Let me tell you something about me. I like VR. RIght, that's it for today. I've got proper work to do...
Nah, but it is basically all I'm trying to say with this post, and I think it's important to start with something like that.
Here's some background, then. I was a super late adopter of the original PSVR headset. From its origins in 2016 (double check that you derpy man) I was vaguely interested. I saw Resident Evil 7 and later Skyrim come to a (relatively) accessible headset and my interest was bubbling from there on. Fast forward to 2021(!) when I actually decided to buy a second-hand PSVR to use with my PS4. It was fairly cheap, and in decent-ish condition, so I was happy enough. Once I started actually playing the games though, I was blown away. I had that "VR awakening" that so many people have talked about. I thought I would play every single (worthwhile) game in the headset's back catalog.
Hey, one of my earlier thumbnails ;p
In short, I was a satisfied customer. I didn't even come close to playing 500 games on my headset, let alone the entire catalog. Yet, through a hundred or more, my love of the VR gaming scene as a whole just kept growing. Okay, I'll namecheck some games so no one gets suspicious. What if I told you that Transpose and Just in Time Incorporated are my favorite puzzle games on the headset? (Or was it Statik and Red Matter?) Yup, almost every game I ended up loving on the headset came from indie studios, both big and small. My favorite MMO, well it was Zenith: The Last City, because there's only one. Also, that game is a true masterpiece at showing the potential of the VR medium. Every time I log in on my PS VR2, I find something new to do, and I played a character to the level cap shortly after launch.
The original PSVR could look stunning at times I'm gonna keep going, because nobody can stop me here (mwahaha). Yes, I love creepy experiences like Here They Lie and Transference, but my favorite horror game on the headset goes to Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul. Don't ask me why, but that game scared the absolute shite out of me the first time I played it.
Erm... anyway, that's probably enough about the original PSVR. I think this post was about PS VR2, so here's that now.
Let's start with the obvious. Blah, blah, specs, the new headset is incredible. Yeah, you didn't heard it here first.
I acutally couldn't care less about the new lenses, because I care about what I see when I've put the headset on, not what I see before that. SImilarly, I couldn't care less about the control scheme being about 100 x better than what I was used to on PSVR. Because I care much more deeply about how it actually feels when a sword slices a... melon.
Hopefully, the joke above is obvious enough. Yes, the specifications of the PS VR2 are impressive. Do you, as a reader really want to know that, though? I'm sure you already know that spec sheet off by heart if you care enough.
Again, my only point is that I love VR, and PS VR2 has to be tried, By everyone. Eventually.
VILLAGE! Are you still asking what's so good about the new headset. Or did I ask that? Not important. Now, the answer to me seems to be ALL THE DAMN GAMES. No, really, there are already more great games on the headset than I have time to play, and it's making me the same kind of nervous you get before a first date. That's good, right? I'm excited to meet these games, they might be cute. Or funny, wise, or just mind-blowing. I know, I know, I sound way too keen. I am, but at the same time, I'm already playing amazing games right now, so I'm not missing anything. Resident Evil Village is a must-play, even for someone who went through all of the story (several times.) TWD: Saints & Sinners: Chapter 2: Retribution exceeds my character limit for expressing just how amazing it is. Think of the best game ever made for VR (its predecessor) and add a bunch of cool stuff, then make it better all round, and you can picture it.
Ooh! Okay, I told you this was a ramble right up in the title, so I hope you're still with me.
The other thing I can't help but mention is how much time I've spent playing enhanced versions of PSVR games. No Man's Sky, Synth Riders, and Pistol Whip come to mind, to name just a few (Oh, okay and Swordsman VR, I go back to it literally all the time). The enhancements go far beyond visual fidelity in all of these titles, and it has to be seen to be believed... if you only owned the orignal PSVR headset, like me.
But I don't need to address the other side of that debate, it's been covered. I'm just here to tell you about what I love. You might have already guessed what one of those things is. *Not a winking face*
Oh Yeah, Thanks for reading
D.A. O'Leary
(Freelance Writer, Editor and Digital Media Creator)
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