When I say Resident Evil in VR, you probably think about the sublime PSVR support for Resident Evil 7. But that’s not the only way to enter Capcom’s terrifying world of horrors, as the new Capcom Plaza Tokyo shows.
At the company’s new site in Tokyo’s Ikebukoro district sit two new VR arcade experiences based around the fan-favorite franchise.
Much like VR Zone’s massive Mazaria arcade, which is just a short walk away, the site is peppered with amazing props and set design that would make western VR arcades blush.
You can see more of our trip to Capcom Plaza Tokyo in our most recent episode of The VR Culture Show, but read on for a detailed rundown of the games on offer.
Resident Evil: Walkthrough The Fear At Capcom Plaza Tokyo
The most recent of the two games is based around the characters and setting of Resident Evil 7. Series fans will know that the 2017 sequel doubled down on the horror, daring players to explore the decrepit Baker Mansion, stalked by its dangerously insane occupants. Set before those events, Walkthrough The Fear casts you as a captive in the Mansion’s basement.
But this isn’t an escape room game; inside you use room-scale tracking to creep through different rooms, killing monsters with up to three friends, trying to converse as much ammo as possible. At times the terrifying Mr. Baker rears his head and has you running away in fear. It can be quite a startling experience when it wants to be.
You might have already seen our full review of Walkthrough The Fear earlier this year but, long story short, it’s not as good as you’d hope. Once you’re able to overcome the initial panic you can quickly see right through a lot of the game’s design, which has some strange bugs and doesn’t find the right balance between survival and fun. Plus, in my experience, poor chaperone calibration had me walk into a wall mid-session, which was the biggest fright of all.
Resident Evil: Valiant Raid At Capcom Plaza Tokyo
Travelling back in time, Valiant Raid stars (get it?) characters from Resident Evil 2, using assets from last year’s stunning remake. This time you play as a member of an elite team performing a cleanup operation in a lab in Raccoon City.
Valiant Raid is much simpler than Walkthrough the Fear, and far less terror-inducing. You and up to three friends stand in one spot, back-to-back and gun down as many zombies as you can as they shamble on towards you. It’s essentially a very simple VR wave shooter, just with higher production values than you’re used to. And it comes with one really amazing VR moment.
That would be when the Tyrant stomps onto the scene. Those that played the remake will know this beastly figured stalks you around every corner. Mid-way through Valiant Raid, he bursts onto the scene and stands, towering over you. If you thought he was scary in the remake, well, just wait until you face up to him in VR. It’s really intimidating moment made all the more powerful by VR’s sense of scale.
Though it’s very simple, fans will definitely get a kick of out Valiant Raid; it’s the best of the two games at Capcom Plaza Tokyo.
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You can book tickets to Resident Evil VR games at Capcom Plaza Tokyo right here.
