TGS 2022 - Resident Evil Village & PlayStation VR 2 Hands-on
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I've only experienced a few hours of PlayStation VR over the years. While I've certainly enjoyed what I have played, I've never been close to buying one.
I can't accurately compare and contrast headsets, speak authoritatively on specs, or spend much more than fifteen minutes in VR before I need to take a break. However, I do have lots to say about my hands-on with Resident Evil Village VR and the recently-announced PlayStation VR 2!
It was the hardest demo to gain access to on both TGS press days. Event staff were pleading with sprinting journalists to slow the fuck down, as they legged it to the Capcom booth as soon as the main doors opened. Those losers should've just woken up fifteen minutes earlier and gotten a spot near the front of the general-entry line, like I did. Doors opened, I walked briskly over to Capcom, got my ticket and was wearing a PSVR 2 an hour later.
The PSVR 2 instantly felt more comfortable than the previous model and it didn't slip. Wearing it felt like far less of an annoyance and I could move my head easily - I didn't feel impeded in any considerable way. It was a snug fit, and I was very much closed off from the outside world.
The new controllers, the PS VR2 Sense, are obviously a huge step up from the temporary and ill-fitting solution that was PS Move, but to be honest the button layout did confuse me. I found myself grasping for buttons that I couldn't locate and it kept slipping slightly in my hand. Honestly, I think that's perhaps more my issue than the controller's.
The biggest and most striking difference between PSVR 2 and the original model is the considerably higher resolution. The blurry image on the original headset was one of the reasons why I never bought one - here you can enjoy the next-gen visuals as they should be, crisp and in-focus. The improved eye tracking was also noticeable, and I didn't sense any lag between my head movements and my in-game vision. As for other new features, the see-through mode genuinely surprised me. Having set up the headset, my view suddenly changed back to my real surroundings as the attendant handed me the controllers. A small thing, but it impressed me nonetheless.
As for the demo itself, it opened outside the Dimitrescu castle and was centred on your initial run-in with the Lady of the house and her blood-sucking daughters. An extremely disturbing and full-on ordeal for a non-seasoned VR player like myself.
Minor, early-game spoilers for RE Village follow
As I gingerly crept through the halls and corridors of the manor, I found myself noticing countless details and decor that had eluded me in my playthrough last year. I soon spotted a gun strewn on the floor and I began to feel more comfortable in my surroundings and with the controls. Holding down the R button allowed me to keep hold of my weapon; releasing it would drop it to the floor. I also had a knife strapped to my left wrist, which I could remove and use to slash or throw. The knife would replenish any time I chucked it.
Newly-armed, I strode through a few more rooms before arriving at a large set of locked doors. And that's when it all went a little horrific. I spotted a swarm of flies out of the corner of my eye and before I knew it I was surrounded by Lady Dimitrescu's gore splattered daughters, who knocked me to the floor. I was extremely disoriented and my limbs, which I kept getting a glimpse of, did not appear where I expected them to be. Next thing I knew, I had a meat hook through my achilles. I felt very detached from the most gruesome scenes that the demo had to offer, as if I were watching this happen to someone else, not my in-game representation, and therefore the impact was lost. However, being hastily dragged through the corridors by my impaled leg was far more affecting and real.
The demo wrapped up with an opportunity to take out a few hooded evil-doers who were now patrolling the halls. To be honest, the combat that ensued was the least interesting part. Throwing knives was fun but lacked any sense of impact. Stabbing felt more weighty, as I drove my knife through a couple of monstrous faces. Firing and reloading the gun was challenging. Bullets missed their mark, and although I appreciated the need to physically reload and cock my weapon, I was struggling with the controller and couldn't execute it smoothly.
I was soon unceremoniously dumped in front of Lady Dimitrescu, the nine-foot-tall vampire lady that half the internet fancies. To be honest, I didn't find her to be particularly interesting the first time I played Village, but VR breathed life into her. I was craning my neck to meet her gaze, in awe of her imposing stature. I was trying my best to lose myself in the moment, but all the time I was wracking my brain in an effort to remember what awfulness befalls Ethan/me in this scene. I didn't have to wait long to find out.
Meat hooks went into my hands, but again I felt quite detached from the action. However, being wrenched up a few feet off the ground did a number on me, due to the disconnect between what I was seeing and what I was feeling. Now in my face and at my height, Lady D felt even more real and threatening.
The family took their leave and I was left to rip the hooks out of my hands. The gore wasn't a problem, but the fall back to the ground left my real-world legs shaking. And then came the worst part. As soon as I hit the floor, Ethan sprinted to a nearby cabinet to grab medicine. This sudden dash, unexpected and out of my control, left me extremely queasy and was the one moment where I did consider begging out of the demo. It passed quickly, but it was unpleasant.
The demo wrapped up with an opportunity to take out a few hooded evil-doers who were now patrolling the halls. To be honest, the combat that ensued was the least interesting part. Throwing knives was fun but lacked any sense of impact. Stabbing felt more weighty, as I drove my knife through a couple of monstrous faces. Firing and reloading the gun was challenging. Bullets missed their mark, and although I appreciated the need to physically reload and cock my weapon, I was struggling with the controller and couldn't execute it smoothly.
I was brought back to the real world by the sound of a timer bleeping. When I took the headset off, I wasn't facing the direction I expected, though I fortunately hadn't wandered too far. I joked with the staff that my legs felt like jelly, and she showed me the photos she'd taken of me mid-demo. The shot of me looking up at Lady D was a keeper.
Lady Dimitrescu's manor felt perfectly suited to VR, as if that was always how it was intended to be experienced. Overall, the demo made a considerable impression on me and I was entirely immersed during my fifteen minutes. While I wouldn't say it's convinced me to buy a headset, it certainly opened my eyes to the improvements in VR gaming and reminded me just how much fun it can be.
Both Resident Evil Village VR and the PlayStation VR 2 are due in 2023.
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