So where to begin? Well it’s not that hard really. At the beginning of the year this little developer/publisher you may have heard of, Capcom, released the next installment of its long running zombie franchise, Resident Evil 7 biohazard. Whilst essentially the same videogame whether you played on a TV or using the PlayStation VR, using the headset made for a far more intense experience that more than likely helped ship a few headsets if you could get hold of one at that time. Whilst showcasing that 2D titles can still have a place in virtual reality (VR) is The Lost Bear, the most recent addition to this content lineup.
Resident Evil 7 biohazard
Set in a seemingly abandoned farmhouse, in a creepy Louisiana plantation, it soon becomes clear that there’s a whole family living there, the Baker’s, and as you may expect they’re not exactly friendly to outsiders.
Resident Evil 7 biohazard goes back to its roots as a proper survival horror, rather than the more action-based experiences of the last couple of titles. Because of this, it’s received plenty of good feedback from the press and players who were happy that Capcom embraced the horror aspects of the franchise, especially when playing in virtual reality (VR).
While updating the videogame, thankfully the studio kept some of the more familiar aspects of Resident Evil, so the green herbs are still in play. Of course the biggest change is the viewpoint. Whether in VR or not, it’s now solely from a first-person perspective rather than third-person. This greatly benefits the immersive qualities of the technology, as a third-person horror just doesn’t have the same scary effect.
Out of all the titles on the list Resident Evil 7 biohazard is the only one with an 18 age rating certificate, so while VRFocus does recommend the title it’s best to keep it away from any youngsters – you don’t want them getting nightmares!
The Lost Bear
Arriving on PlayStation VR this month from indie developer Oddbug Studio was a unique 2D title called The Lost Bear, an original adventure that tells the story of a girl called Walnut, who sets out on a journey to rescue her lost teddy bear, overcoming obstacles and her own fears along the way.
Featuring hand-drawn animation based around puppet show theatre, gameplay in The Lost Bear revolves around platform-style progression and environmental puzzle solving. Players are sat in the middle of a VR environment with all the action taking place on a screen in front. To add that immersive VR element, the players surroundings then mimic what’s going on during a particular level. So when Walnut talks through a corn field, corn will start appearing around the player
VRFocus reviewed The Lost Bear giving it a full five star rating, saying: “It’s likely that you’ll find The Lost Bear to be one of the most compelling PlayStation VR videogames to date.”
