This latest update to Luke’s R.E.A.L. VR mod is now available to download from his Patreon page and it’s easily his most impressive work yet. Not only does it allow you to play through the entirety of Elden Ring in either third or first-person VR but it also comes with an easy to use quick menu that lets you pause the gameplay and alter the mod at any point in the game. You can watch me make a whole load of wonderment noises as I go face-first into Elden Ring in this week’s episode of VR Corner, which you can find below these words. In it, I try out a big portion of third and first person gameplay in VR as I explore Limgrave, the Lakes of Liurnia and take on Margit, Godrick and even a couple of dragons. Oh, and I also use VR to accidentally uncover one of Elden Ring’s most well kept secrets - Torrent has a realistically modelled butt hole hidden underneath his tail. Along with four different camera modes to choose from, including first-person and three variations of third-person, Luke’s mod also gives you the option to slow down the gameplay in order to make fast-paced battles a little more managable. The best addition in my opinion though is the wonderful ‘Tourism’ mode that makes you invisible to all enemies. Fighting Elden Ring’s enemies in VR is an incredibly intense experience and in first-person mode, boss fights are almost impossible due to the speed and the ferocity of the fighting. With the Tourism mode activated though, you can wander through the world at your own pace, drinking in the scenery and inspecting all the enemies from up close. If you don’t have a sturdy set of VR legs, playing Elden Ring in first-person VR will have you reaching for a bucket as soon as you do your first dodge roll. With Tourism mode on however, you’re free to explore the world at your leisure and some of the locations you can visit will leave you speechless. The view over the Lakes of Liurnia from behind Stormveil Castle was a standout for me, as was the moment when I first opened the door and emerged into Limgrave. Elden Ring already has these incredible, impossible, fantastical settings but when viewed in three dimensions in VR it brings them to life in ways that I never thought possible. One thing to bear in mind about this mod is that there are no motion controls present. Your head movement is tracked as it normally would be but, just like in Luke’s previous R.E.A.L. VR mods, you have to control the game using a controller - just like you would do in flat. This isn’t a problem in the slightest for me, but if you do go into the mod expecting to physically swing swords or cast spells, Skyrim VR or Blade and Sorcery style, you’re going to be disappointed. When Aoife Wilson reviewed Elden Ring for the site, she gave it a well deserved Essential and I’d say the same could be said for Luke’s mod. It’s still a work in progress and there’s a fair few rough edges to be ironed out, but none of these take anything away from the majesty of the experience. If you’re a fan of Elden Ring and have the ability to play VR on PC you owe it to yourself to give this mod a go because there’s nothing quite like the feeling of galloping between the towering legs of a dragon as it vomits fire over the top of your head.
