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Huntn

macrumors Core
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May 5, 2008
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The Misty Mountains
At low graphic modes, it looks like utter crap, at higher levels it looks pretty good (outside of VR), but other games like Conan Exiles look better.

Update: I have not played this in a while, cranked it up last night and was not thrilled with the over saturated colors. I want to say they've done something to it and trying to figure out how to turn the saturation down if possible. Conan Exiles is much more polished.
 

Unami

macrumors 65816
Jul 27, 2010
1,332
1,524
Austria
- „SuperhotVR“ imho the most fun PSVR game yet.
- „Statik“ - great puzzler, great use of the playstation’s sixaxis controller
- „I expect you to die“ - another nice „sit down“ puzzler
- Driveclub VR on PS4pro - fun racer, if you got a driving wheel, but really bad graphics on normal PS4 (they are not great on ps4pro either, but elevated to „playable“)
- Psychonauts and the Rhombus of Ruin - good looking puzzler, unfortunately too short and too easy
- Dirt Rally - as others said, pretty good game, but also pretty hard. The graphics are not too hot on PSVR.

- not really a good game, but a good test whether you‘ve already got your VR legs: „Windlands“ (turn off any „helper“ functions)
 
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Huntn

macrumors Core
Original poster
May 5, 2008
23,397
26,521
The Misty Mountains
I've said that VR is amazing, somewhere, I think. ;) I'm playing an RPG (Chronos) which is pretty impressive but is kicking my butt, Gunjack, an arcade shooter which is lots of fun, and Eve:Valkyrie (dog fighting space sim) if it will let me sign into it, but I was not truly amazed until I launched Lone Echo, a story set in the rings of Saturn on a space based mining facility where you are a robot a helping the human Captain of the ship, discover an anomaly, deal with a power surge on the ship, and sort out a mystery, and in the process navigate this impressively large VR space, fixing systems that are broken, and I'm not far enough into it yet to say more.

However the environment is simply amazing, it is what VR was designed for. You are not looking at the interior of a ship from the flat perspective of your 32" monitor, you are frick'n inside that ship. The flight deck three dimensional, looks like it's about 30' wide and maybe 50' deep, and from there you visit different parts of the ship, the cargo hold, the hydroponics garden, which is not anywhere close to Silent Running (the movie), but it is still impressive. So far working with the Captain, I've fixed several on-board systems, and am about to examine the power core.

You move around the ship either pushing or pulling yourself (zero gravity) or using your wrist thrusters. I'm sure some of it has to do with VR being a new or even a novelty, but just being in this ship is cool. I can't wait until I go outside if I'm not too afraid to. ;) :D

thumb172201197-320x180.jpg

The Flight Deck


Lone-Echo-PS3.jpg

The Captain​
 
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Huntn

macrumors Core
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May 5, 2008
23,397
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The Misty Mountains
Yesterday I played a couple hours of Lone Echo and consequently spent most of the night dreaming about making my way through a space ship. :D

I realize I've said this before, but if you want to be staggered by the VR experience, THIS IS IT.
Through the course of the story, there are a lot of tasks you complete, and in an old fashioned game, I might have complained, find this, repair that, but there is a huge event, and when I add in the 1st person exploration in this environment, it has become take it slow, so as not to die (minimal death penalty, re spawn instantly, start at last check point), but also to revel at just what I am doing. The 3D movie experience can't compete with this, that's how good it is. It would be as if you are in the movie, first person, dealing with the events unfolding.
 

garnerx

macrumors 6502a
Nov 9, 2012
623
382
Yesterday I played a couple hours of Lone Echo and consequently spent most of the night dreaming about making my way through a space ship.
I saw in the other thread you said you'd been playing it sitting down! Try standing, being able to bend and duck under objects makes a big difference.

Have you tried the multiplayer mode yet? Even if you don't play a full match, just being in the lobby is quite an experience. You definitely need to stand up for this to get the full effect of being hugged and climbed on by several random giggling strangers, it's hilarious.
 

Huntn

macrumors Core
Original poster
May 5, 2008
23,397
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The Misty Mountains
I saw in the other thread you said you'd been playing it sitting down! Try standing, being able to bend and duck under objects makes a big difference.

Have you tried the multiplayer mode yet? Even if you don't play a full match, just being in the lobby is quite an experience. You definitely need to stand up for this to get the full effect of being hugged and climbed on by several random giggling strangers, it's hilarious.

Since I have been in my 30s, my back bothers me when standing for a relatively short period of time, vs walking or other activity which is not an issue.

Are you referencing Lone Echo and when you say match is this a coop or a competition mode of the game? Although I’ve playing seated, I’ve not had any real movement issues other having to pause to unwind my headset cord periodically. The most uncomfortable situation is having to maneuver through tight spots in vicinity of the spores.

