VR is the future of gaming!

There are two main reasons gamers play, to have fun and/or to escape reality, but no matter which of those reasons applies to you, immersion is what makes it work. It doesn't make a difference if you play sports games, shooters, racing games or RPGs, the more immersive the game the more you'll love it. Why? Simple, you want to feel like what you're doing in the game matters. That's why RPGs are so successful and even more so when they're open world and feature character creation. For whatever reason, we want to live these stories and sure, good graphics and cool gameplay will help but it is still nothing like VR gaming.

In virtual reality games you are transported into another reality, the one of whatever game you're playing. As soon as you put on the headset it starts, that feeling of excitement and wonder, and perhaps even a little fear depending on the game. All you need for VR gaming is a VR headset and its controllers and a decent 6'x6' walking space. I've wanted to experience VR gaming ever since it first came out but never had the chance up until this last may when my wife gifted me the Oculus Quest 2, and boy what a gift it was.

The first game I downloaded was Vader Immortal and there is just one word for it; WOW! As soon as the game starts your breath is taken away by the visuals and mechanics. To get the chance to walk around Vader's Fortress in Mustafar? Wow. The game follows a force-sensitive smuggler that has something Vader wants, so across the three parts of the game you learn different abilities, including the chance to dual wield lightsabers or combine them with blasters! Not even 10 minutes into the story you are taken prisoner and you meet Vader face to face, when i tell you that I have never stood next to someone so intimidating. But I have now, thanks to VR gaming I got the chance to stand face to face to one of my childhood heroes or rather, villains. The story itself is great, offering an original yet nostalgic story for Star Wars fans everywhere. as it takes you on an epic adventure in a galaxy far, far away. But what's even better is the lightsaber dojo, which is a sort of wave-by-wave survival game mode full of lightsabers to choose from including; Darth Maul's double-bladed saber, Ahsoka's dual wielding lightsabers and The Iconic Skywalker lightsaber, and tons more. You can also use the force to push and pull enemies, shoot blasters and throw grenades, You face off against droids with vibro-swords, Mustafar native creatures and of course, Stormtroopers, oh- there's also a RANCOR! This is the ultimate Star Wars experience.

The second game I played was The Walking Dead; Saints & Sinners. I am a pretty hard core TWD(The Walking Dead) fan so I knew going in that I would love it, but never in a million years did I expect it to become one of my Top 5 video games ever. You are thrown into Walker-riddled New Orleans as "The Tourist", and you are left to your own survival with nothing but a flashlight and your skill. In order to survive you must scavenger medicine, food, supplies and weapons(though it is always best to build them if you can). The game is open world, so getting the chance to go around New Orleans killing walkers is already worth the money, but the main storyline is actually pretty interesting and feels very TWD. The game follows every canon rule, including walkers only dying by "braining" them and "walker guts" being able to camouflage you from walkers. I've played a few VR games since, but Saints & Sinners has, without a doubt, the best mechanics so far. It all feels so real, everything from stabbing and swinging your weapons to shooting and holding back walkers, even your aim must be true if you wish to land a shot. The game has a few horror elements as well, including blackout dark buildings, jump scares and thrilling combat as you get swarmed by walkers.

After playing these games and a few other VR video games I can safely say that VR is the future of gaming. I have been playing video games since I was 3 years old, GTA: Vice City was my first ever video game. Since then I've played hundreds and hundreds of games, of all genres on a variety of gaming consoles. A lot of the games have been groundbreaking, a lot of others have stayed with me over the years and there are some more than 15 years old games that I still play, but never have I felt what I felt with Saints & Sinners and Vader Immortal. Finally getting the chance to forge my own path, with my skills being my ultimate weapon, it has no price. The level of interaction with the world you're in is simply incredible.

-Thank you for Reading! Don't forget to check back with Fellowship of Fandoms for more updates about your favorite fandoms

-By Richard Kent FM