Best VR Game of 2023 - Article
by Lee Mehr , posted on 14 January 2024 / 6,229 Views
2023 was a notable year for VR hardware, with both Sony's PSVR2 and Meta's Meta Quest 3 arriving on the scene. Both of them have primarily earned a considerable amount of praise for their technological advancements, but that's not to say their software output was extinct. Granted, early adoption tends to favor older ports with improved visuals and new controller/headset gimmicks; it comes with the territory. But within that flow of ports and updates came an exclusive for each respective platform reaching our shortlist. It's too early to tell if that presages a bountiful surplus of future masterclass VR games, but it's a welcoming sign all the same.
The Shortlist:
Humanity
Resident Evil 4 VR Mode
Horizon Call of the Mountain
Asgard's Wrath 2
The Runner-Up:
Horizon Call of the Mountain
The most popular criticism I gleaned from a few Call of the Mountain reviews was there being "too much climbing." Fair enough, but you can't blame Firesprite/Guerrilla Games for indulging in such luxuriant skyboxes. The series' combo of robot dinosaurs and a vast, untamed wilderness always has a way of capturing attention. Past the beautiful scenery, this spin-off is also a pleasant mechanical showcase of how exploration & combat can work with this technology. If this is but a taste of what can be accomplished on PSVR2, it's exciting to think about what comes next.
The Winner:
Resident Evil 4 VR Mode
Where to even begin here. To clarify, Resident Evil 4 VR Mode is not to be confused with our Best VR Game winner of 2021, Resident Evil 4 VR. Don't be ridiculous! Honestly, Capcom just seem destined to always make quality iterations of anything with this entry, be it the original game, the remake, the remake's expansion, supplementary VR modes, themed knitted socks, and so on. Just like the original's VR mode, the remake's free update breathes a new level of tension and fidelity into one of 2023's most-admired titles. A sterling achievement all around.
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I wonder where Asgard's Wrath II would place if given more time.
Happy to see that re 4 won
You know, I am coming to the conclusion that I could have skipped out on VR this gen. Nothing is really making me want the device and from the demos and other things I have played its not enticing me to purchase any games.
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