Journey To A Better Reality
- Vincent DiFusco
- Aug 15, 2017
- 5 min read
Recently I invested (with much hemming and hawing) in a Playstation VR Headset. Prior to purchase I wasn’t terribly informed on the system, nor had I looked deeply into the games. To be completely honest it was at the request of my fiancée, and even as I made the shady-seeming Craigslist meet-up, I wondered if I’d regret the purchase. Never had I worn a headset, so I wasn’t sold that I’d be immersed into the world of my choosing, and I wasn’t sure if I’d become violently motion sick. Luckily I’d found a great deal including the PS Camera, two Move controllers (joke’s on us, they’re still the controllers from the PS3 Move, hope you held onto yours…) and a few games.
So, why not? At the moment of purchase I knew the systems were selling for a few hundred still, so I could make my money back.
Needless to say, I came home and hooked the system up. The system includes the standard headset, processor unit, headphones, and several numbered cables to connect it all: an HDMI cable you connect from your PS4 to the processor, a second HDMI that goes from the processing unit to your television, and a USB cord that connects the processor unit to your PS4.it’s a bit of a mess of cords. The headset itself also connects to the processing unit, but isn’t as intrusive as it looks.
Now was the moment of truth. Time to slap this on and travel somewhere new and exciting. First up I threw in Playstation Worlds VR, a compilation of five very short almost demo-like games…. And immediately handed the headset to my fiancée.
I’m still a gentlemen and everyone knows, ladies first!
Luckily, everywhere the headset looks the TV shows, and the priceless exclamations and expletives that spewed from her mouth were well worth it. She started with Ocean Descent, an on-rails tour in an underwater shark cage. Easy, beautiful, and a great place to test the waters. I watched as she marveled, leaning in to try and touch fish, shrieking as she backed away from a much too friendly shark. That finished, she moved on to Street Luge, as she rocketed down a hilly street, bobbing and weaving, occasionally being run over by cars she shared the road with, and then Danger Ball, essentially pong, using your head as a paddle.
Finally, after long-last she handed the headset to me. I fidgeted with it, my sweaty palm slipping the headset over my hairline. Instantly, I was disappointed. Everything was very blurry. I stood there defeated and let down, till my hand touched the bottom of the headset and I realized you could adjust the display, moving it closer and thus sharpening the Image. It’s made to be able to be worn with glasses, so it makes sense that a bit of adjusting may be needed.
Now with my headset correctly tuned, I looked around me, and I must say, damn.
The Playstation Worlds menu is an old temple-looking area with the different games around you. I sat and just spun around taking things in, reaching out with the move controllers. I waved my hands around, playing with a ball of light that had appeared before me. Moments later, I started my first game, The London Heist.
Starting out, you’re in a chair in what seems like a warehouse, hearing a noise behind you. Not knowing anything about this game, I felt genuinely nervous. Soon, a stocky Englishman came front and center, threatening me, waving a blow torch in my face…had it not been for my fiancée standing nearby, I’m sure I may have squeaked (honestly, I may have subconsciously). Without boring you with the details, I’ll just say this was deep, intense, and, honest-to-God, I felt like my life was in danger.
Skipping ahead to gameplay, you’re in an office, stealing a priceless gem from a Russian gangster’s desk. This, of course, trips an alarm, and it’s time to defend yourself. With the right Move controller, I used the trigger and top button to pick up a nearby pistol, (later I took it to my father’s house; so he’s left-handed, and it allowed him to use his dominate hand, an important detail a lot of games skip) and I started firing at the enemies who stormed my position. The first thing I noticed was how amazingly accurate the shots were, effortlessly dispatching enemies with headshots, crumbling them to the ground with shots to the knees…where I aimed was where I delivered the round with both hip-firing and aiming down the iron sights as viable delivery methods for my rounds. Then a truly stunning thing happened. I ran out of ammo, the magazine ejected from my still-smoking pistol. Frantically, I looked for another mag, spying it on the table in front of me. I picked it up with my left hand (just like the gun I used trigger and top button) and, holding it my hand, slapped it into the bottom of the gun in my right hand.
This may not sound like much but this, this moment right here was when I felt fully immersed in this world. That simple act took me from just playing a game, to actually fighting for my life. That being said, next time I went to reload my gun, in a rushed frenzy, I accidently let go of the left hand trigger button, and dropped the magazine to the floor, cementing the feeling of being in the moment.
After I finished this round, I was transported into a moving van. a flashback riding alongside the Englishman from the start. During this scene, I did what I’ve seen everyone I’ve shown the demo to do. I reached out to try to touch him. It felt so real. He seemed so close.
I reached for a cup in the center console and threw it at the window, laughing as soda spilled everywhere, adjusted the volume on the radio, unrolled the window and leaned out looking back at the freeway we sailed down, all of it building the feeling of being in that moment. Then the gun fighting started again.
Since then I’ve acquired more games and will, in the coming weeks review them for you, letting you know my feeling on them. With 238 announced games coming to PSVR (including Fallout 4 VR, and DOOM VR), I have a strong feeling that this is the future of gaming and not just a passing fad. Unfortunately, the price may be a turn off for many casual gamers, but if you really want to be part of your game, this is an essential piece of hardware. My biggest concern is that sales won’t accurately show the demand for these games. So do us both a favor and plunge into the word of VR for all our sakes.
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