I always get lost in games like Elden Ring and Dark Souls. The impossible architecture, the improbable geography and the way that the levels twist and turn and fold back in on themselves really muddles my head and stops me from being able to visualise the locations properly. Put me in those same places in VR though and suddenly, because it feels like I’m actually there, their spaces make so much more sense. The depth, the distance, the perspective, every visual trick that VR provides makes From’s abstract scenery much easier for my brain to understand.
Not only that though, VR also allows me to appreciate the finer details of the game’s assets. Little bits of stitching on a robe, the thin whisps of incense rising from a burner, these are things I’d just blunder right past without noticing in flat. Which leads me nicely to today’s VR Corner, in which I take a leisurely trot around Elden Rings’ Shadow of the Erdtree DLC in VR!
Thanks to the most recent update for Luke Ross‘ REAL VR mod, I was able to toggle on a ‘tourism’ mode and become invisible to all the enemies in the Lands of Shadow. That way I could really drink in the visuals and enjoy the scenery of Shadow of the Erdtree without worrying about getting a foot to the face from a Furnace Golem (until I turned tourism mode off specifically for that purpose!).
I had a few issues with my PC when recording this one, but in the headset everything looked suitably epic and I hope my gasps of wonderment can convey the amazement I felt drinking in all the sights. As always, you can watch this week’s episode of VR Corner on the player above or, if you’d prefer to watch it on YouTube, you’ll find that embedded just below these words. Enjoy!