Bethesda Skyrim VR (PS4)

Since its debut in 2011, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has been an amazing success. It’s seen three huge expansions, repackaged as a complete Legendary Edition, released on the newest generation of consoles in a remastered Special Edition, and most recently, its port to the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation VR. When I first saw the PSVR version announced, I was immensely excited.However, I didn't have a Psvr, let alone thinking about buying Skyrim!Yes, Skyrim was one of the main reasons I got myself a Psvr. And an excellent bundle in the black friday sale.For a game that wasn't originally designed for VR, Skyrim is nothing short of impressive. This really is the Skyrim that you know and love, but now you can enjoy it like never before with the immersive presence of a VR headset.Much like the new Switch version, which came out on the same day, this is essentially the same game as was released six years ago but with all the DLC included from the start. And no matter what the compromises and problems involved were in making it work that is an incredible achievement.Funny how some games have incredible staying power. Tetris has been coded for virtually every gaming device since the 1980's. Whilst something like Doom has been able to run on everything from smart watches to microwaves.Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, is one of the latest additions to the canon of games ported as widely as possible for years after their initial relevance. The 2011 open-world role-playing game set the modern standard for the genre, earning rave reviews across the board. Players could be any sort of hero they wanted, and explore the massive fantasy region in any way they wanted, allowing for nearly infinite replayability.Although I completed the main story on the Xbox 360 many years ago, I only played the game for around 160hrs give or take, compared to hundreds of hours other players have done. I also purchased the Legendary Edition and then the Special Edition on the Ps4, that of which I played mods, for a number of hours as well.Going into Skyrim VR I was concerned that it was going to be another port, but I’m happy to say that I couldn’t have been more wrong.Skyrim VR is not a simplified version of Skyrim. It’s not a version of the game that’s been sliced and cut for virtual reality. It is Skyrim in all of its glory.And soon after putting on the headset, there I was again, in the back of the wagon, bound for my own execution...It was a pretty cool moment, I have to admit I got a little giddy. Straight away I was amazed on how much depth there was.I mean, this opening portion is largely on rails sure, and the real test would come later, but the opening of the game blew me away!Bethesda has added a lot of customization options to the comfort settings. Players can change how much of a vignette comes in when moving or turning, change the rotation angles for turning, and make the snap either instant or gradual. If you’ve followed VR, then you know that increasing the comfort settings will lower the sense of immersion. Finding the lowest comfort settings that you can stand is the best way get everything the experience has to offer in VR while not getting sick. Opting for sliders instead of toggles, Bethesda allows players a lot of control over their own experience and comfort in Skyrim VR.Thankfully even though this my first foray into VR, not once have I suffered from any kind of motion sickness.There are two ways to play Skyrim VR: with the DualShock 4 controller or the PlayStation Move controllers.The move controllers, I haven't had the chance to play with yet, but the Dualshock however was perfect.Skyrim VR makes the 6-year-old game feel fresh again. It may have taken a graphical hit compared to some of the more recent re-releases of the original, but the appreciation of scale more than makes up for it.Graphically, the game is a lot closer to its original 360/PS3 version than the newer remastered editions, which's a shame, but that's simply due to the limitations of rendering in PSVR. It’s sure to bother some, but for those who can allow themselves to get immersed in virtual reality despite graphical quality, I found it easy enough to lose myself in the world and largely forget about the flat textures that cover many of the surfaces. Keep in mind that I was playing on a standard PS4, too. It’s possible that the Pro does a better job at handling the rendering of a massive open world in virtual reality.In 2011 Skyrim was a technical marvel — one of the largest and most open worlds that many players had ever explored. On the one hand, the extra degree of immersive intimacy afforded by VR is put to excellent use here. Gazing across sweeping, mountain vistas, or up at an angry giant, looming directly overhead, has an extra, visceral punch here above and beyond what the base game can achieve. Skyrim has always been defined by its scale, and in that regard VR is a natural and obvious way to enhance that basic appeal.The menus remind me slightly of minority report popping up in front of you which I found cool.Even sitting in the three-dimensional starscape of the skills menu is a stunning experience that could have just as easily been left a dull two-dimensional screen.Transition from 2D to virtual reality is amazing. I normally play my games on a 49" Samsung, but it doesn't matter how big your tv is, and whether or not it's full hd, or 4K with all the bells and whistles, at the end of the day, you're still a spectator. Similar to when you watch a movie or at the theatre, you're an observer. But VR takes you into that game. You are in that world, and that's where Skyrim VR succeeds! The depth and immersion can only be experienced for oneself to fully understand and appreciate.With virtual reality, when you’re in motion, you're experiencing the world all around you, it’s a sensation unlike any other.When you’re walking through a forest, taking in the sights in front of you, you can stop and turn your head. You won’t see your couch behind you when you do this. Instead, you’ll see the path you just walked.Look up, down, anywhere at all, and the game is all around you. You are inside of that world. For a huge Skyrim fan like myself, it’s a wish come true. I remember climbing The Seven Thousand Steps to High Hrothgar when I first played