Category: HTC Vive Reviews

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Review: Island 359

Having been in Early Access for 18 months, CloudGate Studio’s dinosaur filled, action packed virtual reality (VR) title, Island 359 should be well known to HTC Vive and Oculus Rift users as its received continual praise since its initial arrival. Having seen numerous updates in that time Island 359 has now been fully released on both platforms, bringing with it a whole new survival experience that combined with the other modes provides one of the best single-player experiences in VR.

Island 359

Island 359 is about one thing, hunting dinosaurs, so if you thought you’d kick ass in Jurassic Park then this is going to be the videogame for you. Split into three separate modes, Survival, Mercenary and Arcade, even the introduction to Island 359 doles out plenty of intense action, giving a brief glimpse at the legendary T-Rex.

Mercenary and Arcade are the best two modes to jump into first, where you can learn your dino hunting skills, offering different scenarios across several maps. Mercenary is all about getting those kills in, collecting loot drops to delve ever deeper in to the jungle then hopefully making it out alive for the bounty. Arcade is somewhat more casual, offering a wave-based gameplay option. Additionally, there’s a Big Hunt mode which arms you with just a bow to take down the toughest creatures.

You’ll soon notice that the gameplay does get somewhat samey, as you are just constantly killing dinosaurs. It’s not until you delve into Survival mode that Island 359 really starts to shine. CloudGate Studio has done a commendable job creating a lush, jungle filled island that’s six square miles in size. After being dropped off in a helicopter you are on your own, suddenly realising the task ahead. You’re supplied with a rucksack and a tent, after that everything is up to you – the first time a compy ran up before picking up any weaponry was intense. In this mode you can craft items to aid your journey as well as uncover a thinly veiled storyline.

Island 359

If you’ve had Island 359 for a while then Survival mode expands the entire experience greatly, offering a great deal more gameplay than the other modes. What’s also useful is the central hub with a store that can be used for each mode. Collect cash in one area and you’ll be able to use it to buy guns and ammo for use in another.

Also well worth pointing out the Island 359 caters for all your locomotion needs, offering teleportation alongside free movement. If you can, using the free locomotion option does add to the whole experience, creeping through the under growth trying not to disturb a group of raptors is certainly fun.

Considering the island size Island 359 does look amazingly good. Sure there are points where certain areas look barren and detail free, or pieces of foliage look out of place but for the most part the design is spot on – especially when on the beach as the sun goes down silhouetting a Triceratops.

It’s been a long wait but it was worth it. Island 359 offers a proper showcase of what can be built specifically for VR when enough time and effort is put in. It’s not 100 percent perfect in places but the videogame offers enough of everything that you won’t really care. Grab that gun and get hunting in this thoroughly enjoyable and engaging VR shooter.

100%

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Review: Summer Funland

Mini-game compilations can be a great way of combining multiple gameplay genres into one neat little package. Titles like Sports Bar VR and Loco Dojo showcase some of the best ways to bring together common, well known past times or slightly more weird and wonderful ideas respectively. The latest title to enter this arena is Summer Funland by newly formed indie studio Monad Rock, mixing together many elements to create a pleasant – just not outstanding – experience.

Summer Funland

Summer Funland is best described as one of those entry level virtual reality (VR) videogames. There’s something for everyone yet long term VR enthusiasts will likely only get two or three hours use out of it before they yearn for something with more depth. But that’s not to say Summer Funland is a bad VR experience, in fact what it does right is done very well, there’s just this overall feeling that Monad Rock has played things fairly safe for its first title.

Set in a rich and vibrant amusement park, Summer Funland has 12 rides/attractions to keep you entertained and it’s certainly in keeping with the theme. You enter the park and in front is a map showing you all the activities. They can either be selected from the map or using a teleport function you can explore the park, finding the rides as you go. The studio also encourage this with a little treasure hunt, with various cuddly items hidden around.

The mini-games themselves are standard fare, with a Wild West shooting gallery, a whack’a’mole style game involving penguins and mallets, or a wall version where you just use your fists. While enjoyable for a couple of go’s you soon want to move on. While the games – much like a real theme park – are a side distraction, it’s the big rides that impress. There’s a rollercoaster that loops and twists around the entire park, giving some great views of the landscape before plunging down through caverns or under jumping dolphins.

