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VR gamers, are 2d games not as engaging anymore?

For me nah, Non-VR games are still just as enjoyable and immersive as VR games to me as i just like gaming however Non-VR games do have one big advantage over VR games... I don't get crazy vertigo from them. I have found that VR is my go-to Vertigo Simulator, holy shit, some of these experiences still give me crippling vertigo so i have to close my eyes breathe and then get back to it. I love hating it or hate loving it, i'm not sure.
 

Maligna

Banned
If you're looking for a lengthy, immersive game OP then I assume you'll be getting Skyrim VR?

I'm going to live in that game.
 

valeu

Member
since december i've bought ~48 psvr games and 2 flat tv games (horizon + what remains of edith finch). next month i'll get uncharted, but i dl new vr games every week
 

Maligna

Banned
since december i've bought ~48 psvr games and 2 flat tv games (horizon + what remains of edith finch). next month i'll get uncharted, but i dl new vr games every week

My ratio isn't that crazy, but I'd say I buy 5 VR games for every 1 flat game.
 

Brandon F

Well congratulations! You got yourself caught!
Been a PSVR owner since launch. The wow factor wore off on me really fast and my VR hasn't been touched since last year(outside the 2 hours it took to finish Psychonauts in Feb).

What compels me towards games does seem to differ wildly from the OP though. Overcoming challenges and embracing hard limitations to forge a difficult path to success outmatches visual trickery. The handful of VR games I have experienced offer little to nothing of what drives me to gaming so far, and that isn't counting the nausea and tracking issues that are also a hindrance.
 

FSLink

Banned
Not as engaging but a good experience whether VR, 3D, or 2D will still be engaging.

Also VR tech is still pretty early on, so I find even though the headsets aren't that heavy, and setup isn't that bad with how I have my Vive working in my apartment, it's still extra work I gotta do when I just want to relax on a couch.

But yeah trying "flat" games in VR like with Dolphin is amazing. Wind Waker and F-Zero GX VR is definitely something every hardcore gamer should try.
 
Not at all. The technology is not there for it to even compare to what I want and expect out of games.

The hyper precision, speed, variety, skill gap and flexibility of current games is unmatched compared to what VR offers.

VR is more like a genre specific fun booster (racing sims, cockpit games).
 
After plating Onward for near 200 hours then going back to games like Counterstrike is super weird. It makes CS feel so...inactive, like it's a point and click in comparison. Onward feels like I'm a tactical military badass. Actually aiming down sights, reloading, throwing grenades, even down to charging my weapon, switching from single fire to full auto, or grabbing my tablet to check out my map. It's insane where VR is going to go in this regard. Plus the field of view and depth make looking at a standard screen feel claustrophobic.

That said I've adapted back to standard shooters and they feel good again, but the potential of VR is staggering to me.
 

Glassboy

Member
Nope, a good game is a good game regardless of the format.
This. Also, VR games have quickly lost a lot of appeal once the wow factor goes away. But it seems like there is something that comes along every few months that will blow your mind a little more. But overall you are not getting the same depth in vr games compared to non-vr games
 
mmh no, I still enjoy good games in any format, and the wow will wear off, give it time.


The only thing that happen to me, if that is a game has VR mode, like resident 7, when you play it without it, it looks really flat or not immersive, but the games that don't have any mode, or that is irrelevant, like the new tomb raider, are still really good.
 

K' Dash

Member
Really dude?, VR tech is still pretty shitty with all the cables, uncomfortable as fuck helmet and most games are tech demos.

Flat games...

Plsss.
 
This. Also, VR games have quickly lost a lot of appeal once the wow factor goes away.

for me, when Vr games lose the wow factor is when they become a standard or something natural.
This is when I can't play in the flat screen because I feel that I play something way below this standard.
After some hours I am ok with the flat screen, and when I play a VR game again the wow factor is there like the first time.

So I enjoy both.
 
I cant take FPS games serious anymore, Playing Farpoint gives you this immersion factor that you are Master Chief in a Starship Troopers world. Going back to Halo or even Mass Effect was such a step back.

I didnt buy Outlast 2, Simply because it wasnt in VR like Resident Evil 7 was. R7 was the greatest gaming experience i have had for many years, And that was because of VR and not playing it in first person mode on the tv.

