Yeah I know, sucky sucky graphics etc. But this is a VR game: Vanishing Realms.
Its a typical D&D style first person adventure…but with room scale VR, and fuck-me, its good. A typical crappy uninspired ‘you vs 2 goblins’ encounter which is yawnsville arizona on a 2D monitor is suddenly scary, exciting and tense as fuck when you are physically waving a sword and shield about and feel like you are there.
Anyone else given it a try? I bought it based on screenshots and videos, and I am extremely pleased with it, even though I never usually buy anything in early access.
I can imagine the vive camera, and the way it prevents you from walking into objects (right?) could be utilized by the game to dynamically create map-tile-sets that would incorporate your “in house” objects/obstructions into in game obstructions of varying types (wall, a pit of doom, fountain, etc…). Course, that would mean that each room might have a similar layout of “green” (walkable) and “red” (blocked) areas, but could be nice either way, no?
I tried this out last night and it’s the first Vive game to make me really excited. The other titles I’ve tried are okay but Vanishing Realms is a very promising taste of things to come.
At first I was amazed by what I was seeing all around me but after a while I had to remind myself that I could actually walk through these spaces, at least in my 12x6 rectangle. So I’d blink up to a room entrance and then actually walk forward to peer into the new room, around the corners of the doorway. Same with walking around a table to pick up items from around its surface. Physically picking up coins and treasure is a delight. And putting items in a little “belt” around your waist? This is insanity. The only downside is knowing that it isn’t a deep and satisfying game experience, but SOMEDAY. Ultima Underworld for realz, baby.
(Sticking this here because I’m not sure where the Vive game talk is happening.)
Speaking of deep games… right after I typed that last post, I saw Project CARS was now available with VR support so I took the plunge. AND WOW.
I started a career with Kart racing which has full 360 degree situational awareness. It dropped me on the starting line. I looked left, there’s a Kart racer. Looked behind me, about a dozen more. Just crazy. Great sensation of speed also.
I tried a few cars that had the full cockpit and dashboard models. Astonishing but way more difficult to drive.