I also mentioned adding sensors in a different post because at one point in the game, at a crucial time maneuvering in proximity to an exploding spore, I lost sensor tracking due to facing away from my 2 sensors, got to close and when it exploded, got pushed into them, (which for anyone who has not played) the spores kill you. :)
 

garnerx

macrumors 6502a
Nov 9, 2012
623
382
I'm talking about Echo Arena, the multiplayer mode of Lone Echo. You might have to download it separately if you didn't install it with Lone Echo (it was free anyway, Lone Echo isn't required).

It's a sort of zero-G robot basketball team game kind of thing, you have to throw a disc into a goal. People are extremely good at it, so I found the actual game passed me by, but the lobby is extraordinary - particularly after a couple of drinks. You can talk to somebody who's not just standing next to you but actually grabbing hold of some part of your body (because if you don't you might float apart). It's the future of chat rooms!

I'm sure you could still play it without standing, as long as you can get over seeing some giggling Swedish dude in a robot suit dangling off your legs while you're actually sitting down.
 

Flint Ironstag

macrumors 65816
Dec 1, 2013
1,330
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Houston, TX USA
I'm talking about Echo Arena, the multiplayer mode of Lone Echo. You might have to download it separately if you didn't install it with Lone Echo (it was free anyway, Lone Echo isn't required).

It's a sort of zero-G robot basketball team game kind of thing, you have to throw a disc into a goal. People are extremely good at it, so I found the actual game passed me by, but the lobby is extraordinary - particularly after a couple of drinks. You can talk to somebody who's not just standing next to you but actually grabbing hold of some part of your body (because if you don't you might float apart). It's the future of chat rooms!

I'm sure you could still play it without standing, as long as you can get over seeing some giggling Swedish dude in a robot suit dangling off your legs while you're actually sitting down.
LOL What? /adds Echo Arena to wish list.
 

Huntn

macrumors Core
Original poster
May 5, 2008
23,397
26,521
The Misty Mountains
I'm talking about Echo Arena, the multiplayer mode of Lone Echo. You might have to download it separately if you didn't install it with Lone Echo (it was free anyway, Lone Echo isn't required).

It's a sort of zero-G robot basketball team game kind of thing, you have to throw a disc into a goal. People are extremely good at it, so I found the actual game passed me by, but the lobby is extraordinary - particularly after a couple of drinks. You can talk to somebody who's not just standing next to you but actually grabbing hold of some part of your body (because if you don't you might float apart). It's the future of chat rooms!

I'm sure you could still play it without standing, as long as you can get over seeing some giggling Swedish dude in a robot suit dangling off your legs while you're actually sitting down.
This looks like an interesting game.
 

Huntn

macrumors Core
Original poster
May 5, 2008
23,397
26,521
The Misty Mountains
Lone Echo- Finished this last night, what an amazing game for VR! :D I admit, the story set on a space station is mostly about making repairs, but a catastrophic event occurs and you get to explore, repair and manipulate some more, with an intriguing element that I can’t talk about without spoiling it, and the game even tortures you at the end (see spoiler if you don’t plan on playing it!) :)

The Digital Trends review describes it as an enemic sci-fi story, and I agree, but it does not matter. The location and the ability to explore and manipulate this magnificent environment with your virtual hands is amazing. One of the best aspects of this game is the natural feel of navigating a zero gravity environment with wrist thrusters, that alleviates the awkwardness of moving in a gravity environment where you have to teleport short distances, when you are really basically or practically stationary.

C7BC41FD-E7C2-4E71-906E-0D67A8540B14.jpeg

https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/lone-echo-review/

My guess that there will be a lot more this type of game, but this is the VR trail blazer, exploring exotic larger than life environments.

At the end of the story, your Captain is running out of air in her suit as you try to get her to safe place before it’s too late. Fortunately the game is very forgiving as you fumble about trying to accomplish this task. ;)
 

Huntn

macrumors Core
Original poster
May 5, 2008
23,397
26,521
The Misty Mountains
This does not yet qualify (as one of my favorites), but looking at X Rebirth VR Edition on Steam and at the Occulus store it certainly has my attention! Anyone have experience with this? Should I be saying Holy Crap or what a piece of crap? :D

x-rebirth-vr-edition_6002365.jpg


xrim.jpg



http://store.steampowered.com/app/570420/X_Rebirth_VR_Edition/

Note: This reviewer is disappointed in what you can do in game, and how you do it.




 
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Huntn

macrumors Core
Original poster
May 5, 2008
23,397
26,521
The Misty Mountains
This does not yet qualify (as one of my favorites), but looking at X Rebirth VR Edition on Steam and at the Occulus store it certainly has my attention! Anyone have experience with this? Should I be saying Holy Crap or what a piece of crap? :D

x-rebirth-vr-edition_6002365.jpg


xrim.jpg



http://store.steampowered.com/app/570420/X_Rebirth_VR_Edition/

Note: This reviewer is disappointed in what you can do in game, and how you do it.