Summer Funland

Then there’s Gotham, plonking you on Batman’s bike as it races through city streets and down train lines, dodging cars and locomotives galore. An exhilarating experience, like any good ride its over before you know it. One of the longest is the Underwater Journey. Placing you in a submersible you head down into the depths, as it gets deeper all sorts of creatures appear as well as an ancient long lost civilisation, with crumbling ruins and giant statues falling around you. It’s these moments that show how well-crafted Summer Funland is, with beautiful attention to detail that enables you to relax and enjoy the ride.

For gamers the issue remains about replay, and how many times you want to sit on the same ride, or whack the same penguins. No matter how good it looks, Summer Funland won’t quite have that same draw as more focused titles. Summer Funland may not light the VR world on fire but it provides an enjoyable – if somewhat short – piece of entertainment. If you’ve got kids or want an all-in-one experience to show VR virgins then Summer Funland is an ideal starting point.

60%

Awesome

  • Verdict
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Review: Sprint Vector

After delivering one of the best first-person shooters (FPS) for virtual reality (VR) head-mounted displays (HMDs) with Raw Data hopes have been high that Survios’ next offering would follow a similar path. The team decided to tackle the difficult challenge of fast motion in VR head on, creating a heart-pounding, adrenaline fuelled multiplayer title called Sprint Vector, pitting players against one another in obstacle filled races that’s certain to attract a big contingent of players.

Sprint Vector Final screenshot1

Sprint Vector is big, bold, garish and above all awesomely fun to play. While it features both single-player and multiplayer modes, this is certainly an experience focused on its multiplayer side. Playing solo there’s plenty to keep you busy once you’ve finished playing through the extensive tutorial – and you’ll need to – with 12 courses to learn as well as nine challenge course to complete. Master those and you’re definitely ready to head out into the online world.

The videogame is all about learning movement – or Survios’ Fluid Locomotion System – where you need to time arm swings to propel yourself forward. One look at the courses and you’ll realise that you’ll need to learn more than just forward momentum to win. It’s through this movement system that the core gameplay and the replay factor of Sprint Vector are so neatly entwined. Survios has managed to squeeze so much into it the first time you learn everything can be a bit bewildering, from timing those arm swings to get maximum speed, jumping, gliding and shooting, to using power ups and climbing, to win those races all of it needs to mastered. Yet as much as that sounds after a few races the system becomes instinctive and most importantly comfortable.

This can be a major issue in VR and Survios has done a commendable job of making frantic gameplay smooth with little jarring. Even when falling from a ledge – and you will, many times – there’s no discomfort, just the annoyance that places have been lost and you need to get back up to speed quickly.

Sprint Vector Final screenshot2

Alongside the locomotion system there’s plenty of other things to keep you on your toes. Power-ups can be collected in each course, granting you mines, missiles, nitro boosts and loads more. They certainly add a tactical edge and as those Mario Kart fans out there know, one decent power-up at the right time can make all the difference.

12 courses don’t sound like much, with each one taking on average around two to three minutes to complete but they do offer plenty of variety. Each one has its own little routes to explore, possibly offering a better racing line than the main course but that all depends on how well you can jump, climb and soar through the air. Timing it wrong can make things even worse.

At the start of Sprint Vector you can choose your own particular character – which can be swapped if need be – yet from what VRFocus can tell there doesn’t seem to be a difference in stats. Most cartoon style racers usually fall into the same gameplay routine, so larger characters have poor acceleration with better top speeds while small characters are very nippy off the line but not so good down the straights. This isn’t the case in Sprint Vector, every race is down to your own personal skill rather than anything a digital character brings to the table.

Sprint Vector Final screenshot3

And you will need skill, as well as plenty of stamina in those arms. As mentioned Sprint Vector gets that heart pounding, and the sweat dripping. Of course you can take it easy but that won’t win races. To be honest, once you’re track side the adrenaline kicks in and all you’ll think about is winning. Such is the involvement required to play – rather than sitting comfy on a sofa – that the gameplay becomes addictive.

