For all the hype and all of our childhood fantasies, virtual reality gaming has been a bit of a letdown so far, but Fallout 4's VR port aims to change that.
One Of The Prettiest VR Games Ever
At its E3 press conference, Bethesda finally showed off Fallout VR and, on the graphical front, things look really good. Most VR games we've seen are pretty lacking in terms of graphical prowess, but Bethesda has promised that the VR port of Fallout 4 would be "incredible." While the game isn't quite as pretty as it is on PC, it is still one of the best-looking VR games out there.
"Fallout 4 VR is the most incredible thing you've ever seen in your life," said game director Pete Hines. "You can't even imagine what it's like, playing in VR and how realistic it looks and everywhere you turn your head. It is going to blow your mind. It is the craziest thing you've ever seen."
While we believe that gameplay is more important than graphics, a game's look takes on renewed importance when discussing VR. After all, immersion is the entire point of playing a game in VR and if the game is so poorly rendered that it takes the player out of the experience, then it defeats the purpose of VR.
Fallout VR Gameplay
The gameplay trailer that Bethesda showed off certainly looked good, but the actual gameplay has us worried. The fact that this is a port of 2015's Fallout 4 isn't a dealbreaker since VR is still an untested market so it makes sense that Bethesda would want to test the waters before committing to a new project. However, the gameplay mechanics of VR have a long way to go before they're as refined and intuitive as a mouse and keyboard or well-made controller. Too many VR games suffer from awkward controls which are, sadly, the result of the platform's limitations more than anything else.
The Future Of VR?
The VR medium is still in its infancy and the medium has a long way to go before it truly matures to the point where it can rival traditional gaming. That being said, Fallout 4 is a step in the right direction and looks to be one of the better games coming to Vive. We'll know more when it launches this October.
