Doom VFR (PS4): A nice stroll through Hell
When Bethesda released Doom last year, it shocked many by just how good it was. An incredible mix of old and new, the game was worthy of carrying on the Doom mantle. Now, one year later, Bethesda returns with Doom VFR. While Doom VFR is not without it's flaws, it overall is an entertaining VR experience.
VFR returns back to Mars, during the demonic invasion that ravages the UAC facility. The player controls Dr. Peters, a recently deceased scientist who has his consciousness uploading into a robot. From there the goal is to close the rift the demons are using to crossover, and the path takes you through thousands of demons to slaughter.
Being VR, the gameplay is slowed down a bit from the 2016 Doom, however battles still manage to get the heart pumping. The glory kills this time are instead telefrags, done by teleporting into a staggered demon. Almost all demons and weapons return as well. Killing demons is still a lot of fun, and VR really does make it a lot more intense. There were a few times later in the game I was fully immersed, wondering if I would have enough ammo to make it through what felt like countless waves of enemies, with fireballs flying all around me, while the great fight music pumping in the background. When the game hits its stride, it is a lot of fun. Unfortunately, it is very short. It took me around 3 and a half hours to finish the campaign, and the was with me exploring the maps and finding the secrets. There are not that many extras either, although the inclusion of maps from the original 1993 Doom, and Doom 2 in VR are amazing.
The biggest drawback when it comes to gameplay can be the control scheme. I played on a PS Pro, using the standard dual shock controller, with movement options set to smooth turning. This is easily the setting to go with, if you can handle it. For the who can't due to motion sickness or other issues, Move controllers can be used as well. Using the Move option just feels awkward, as movement is restricted, with teleporting becomes the main source of movement. Combat is hampered greatly, with the only option for turning around being a 180-degree turn, making tracking enemies harder. I can not stress enough, if possible use the regular controller!
Graphically, the game is decent on Pro, not quite reaching the heights of Resident Evil 7 or Farpoint. Locations are all reused areas from the 2016 game. That didn't bother me much at all, because being able to get into these areas and get an up-close look was fun. I had heard of issues with frame rate drops on Pro, but I experienced not myself, the game holding steady the entire way through.
The storyline is minimal, basically amounting to Dr. Peters needing to grab something from different parts of the facility to ultimately close the portal. It is fine for what it is, because let's face it, Doom has never been one for deep stories. The story does lead to Hell of course, and the area is sufficiently creepy, culminating in a boss battle, that longtime Doom fans will love in VR.
Overall, this is a fun game that is hampered by some issues that seem to affect quite a few VR games. At $30 this might still be a bit too pricey, but for hardcore Doom fans, or when the game is on sale, it is a worthy pick up for a few hours of demon killing fun.
3/5
