Skyrim is coming to PSVR this fall and we had the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the world of Tamriel at a recent Sony press event. After exploring through a short demo area, it seems that while the game is still impressive after all these years, there are still some kinks in Skyrim VR that need to be ironed out before the game is ready to release.
Our demo took place at Bleak Falls Barrow, a familiar location for anyone who has played Skyrim before. While the demo was limited, we still had the opportunity to try out magic-based attacks, a sword and a bow and arrows. The demo also restricted the ability to pick up objects, use items and many other common abilities in Skyrim .
The game is still impressive to see, and especially in VR. Walking through ancient tombs is cool when playing on a TV, but is much more ominous and intimidating when you actually feel like you’re the one stepping over the broken bones and cutting through the thick cobwebs.
Moving through Bleak Falls Barrow was easy and entertaining. To move, players press the main button on the left controller, move the lilypad to where you want to be, and release the button. This teleports your character across the room. Chaining these teleportations is quick and easy, allowing you to cross a room with a few button presses. Players can also rotate themselves 15 degrees at a time with a button press as well. This movement system works great, and I can see this becoming the model to use for many VR games in the future.
Melee combat works as you would expect. You equip a sword, and swing the PS Move controller to mimic attacks. Using magic was, in my opinion, the best option. Killing enemies was easiest with these powers, especially when using attacks like Flames. All you have to do is point to an attacker and press the trigger buttons to unleash a wave of devastating fire.
Bow and arrow combat both worked and didn’t. When things were running smoothly, picking off enemies at a distance was one of the most satisfying parts of Skyrim VR. However, when things weren’t running well, the arrows would frequently jump around everywhere but the drawstring. Once you did finally line the arrows up right, you have to pull your arm back to fire. This movement did not get detected frequently, meaning I had a hard time firing arrows at enemies.
Another odd issue is with the game’s audio. Because you have the ability to pivot yourself around, this means the world is jumping around you when you move. If there’s a source of constant audio, like if you are standing next to a waterfall, the audio will cut out and come back in from a different angle. While this does show off how impressive the directional audio is in Skyrim VR, it shatters the immersion you get from playing in VR by having these sounds cutting in and out whenever you turn.
Additionally, I had several questions about common Skyrim features like stealth movement, mounted movement and more. While these features weren’t available in the demo, Bethesda developers told me they are still working to get everything running right. The goal is to have everything you want and love from vanilla Skyrim, but in VR. You will also have the option of using a DualShock 4 controller instead of the Move controllers if you want a more familiar control scheme.
Skyrim VR will be releasing for the PSVR this fall. No firm release plans have been confirmed by Bethesda so far.
So what do you think? Are you excited to play through Skyrim again, but in VR? What questions do you have about the VR version before it’s released? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