There’s very little to dislike in Sprint Vector. Sure there will be times when that competitive edge over takes you, getting annoyed when you fudge a jump but that’s to be expected. The single-player has enough to get you started with a few hours of gameplay, yet it’s the multiplayer that’ll have you coming back for more. Here’s hoping that Sprint Vector draws in enough of a crowd to sustain it, rather than becoming another multiplayer focused experience that gets forgotten about. Which would be a shame, because from where VRFocus is standing Sprint Vector is another hit for the studio.

100%

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  • Verdict
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Review: Sairento VR

It’s usually the case that prior to Christmas all the major videogames come out to see players through the festive period, like Fallout 4 VR, with January tending to see a lull in big name releases. This can be a good time for smaller indie developers to launch their projects, especially if they’ve been garnering support and building a community through initiatives like Steam Early Access. This is what Mixed Realms has gone for with its first-person shooter (FPS) Sairento VR. Obviously that’s no guarantee of success, to help that along the studio needs to have made a solid experience and Sairento VR does just that.

While Sairento VR maybe an FPS, at its core this is a ninja videogame for HTC Vive (reviewed) and Oculus Rift. If you enjoyed titles like Shinobi or Ninja Gaiden but wanted the experience to be even more immersive then Sairento VR is going to be right up your street.

Sairento VR new screenshot 1

All ninjas need to be athletic, fast and highly manoeuvrable, able to seemingly defy gravity with their wall runs whilst taking out enemies with a well-placed shuriken. Yet, to create a virtual reality (VR) experience where you can do this and more may seem complete folly, inducing nausea in players almost instantly. Well whatever magical powers Mixed Realms has used has worked, because not only can you wall run, double jump, and hop around a level like human sized bouncy ball, you’ll enjoy every minute being a master assassin.

Sairento VR employs teleportation as its main source of movement and through it you unlock a bevy of additional mechanics to utilise as the situation is needed. So a short teleport will result in a dash – great for slicing straight into enemies – whilst moving a greater distance will make you leap where you can then add in a secondary jump to a higher ledge or a quick wall run. Time everything right along with liberal use of the slow-motion button and cutting down groups of enemies becomes child’s play with the assortment of weaponry you have to hand.

Talking of the armory. Going into battle you’ll find yourself equipped with dual pistols, two Katana blades as well as a sub-machine gun just in case. All of which is easy to access from either your hips, shoulders or back respectively. As you progress through the videogame you’ll unlock more guns and upgrades to change your strategy and preferences, with shotguns, rifles and more all becoming available.

Sairento VR new screenshot 2

And that’s one thing Sairento VR has in droves, options, options, and more options. The main settings menu lets you alter all sorts, from how the guns reload to whether one of the control pads gives you free locomotion. Then there are the Skills, upgrades that enhance your character with more health, greater damage and additional jumps and so on. There’s such a wealth of extras that it can be almost dizzying, yet it’s certainly a welcome sight to see.

Then there are the gameplay modes, with a standard story-driven campaign, individual missions where you can select what type of change awaits and a multiplayer to add some friends into the mix. All of which should provide hours and hours worth of gameplay.

It’s not all perfect however. While there’s plenty of variety in some parts of the title it’s lacking in others. Enemies do tend to come in a few core flavours which are then repeated over and over again, making it easy to learn their patterns and moves. The AI does suffer from that age old videogame mechanic of seeing you and rushing straight forward, so with the movement options available getting out the way isn’t too difficult at all. The same can be said for the environments as well, endless futuristic cityscapes that at points barely differ from one another.

In the end though it all comes down to how much time and enjoyment you’ll get out of Sairento VR and rest assured it’ll be plenty. If Mixed Realms hadn’t managed to nail down the movement system then Sairento VR could’ve been just another FPS with a myriad of options. Instead, Sairento VR is one of the best free flowing combat titles available for VR headsets, showcasing how far development of VR locomotion has come.

80%

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  • Verdict
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Review: Stunt Corgi VR

Studio Roqovan certainly has a quirky sense of humour. The virtual reality (VR) developer is well known for its online multiplayer World War Toons on PlayStation VR, a first-person shooter (FPS) that not only features snipers and soldiers but a Yeti and gorilla as selectable characters. So you’d be right in thinking the developers next title might feature more of the same humour and cartoonish design, and it hasn’t disappointed. Rolled out this month for HTC Vive is an experience no one could have guessed, a stunt creation videogame where the star of the show is a corgi dog.

