The age Virtual Reality is almost upon us. Well, as far as mainstream versions of it is concerned. In 1968, Ivan Sutherland, with the help of his student Bob Sproull, created what is widely considered to be the first virtual reality and augmented reality (AR) head-mounted display (HMD) system. It was primitive both in terms of user interface and realism, and the HMD to be worn by the user was so heavy that it had to be suspended from the ceiling. The graphics comprising the virtual environment were simple wire-frame model rooms. The formidable appearance of the device inspired its name, The Sword of Damocles.
Anyways, we have friendlier names for VR headsets now, and nothing that poses the risk of crushing your head. Though games have been announced and showcased for the upcoming VR headsets, there are some past games that we’d really love to experience again on Virtual Reality.
Grand Theft Auto V
Rockstar has created a dense, detailed, and immersive game with Grand Theft Auto V, and getting to explore the many streets and alleyways, getting in fights with the local town folks, with a Virtual Reality headset will be a stunning and mind blowing experience. Reliving the heists, the parachute jumps, the underwater excursions, and so on can be so much more thrilling. And lets not forget the strippers and hookers. I mean, who are we kidding? That’s where we’ll all be heading to first.
Star Wars: Battlefront
I know that EA and Dice’s Star Wars: Battlefront has not been well received by everyone in terms of lacking content, and overtly pushing players towards DLC content. However, the fact remains that they nailed the Star Wars experience in terms of visuals, sound and gameplay immersion. The weapons feel right out of any Star Wars movie, and the sounds of the battlefield add authenticity to the game being a Star Wars game. Add a VR headset to the mix, and dogfights in a Tie Fighter fight will suck you right in.
Rocket League
I have to admit that I am not a huge fan of either Racing games or Soccer games, so I was naturally disinclined towards Rocket League when I first heard of it. However, after one casual match with a friend, I knew that Psyonix had a winner on their hands. Rocket League is now one of my favorite games. Ever. Its easy to get into, and incredibly fun. The rush of whizzing through the arena chasing the ball, leaving a trail of smoke (or even bubbles, like I do), and the fireworks when you score a goal make for some unforgettable moments.
Driveclub
While criticized at launch for being giltchy, lacking in content, and plagued with constant server issues, a few updates later Driveclub was one of the best racing titles on the PS4. With a varied range of difficulty options to choose from, an array of vehicles and climate options, the game is loved by many who invested time into it. Fantastic rain effects made the cockpit view immersive and breathtaking.
Guitar Hero Live
Have you ever dreamt of being a rockstar? A guiter god, to be precise? Guitar Hero came and revolutionized the music game genre, and Guitar Hero Live takes that experience to the very next level. If you can afford the full kit, that is.
Guitar Hero Live serves as a reboot of the Guitar Hero franchise, being the first new entry in the series since Warriors of Rock in 2010 and the seventh installment overall. Activision wanted to bring back Guitar Hero for the next generation of video game consoles but wanted the new game to be innovative. FreeStyleGames was given a free rein to revitalize the series by Activision, which led to the development of a new guitar controller featuring a 6 button, 3-fret layout in contrast to the 5 button controller of previous games.
Minecraft
Minecraft is a 2011 sandbox video game originally created by Swedish programmer Markus “Notch” Persson and later developed and published by Mojang. The creative and building aspects of Minecraft enable players to build constructions out of textured cubes in a 3D procedurally generated world.
Other activities in the game include exploration, resource gathering, crafting, and combat. Multiple gameplay modes are available, including survival mode where the player must acquire resources to build the world and maintain health, a creative mode where players have unlimited resources to build with and the ability to fly, an adventure mode where players can play custom maps created by other players, and a spectator mode where players can fly around and clip through blocks, but cannot place or destroy any.
The PC version of the game is renowned for its third-party mods, which add various new items, characters, worlds, and quests to the game.
Portal
The game consists primarily of a series of puzzles that must be solved by teleporting the player’s character and simple objects using “the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device”, a device that can create inter-spatialportals between two flat planes. The player-character, Chell, is challenged and taunted by an artificial intelligence named GLaDOS (Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System) to complete each puzzle in the Aperture Science Enrichment Center using the portal gun with the promise of receiving cake when all the puzzles are completed.
