The Best Game I Played: April 2017

May 01, 2017

By: Max Cannon

A lot of different games flash across my TV, some of them good and some of them are not so good. If you're looking for a great gaming recommendation you are reading the right article. Each and every month I'll give you the update on my favorite game I played over the last 30 or 31 days. Some of these games will be newer releases and some will be ancient games that I dug out of my dusty old cabinet but they'll always be something I'm passionate about.

This month's game is... not really a game.

PlayStation VR

PlayStation VRCourtesy of PlayStation

I don't use my PlayStation VR as often as I had anticipated. Regularly, I'll ask myself if I goofed up taking overtime to pay the steep $500 price tag for what has just become the most futuristic piece of art in my apartment. Sometimes weeks will go by where I don't even touch the thing but time has taught me that the isolating VR headset's biggest strength is when it's used with others. Acting as someone's tour guide through virtual reality has revealed the strongest appeal of VR isn't strictly for day-to-day gamers but for bridging the gap for players both young and old.

Well, maybe only seasoned players should play Resident Evil 7, VR or otherwise.Courtesy of Rely On Horror

In my younger days of single player gaming, passing the controller could've been a frustrating test of patience. Waiting hours for a selfish friend to give up the controller may have shaken even the toughest of relationships. However, when using PlayStation VR I've found myself having the best moments when I'm sitting to the side watching someone else play. To speed up the process for guests I've needed to master the art of preparing the setup which is a little bit of an ordeal. Rewiring the half dozen wires that come with PSVR is always more frustrating than it needs to be but that doesn't include adjusting the headset for each user, acclimating to the lower than ideal resolution, and recalibrating your field of vision.

Trust me when I say that there a lot of wires.Courtesy of PlayStation

Understandable to Anyone

Once you're actually ready to use your fancy-pants VR unit you may be surprised by how accessible it is. Most games have some sort of calibration process at the beginning, which demands a process separate from the physical installation, but once you're in the game it's all instantly forgivable. Playing in the world of VR is shockingly understandable right out of the gate. My very own Grandma (love you, Grammy) hasn't played a video game in her life but immediately understood how to simply look around a shark-cage in VR. It doesn't require anything more than just turning her head and looking at things. Games with a deeper set of requirements, like PS Move wands, are equally as intuitive.

Using old tech from PS3, PS Move is one of the most intuitive controllers.Courtesy of PlayStation

As most VR games that use PS Move only really demands pointing and pressing the trigger, it's often just as easy as the rest to comprehend. A game that asks you to point and fire a gun is literally just that, while other games will replace the move controllers with in-game hands that open or close with a press of that same trigger. Laughing at the physics of a game like PSVR Worlds' The London Heist forces a laugh out of everyone. The silliness of playing the games is only amplified by watching it from the sidelines. Each player plays differently but they all quickly understand the rules.

PSVR's often lackluster graphics are forgiven when exchanged for immersion.Courtesy of PlayStation

So PSVR is more than likely to continue gathering dust from time-to-time on a shelf but that heightens my enjoyment whenever I use it. Playing it in short bursts every month or so grows my appreciation for the product, I wouldn't recommend every gamer go out and buy one but I would open my door for anyone that wants to try it.