Stunt CORGI screenshot_04

Yeah that’s right, Stunt Corgi is all about building weird and wacky courses for your pet pooch to run, jump and roll through, as many times as you like. Set in a back garden, all the objects needed to create the courses are instantly available, there’s no need to unlock anything. At your disposal are basic items like ramps, boxes, planks of wood, barrels and more. While an advanced menu holds cannons, teleporters, fans, trampolines and other items. A third menu gives you access to various effects to make the entire show visually impressive, adding fire, a glitter ball, smoke, sirens and other loud, bright actions.

The studio has included a few examples to give you an idea of how things work, then it’s entirely up to you to build something in this sandbox environment. While a first glance this may seem like a videogame for kids, due to the mechanics it tends to be more suited to older players as getting everything just right can be a bit finicky.

Stunt Corgi has been designed to fully use the HTC Vive’s roomscale system so you need to physically walk around to place items. They can be picked up and moved around at distance – even spun with both controllers – but there’s no option for moving them towards or further away, you need to do that with your feet. This is fine if you have a decently sized area to play in, otherwise you may run out of room quickly. Another issue by not having movement options comes when you’ve filled the garden with a complicated course and a particular section needs editing yet there’s stuff in the way, it’s not always practical to walk around it.

Stunt CORGI screenshot_03

So movement maybe limited, yet the amount you can do isn’t. There’s a decent enough range of items to interact with that you could spend hours and hours on different designs and never create a similar course twice, depending on your imagination. The corgi also has a few tricks up its paw for getting around, each of which you control. Why run from place to place when rolling is much more fun. Or how about jumping fearlessly onto a trampoline after walking up a ramp on hind legs, this corgi does it all.

This all takes place in wonderful cartoon environment that won’t be taxing to any VR-ready PC. Lower specced PC’s may start to struggle once the area is littered with items however, although VRFocus’ GTX 970 seemed to handle everything well.

Stunt Corgi is one of those VR titles that’s hard to define. It doesn’t really fit into any category and doesn’t feature any goal as such – for those that like a start and end to their videogames. The experience is missing certain options like movement or being able to manipulate the items – like stretching or shrinking them – but that doesn’t mean it’s not enjoyable to play. Stunt Corgi is a videogame you’ll either love and spend hours on or find it amusing for an hour then get bored, the question you need to ask yourself is, how much do you love making corgi’s jump through hoops?

60%

Awesome

  • Verdict
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Review: Day of Destruction

Love them or hate them sci-fi B-movies have that special place in cinematic history where they’re remembered for how bad they are, poor acting, rubbish effects, dodgy sound and more. Yet they offer a form of entertainment that wears its heart on its sleeve, becoming cult classics that almost become better with age. The same can be said for videogames, offering a less rounded experience than others, but having that addictive quality just the same – one of those titles that becomes a guilty pleasure. SynaptixGames’ Day of Destruction starts out being all of these things, along the way however it begins to lose that sparkle.

Day of Destruction screenshot 2

Day of Destruction certainly feels like a sci-fi homage to some of the best known movies, pooling ideas from the likes of War of the Worlds and Independence Day. Yet SynaptixGames has taken a somewhat different approach to the alien invasion theme, so rather than you saving the day – and the world – you’re the invader, coming to wreak havoc on unsuspecting planets.

First impressions can be everything, with Day of Destruction starting with a big grandiose entrance involving a basic looking UFO and a very impressive musical score. In fact it’s the music that holds the entire piece together as you board the ship because there’s literally no information about what’s going on, you just have to roll with it.

Aboard the ship you’ll find the main hub where you can choose from six planets to attack, each with four cities to destroy. There’s also a section to unlock certain armaments once you’ve accrued enough credits, and a teleportation system in place to wander around the small area, which doesn’t seem entirely necessary due to how little time is spent there.