Forget The Previous Post- Purchased and refunded. The images above look better than what I saw in-game. There is no in game tutorial and I don't have the patience to figure it out. My plan is to reinstall X3: Reunion and watch some YouTube and see if that one is better, even if it's not VR.
 
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Huntn

macrumors Core
Original poster
May 5, 2008
23,397
26,521
The Misty Mountains
I checked out two games in Occulus.

Home- (free) A BBC International Space Station game, where you go do a space walk with some calamities. I had issues grabbing hold of yellow railings and pulling myself forward. I really got spoiled with the wrist thrusters in Lone Echo. There is an event where you lose your grip, float off and are expected to use your jetpack fuel, a whole 1 minutes worth, to motor back, but the game was not all that responsive and I ended up running out of fuel before re-reaching the ISS and that starts you over. I'll probably try this one again and see what happens.

RWD_BBC_Home_01-1024x576.jpg

Blade Runner 2049 Memory Lab- (Free, Recommended!) This is a brief game, basically a tech demo set in the Blade Runner 2049 world, where you are a replicant called in to have your memory examined. I was excited by this game because it puts you inside the Blader Runner world from the movie in VR. Although short, I found it enjoyable. There are points in the game where you need to alter memory records and use standard VR game style teleporting, hold the trigger to place a point and joystick to change orientation. From there you scan objects and press a button to alter the record. I'll be very interested to see what the first full Blade Runner in VR looks like!

Blade-Runner-2049-Memory-Lab-4-1024x576.png


maxresdefault.jpg

This is an alterable memory

Blade-Runner-Memory-Lab-2-1000x559-ngfzwly7tujgzdfcs5gi6efway4dkvw4hl54d4j07q.jpg

So is this, it’s all memories except the end.​
 
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gkarris

macrumors G3
Dec 31, 2004
8,301
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"No escape from Reality...”
Forget The Previous Post- Purchased and refunded. The images above look better than what I saw in-game. There is no in game tutorial and I don't have the patience to figure it out. My plan is to reinstall X3: Reunion and watch some YouTube and see if that one is better, even if it's not VR.

I downloaded X Rebirth (non-VR) Demo. Looks cool, but I don't know what to do and there's really no tutorial for it. Will have to get instructions off long-time X players on YouTube...

The game's been on my Wishlist, but it never seems to go on sale ($30).
 

Huntn

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May 5, 2008
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The Misty Mountains
I downloaded X Rebirth (non-VR) Demo. Looks cool, but I don't know what to do and there's really no tutorial for it. Will have to get instructions off long-time X players on YouTube...

The game's been on my Wishlist, but it never seems to go on sale ($30).
Exactly no tutorial. I’m watching one on YouTube.
 

gkarris

macrumors G3
Dec 31, 2004
8,301
1,061
"No escape from Reality...”
I downloaded X Rebirth (non-VR) Demo. Looks cool, but I don't know what to do and there's really no tutorial for it. Will have to get instructions off long-time X players on YouTube...

The game's been on my Wishlist, but it never seems to go on sale ($30).

Exactly no tutorial. I’m watching one on YouTube.

Actually, this Publisher is having a sale this weekend on Steam, but unfortunately the 2D and VR versions are separate and would have to buy each one.

Will buy the 2D version - it is a great price...

Plus, it is a FREE PLAY weekend on their titles - great to try out...
 
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Huntn

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May 5, 2008
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The Misty Mountains
Actually, this Publisher is having a sale this weekend on Steam, but unfortunately the 2D and VR versions are separate and would have to buy each one.

Will buy the 2D version - it is a great price...

Plus, it is a FREE PLAY weekend on their titles - great to try out...
Let me know what you think. It was more work than I wanted to deal with. I had 2 pages of control notes. I’m no stranger to flight sims, but this was not friendly. Of course maybe I’m getting old and crotchety. ;)
 

gkarris

macrumors G3
Dec 31, 2004
8,301
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"No escape from Reality...”
Let me know what you think. It was more work than I wanted to deal with. I had 2 pages of control notes. I’m no stranger to flight sims, but this was not friendly. Of course maybe I’m getting old and crotchety. ;)

Downloading now - I had X2 I bought a while ago and only played briefly. Then EVERSPACE came out... ;)

I think that is just the culture of the X Series of Space Games - a lot of story and control type of flying around.

I passed on the VR - I'm sticking with PSVR as it is "turn-key". MS MR is supposed to be that but it still a bit new and some games on Steam have that MR logo for compatibility, many do not, plus it will be a bit before MS MR is just Steam VR compatible.

