Triple-A games are essentially the blockbuster movies of the video game industry. Games advertised as Triple-A are produced by a large company with a large budget and a decent development timeline.
While triple-A games have large budgets, that doesn’t always translate to a fantastic game experience. The games can still have cheap, cookie-cutter plot lines, as well as a plethora of locked paid content that makes the base game unenjoyable to the average player.
That being said, VR being in its infancy doesn’t exactly reach AAA in budget, and is confined by current technology when producing plot. Producers have bet on early adopters being entertained simply by the new experience headsets offer.
Current VR game graphics often resemble PS1 or early 3D Nintendo games. Indie developers excited about a new market quickly post subpar cash grabs for those early adopters who can forgive the lack of visual texture for a relatively high frame refresh rate to hold believability.
That doesn’t mean large companies aren’t seeing VR’s potential. Half-Life: Alyx (2020) is considered by some in the game community as the 1st AAA VR video game.
One big change with the game’s VR is in its movement. Movement in VR is often awkward, hence why the VR game A Wake Inn has your character in a wheelchair to avoid awkward walking motions. Half-Life: Alyx gives you different choices for movement, such as moving where you’re looking or how you turn your head.
Not to mention the texturing, lighting, and coloring in Half-Life: Alyx reflect the quality in games focused on realism.
The gameplay and story are pretty powerful too, with a combo of various puzzles and combat. The game is actually the third in a series of games. The former two not being VR and were released over a decade ago.
But the game experience isn’t just on the visuals. The sound is also very immersive with the little details such as the sound of your clothing getting louder the faster you go.
Though Half-Life: Alyx grabs the spotlight in forum discussions, there are many notable games released prior that also could fit the AAA definition such as Doom, Skyrim and Resident Evil. VR’s perception as a fad that doesn’t compete with AR’s business potential exists as long as small indie games are what’s produced through it. With large studios taking part, it’s become an obvious step in the evolution of gaming.