5 More Games That Still Need the VR Treatment

5 More Games That Need the VR Treatment

Red Dead Redemption 2

News that Borderlands 2, a game that is six years old, will be getting a VR version got us thinking about which older games should have the same luxury. VR has a rejuvenating ability on older titles, especially in regards to horror and adventure games. Titles such as Alien: Isolation has enjoyed a renaissance period on the platform, with these following five games deserving of a similar VR revival.

While Red Dead Redemption 2 is not launching until Oct. 26, news that the game will be shipping with a first-person mode made VR-nuts dizzy. When a game has first-person, there is potential there for virtual reality. Grand Theft Auto V has only received an unofficial VR patch, which, by all accounts, was a little difficult to stomach given the game’s contents. With Red Dead Redemption 2’s varied biomes, nature, and organically-evolving open world, though, a virtual reality addition would be incredible.

If the title is ported to next-generation consoles, then maybe it can come with VR capabilities, much like how the PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One ports of Grand Theft Auto V came with a first-person mode.  Similar to how the first-person driving view in Grand Theft Auto diversified the game, first-person horseriding and exploration through the Frontier can diversify the potential of open-world games as a whole.

5 More Games That Need the VR Treatment

Journey

Journey still remains as an example of gaming’s bottomless potential. Releasing in 2012 for the PlayStation 3, the ethereal platformer pushed the boundaries of immersion, co-operation, and level design in its two to three-hour runtime. What stands out most from Journey is its immediacy and immersion, two virtues that would excel on a virtual reality headset.

While the game is in third-person, its simple control scheme and forgiving mechanics shouldn’t cause frustration. The entire goal of the game is to reach the top of a mountain, far in the distance. As players play through and re-play the game, they encounter different players, facilitating moments of unscripted co-operation.

The more a player plays, the longer their scarf becomes, but people tend to return to the game, not for this sense of progression, but to re-live these moments. Virtual reality would be a natural next step for Journey’s mission statement: to change the scope of games.

5 More Games That Need the VR Treatment

Pokemon

The capabilities of virtual reality when combined with a license as expansive as Pokemon is boundless. Nintendo has been a little tentative in exploring VR compared to its competitors, but with left-field creations such as the Labo coming around, the company can do exciting things with the hardware.

A Pokemon VR game can take many forms, existing as a mainline title, a spin-off akin to Pokemon Let’s Go!, or perhaps something entirely different. A smaller scale VR title would still be a smash, especially if it followed a similar set-up to Nintendogs or Pokemon Channel.

Maybe Pokemon Snap 2 could debut on the platform which would, in no uncertain terms, cause the hardware to explode in popularity. With Nintendo utilizing newer technologies via mobile, as well as experimenting with Mario Kart VR, the tech is the obvious next step for them.

5 More Games That Need the VR Treatment

Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Amnesia: The Dark Descent’s lasting impact in the horror genre cannot be unstated, spawning many YouTube careers and reigniting interest smaller studio’s efforts. Horror games excel on VR hardware, with Alien: Isolation and Resident Evil 7 serving as prime examples of the technology’s potential to elevate games.

Developed by Frictional Games, Amnesia has no scope for self-defense, with the studio trusting players to use their cunning and thinking to hide and evade the monsters therein.

The title also features a number of physics-based puzzles, with doors and levers moving by mouse or toggle movements. If combined with VR controls, Amnesia could deliver an experience where player stress and horror could impact the game’s mechanics to an even greater degree.

5 More Games That Need the VR Treatment

Kingdom Come: Deliverance

As evidenced by Skyrim, open-world RPG games can work on VR. This year’s Kingdom Come: Deliverance matched open-world design with realistic physics and an historically-grounded setting.

The end result is a little mixed, but at its high moments, Kingdom Come is frustratingly brilliant, where rewards and challenges are properly designed. A lot of the game’s challenge comes from the difficult combat, the steep learning curves, and the non-linear progression that lead to adventures as joyful as they are punishing.

Overall, the game would be suited to VR, mostly due to its beautifully-realized slice of Medieval Czech countryside, but also due to the depth of its immersion. Building your character, as well as naturally evolving with the games learning curves, would be twice as impactful with VR capabilities.