So looking forward to The Impatient and Skyrim in VR.
 
Engagement is fine and all. But people play games because games are about skill. Challenge. The warped games you find so "engaging" need no skill or mastery.
 

Soi-Fong

Member
I cant take FPS games serious anymore, Playing Farpoint gives you this immersion factor that you are Master Chief in a Starship Troopers world. Going back to Halo or even Mass Effect was such a step back.

I didnt buy Outlast 2, Simply because it wasnt in VR like Resident Evil 7 was. R7 was the greatest gaming experience i have had for many years, And that was because of VR and not playing it in first person mode on the tv.

So looking forward to The Impatient and Skyrim in VR.

I'm like this, but with Lone Echo for the Rift. I can't see any 2D games giving me that sort of immersion.
 
Engagement is fine and all. But people play games because games are about skill. Challenge. The warped games you find so "engaging" need no skill or mastery.

Onwards, Superhot VR, Eve: Valkyrie, all VR racing games, Echo Arena, Rigs, Windlands to name a few make this sentence redundant.
 
I'm like this, but with Lone Echo for the Rift. I can't see any 2D games giving me that sort of immersion.

Would love a Rift and to play Lone Echo!

It's not even a knock on 2D, It's just the fact it doesn't feel fun or immersive going back after playing games in VR. There's a disconnect now between playing a game, Or being inside it in VR.
 

extralite

Member
I have to say yes but not to the degree as seems to be true for you, OP.

I had the same feeling actually with 3D after the 3DS. When I played Tearaway on my Vita, even though it made zero sense because touch screen and 3D wouldn't mix, I wanted it to be stereo 3D. Because after 3DS it felt like a standard and stereo 3D was like the only reason why I would play on a small handheld screen. I still greatly enjoyed and finished Tearaway, for the unique gameplay it offered.

Basically I got over it. I still want every 3D game to be actually in stereo 3D, and now that there is VR every game to be in immersive 360 stereo 3D. But if a game interests me I'll play it flat, if there's no other choice.

But does it feel underwhelming? Definitely. If I have the choice between a VR game and a maybe better non-VR game, what will I play? The VR game.

The interesting thing is, for actual 2D games (hand drawn or pixelart) being flat is not really a problem. I can play those without thinking about how they would look better in VR.
 

Zutrax

Member
Not at all. Some games just don't play well in VR, and that's totally fine.

One of my biggest problems with VR is it's cumbersome. It may be more immersive, but it involves a lot of setup time, making sure everything is properly lit and connected (for PSVR), and when you're in you kind of have to dedicate yourself to it because taking the headset on and off frequently is a chore.

Once you're in, the added weight on your head can do random things to your body like give you headaches or make your back hurt a bit after playing for decently long sessions. Sometimes the strain and difficulty involved with playing VR is much more immersion breaking than the added immersion it gives. It's really worth it for those special titles like Rez Infinite or Resident Evil 7, those games I got completely lost in and it shows how special VR can be. But it really is a lot easier to immerse yourself when you plop yourself on the couch and are immediately in the game without needing to worry about any extraneous peripherals or environmental factors.

Outside VR has it's positives, inside VR has it's own different positives. They feel somewhat mutually exclusive to me, different types of experiences that I'll want to go towards depending on my mood. And there's nothing wrong with that.
 

MaDKaT

Member
After owning a Vive for over a year I certainly find certain genres lacking outside of VR but good games are good regardless of platform. That said, if given an option I will take the vr version of a game over not and I do find myself more excited about future VR games/tech than traditional games/consoles.
 

Izuna

Banned
Every game I play I imagine how awesome it would be in VR. I was playing a bit of Nier Automata and wished I had a camera like Bound or something.

I want VR to be in every game.


---

lol at people in this thread who don't have a VR set, yet downplay it
 
Engagement is fine and all. But people play games because games are about skill. Challenge. The warped games you find so "engaging" need no skill or mastery.

Yeah. How could a direct, millimeter accurate input method and real world stereo perspective ever make a game about skill? No other activities that require you to wield physical objects in 3D space are about skill.
 

