Green Hell VR is due to launch on PC VR headsets next week, and we’ve got an exclusive first look at how it’s shaping up.
Just a few months back Incuvo released its Quest version of this survival game, based on the flatscreen original from Creepy Jar. And it was a smart, streamlined port – large areas of dense jungle had been condensed to help the game run on standalone hardware, the types of buildings and items you could craft had been reined in but new mechanics and interactions helped the game feel native to VR. The result was a much more approachable game that anyone could jump into, though fans of the original may have been disappointed with the simpler, undeniably easier gameplay.
If you’re in the latter tribe, you’ll want to keep an eye on Green Hell VR for PC.
Green Hell VR PC: Exclusive Gameplay
As you can see in the video above, this is the full-fat experience. Green Hell VR on PC aims to bring the entire original game into headsets, which means you’re getting the full map, a larger array of structures and items to craft and features missing from Quest like the ability to inspect and apply bandages to injured legs. The result is a much more ambitious take on the game than what’s come before but, from what I’ve played so far, Incuvo has done a great job of fitting the game onto headsets.
As with the Quest version, this is still an intensely physical experience. Trees need to be chopped with a hearty swing of an ax, spears are chucked with heft to shoot them across the jungle and an endless number of sticks and stones need to be gathered and nestled away in your backpack. There’s also a greater array of plant life and wildlife in this version, which means more threats just as much as it does more opportunities. If you prefer the much more demanding experience of the original game, then this is probably the version you’ll want to play in VR.
There are a few changes where the Quest version actually fares better, though. Extensively reworking the game for standalone allowed Incuvo to add new actions, like physically tying ropes around joints or knocking logs into the ground when making structures, but these are curiously absent here. Granted both the PC and standalone versions are set to see post-launch updates, so we could see other features come in over time.
As for performance and visuals, Incuvo says this isn’t the final build of the game so there are still improvements and optimizations to come. The footage above is taken on low graphics settings just to avoid any performance hitches, but I did have the game running pretty decently on a 3070 Ti with medium graphics settings, where it looked really good. Hopefully we’ll get a fully stable version at launch next week.
Green Hell VR is set to launch on PC June 9, during the Upload VR Showcase. Tune in to the show for a brand new look at the game!
