself.
It seems that horror has a wonderful future with VR.
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 On 09/02/2016 at 07:39 PM by asrealasitgets See More From This User » |
Not Another Walking Sim?
A lot of negativity and skepticism over the direction of ResidentEvil 7 is not unexpected. I don't particularly enjoy walking sims myself,not much action for my taste, so I'm actually pretty lukewarm on the idea. However, sometimes coming in at the height or tail end of a genre or trend, aka Horror Themed Walking Sims, can make for better games.
Something Old As Something New
The new Zelda, FF15 and the latest Metal Gear and Witcher are current popular franchises with open worlds, but open world games themselves arent new, and it took popular franchises to make me take interest.
My Case...
To make a long walk/story short, I don't particularly like the idea of having my time wasted by in-game travel. I know it's essential to immersion, but I just want to get on with the story or main mission without feeling penalized with poor time-outs or diversions optional or not, within the game that aren't on the level quality of the main story. This is a topic for another blog that Matt Snee started/brought up with his 'game girth' topic. I'm still awating verdict on his Hot Take on Order for PS4.
What I Like...A Comparison
Xenoblad Chronicles X is a very pretty game, but it has on-going combat flow added to the travel which makes the game more interesting for me to play. I also started up Red Dead Redemption after not touching it since 2011 on XBox360. I never finished that game mostly because I got bored with the travel, but I've gotten through a lot more of the game now, although I do feel like some of the side quests were kind of a waste of time and not similar in quality with the main story missions that are between good and great. Again, RDR is a very pretty game with nice set pieces but there is an awful lot of padding it seems to make the game drag on at times. Same type of scenario with Dragon Age Inquisition. Some nice story and set pieces bogged down by average repetative combat and fetch quests.
Will VR add Quality or Value to Horror Sims? Apparently Yes!
Here is the article from an impression of RE7 demo at PAX from ZAM.com
See, I love horror, but I do get sick in VR, if things move around too much. But the kitchen demo, intended as a "taste" of RE 7's approach, very wisely eschews unnecessary movement for far better horror staples -- gnarly sound, creepy visuals, and a twin dose of impending doom and utter helplessness. It is, in a word, awesome.
I sat in a chair in a disgusting, gnarly kitchen, maybe the same place as the also-rad RE 7playable demo launched earlier this year. Ghost TV show bro from the same demo was tied up next to me. I had to hold my bound hands out for him to try and saw his way through my bindings, but, of course, we weren't alone, and what followed made me scream a little and giggle with delight.
There's a zombie lady around, and she has a big knife, and I couldn't help but shout a classic "look out!" to ghost show bro before his inevitable assault. Poor ghost show bro! Intelligently, much of the mauling happens behind the scenes, where the disgusting sound design has a chance to shine. And of course, I was still tied to the chair, in real life as well as in-game, a helpless witness to the proceedings.
This is how you do horror in VR. No need for nauseating walking and head-whipping. Tie the player to a chair, make them feel as vulnerable as their character, and subject them to an audio-visual assault of the senses, with all of the zombie/ghost story/horror imagery that's worked so well for the series until now.
It's smart, it's effective, and holy hell, is it ever fun. When zombie gal popped up again at the corners of my vision, I yelped a quick "oh, hey girl!" before, naturally, she spilled my guts.
Honestly, this is exactly what I want out of a VR horror game. Give me the theme park tricks, give me the spooky sounds and sense of confinement. Leave the nausea of of the equation, and I am a very happy horror fan.
http://www.zam.com/article/989/resident-evil-7-is-killer-in-vr
I trust this writer and if she's excited for VR horror than I sure as hell am too!
But would VR make the horse travle in Red Dead Redemption more immersive?
-asreal
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