Virtual reality and 'Fallout 4' don't quite feel like a natural fit

Bethesda made waves at its June 12 press conference by announcing that two of its recent releases, Fallout 4 and Doom, would be playable in virtual reality. After having spent dozens of hours (close to six days, according to my most recent save profile) in the Commonwealth of post-apocalyptic Boston, I was immediately intrigued by how that experience would translate to VR.

A few days later, I found myself in a windowed room at Bethesda’s booth on the E3 show floor, an HTC Vive strapped to my head and a wireless Vive controller in either hand. A Bethesda rep completed the setup and like magic, I was in a Red Rocket station. I was back in the wasteland, but this time, it was all around me.

The demo allowed a few minutes to get acclimated. Fallout VR uses a teleportation system of movement rather than having the character walk, which helps fight the disorientation and nausea that can sometimes accompany VR gameplay. Simply point to a location within range and with some quick controller movement, you’re there. That would take some getting used to over a long period of time, I imagine, but since I was contained to a single location for the demo, it wasn’t hard to get around.

Since Bethesda’s setup had attendees standing rather than sitting, I was able to fully take in the environment around me. It’s better than craning your neck to have to take advantage of the 360-degree view, but the cables getting tangled around my legs as I moved served as a reminder of where I really was.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Undeniably the coolest part about playing Fallout 4 in VR is using the Pip-boy. I simply lifted my left arm, controller in hand, and I could see the portable computer unit strapped to my hand. I could even peruse its various menus using the controller—while still seeing the rest of the world around me. It’s the kind of experience I hoped for when I purchased Fallout 4’s collector’s edition, complete with replica Pip-boy, only without the extra weight of the physical unit.

After a few minutes, the Red Rocket was attacked by raiders. Using the controller in my right hand, I cycled through available weapons and started shooting. The Vive controllers felt incredibly accurate and my aim was true almost every time I pulled the trigger—both virtually and physically.

One thing noticeably missing from the demo was V.A.T.S., Fallout’s specialized slo-mo aiming system. Since it’s a heavily used feature, its absence made Fallout VR feel more like a tech demo than a complete concept.

There’s also another concern: of the hundreds of hours it takes to fully explore the Commonwealth, how many of those will gamers want to spend standing with a headset on?

The demo was a promising start and definitely fun, but when I got home from E3 I found myself perfectly content to curl up on the couch and jump back into the wasteland the old-fashioned way. With Fallout 4 not due out on the HTC Vive until 2017, though, Bethesda definitely has time to address these issues and make its VR efforts more of a must-have than a curiosity.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.