EVERSPACE (my most favorite) is the opposite (apart from the Crafting) - the DOOM of Space Sims - just fly around and shoot... ;)
 

gkarris

macrumors G3
Dec 31, 2004
8,301
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"No escape from Reality...”
Let me know what you think. It was more work than I wanted to deal with. I had 2 pages of control notes. I’m no stranger to flight sims, but this was not friendly. Of course maybe I’m getting old and crotchety. ;)

I just downloaded X3 and X Rebirth.

It is actually a great price this weekend on Steam - $18 for all 4 plus DLC. I had purchased X2 last Christmas for the $2.49 to try it, but I tried it and saw that it needed a lot of time and just put it off. Didn't mind having to buy it over again the bundle as this bundle is really a great deal for all of them.

With that said, X3 is great - ship designs are awesome. But, of course, the Flight School mode just throws you out there in space... :eek:

I use a 40" 4K TV now and in 4K mode, the text is very-tiny as I don't think 4K was in mind, though it has a 4K mode and everything looks really nice and good fps since it is an older game. Gonna have to find out if I can enlarge the UI text or just use 1080p.

For X Rebirth - it is designed with more modern machines in mind, but 4K/Ultra is really taxing on my RX 470 (should've spent the extra $75 on that RX 480, but will get a Vega next year). Able to use it in 1440p/Med-High getting close to 60fps.

Same with X Rebirth - you get thrown out there to figure stuff out on your own. Was nice to just fly around trying the different graphics settings. The designs are beautiful, and while I was just standing still a Police Ship stopped by and did a "routine scan" then flew off - kinda cute... ;)

I can see how there are fans of this X series, and it is a great time to get it cheap for all of it, minus the VR. It will just take time to learn and get use to. Seems much easier than EVE Online (I tried that - boy, what a complex game). Plus, you can just fly around and explore if you want (like No Man's Sky in Explorer's Mode).

Definitely worth it for me, a Space Sim Fan, for the $18. Don't know about the VR, unless I already have a PC headset and can get it even cheaper than it is on sale right now for $20 (maybe $10? It is only based on X Rebirth: Home of Light DLC).
 
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Huntn

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The Misty Mountains
The Climb was on sale for $10 at the Oculus Store this last week so I scooped it up. I have a very favorable impression of this game, having climbed the first mountain overlooking a bay and holiday resort. Just don't ask how many times I fell. Fortunately you go back to your last check point when that happens. It's VR environment is mild unless you fall. There is a pummiler you mount on your desk and as you fall, it flails at you, hitting you about the head and shoulders as you bounce off rocks on the way down. :p ;)

It's easier to play standing up than sitting otherwise it seems to be harder on your neck. You only use your hands to climb. You have to frequently chalk them, and sometimes jumps are required. There is a fatigue issue when you are holding on with one hand. When that runs out, you fall. This is where I appreciate the save point. ;)

The-Climb-_-Screenshot-Canyon-5-1200x675.jpg
 
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Tsuchiya

macrumors 68020
Jun 7, 2008
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Hope to contribute to this thread as I explore VR through my new Oculus Rift. I've just set it up and run through a few free experiences and The Climb which I also purchased while on sale.

I plan to try Lone Echo over the weekend. I rushed my Rift setup right after completing my PC build so it's currently in a cramped room with very little floor space.

Initial impressions are awesome though, even the initial Oculus demo with the small robot was incredibly immersive. I really thought that you needed better graphical fidelity to really feel involved.
 

Huntn

macrumors Core
Original poster
May 5, 2008
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The Misty Mountains
Hope to contribute to this thread as I explore VR through my new Oculus Rift. I've just set it up and run through a few free experiences and The Climb which I also purchased while on sale.

I plan to try Lone Echo over the weekend. I rushed my Rift setup right after completing my PC build so it's currently in a cramped room with very little floor space.

Initial impressions are awesome though, even the initial Oculus demo with the small robot was incredibly immersive. I really thought that you needed better graphical fidelity to really feel involved.
Looking forward to your impression. I'm probably going to take Lone Echo for a second spin. The only thing that is tedious is navigating around spores that kill you if you touch them. You see you are floating through the ship, navigating with your wrist thrusters. That method to move is really brilliant and immersive. Some of the spaces are on the tight side. Fortunately the death penalty is mild.

I realize I'm a bit over excited about this game, but it's the first game where I was not looking at an environment on my monitor, but I was in the environment, in that ship!! :D
 
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Razzerman

macrumors 6502
Sep 11, 2007
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but it's the first game where I was not looking at an environment on my monitor, but I was in the environment, in that ship!

Bit late to this VR party, but you're exactly right Huntn - it's the feeling of actually being there that's hard to describe, but absolutely brilliant.

The daughter, who doesn't do computer games at all, has really got into the VR thing - Lone Echo being her favourite. That's how much of a game changer VR could be.

Here's a link to Ronnie O'Sullivan trying out VR - brilliant!

 
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