DOOM VFR is an all-new game in the long-running Doom franchise that is available for the PlayStation VR. Are you ready to dive in? Then check out our DOOM VFR review!
Most of you who have a PlayStation VR have probably been playing games where action is a bit more laidback and has more of an “immerse yourself in a faraway mystical land where the environment and the story are key” instead of in a “let’s run around in VR and see if we can hold our lunch” type of release. Well, id Software and Bethesda figured they wanted to give us something in the second category, and for that, they delivered DOOM VFR, a fast-paced and action-packed release for PlayStation VR where you’ll take on a new story from a first-person perspective as you experience the DOOM universe like never before.
The story is pretty out here since you’re basically dead, but under more of a “comic book dead” scenario than a “really dead” one. Your consciousness has been moved to an artificial brain matrix, and you are tasked with stopping the onslaught of demons no matter what.
Since this is VR, the regular setup calls for moving around an area by teleporting here and there as needed, which was to be expected since most people get a bit of motion sickness when using VR – I get a mild case of this depending on what it is I’m seeing, so I did play around by teleporting to alleviate that. But fear not because if you’re set on using your DualShock 4 there is an option for that and you’ll be moving as in DOOM proper while having the PS VR helmet thing on. I also tried the PS Move controllers, but eventually chose the Dualshock 4 to do most of my time int he game.
The teleporting around gameplay gameplay mechanic does have its pros since while you hold down the teleport button time will slow down around you, so you can use that to breathe a bit as you try to dodge an enemy’s attack before it is too late or to line up a shot that might be the difference between that demon over there exploding and you losing your face to a vicious attack.
Speaking of enemies, when you’ve dealt enough damage to one of them you will notice they will start to have this blue hue to them, and this is a cue for you to teleport in for a gruesome kill that will make them go boom while rewarding you with some health recovery and a very badass feeling. Before you know it, you will deal out gruesome death boom explosion things to groups of demons at a time, but there is definitely a learning curve for this one due to how PS VR works.
On that note, something definitely feels… off for this game. Since it’s more action-packed than what you’ve probably played before on Sony’s virtual reality unit, the way teleporting works and how you’re pretty much always surrounded by demons coming at you from all over the place, you certainly can’t turn around fast enough before receiving damage from enemies you couldn’t see or address fast enough. There is a 180-degree quick turn ability, but that’s in a 180-degree turn which means you won’t be able to make good use of it if a demon is at your three or nine-o-clock, close to your blind spot.
The game includes fifteen trophies to unlock, but doesn’t have a Platinum trophy. You get trophies for completing the first level in the game, for teleporting 1,000 times, for making 25 demons explode by teleporting into them when they’re blue and sparkly, for completing all mini-games, for collecting all the dolls, and for completing the single-player campaign on any difficulty.
Final Thoughts
Overall, DOOM VFR is fun once you get the hang of things and as long as you’re in the zone, it’s an entertaining experience. It has its quirks, but it has more to do with how PS VR is setup and how it works and not with the game itself. You’re looking at around 4-5 hours for completing the game, which is definitely a nice chunk of gameplay for a virtual reality release, but your mileage with the game will depend a lot on if you’re someone who suffers from motion sickness when slowly moving through a VR experience or not, since the speed at which you need to teleport/move and shoot at demons can certainly push you closer to the “I’m not feeling so well” edge, so do keep that in mind if you’re considering getting this one!
Disclaimer
This DOOM VFR review is based on a PS VR copy provided by Bethesda.
