The VR bar has been raised

Game puts you in the middle of your own blockbuster adventure

A scene from Blood & Truth on the Playstation VR. Picture: Supplied

EVERY console over the years has had that one amazing game that makes gamers buy a system just to play it.

In the earlier days of Playstation it was Crash Bandicoot, Sega had Sonic The Hedgehog and Nintendo was built on Super Mario.

For those people who haven't invested in the Playstation Virtual Reality headset (PSVR), there have been many great games, but never one with that "I have to play this" tag. Until now.

Blood & Truth is a PSVR game that delivers in every aspect of what the headset has always promised, and puts you in as the star of your own action movie blockbuster.

Once you've set up your space, controller and headset you find yourself as British commando Ryan Marks. He's being interrogated, and through a series of flashbacks you discover that he served in the Middle East, in an action packed prologue that gets your familiar with the controls in a daring rescue and action packed car chase.

A scene from Blood & Truth on the Playstation VR. Picture: Supplied

Fast forward to London, and Ryan is on his way home after the death of his father. Reuniting with his family after the funeral, there is a sudden hostile (to say the least) takeover by a rival game, who have moved in on the family business.

What follows is your standard movie revenge plot, but with you in the action it becomes a whole new experience.

If you choose to use two move controllers, you'll have the best experience as you wield two guns and fire in all directions, taking down at various times terrorists, gangsters and thugs.

You can choose to use both hands to use a pistol if you choose, which gives the game a real feeling of suspense as you pick off the villains one by one. To reload, you move the move controller to your chest, pick up a cartridge and load it into the gun. It's a clever idea, and adds to the experience of handing weapons in virtual reality.

You'll find yourself blowing up casinos, picking locks, using stealth, and jumping out of windows.

There's also moments of bullet time, where you can aim more precisely for a satisfying kill every time.

There was one scene when I found myself outside a casino, on a cold rainy night. I think I spent about 10 minutes just looking up at the rain falling down, it was wonderful. Who doesn't love a rainy day, even if it is virtual reality?

A scene from Blood & Truth on the Playstation VR. Picture: Supplied

The trick to getting the most out of Blood & Truth is your setup at home. Make sure you have lots of room, and go through the setup process for your controllers to maximise the accuracy of the headset. The last thing you want is for the game to pause because you are out of range, and I found sitting in a chair in front of the camera the best way to play, but you may prefer to be standing up. Of course, how you play is up to you.

Playing Blood & Truth reminded me of the countless hours I spent in the '90s playing The Getaway on the Playstation 2. It was a gritty, action packed game set in the East End with a terrific, engrossing story. Blood & Truth feels like the 2019 version, and it delivers.

The PSVR has promised much, and finally there is a game that can be classed as an "essential purchase" for owners.

If you don't have a PSVR, now is the time to consider getting one.

If you were to put Die Hard, The Getaway (PS2), and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels into a blender, the result would be Blood & Truth. It's great fun from start to finish, and you'll love every minute of it.

The VR gaming bar has been raised.

VERDICT

Reviewer: Darren Hallesy

Game: Blood & Truth

Console: Playstation VR (PS4)

Score: 4/5 stars

Last word: At last the VR has a game that delivers using the technology. A great story and an action movie fan's dream.

Originally published as The VR bar has been raised