Virtual Reality, it’s been around for rather some time and yet we’re still waiting for those epic gaming experiences. The first year of Virtual Reality brought us a lot of technical demos but now, the ‘real’ games finally start to release. Skyrim VR already marked an important change, a change that will be even more important thanks to DOOM VFR. No, this isn’t another port, it’s a new DOOM game created solely to immerse you in a virtual world taken straight from Hell. Is it worth it?
Time for revenge!
DOOM VFR is a different game than the DOOM game we got in 2016 (or this year on Nintendo Switch). It doesn’t follow the same story or events. Instead, you follow a scientist who got killed by a demon the moment he tried to investigate the surface of Mars. In order to fight these demons, the UAC managed to transfer his consciousness to a new type of exoskeleton. This means they can use his knowledge of the strange planet to reach all the places they want to reach. So, what’s in it for you? Revenge of course! During the entire campaign (takes about five hours to complete), you’ll be going from location to location to kick some demonic ass. This still is DOOM as we all know and love it so prepare for some ‘in your face’ action.
A gorgeous Hell
The first thing you’ll notice after starting this game is how good everything looks. DOOM VFR is by far the best-looking PSVR game to date. It’s impressive to see how Bethesda stayed loyal to its iconic graphical design without ever losing its touch. You’re truly immersed in the world of DOOM and to be honest, that’s a rather scary world to live in. The demons will send chills down your spine, especially when you meet them face to face. DOOM became popular thanks to its brutal action and the feeling you’re surrounded by thousands of demons. This feeling is still here so prepare for some intense virtual reality sessions. In order to give you room to breathe, the game also has ‘slower’ sections where you’ll have to find objects or hidden clues in your environment. I get why Bethesda wanted to add this but to be honest, I like the action-packed missions a lot better. It’s truly impressive to witness all this chaos without any lag or technical difficulties.
I like the way you move
Now, the story is there and the action is fast-paced and as brutal as you might expect from a game in the DOOM franchise but what about the controls? Since the start of Virtual Reality, developers are struggling to find a proper way to control everything. Moving the camera around freely often results in motion sickness for a lot of gamers. So how did Bethesda solve this problem? Well, the developers give you a couple of options. First of all, you can use both PS Move controllers to mimic the two virtual hands on the screen. This works great for shooting and throwing grenades but moving around gets a little more difficult. To move around, you’ll need to teleport your character, something you have to do in a lot of VR games. I don’t really like this solution since it takes away the feeling you’re actually there, being part of the environment. Secondly, you can also use the PlayStation VR Aim Controller, which works for guns like shotguns but besides that, it’s rather strange. Using the Aim controller also means you can’t use the virtual left hand easily, throwing grenades becomes extremely difficult. Last but not least, you can use the DualShock 4 controller, my favorite by far.
I like the precision and freedom this controller gives you. Using this regular controller, you can easily move around without getting sick. Bethesda also added a new type of execution with the so-called Locomotion. When you damage the enemy, he’ll start to glow blue, when this happens you can use the Locomotion. This teleports you towards the enemy to finish him off up close and personal. It’s a masked teleportation mechanism but it really works, thanks to this, you don’t need to lower the pacing. It’s good to have all these options available and I’m sure everybody will find his/her favorite one, just remember that this still isn’t the golden solution and moving around still is rather challenging.
Conclusion:
DOOM VFR is a nice addition to the PSVR library and is by far the best-looking game on the platform. The action is high-paced most of the times and the environments offer enough details to investigate. It’s a shame it’s not a long game and the controls still are rather hard to master, even with all the options available. It’s one of the best PSVR games out there, so if you have the headset, go check this out for sure. If you don’t own the PSVR yet, this still isn’t good enough to justify the high price of getting the PSVR to play this.
