Finally I'm going to talk about VR.
That technology that since it was first seen in gaming many pointed out that in a few years it would be at the top as a central platform for gaming, I remember many telling me that it was our step into the future.
A decade later and I think we are a long way from even considering VR as a platform in itself, the more established consoles around have opted to use it more as an add-on, a peripheral to test the waters and see what games can best use it.
I've always been more than a little curious about the technology, partly motivated by games like Half-Life: Alix that seemed to bring heavy headsets to the forefront but today I think we're still at an early stage.
It's true that VR has created a new field of games to experience other ways of playing, but now let's look at the games that my research has shown are excellent for trying out a piece of this technology.
SuperHot
This game is good on its own, it's a combination of shooter and strategy and works like this: time is slowed down when we are standing still, it only moves normally when we move.
We will die from a single shot or punch so we have to think very well our strategy to defeat all those who stand in our way, I've seen people playing it in VR and it's a leap of quality in the game.
One of the games I will surely play when I have the money to buy some headset, I saw they added some extra maps too.
Lone Echo
If VR technology is good for something it is to isolate someone from the outside world, even in older peripherals you can get this feeling and even more with games like Lone Echo that recently had a sequel, so we can say that the game has had some success.
This game is a space adventure where we are an astronaut stranded on a space station after a malfunction has left us stranded. It's one of those games that takes full advantage of graphics and story to deliver an immersive experience.
VR Chat
With the emergence of the coronavirus and confinement I remember this game had a bit of a boom now that everyone was forced to stay at home, this is not a game per se but a hub for interaction with other users which can be more fun than you might think.
Many players get together to roleplay on the servers, on twitch it is an activity that many people connect to and I have seen some videos where it is clear that many players have fun with all the situations that can happen here.
Although VRChat is not an exclusive experience for headset owners (weird, I know) I think it's much more enjoyable when you can gesture towards other players.
Lucky's Tale
On the platform side there are several games, Moss was another one I wanted to add to the list but I wanted something a bit lighter, something that my hypothetical son could play, and in that I came across Lucky's Tale, which is not exactly what I was looking for but it's close, it's a platform game very similar to the typical Nintendo games.
Here you control a fox, Lucky, as he jumps through worlds and defeats enemies, there are some fun puzzles but I chose this game because it's light and breezy and the controls are responsive.
Half-Life: Alix
One of the most complete experiences we've seen in the industry, the very fact that Valve wanted to bring out their forgotten franchise for this one tells you a lot more about how important this title was to them.
The realistic interaction with objects and weapons I think is the biggest leap this game made, it seems like a small thing but in a field like virtual reality the simple fact of grabbing an object, throwing it, moving it and making it feel realistic is huge.
As well as the improved combat system which now made it much more digestible to just shoot and use whatever we have on hand to fight our way through, I could also mention the story and how refreshing it is to see these characters again but I think many take it for granted that this is the definitive VR experience at the moment.
All yours, 