About the author:
Beth Kelly is a freelance writer and blogger based in Chicago, IL. After graduating from DePaul University in 2011 she traveled throughout Southeast Asia teaching English, today she’s saving up for her next adventure and writing as much as she can in her free time. Find her on Twitter @bkelly_88
Virtual Reality - Games Are
Just the Beginning
Only recently has virtual
reality technology begun to expand in earnest, beyond the limited sphere of
gaming and towards a wider mainstream adoption. This year’s E3 event revealed a
myriad of exciting new developments in the VR space - numerous booths offered
the chance to try some of the most innovative products on their way towards
consumer markets, from the well-known Oculus Rift to Microsoft’s HoloLens, as
well as a few out-there products like a VR treadmill/bike and VR gloves.
Virtual reality appeared as a
promising trend several years ago, peaking in the '90s before falling to the
wayside once more. However, new developments in high speed fiber-optic and
sensor technology, as well as more powerful visual software, are now helping make
these headsets a reality (very Ready Player One, if you ask me). It will
take more time, but it's clear to see that important strides are already being
made in the VR space – all of which will have massive implications for the
gaming world and beyond.
Utilized by the military for
years to assist in the training of soldiers, fighter pilots, and additional
combat personnel, VR has now found a home in hospital rooms and paramedic
classes, even among university football recruiters. Virtual reality has also
proven effective in treating a wide variety of psychological problems, from
PTSD to social anxiety and symptoms of autism. According to sources at Direct Energy and clean power advocacy groups, new technology may even
help us visualize the impending ecological disasters associated with climate
change.
But until advanced VR devices
arrive in the homes of all everyday individuals, its worth looking at a few of
the best new games at the forefront of the virtual reality revolution:
Edge of Nowhere
From the company that brought
us Spyro the Dragon and Ratchet & Clank, Insomniac Games is
bringing something totally different to 2016’s Oculus Rift release. Designed
for the new Rift headset, Edge of Nowhere is a third-person adventure
game (atypical for VR) set in the arctic in which the player searches for a
missing expedition. Now, in reality, it would seem like the insanely low
temperatures and the fact the possibility of getting lost in the arctic would
be more than enough to frighten. But this is a video simulation - when
everything goes off the rails and players end up battling creatures and
monsters in a chilly wasteland is when things really get exciting. The
possibility of using the latest Oculus Touch software with this game adds
additional intrigue.
The Walking Dead
The zombie theme may have been
overdone in recent years, but fans of The Walking Dead will still likely
flock to a VR game that adds to the franchise. In this game players will be
able to experience this apocalyptic world just like in the show. In the VR The
Walking Dead, players were confined to a wheelchair as they shot zombies
off one by one with a shotgun controller, which allows you to aim and fire
intuitively. A demo of the game that runs
on the Starbreeze StarVR headset and soon-to-be-released HTC Vive headset has
been tested by the public, but an official release date for the game itself has
yet to be announced.
Monster Escape/Monster
Battle
A simple but adorable-looking
two section demo game comes in the form of Sony’s Monster Escape/Monster
Battle. One person wears the VR headset and plays as a dinosaur as up to
four others play tiny robots while using regular controllers and a television
screen. The Morpheus wearer controls his actions only with the headset and
tries to destroy buildings in a city. The robots must dodge the debris and
throw it back at the dinosaur’s head. Although this isn’t necessarily a complex
game, it looks like a light-hearted break from dramatic storylines and
seemingly impossible missions. Headbutting everything in your path is also a
fun way to revert back to your younger self again.
Rigs: Mechanized Combat
League
Many children growing up in the
1990’s watched Mobile Suit Gundam Wing on Cartoon Network. For anyone
who dreamt of owning their own mech suit and roaming through space and battling
other mechs, Rigs: Mechanized Combat League, enables a very similar
experience. Users might not be in space, but the game is a first person shooter
that lets you form teams and fight for glowing orbs. Like Monster
Escape/Monster Battle, users are able to control their movements with their
head in addition to a left thumbstick, which makes it easier to lock onto a
target. Since Sony’s Project Morpheus is one of the leading systems in the VR
industry, we can expect even more immersive robo-fight games like Rigs in
the future.
While virtual reality is far
from maturity, these new games signal the coming of even more advanced
technology down the road. As innovators across industries find new applications
for VR tech, it won’t be long before virtual reality becomes a part of our
everyday lives.
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