Day of Destruction screenshot 4

What this videogame is all about is destruction, laying waste to cities with ridiculous weapons, finishing each level with a maniacal laugh. To begin with this can be fun, firing laser bolts and dropping cluster bombs from the safety of your UFO. Gameplay involves levelling a selection of buildings, mainly skyscrapers, some with offensive weaponry while others are just dormant. Finishing a level involves wiping a particular selection of these buildings out once you’ve highlighted them with a search light.

You’ll get shot at with ground base defences and aircraft, then as the campaign progresses you’ll encounter slightly more difficult forces. The ship isn’t impervious, so take enough damage and you’ll eventually get shot down.

After a few levels Day of Destruction hits a make or break point. The videogame becomes very repetitious due to the issue of constantly destroying buildings. The UFO itself can’t be controlled – it moves around a city on a pre-designated track – so you spend 90 percent of the time looking down. The hook to keep you playing comes from the upgrades, being able to activate lock-on missiles for the planes, a tractor beam to fling things around, dropping ground forces that look like the massive bi-pedal enemies from War of the Worlds or finally being able to unlock the expensive city scale weapons.

Day of Destruction screenshot 1

Day of Destruction certainly doesn’t wow in the graphics department – there are far better looking virtual reality (VR) titles – but it doesn’t need to. It has that B-movie quality that just works, and the in game audio (especially the music) is top notch. That’s why it’s a shame there isn’t more to the gameplay. Sure you can go back with the better weapons to jump you up the global leader boards, other than that there’s little to hold your interest. Day of Destruction certainly isn’t one of those must have VR titles, it’s a blast for a while until every city starts to look the same.

60%

Awesome

  • Verdict
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Review: Nevrosa: Escape

Frustration can come in many forms when playing videogames. Sometimes it can be from making a stupid mistake that costs you precious milliseconds in a race, or having an awesome kill streak online then someone snipes you in the head. Both of these are situations when you have complete control and complete lack of control, yet some titles manage to weave both. These are quite often puzzle games, and escape room experiences in particular are very good coercing those different frustration levels until you either succeed or smash a controller. With Nevrosa: Escape, indie developer GexagonVR has done just that, creating a challenging (but not impossible) escape room that’s certainly one for puzzle fans.

Nevrosa Escape screenshot 1

Make no mistake however that just because Nevrosa: Escape is a puzzler at heart that it can’t get the blood flow pumping with some atmospheric horror to add to the experience. Finding yourself in an old manor somewhere in Northern Europe, you’re there because of your characters grandfather who disappear several years previously. Hidden away in a dark mysterious laboratory you begin to unearth what the old man was researching and needless to say it isn’t pretty.

The entire videogame revolves around this laboratory, and whilst that may seem confined and short on content, GexagonVR has managed to create a world that intertwines locations to beneficial effect. The actual lab itself is gorgeous to look at, a tapestry of rustic colours, old furniture, and decorations that would be perfectly suited to any Victorian themed horror movie.

You can’t freely move around as such in Nevrosa: Escape. Instead the lab is split into locations for each level, so you can see everywhere, you just can’t access it. GexagonVR has decided to fully employ virtual reality’s (VR) roomscale system, requiring you to fully explore everything in close proximity. While the minimum play area recommend is 2m x 1.5m VRFocus would recommend an area slightly larger as sometimes objects can be right on the outer edges.

While the atmosphere, attention to detail and the reasonably deep storyline are noteworthy, it’s the puzzles that are most imperative to making Nevrosa: Escape shine. Luckily they do, offering enough variety and difficulty that as previously mentioned, can annoy you at first before realising that answer was right in front of your face.

Nevrosa Escape screenshot 2

So Nevrosa: Escape is an awesome videogame all the way through? Well almost. It’s on the gameplay side of things that issues occur, namely collision detection. For a title that has only one main mechanic, grab, it can be twitchy at the best of times. Picking up a candle to light a darkened corner the entire object dances around in your hands until you drop it – or try to swap it into the other hand. This doesn’t always happen – a particular puzzle involving test tubes became particularly annoying – but often enough that it did spoil the experience to an extent.

Escape room videogames can also suffer with the issue of longevity, once you’ve completed them there’s little reason to return. Nevrosa: Escape includes the tried and tested method of multiple endings – a good single-player extender – rewarding those who dig further into the experience.