The game’s unique physics allows momentum to be retained through portals, requiring creative use of portals to maneuver through the test chambers. This gameplay element is based on a similar concept from the game Narbacular Drop; many of the team members from the DigiPen Institute of Technology who worked on Narbacular Drop were hired by Valve for the creation of Portal, making it a spiritual successor to the game.
Portal was acclaimed as one of the most original games of 2007, despite being considered for its short duration and limited story. The game received praise for its originality, unique gameplay and dark story with a humorous series of dialogue. GLaDOS, voiced by Ellen McLain in the English-language version, received acclaim for her unique characterization, and the end credits song “Still Alive”, written by Jonathan Coulton for the game, was acclaimed for its original composition and humourous twist.
Dishonored
Dishonored is a 2012 stealth action-adventure video game developed by Arkane Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It was released worldwide in October 2012 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.
Set in the fictional, plague-ridden industrial city of Dunwall, Dishonored follows the story of Corvo Attano, bodyguard to the Empress of the Isles. He is framed for her murder and forced to become an assassin, seeking revenge on those who conspired against him. Corvo is aided in his quest by the Loyalists—a resistance group fighting to reclaim Dunwall, and the Outsider—a powerful being who imbues Corvo with magical abilities. Several noted actors including Susan Sarandon, Brad Dourif, Carrie Fisher, Michael Madsen, Lena Headey, and Chloë Grace Moretz provided voice work for the game.
The game is played from a first-person perspective and allows the player to undertake a series of assassination missions in a variety of ways, with an emphasis on player choice. Missions can be completed through stealth, combat, or a combination of both. Exploring each level opens new paths and alternatives for accomplishing mission goals, and it is possible to complete all missions, eliminating all of Corvo’s targets, in a non-lethal manner. The story and missions are changed in response to the player’s violent actions or lack thereof. Magical abilities and equipment are designed to be combined to create new and varied effects.
Dead Space
The player controls Isaac Clarke, a ship systems engineer who must fight his way through a mining starship infested with an alien scourge. The crew has been slaughtered, and their corpses reanimated into creatures known as “Necromorphs”. Various types of necromorph appear throughout the game, each with different abilities and requiring different tactics to defeat. The game is played from an over-the-shoulder third-person perspective.
Dead Space does not use a traditional heads-up display; instead, all information is relayed to the player via holographic projections from Isaac’s Resource Integration Gear (RIG) spacesuit and the weapons themselves. For example, a small holographic display is mounted on Isaac’s weapons to indicate ammunition count while aiming; also, the health meter is integrated into his suit spine and the spines of suits worn by other game characters. The player can check the current objectives and the 3D map via floating holograms projected in front of Isaac, or access the inventory screen to manage items or choose guns. However, the game still progresses in real time during these activities, so the player remains in danger of being attacked.
Combat involves a mechanism called “strategic dismemberment”, in which the player must cut off limbs or sections of the Necromorphs to defeat them. For example, shooting most Necromorphs in the head will have little effect, however they can be stopped once the player removes its arms and legs. Depending on how they are wounded, Necromorphs can adopt new stances and tactics, even sprouting new limbs or giving birth to new enemies in the process.
Silent Hills PT
P.T., short for Playable Teaser, is a first-person psychological survival horror video game directed by Hideo Kojima in collaboration with Guillermo Del Toro, developed by Kojima Productions under the fake pseudonym “7780s Studio”, and published by Konami.
Unlike the third-person perspective in Silent Hill games, P.T. uses a first-person perspective, which centers on an unknown protagonist, whom the player controls, who awakens in a haunted suburban house and experiences supernatural occurrences.
Available areas to explore in the home consist of an L-shaped corridor with two rooms adjacent to it: a bathroom, and a staircase which leads to the room in which the player starts a loop, or a continuous reincarnation of the corridor. The only actions the player can use are walking and zooming. To progress, the player must investigate frightening events and solve cryptic puzzles. Each time a loop is successfully completed, changes appear in the corridor. Additionally, the player encounters a hostile ghost named Lisa. If she catches the protagonist, the player experiences a startling jump scare and is sent back to the beginning of the current loop.
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