SimonM7

Member
It probably depends greatly on why you play games in the first place, and what games you play.

I have a friend whose entire *thing* about games is living in their worlds. He cannot fathom why anybody would be into Tetris.


There are applications for which VR are simply next level, and going back is just that - backwards. A Wadjet Eye game, not so much.
 

Wardancer

Neo Member
Yeah. How could a direct, millimeter accurate input method and real world stereo perspective ever make a game about skill? No other activities that require you to wield physical objects in 3D space are about skill.

He should try sniping in VR. Nailing a bolt action shot across the map in Onward or long range in H3VR really doesn't require any skill at all...
 

eXistor

Member
I find myself playing more and 2D games. 3D gaming in general seems to be going away from what I'm looking for in games. I can play a 2D shmup like R-Type and be massively more invested by what's on screen than any VR game I've played so far. Immersion is one thing, but skill is another. It depends on what you're looking for in games I suppose. I haven't found it in VR, that's for sure.

/edit: as always, there are many exceptions and I know skill-based games VR games exist, but they're not my type of game generally.
 

Bookoo

Member
Nope, I play plenty of normal games. There isn't enough content and sometimes I don't feel like getting up and moving around.
 
the added weight on your head can do random things to your body like give you headaches or make your back hurt a bit after playing for decently long sessions.

If this is actually a problem for you unless you have a serious medical problem that is causing it you really need to sort your fitness levels out. The headsets aren't heavy. A lot lighter than helmets for sports and regardless of how involving physically the game might be it comes nowhere near close to the physicality required of sports with helmets. Not once have I ever heard of a problem due to the helmets in this manner for people who are moderately fit and never experienced it myself. If your muscles hurt its because they are weak.
 

ffvorax

Member
I love my PSVR, but I also loved the new Monster Boy...

But I think some genres and games will be so much better in VR that playing them non-VR could be really a killing decision.

For example playing RE7 in VR is a completely different experince.
And played recently .... and thought that I would liked much more in VR, maybe with moves too.
 

Dr. Buni

Member
My love for 2D and most importantly sprite work is why I am unlikely to bother with VR. I hope there are a lot of people like me so sprite games never stop being developed.
 
Engagement is fine and all. But people play games because games are about skill. Challenge. The warped games you find so "engaging" need no skill or mastery.

Well, you and others like you play games for skill and challenge, i don't. I usually play games for engagement, stories, interesting mechanics and puzzles, environments and to wind down after work. My days of wanting a challenge were drummed out of me by age and years of shitty difficulty modes. Not everything has to be a ball-aching exercise in frustration and annoyance. There are VR games that require skill and have a challenge too, you just haven't tried them yet probably.
 

Izuna

Banned
This talk of skill is utter toss.

Play Rec Room's Laser Quest and tell me it has nothing to do with skill.

You're tested in other areas, particularly spacial awareness and the sort of decision maker required in a game of paintball.

Then there's games like Landfall, which are straight up just like the 2D equivalent but with an immersion VR camera. Hell, you could have Ninja Gaiden Black in VR.
 

Zutrax

Member
If this is actually a problem for you unless you have a serious medical problem that is causing it you really need to sort your fitness levels out. The headsets aren't heavy. A lot lighter than helmets for sports and regardless of how involving physically the game might be it comes nowhere near close to the physicality required of sports with helmets. Not once have I ever heard of a problem due to the helmets in this manner for people who are moderately fit and never experienced it myself. If your muscles hurt its because they are weak.

I'm a fairly fit individual, I try to keep my posture straight all the time when playing games and exercise most days. I don't normally have an issue with this in VR, for instance when I can play a VR game just sitting down with a regular controller ala Resident Evil 7, then I'm totally fine and have no problems. But when I play something like Farpoint with a big bulky gun controller and needing to stand for awhile it can really be straining. You'd be surprised at how even the lightest amount of added weight on your head can really screw with your body. I feel like the more immersive the game tries to make it feel (Requires standing, motion controllers, etc.) the more cumbersome it becomes. I did, however, treat my body like shit when I was younger and probably have some life-long back and neck issues from that, so unfortunately no matter how much I try and fix it I feel it'll always haunt me.
 