Skyrim, but doing it in VR felt like an arduous journey, and one that I remember more clearly and in so much more detail than any of my time playing the game outside of VR.You can almost feel the snow hitting your face when you climb the highest mountains.Spiders hold a lot more terror when they are coming at you. Campfires feel warm and comforting.Most impressive, perhaps, is the presence of a dragon flying over your head, or slamming into the ground in front of you.Play with headphones, and you’ll have the full experience. Sound has incredible depth in Skyrim VR. Spells roar with a voracious power that makes them feel like true destructive forces. Wonderful orchestral pieces add amazing soundscapes to your exploration, and the sound of enemies approaching in a dark dungeon makes your blood run cold.Playing Skyrim VR showed me the future of virtual reality, and It's ignited my love for PlayStation VR.Make no mistake — Bringing Skyrim to the PSVR is an impressive feat, especially given the age of the game and the technical constraints of the platform.It’s still hard to comprehend that Skyrim, a game from 2011 not originally designed for virtual reality, is now PlayStation VR’s killer app. Marrying these two ideas seemed like an impossible feat, and I don't know how, but Bethesda pulled it off. Skyrim VR is anything but a simple port to virtual reality. It is lovingly crafted with care and attention to make one of the biggest and most memorable VR experiences since the platform first launched. Skyrim VR isn’t just a must-experience for PSVR owners; it’s a reason to buy the headset.Pros:The whole game is fully playable in VR, which includes all the dlc, Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn.Despite the games problems, the sense of immersion is incredibly impressive. Skyrim itself is as good, if not better, than ever.Cons:Low res graphics and blurry visuals.Bugs and glitches.5/5

The Good:-Full Skyrim game, At times can feel real. Fast loading.The Bad:-Bethesda bugs aplenty! Hardware limitations. Poor Draw distance. VR Spiders are EVERYWHERE!So at this point Skyrim has been released on what seems like everything since its first came out back in 2011. I wouldn’t be surprised if Bethesda plan to make a version for Playstation 1 at this point! While I would love to see a remake of Morrowind or Oblivion, Bethesda instead decided to re-re-rerelease Skyrim but this time in VR. But is it any good and is it worth buying the game again?So with that being said it is highly likely that you already know what Skyrim is and how it plays so I won’t bore you by going over it again but instead focus on the VR aspect and how well it plays.First, I want to say that I am using the standard PS4 console (Uncharted 4 version) and not a PlayStation Pro so please keep that in mind. I have heard the pro version runs better.One thing that surprised me is that this is the full Skyrim game with all expansion/DLC’s included. After playing DooM VR, I thought it would be selected parts of the game but was pleasantly surprised to see it wasn’t.The graphs have had a huge downgrade from the HD version which is understandable. Some items look very blocky and textures when up close are more like the 360/PS3 version of the game rather then the newer versions. While I don’t have too much of a problem with that I do with the terrible draw distance. I’ve had trees pop up less the twenty yards away from me, grass sometimes only being around my feet and even enemies appearing out of nowhere. It’s at times like this that you are taken out of the game.There are also the usual Bethesda bugs which I think have been there since the original. My personal favourite so for is when fast traveling to on of the Cities, several guards dropped from the sky and landed in front of me. Then people started walking around saying “Where did this body come from?” My thoughts exactly.However, I do have to mention the poor hardware and how it is possibly the biggest problem for this game. While in close quarters it looks amazing as item move in real time, the one area I was really looking forward to was climbing mountains and looking down on Skyrim. However, it just looks blurry and fuzzy when looking over long distances. I found this to be the case in several other PSVR games so it’s not just this one. It is a shame but Bethesda did the best they could with the tech they had. I’ve even found map icon and text to be a fuzzy mess too.So with all this negativity you probably thing I don’t like this game? Actually, I do. It is still Skyrim and it is an amazing world to be in. Even though it has been less than a years since I last played this game, I loved every second of it.One last point I want to make is the motion sickness accept. I personally didn’t get any but there are several setups to help. First is you can use the snap angle to move. This is where you use the right joystick to move left to right in 30 degree angles (the angle can be changed) or have complete 360 movement although this did make me feel dizzy. Also a black ring comes up around the edges when moving to help focus the players eyes. I turned this off and felt it worked a lot better without it. There are many opinions in this game. Also, it might sound silly but I also found bobbing your head a little when walking long distances also helps….although you do look stupid!Also, the game is VR only unlike Resident Evil 7 for example which was playable both normal and VR. So if you are buying this to play on and off VR, it wont work.So would I recommend this game? Well, I’d say yes overall with a but. It is an amazing game and impressive to see they got the full version to work but that is the problem, it is the same game all be it with all DLC included. Nothing new has been added to the adventure and just one year after the HD rerelease just feels all to similar. However, I would be lying if I said I didn’t have fun with it. If you already own the PSVR then I would say go ahead and get this game. If you don’t own it I wouldn’t recommend buying all the gear for just this game.Still, I did have a great time visiting the land of Skyrim and with Fallout 4 possibly coming soon, VR is not going anywhere for the time being. (Oh and Resident Evil 7 is still the best VR game!)Gameplay:- 19/20Graphics:-13/20Sound:-17/20Replay Value:-19/20Value for Money:-18/2086/100:- A grand (if not blurry) adventure.