VR Games

[Lebowski]

I remember very clearly going from Horizon to the demo of Star Wars galaxies edge and feeling very underwhelmed with how Starwars looked and played, it was pretty ugly for a start and the combat was very basic, like an old-fashioned shooting gallery with dumb enemies thrown up in front of you every so often to slow down your progress you just step side to side dodging very slow bullets and popping off shots at dumb as brick enemies who barely move. I've heard it gets better, but you have to play through the first 4 hours to get to the content from the second game.

Combat in Horizon is all about shoot and move and destroying enemies armour to reveal weak spots the bows are snappy, and the haptics really connect you to the world and its weapons too. This is broken up with climbing and exploration as well as environmental puzzle, all while taking in these amazing looking environments. When you look back at what came out for VR that year, nothing came close to the scope or experience on offer in that game, It deserved the award for best game that year as it was the best VR game that came out that year.

[Asura]

I remember very clearly going from Horizon to the demo of Star Wars galaxies edge and feeling very underwhelmed with how Starwars looked and played, it was pretty ugly for a start and the combat was very basic, like an old-fashioned shooting gallery with dumb enemies thrown up in front of you every so often to slow down your progress you just step side to side dodging very slow bullets and popping off shots at dumb as brick enemies who barely move. I've heard it gets better, but you have to play through the first 4 hours to get to the content from the second game.

Galaxy's Edge is a weird one because it's simultaneously a great achievement (there's stuff going on in that game that's kinda amazing they got it to run in stand-alone on Q2) while also being underwhelming when they brought it to the PS5 platform, as PS5 users naturally have a higher visual bar for games. Part of me's surprised they ported it at all, but I figure they must've thought it financially worthwhile to provide something else PSVR2 users could buy.

Take the climbing in Horizon; I just felt that climbing in VR has already been done, and done well. Even Blood & Truth did that really well. Although I liked the visuals of Call of the Mountain, I didn't find that aspect of the gameplay very engaging.

Then again, looking at the nominees, what the hell was C-Smash VR? I would've given it to Vertigo 2.

[Lebowski]

Always good to listen too without paroles PSVR podcast as it covers all the new stuff coming out each week, The intro this week struck a cord with me where he talks about the trolling he gets for playing PSVR2 and producing content around it. The "no games" on psvr2 brigade seem to comment on every video like thier putting out some public service announcement, and it's a Myth. New stuff is popping up every week and all the big release that quest gets show up on psvr2 bar the odd exclusive like AC. Its getting pc stuff not on quest too like like Legendary Tales and Vertigo, yet he's still told theirs nothing on the PSVR2. His response is pretty funny though, he's started engaging with these people who write these massive essays under his videos with "glad you're enjoying your headset, I'm enjoying PSVR2 too"

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1C1I4trKncWxwYpSuSORBB?si=4b7f9feb998041eb

[Asura]

Always good to listen too without paroles PSVR podcast as it covers all the new stuff coming out each week,

Oh believe me, I follow the RSS feeds for four different dedicated VR news outlets, and they cover everything. With Tales I meant more to try and maximise the content available early in the PSVR2's life. No VR platform can match the volume of releases on, say, Steam - so they must've made the calculus that despite the game's unsuitability for the platform, the Star Wars brand would push it in the quieter marketplace.

[Neon Ignition]

Call of the Mountains visuals are definitely a highlight, the combat is solid too and the game would have benefitted from more of it. The climbing is fine but the game places a huge focus on it to the extent that it's surprising that the devs didn't take more inspiration from The Climb as it could have had more risk/reward to it.

Without Paroles media feed is going to be noisyas hell if things go as expected and PSVR3 ends up not happening leaving them no option but to refocus on PCVR/Quest

[Lebowski]

Without Paroles media feed is going to be noisyas hell if things go as expected and PSVR3 ends up not happening leaving them no option but to refocus on PCVR/Quest

You are such a troll

[Neon Ignition]

They're named after PSVR, if Sony doesn't follow PSVR2 up (which does seem feasible given the current trajectory of support) then of course they'd need to refocus themselves. No different from any other platforms specific outlet that see's that platform cease to be a running concern. In a few years time Sony's either going to go through VR support pursuit with their next system or not.

[Lebowski]

I talk about how someone's being positive about the releases schedule and how theirs a decent stream of content on the system and a decent back catalogue now too and it's instantly

"well he's gonna have to rebrand himself when Sony dosent bring out a psvr3"

It's completely irrelevant at this moment in time and feels childish, just be happy that a Platform in the VR space is getting decent support from third parties. PSVR doing well is good for all the VR space as its another revenue stream for devs and as VR still being a niche platform it needs all the avenues it can get.

