When it comes to VR games, Bethesda really gave it their all this year. With big releases like Skyrim VR and DOOM VFR, the company tried to deliver big immersive games to the VR gamers. Next to the crazy amount of tech demos, these Bethesda products offered way more, a true gaming experience that would last a couple of hours. Now they try to top it off with Fallout 4 VR but is this third and final Bethesda VR game worth the trouble?
Impressive from the start
Fallout 4 always was a rather impressive game, even when it was just ‘flat 3D’ on the current generation of consoles. The game was praised for its impressive beginning and this looks even better in VR. Wandering around in the nuclear wasteland, hearing those classic tunes and facing off with infamous enemies all get an extra layer thanks to the VR experience. You’re not really playing a game, you’re part of a deadly environment, an environment that will send your adrenaline rushing through your veins in mere seconds. The first time I witnessed this environment in VR, I was blown away, this surpasses those tech demos on a lot of levels and yet, it didn’t feel perfect yet.
Right from the start, it’s also pretty clear that the technical limitations will hold back this game from truly being amazing. Just like the original, the game suffers from bugs and environments that don’t always load correctly. Add strange movements of characters and objects that don’t always obey the law of gravity to this list and you understand why you won’t be immersed all of the time. It’s a shame that these technical issues keep you from truly believing that this virtual world could be real. As impressive as the game starts, these issues kill the vibe rather fast.
I’m sorry, you can’t interact with that
Technical issues are there but I’m sure future patches will fix some of those. What troubled me more was the false feeling of freedom I got. As much as I wanted to interact with my environment, the game simply didn’t allow me to do so. If I wanted to take items from a shelve, I was forced to open a menu and select the right option, just like in the main game. Of course, I understand that adding new interactions would have cost a lot of time and money but it’s a bit strange this wasn’t included. To make it even stranger, you fire every gun with the same controller, it doesn’t matter how big they get. Oh, and if you want to pet your dog ‘Dogmeat’, I’m sorry but that’s not possible. I don’t know why really, but those things bothered me, if I’m playing in VR, I want to interact with everything in a natural way, I don’t want to use menus. They did it right with the Pipboy where you just have to raise your arm in order to see its screen up close. Yes, it still isn’t a very handy tool but it’s good to see that the VR mechanics are properly integrated here.
But it’s amazing
As weird as it might sound, these bugs and limitations didn’t stop me from having fun. Sure, there are things the game is doing wrong without a doubt. But on the other hand, there are things it does so well too. Take the enemies, for example, if you meet them face to face you’ll feel small, translating the feeling of desolation and solitude even better than the original. The game has an extremely strong atmosphere and seeing this in VR only adds to the experience.
It’s also good to know that the controls work perfectly fine. You can choose to teleport or use a touchpad on your controller to walk around. If you take your time to walk around and aim at your enemies in slow motion thanks to the V.A.T.S. system, you won’t get sick while playing. Bethesda even added vignette setting to allow smooth locomotion, enabling you to see the things you’re focussing on in full detail while the rest of the screen blurs out. This setting can really save you from getting sick during longer sessions. This is the entire Fallout 4 game you’re playing (without DLC or mods) so prepare to be here for a while.
All of these things are crafted for your entertainment and we simply can’t deny it. Even with all its flaws, this is by far one of the most impressive VR games on the market, especially when it comes to moving around in a giant open world.
Conclusion:
Fallout 4 VR is an impressive piece of technology that demonstrates the true potential of VR. It’s amazing to see this world filled with an amazing atmosphere in front of your eyes. Being part of this world is creepy and glorious at the same time. It’s a shame the game suffers from many bugs and the interaction isn’t always as immersive as you would have hoped for. But, all things considered, it’s a great VR game and thanks to the smooth controls and vignette mechanism, you won’t get sick while wandering around in this impressive nuclear wasteland. If you own an HTC Vive, this is one you simply need to play.