Wardancer

Neo Member
I'm a fairly fit individual, I try to keep my posture straight all the time when playing games and exercise most days. I don't normally have an issue with this in VR, for instance when I can play a VR game just sitting down with a regular controller ala Resident Evil 7, then I'm totally fine and have no problems. But when I play something like Farpoint with a big bulky gun controller and needing to stand for awhile it can really be straining. You'd be surprised at how even the lightest amount of added weight on your head can really screw with your body. I feel like the more immersive the game tries to make it feel (Requires standing, motion controllers, etc.) the more cumbersome it becomes. I did, however, treat my body like shit when I was younger and probably have some life-long back and neck issues from that, so unfortunately no matter how much I try and fix it I feel it'll always haunt me.

Like every single VR game i play is standing... and using a gun stock or just holding my hands up like im holding a virtual gun. Yes there is strain but thats just normal exercise, many a day have I had some ache in my legs from constantly bobbing up and down to dodge shots, hide behind cover etc. But thats just because the only exercise I ever do is ride my bike to work.

VR will absolutely not in anyway negatively impact a healthy individual, quite the opposite really you burn some calories while gaming and its pretty easy to "accidentally" spend some 30 mins to an hour working up some sweat.

Headaches from the headset is most likely just a poor fit which you would get from any headgear and is an unfortunate side effect of having to use a headset. Gotta get it comfy, different headsets and settings for different people. So yeah that is a problem and it is a bit cumbersome to get started, more so than just sitting down and starting up whatever you want to play but any strain you feel after playing VR games is just gonna be strain from moving around or standing.
 

ChouGoku

Member
mmh no, I still enjoy good games in any format, and the wow will wear off, give it time.


The only thing that happen to me, if that is a game has VR mode, like resident 7, when you play it without it, it looks really flat or not immersive, but the games that don't have any mode, or that is irrelevant, like the new tomb raider, are still really good.
The VR wow factor wore off long before I got my PSVR.
 

spectator

Member
I'm feeling exactly the same as you, OP. I'm still enjoying conventional 2D (non-VR) games more because of gameplay depth, but I'm just waiting until games with similar depth arrive in VR.
 

SomTervo

Member
No, they complement each other.

Every day I'll play flat games, every other day I'll pop in VR for a sesh.

Have a great time doing both.
 
VR is to involved for most people for it to replace monitor gaming. That will likely change in the future as it becomes easier to get into VR and bigger games come out. That said monitor gaming simply can't compete on levels of immersion so VR has that feeling only it can give.

I think down the road once the technology is there to allow far better VR where you can just easily slip on the headset and dive right in will get more people on board.

I love my PSVR and there's a lot of games coming out that I'm excited for, but it's not something I play every day because of how involved it is in getting myself all set up for it.
 
I think down the road once the technology is there to allow far better VR where you can just easily slip on the headset and dive right in will get more people on board.

I love my PSVR and there's a lot of games coming out that I'm excited for, but it's not something I play every day because of how involved it is in getting myself all set up for it.

we are there already for the most part. When I want to play Oculus, I just put my headset on and it starts up.
 

low-G

Member
After a few months I definitely feel normally about 2D games again, except maybe stuff that's been done many times & visually impressive games. Having fun with VR games and non-VR games alike.

Two main points:

There are so many VR titles that are truly innovative, that some really tight FPS with a few original features feels like a drop in the bucket, when it comes to memorable experiences.

VR is so much more visually impressive, that it's hard to get hyped up about CoolGraphicsGame_0326 as I used to in the past. Like if a PlayStation 5 were announced with games that were visually a full generation over anything we have now, unless it was in VR I don't think I'd be impressed.
 

kyser73

Member
I'm happy to mix & match, but once we start seeing more 3rd person adventure or platformers in VR I'll probably spend more time with my headset on than off when gaming.

And yes, 3rd person is completely viable in VR, and in fact is probably my favourite way of playing - it's like being in a world of digital toys, and I've never experienced any nausea (not that I have much anyway - Scavenger's Odyssey did but that was me deliberately going all out to see if I could induce it) while playing in that perspective.

I don't think I'll ever go back to 2D racing games or space sims though. There is literally no comparison where 2D comes out better in either of those genres.
 
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