Alright, would-be Oculus modders, the bar has been set. We’ve seen Oculus Rift support modded into the likes of Mario 64 and The Ocarina of Time, but this here is some next-level crazy.
YouTube user MrJTDekker shared this mod of Saints Row IV, putting himself into the virtual virtual Steelport (it’s a simulation within the game, see) using a mod which turned the third-person action game into a first-person, run around and don’t get queasy game.
Apparently, developer Volition heard that Dekker really enjoyed the experience of running around in Saints Row: The Third using the VR headset, and sent along a copy of IV so that he could see what it was like playing the amped-up sequel.
Surprisingly, running and leaping with super powers in Saints Row IV translates – after a fashion. Some of interface elements look a little wonky (the minimap is warped over in the corner), and it doesn’t help that our game’s driver has his head at a slight tilt the entire time (what’s the neck pain situation with prolonged use of an Oculus Rift, anyway). Shooting looks like it ever does, although good on Dekker for taking the time to show us what the Dubstep Gun looks like from a first-person perspective.
The highlight – and possible low-light – for me, is the bit where he’s chasing the data sphere and crashes into one of the alien police cruisers. In that short sequence, you get to experience the impossible speed of moving around in the game but trying to find something quickly, whipping your head around with the finicky head tracking, can be a kind of nauseating experience.
Dekker has provided a link to the Saints Row IV mod here.
HT: Volition Games