This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia, which closed in 2021.

I've Had Playstation VR For A Week And It Matured Me

When the time comes to pilot a mech in defence of humanity, I won't be called.
Sony's PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro and PlayStation VR headset.
Kim Kyung Hoon / Reuters
Sony's PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro and PlayStation VR headset.

There comes a point in your life when you realise you're just not fit enough to pilot a 15ft mech while targeting multiple enemies at high speed through a cavernous, arena-style kill zone.

Always thought I was the type, but there you go. I'm not.

Was I expecting an existential revelation to come with my Playstation VR review copy? No I was not.

While I'd tried titles such as Batman VR and Farpoint at expos, I didn't really know what to expect once I had The Machine in my living room.

The face of a cynic -- Huffington Post journalist Eoin Blackwell survives a shark attack in Playstation VR's Scavenger's Odyssey
HuffPost Australia
The face of a cynic -- Huffington Post journalist Eoin Blackwell survives a shark attack in Playstation VR's Scavenger's Odyssey

The device has been out for just over two weeks with some exciting games, and here are a select few that have kept me hooked.

But first:

The Set Up

Playstation

As far as VR kits go, Playstation VR is a tough one to beat on the market.

Cheaper than either the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive, the Playstation VR will set you back $549 (but really it'll set out back somewhere around $700ish if you don't have a camera or moves sticks for your PS4. Don't have a PS4? It'll cost a little more).

Encased in a sturdy plastic, it looks more fragile than it actually is, and the device sits snuggly on your face (even with glasses). It's both comfortable and is highly adjustable. It's also a relatively quick set up to get you going. Once it's on, you're in.

RIGS: Mechanised Combat League

Like life, Mechs come at you fast
Playstation
Like life, Mechs come at you fast

Ok. I got over my motion sickness (it was brief) but still have trouble getting my bearings in this game. Like I said above, you're piloting a mech while targeting enemies in a murder dome. At high speed.

Billed as the future of sport, the RIGS Mechanised Combat League mashes together elements from athletics, motor sports and basketball and puts them into a heavily armed sporting machine.

Just like a real sport league, you can rise through the ranks by out-gaming your opponents, or return to the locker room with the self esteem of a damp sock.

At first, this user barely made it through the tutorial thanks to a feeling (my first ever) of motion sickness, but I stress this did pass. And quickly. I had used VR twice before getting my hands on the take home kit and never felt even slightly queasy, so I'm chalking it up to my excitement.

Now that I have my bearings it turns out I'm just not very good at mechanised combat sports. Who knew.

Since that first day, those opening minutes of the game, I haven't felt anything that makes me even slightly iffy, except for that hollow feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when a game confirms your crushing inability to play virtual as well as physical sports.

Playstation

EVE Online: Valkyrie

Dog fighting while weaving through a graveyard of abandoned, broken, hulking space ships in a highly manœuvrable combat spacecraft is the aim of this game.

It's quick, easy and dirty. Take a seat and strap in. With headphones on, it felt like the real world slipped away for a while while I barrel rolled and blasted my way to victory against swarms of my nameless enemies.

I consider it an almost perfect game in that you pop on the headset some headphones on and in about two minutes you're being hurled from my mothership and into the fray.

No long cut scenes to wade through. It's perfect for a quick five, ten minute immersive battle. At times you'll be leaning on the edge of your seat and swearing like a pirate and enemies just over your shoulder.

It also works cross platform, so you can mix it up with Occulus and Vive users as well

HARMONIX VR

This game is my jaaaaaaam. Well, not a game per se. Harmonix VR takes the user into a range of virtual spaces -- from a dance party to a beach to a "sit down and chill" psychedelic experience.

You can load any song from your playlist and -- with The Dance for example -- use your move sticks to manipulate the weird cartoon party goers.

My favourite in this VR Experience is The Easel, which allows you to draw shapes in thin air that react to the music that's playing. Not happy with them? Grab one with your move stick and cast it away with Tony Stark like-abandon.

Battlezone

Based on the 1980s Atari game of the same name, BattleZone is an online multiplayer, first person shooter that gives you one of the best impressions of how a traditional first person shooter will operate on the VR system.

It's not big on story, but it is big on Tron inspired like battles against Tron inspired enemies that will keep you entertained for hours. Tron stylez.

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