In the race to bring VR to the gaming masses, I feel Sony has the most to lose. Based on the VR titles they revealed during their E3 conference, I think they may know that.
That last paragraph is totally my opinion, but I will do my best to explain myself.
Of the current console manufacturers, only Sony has fully hitched itself to the VR wagon. They did so by being the only one to actually announce and hype first-party VR hardware: the PlayStation VR. Since it is their baby, they naturally have to do all the legwork to bring it to fruition. Part of that legwork involves convincing prospective customers that the hardware will be supported well. And to do that, Sony needs to have games that work with the hardware. They know this, so they took the time during E3 to trot out as many games as they could.
The results, I think, reflect the need to have games – any games. Sony has stated that the PlayStation VR will have more than 50 games supporting it when the hardware releases on October 13th; five games were shown during the conference. The five they decided to showcase give a little insight into what Sony is trying to push out for its VR headset. My eyes see that Sony wants lots of quantity with their VR titles; in the process, there may be some lapses in quality.
The first game trailer shown for PlayStation VR was a first-person game with survival horror elements, a great vehicle for survival horror. The game shown looked like a strange cross between P.T. and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It was only at the end of the game trailer that we saw what the game was: Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. To me, that’s a bit of a mixed bag. This game was rumored to be a first-person shooter, and Capcom hasn’t had much success with FPS Resident Evil games – anyone remember Resident Evil: Survivor? Still, the creepiness a game like Biohazard can provide in VR justifies the attempt. Biohazard will be released on January 24th, 2017.
The next game trailer to be shown was for Farpoint, a typical-looking FPS set in an unexplored desert world. Again, VR can be a great way to experience such a game. Hopefully, Farpoint can provide more than a bog-standard FPS-in-space experience. I can tell you that personally, though, if I experience that huge spider-crab thing that comes out and screams at you Predator-style in VR, I would need a change of drawers. That’s what VR is supposed to do, right?
Next up was a short trailer from an expected property: Star Wars Battlefront. The demo for Star Wars Battlefront: X-Wing VR Mission, however, just looks like a glorified tech demo. It will be an add-on mission for people who own Star Wars Battlefront on the PS4 and the PS VR. There isn’t much substance to be had here – although I will admit that prospect of piloting an X-Wing Fighter under a Blockade Runner and mixing it up in a fur ball with TIE Fighters in VR makes my inner nerd squeal. Still, PlayStation VR needs more than just add-on fodder.
The next trailer is where Sony started to lose me a little. You would think that a game like Batman: Arkham VR would intrigue me greatly. I mean, the game will put the player into the experience of being the Bat – in VR! But as I heard Mark Hamill’s masterful voice-over of the Joker as the Batsuit was shown in excruciating detail, one think kept popping up in my head: HOW? I can see certain things – like Detective Mode – translating well to the VR experience. But the combat is where my mind hits a wall and my imagination can’t pass through. How is the Arkham series’ signature fighting style going to translate in the VR realm? This is a game that will have to be experienced to be properly understood. If Rocksteady pulls this one off, this could potentially be the title that makes me a believer in VR! If not, I can already picture myself returning to Ikea to replace the lamp I will kick over while trying to play this game.
Whereas Batman: Arkham VR lost me slightly, however, Final Fantasy XV: The VR Experience lost me completely. The demo showed me on-rails shooting set in the Final Fantasy universe. This is less Final Fantasy and more House of the Dead. For those that relish the idea of experiencing Final Fantasy in VR, this may be the experience you’re looking for. As for me, I can honestly say that I’m not feeling this. Let me know when I can go chocobo riding in VR and I’ll pay attention.
Obviously, this is just a tiny sampling of what Sony has planned for its PlayStation VR headset. With titles like Gran Turismo Sport, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, The London Heist, Ace Combat 7, and Rez Infinite coming out, and with Ubisoft adding to the mix with Eagle Flight and Star Trek: Bridge Crew, the VR headset will have a massive launch with plenty of support. But looking at titles like Final Fantasy XV: The VR Experience and thinking of the difficulties in pulling off Batman: Arkham VR tells me that Sony’s push for support means there will be difficulties.