There are a number of VR escape room titles available like Chair in a Room and I Expect You To Die which do the genre justice. Nevrosa: Escape is another that can be added to that list of entertaining puzzlers, with beautiful visuals and brain taxing challenges that’ll fill a good few hours.

80%

Awesome

  • Verdict
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Review: Train Runner VR

Developing virtual reality (VR) videogames can be a hard process, involving countless hours of hard work and dedication to put together something functional and fun. In the early days of consumer VR there was plenty of experimentation as studios figured out what worked and what didn’t, which led to lots of short, tech demo style experiences, some of which worked and some that were quite frankly awful. Almost two years since the first high-end headsets came to market, there’s been a plethora of amazing titles arrive which deserve your time and money, Train Runner VR on the other hand does not.

Train Runner VR screenshot

Let’s explain what you get firstly. Train Runner VR conjures up thoughts of a possible endless runner style experience or maybe some sort of train management videogame with loads of toy locomotives whizzing around you. It is none of these things. Train Runner VR revolves around Kaley and her dog Panda. The dog has become stranded on some train tracks that span a 500-foot gorge and there’s a runaway train looming in the distance.

So it’s up to you to destroy the train and save the pooch, don’t worry though, as this is a family friendly title so the dog is never in harms way as it’s sat on a slight outcrop of the bridge. To blow up the train you can either use a bow and arrow or a huge ballista that can be removed from its placement for easier aiming. What you end up doing is shooting the train over and over again as it makes its first pass, then it’ll keep returning over and over again until you finally manage to destroy it – or you just get bored and turn the whole thing off.

There are loads of explosive barrels located around the one and only level, some are even on the bridge, but destroying them doesn’t bring the bridge crashing down unfortunately – there is a stupid dog on there after all. Once the train is finished so is Train Runner VR as there’s sod all else to do. You can teleport about and find a cave which features the names of the developers, and look around the scenery.

Train Runner VR screenshot 1

It’s difficult to really know what Rocket Worldwide was going for with Train Runner VR. Yes it’ll amuse youngsters for a few minutes but there are much better representations of VR that are suited for kids, just look at Luna, Spark of Light, Rangi, GNOG and many more. Even after destroying the train and searching every nook and cranny of the level for anything hidden the entire play time was less than 15 minutes. There’s a mystery box where random variations of the weapons appear, like a ballista that fires watermelons but that’ll keep players amused for about 10 seconds.

All in all there’s nothing to recommend Train Runner VR. Gameplay is shallow and repetitive, the character models look like they came from a 90s cartoon show trying 3D for the first time, and it’s priced at $19.99! Here’s a certainty, if you buy Train Runner VR on Steam you’ll request a refund with 30 mins. Save yourself time and money and just don’t.

20%

Awesome

  • Verdict
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Review: L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files

This year’s last AAA virtual reality (VR) videogame release comes from one of the most high-profile developers on the planet. Rockstar Games’ step into VR was perhaps inevitable, but the fact that it has arrived earlier than most developers came as somewhat of a surprise, and even more so is the fact that it’s not Grand Theft Auto, but rather the side-step of roam-roaming action that is L.A. Noire.

L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files screenshot

L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files may essentially be a remake of the critically acclaimed 2011 Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC release, but it has been heavily adapted for VR. Players enter the shoes of protagonist Cole Phelps quite literally, with L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files taking on a first-person view opposed to the original’s third-person perspective, and many assets have been remade to take advantage of this new viewpoint.

The plot of L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files sees Phelps climbing his way up the ladder of the L.A.P.D., beginning humbly as a beat cop and ending up as a decorated detective. Set in the late 1940s, Phelps dives deep into the seedy world of L.A.’s organised crime syndicate and is morally challenged by the corruption that runs through the L.A.P.D.

Before any of this can happen however, you need to earn your stripes. The player is given an introduction to the world of L.A. Noire – or more specifically, playing L.A. Noire in VR – through the addition of a VR-exclusive area. Phelps’ office is no longer a simple flat menu, but now a hub for the player to learn the basics of the trio of control schemes available and the depth involved in scene examination, as well as tinker with outfit changes, various objects and a selection of music.