It feels like Exclusive games just aren't where it's at for VR in 2024, I've been focused on them with psvr2, but exclusives with big budgets just don't feel viable even on Quest. Take the Assassin's Creed game, Ubisoft entered into an exclusive contract then bitched about the lack of sales, despite it being them limiting which markets they could sell into.

[Neon Ignition]

It's a first play thread so the whole discussion has been increasingly irrelevant to the thread but that's okay. I didn't say PSVR2 Without Parole was wrong either. Neither was what I said a negative about them or the headset. Because they have that focus on Sony's headset it means they attract those 'no PSVR2 game releases' types of online detractors more.

PSVR2 does get plenty of regular releases, the dissatisfaction that has been brewing has more been about Sony's own support than anything else. It's a very Vita like situation, no-one at the time could legitimately claim the handheld didn't receive plenty of regular releases but that was a separate issue to whether Sony would continue in the sector. PSVR2WP does loads of VR coverage and pushing the headset, effectively doing Sony's job for them. They're right in disagreeing with the narrative it has no games, being platform specific to the end will no doubt attract those making such claims in a 'we were right all along' way of the channel finds itself stuck should Sony not continue with PSVR past the next few years which would be unfair to them. Hopefully they next transition themselves to just VR Without Parole next and get ahead of it, relying on Sony's brand feels about as reliable right now as being an Xbox Youtuber or website.

I know it goes against console makers ethos but I wonder if it would work better for them if Sony not only let PSVR2 support for PC but had a way to allow third party headsets to work on PS5. The ecosystems could remain separate but that could be a lot of Quest 2 owners suddenly able to pick up the likes of Horizon.

[Lebowski]

Yeah, anyway, back to talking about games

Downloaded the Daft Punk Beat Sabre pack over the weekend, as it has just been released on PS5, (also just come out on Steam and Quest too) feels like the perfect set for this game, and it comes with live tracks as well as remixes. Stage art includes giant floating heads and backgrounds based on their live shows, made me pick up beat sabre again, and it made the game feel new again, so that's a bonus.

[Asura]

Yeah, anyway, back to talking about games

Downloaded the Daft Punk Beat Sabre pack over the weekend, as it has just been released on PS5, (also just come out on Steam and Quest too) feels like the perfect set for this game, and it comes with live tracks as well as remixes. Stage art includes giant floating heads and backgrounds based on their live shows, made me pick up beat sabre again, and it made the game feel new again, so that's a bonus.

Yeah, I feel everyone kinda thought the same thing when they announced this...

"Can't you already get Daft Punk stuff for Beat Saber?"

It seems like the sort of match you'd have gotten early on. Like getting Dragonforce in Guitar Hero.

[Lebowski]

It's weird it's taken so long for some official songs, especially when you have the likes of the Greenday and Lady Gaga, the lack of official song packs is a strange one id imagine a Chemical Brother or Prodigy pack would fit perfectly with this but nope nothing.

[MartyG]

Well just got done with Arizona Sunshine II on PC.

On the down side the walking and running movement speed is painfully slow, I think this is the only reason it took me just over six hours to complete the campaign which is pitifully short.

The movement is painful at times, which makes those ridiculous sections where you have to run through hordes of zombies very annoying indeed, and it added nothing to the game other than irritation. At least the reloads have an option now to behave like the first game, as the manual reload was equally irritating at times.

I think the first game is better, there's really not very much different here, so I'd agree, get it on sale, and best played co-op.

[Neon Ignition]

Finished up on Dark Pictures:Switchback VR last night, the game adhering to the first four chapters settings from the main series leads to a mixed run of levels and the final level is surprisingly the weakest being largely a combination of reused assets from prior levels followed by a low on scale boss. Overall it's solid, very much more of the same which was really all anyone was asking for after Rush of Blood.

[Lebowski]

Still not played switchback heard It's had a lot of improvements and patches as it launched in a shocking state originally.


Not sure if it was a pricing error but ForeVR Bowl was at the stupidly low price of £1.89 last week on psvr (back up to £18 this week) I took the plunge thing it would be shovelware, but I was pretty surprised to find a solid bowling game with quite a bit of replayability in collecting special bowling balls, physics feel good graphics are nice and solid, and it all plays pretty well. Multiplayer modes single player and all sorts of crazy bowling alleys to play in including an underwater one and one set on the moon, it's also on quest and steam, scratches that itch for a decent bowing game and reminds me of the old days of wiisports bowling.