Hey guys! Welcome back to TGON Plays! In lieu of an actual game this week, I thought I’d share with you the experience I had of playing with a new toy, but there’s some “Whats,” “Wheres,” “Whens,” and “Whys” to answer first. What IS an Oculus Rift exactly? It’s a Virtual Reality (VR) headset that was released in March of 2016. It follows your movements and allows an innovative, immersive experience when gaming, which includes a clear visual experience through the headset which blocks outside lights, as well as a surround sound through the headphones that blocks outside sounds. Now that we’ve established the “What,” we can discuss the rest.
This week was FallFest at my college. True to the college stereotype, it had a beach theme, dunk tanks, pie-throwing events, group photo opportunities, and booths to learn about the local clubs you can join. One club in particular caught my eye though. The Bash Script Crazy Computer Club offered students the chance to test a first edition, consumer ready Oculus Rift. Obviously I jumped at the chance, and all I can say is: WOW. It was amazing, it was disorienting, and it made me want to do anything to own one.
I was dropped into multiple simulations, but I’m only going to discuss a few that really impacted the game play for me. I first came face-to-face with an alien who seemed friendly, but didn’t really know how to communicate with me. It waved at me and smiled, and I actually started to lift my hand to wave back. Then I remembered it would be useless, as it was just a game and I didn’t have the proper hand controls for that. I was so focused on the simulation that I only faintly remembered none of it was real and I probably looked like a goober. The screen went black and next thing I knew, I was standing in the middle of a city. It was dark and reminded me a lot of Gotham in the 1960s. The buildings towered over everything, however, when I looked down I found myself standing precariously on the edge of a skyscraper. The view took my breath away, and as I leaned over the edge, I saw cars driving along the street. Funnily enough, it really felt as though I would fall if I leaned too far or took one step forward. Again, the screen went black. I was dropped into a new simulation; a dark, dimly lit museum. I could tell by the windows that it was night-time, and I glanced behind to see what lay around me. When I turned back, I found myself facing an actual, live Tyrannosaurus Rex. It stomped toward me angrily, sized me up, and roared EXTREMELY loudly. Again, every instinct in my body told me to move somehow, curl into a ball and play dead maybe. But the T-Rex simply stepped over me, its tail missing me by mere inches. Let it be known, having a giant, carnivorous dinosaur stomp over you will have you nearly fall over in fear.
Then the simulations ended and I returned to the real world. I knew I needed to get one of these IMMEDIATELY, but sadly I don’t have the funds to order this. (yet.) One day though, sweet Oculus Rift….you’ll belong to me. I swear that. If you want to check out the Oculus Rift for yourself, click here. Considering this was my first time using the Oculus Rift, I can’t help but gush over it. I’m rating it at five out of five glasses and cannot WAIT to see where this takes technology next. My entire gaming experience has brightened upon discovering VR gaming, and I need more if it. That’s all I’ve got for this week, tune in next week for another TGON Plays!
Thanks for reading!