L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files screenshot

Key to any videogame experience on modern VR hardware are those control systems, and while L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files doesn’t feature as comprehensive a series of adaptable inputs as Bethesda Games Studios’ Fallout 4 VR, it does provide a suite of options for player comfort, including smooth locomotion. The simplest option for this (labelled ‘automatic’ in the options menu) is to press the trackpad on the HTC Vive motion-controller and look in the direction you wish to move. However, there is also the ‘walking’ mode, in which the player must swing their arms to move in an attempt to mimic walking in the real world. In this latter smooth locomotion option, players can hold the controller’s trigger to sprint.

Additional movement options are based around teleportation. The first is the now traditional reticule-based teleportation, while another new system revolves around highlighted objects. Areas will glow yellow, and clicking the trackpad will teleport the player directly to them. This latter mode is helpful during gunfights – ensuring you’re always moving into cover – but is undeniably the most disruptive to player immersion.

Once the basic movement is covered, players will find traversal ties together a series of distinct activities that offer the cohesive L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files experience. Acting as a detective, a key part of Phelps’ job is to interrogate witnesses. During this activity players will find that their judgement of a character’s intention will directly affect the way in which conversations progress. L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files isn’t simply a case of pressing a button and choosing between inconsequential dialogue options; the way in which you speak to each actor in a scene can affect the outcome, potentially leading to further clues or making new enemies. Of course, L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files is attempting to digitally recreate real life, and as such the reactions you might be expecting from a character may not be that which you receive.L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files screenshot

The options for interrogation have been simplified from the original 2011 release, now divining the possibilities through ‘good cop’, ‘bad cop’ or ‘accuse’. Of course, it’s possible for the interviewee to take each of these responses to their story in a very different manner, even multiple times during a single conversation. L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files doesn’t simply ask the player to pressure the characters they meet, but genuinely examine their facial expressions and body language in an attempt to understand how they’re ‘feeling’.

Additional activities involve gunfights, driving and good old fashioned motion-controlled fisticuffs. While the gunplay and unarmed combat are executed much as you would expect, the driving gameplay is just as detailed as the environment examination and interrogation sequences. Upon selecting a vehicle to take out for a spin, the player must open the door, turn the key in the ignition and grip the steering wheel to control their direction. Of course, the entirety of the L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files map is open to roam from the get-go, so while the videogame itself might only take 6-or-so hours to complete, it’s more than likely to be double that as players explore the world both on-foot and in the heavy-steering 1940s cars.

L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files is a mixed bag visually. While the character models and facial animation are second-to-none, it’s clear that many of the environmental textures haven’t received much of a makeover since the original 2011 release. Despite L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files requiring higher PC specifications than the standard VR experience, the graphical fidelity of the videogame as a whole is significantly lesser than the likes of Robo Recall or DOOM VFR. The effort has clearly been spent where it’s needed, however; L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files’ raison d’etre is the human interaction, and the characters in the videogame are wholly believable.

L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files screenshot

And it’s that believability that makes L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files one of the most immersive VR videogames to date. As with most releases on modern VR hardware, it’s easy to pick flaws in the videogame due to the control systems and lessened visual quality, but to do so would be to ignore the huge leap forward L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files makes in the creation of a real-world playground. The delivery of unique characters impresses a sense of urgency, empathy and often distain unlike any other videogame experience, playing into the strengths of the VR medium by placing the player face-to-face with convincing digital human beings. L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files presents an unwavering argument for VR as a compelling entertainment medium, and should be welcomed as a yet another stepping stone to true presence in digital worlds.

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Review: Fallout 4 VR

So it’s time for Bethesda Game Studios’ final major virtual reality (VR) release of 2017, and it’s a big one: Fallout 4 VR. Previously the developer has released The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR and DOOM VFR, both of which have seen near universal acclaim, showcasing that a standard videogame port to VR can work, and work well, when given the attention it deserves. Fallout 4 VR has been shaping up to be the most revered, allowing players to submerge themselves in the wastelands of the Commonwealth like never before, utilising the HTC Vive’s precision roomscale tracking system to begin a journey that can take hundred’s of hours depending on play style.

