A new DLC for Rise of the Tomb Raider has been released for the PlayStation 4. The DLC is called "Blood Ties," and from what we have seen, it's not bad — but it does get to that point when played in VR.
Rise of the Tomb Raider: Blood Ties, supports the Sony PSVR headset, so fans of the game who owns this piece of hardware should get a unique and interesting experience. However, this doesn't seem to be the case at all.
According to reports, it would appear as if the developers decided to add VR support as an afterthought instead of making it a priority. Because of this, the experience is far from adequate.
We can also see why the developers chose to support virtual reality with this with Blood Ties. The thing is, unlike the core game and the previous downloadable contents, this addition is not overly filled with intense action. The experience is more relaxed here as players get to inspect items, read journals, among other things.
The main goal of Blood Ties is to prove that Lara Croft is the heir to her childhood home, known as Croft Manor.
We should point out that playing the game in VR is not the only option. Those who are interested can simply pick up the controller and play Blood Ties the same way the core experience is played, so don't be dismayed.
At the end of the day, the main experience here is VR, and it's the one that fails to deliver. We understand the game can be played in multiple modes with the PSVR headset on. One option allows the player to play while seated, which means the controller will be used to navigate Lara Croft throughout her surroundings.
The second option makes it possible for players to play while standing still. Instead of controlling Lara with a controller, she can be teleported around the space.
Apparently, playing while seated tends to cause the feeling of nausea, a common problem with virtual reality games.
Now, we shouldn't take Blood Ties' bad implantation of VR as the way forward. There have been some decent VR games, but this one, it's just an experience gamers should expect in the early days of the technology.
As for the PSVR itself, it's a good enough device according to reviewers. Not everyone is impressed, but most are. Furthermore, it stands well alongside the likes of the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.
