Murderer’s Creed Nexus VR is just gorgeous on Quest 3

Please needless to say the next first impressions of Murderer’s Creed Nexus VR are primarily based on my expertise with the early “Ezio” chapters of the sport and are subsequently not a overview of the total sport.

Individuals typically ask me which VR headset I choose to make use of, and till very not too long ago, I most likely would have stated the PSVR2. I nonetheless completely love them, primarily as a result of they do lots of cool issues that different headphones cannot do. However, after taking part in Murderer’s Creed Nexus VR on Meta Quest 3, I feel I’ll have lastly discovered a brand new contender for the coveted high spot on my listing.

Whereas video games working regionally on the Quest 2 had been nice in concept, they all the time felt tender and primary in comparison with the video games I may play on it when tethered to a PC. Plus they all the time felt like smaller-scale shows in comparison with what was out there on different wired VR platforms. Murderer’s Creed Nexus VR runs natively on Quest 3 but looks like an actual generational leap (of religion), and as you may see on this week’s episode of VR Nook, the standard of among the visuals left me utterly amazed!

Close to the start of this week’s VR Nook, I stated one thing about the truth that I’ve performed PC VR video games that sound worse than the Nexus VR that runs natively on the Quest 3, and I wasn’t kidding. I’ve all the time judged the visuals within the unique Quest video games pretty harshly, however there is a high quality right here that I’ve by no means skilled earlier than that blew me away. All the things from the beautiful lighting results and extremely detailed textures to the big variety of NPCs strolling round introduced life and believability to the world. Though it is nonetheless not current in Half-Life Alyx, visually this appears like the present gold customary for unique wire-free gaming. Till Asguard’s Wrath 2 is launched in a number of weeks.

The story places you within the position of a hacker and begins with an sudden cool spot of blended actuality gaming that overlays the Animus’ consumer interface over your real-life residing house. It is like a scene from Minority Report, which includes a easy hacking puzzle and a good quantity of “speaking,” however it’s a formidable use of Quest 3’s traversal function nonetheless.

From there, you might be rapidly positioned within the hidden sneakers of Ezio Auditore da Firenze and despatched in your first mission, which is to get better his stolen sword from the attic of an enormous palace. These early missions are stuffed with tutorials masking every thing from parkour to stealth killing, enemy distraction methods and sword preventing, however they’re evenly spaced out and subsequently not as annoying as they may very well be.

Hardcore Murderer’s Creed followers may even get nice pleasure from residing in digital worlds that they’ve solely ever skilled in flat-screen video games. Ezio’s second mission for instance takes you to a full recreation of his metropolis, Monteriggioni, which you’ll then wander round at your leisure whereas exploring collectibles or doing mini parkour challenges.

The Nexus is not with out issues although. Management-wise, there’s rather a lot to consider, and though there are a good quantity of consolation and accessibility choices out there, it looks like the sport was created with standing play in thoughts. Individuals who choose seated VR gaming, or, like me, have lots of wires hooked up to their heads for video seize functions, might have extra bother with the headband, for instance, as grabbing your self and pulling your self up from a seated place appears much less responsive than I’d have appreciated .

The largest drawback I’ve is with the parkour itself. In concept, it is easy – maintain down the A button on the correct controller and simply run to ledges to robotically leap, skip and leap throughout. When this works, free motion throughout rooftops, beams and different obstacles feels nice, however if you cannot bodily flip and have to depend on stick rotation, you may have to cease holding the A button so you possibly can then re-orient your self with the thumb stick. Doing so basically stops you in your tracks, so the one strategy to get previous checkpoint races and the like is to undertake a type of “crab parkour” the place you attempt to substitute turns with aspect steps whereas craning your neck for the train. The place you are imagined to be heading.

Murderer’s Creed Nexus VR is launched at this time on the Quest 2, Quest 3, and Quest Professional, and whereas I wasn’t in a position to take a look at it on the Quest 2, I think it will not get as a lot viewing because it does the opposite two headsets because of the distinction in processing energy. I am positive it is simply nearly as good on the Quest 2, however in the event you not too long ago bought a Quest 3 and wish to expertise a glimpse of what the way forward for wire-free VR gaming may appear like, this sport looks like an Animus-t buy!