VR gamers have desperately wanted a deep and engrossing adventure that perfectly symbolises what the technology is all about. Somewhere in which they have the opportunity to delve into a virtual world, feel keenly connected to it, and that the actions they take have consequences; whether good or bad. The past has seen this slowly take shape with role-playing games (RPGs) like The Mages Tale, but just like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR before it, Fallout 4 VR aims to take fantasy immersion to another level.

Fallout 4 VR screenshot

If you’ve played the original before it you’ll feel instantly at home with Fallout 4 VR, coming back to a title with seemingly infinite possibilities. For those that haven’t, if this is your first introduction to the Fallout universe, then take your time – and it’s going to take a lot of it – as you learn about the wrist-mounted inventory system that is Pip-Boy, V.A.T.S – which has been reworked for VR – and whilst encountering all manner of characters, creatures, and hostiles in a videogame that’s as equally demanding as it is rewarding.

Straight from the off Fallout 4 VR looks amazing. For such a demanding title – Bethesda recommends an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 as the minimum GPU, yet VRFocus used a GTX 1060 – it runs very well on HTC Vive. Sure it’s not got that same crisp quality you’d get on a HD TV but that first time you look over the rubble of Sanctuary after leaving the vault is a glorious moment, especially now that you’re actually standing there.

Like any large, open-world style RPG title, controls, and more specifically VR locomotion is a major factor. This one element can break or cement that feeling of presence, so thankfully Fallout 4 VR comes with a wealth of options. First off (and set by default) is teleportation. This is the go-to mechanic for many a VR developer, and whether you love it or hate it, it does work, enabling you to jump around a world comfortably – but not very far, which is undeniably awkward when you consider the expanse of the videogame.

Fallout 4 VR screenshot

To truly get the most out of Fallout 4 VR you need to go straight into the settings and start having a play. These are easy to find in the menu as everything VR related is handily contained in a listing labelled ‘VR’. Here you’ll find a welcoming selection of options to tweak and alter until you can get everything just so for your personal preference, from changing the way you can view the Pip-Boy, to those all important direct, smooth locomotion settings. Depending on how comfortable (or familiar) with VR you are, VRFocus would always recommend smooth locomotion, it simply makes the entire experience that much more fun and engaging. The first time you come up against some raiders, rather than hop about the place teleporting you can just run in there, or strafe between cover, popping heads or shooting off limbs. Make no mistake this system does require some getting used to, as the touchpad on the HTC Vive controller is very sensitive, but it’s the only way to play Fallout 4 VR.

Talking about sensitivity and getting used to things, the actual menus – either the main videogame ones or Pip-Boy are a bit twitchy. You’ll most likely find at first that the highlight bar jumps all over the place as clicking the touchpad will cycle through one set of options, while just touching the top or side will do something else. It can get infuriating at points, however there’s so much information to access and with a limited amount of input options it’s kind of understandable why Bethesda went for this approach.

This complexity does carry on somewhat into the building mechanics. The right controller handles the scrapping process, aim the marker, press the pad to acknowledge then press the trigger to confirm. It’s these little processes that can make Fallout 4 VR slightly disjointed, opting for a more ‘are you sure you want to do this’ approach instead of letting you get on with the job in hand. While the left controller handles all your building options, with the main selection spinning around just above the controller. This is quite nice to use, you can see everything right there in front of you, making for an easier selection process. In the workshop mode you are resigned to just teleportation – no matter your settings – so there’s no way of getting away from the movement system completely.

Fallout 4 VR screenshot

Something’s have improved over the original more than others and one of those is definitely V.A.T.S. The system for dismembering opponents goes into a slow-motion mode where you can pick a limb just by aiming and remove it from said foe. The process has a much more satisfying effect in VR than it ever did on a TV screen, so much so you’ll be popping heads left and right.

Fallout 4 VR is such a massive experience that VRFocus could go on writing for hours. What you want to know is, is it worth investing your time in? That’s an easy yes. What Bethesda has done with Fallout 4 VR is create the ultimate Fallout experience. Yes you may have preferred Fallout 3 but this is the version you’ve got in VR, and it’s a stunner. If you have HTC Vive then you need this, just bear in mind that it might be 2018 before you take the headset off.

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