I Nearly Burned Down My Apartment Playing Riven In VR

Depending on who you ask, virtual reality is dying or it’s never been better or it exists outside the realm of normal humanity and only weirdos care about it. Since I fall into the latter category, I’m still on board. Oh, I know that Sony isn’t really supporting the PlayStation VR 2. I’m aware of that fact! Most of the best PS VR2 games are also available on the Oculus Quest 3 or Steam, and the best PSVR game still hasn’t been ported. But none of that matters because I almost burned down my apartment today playing Riven in VR. And it was one of the best gaming experiences I’ve had all year.

Before we get into it, let me say this: yes, it was my fault. I live alone. I’ve mentioned this before, but the best case scenario for my death scenario is that they find my body holding a controller, playing Final Fantasy 6. The worst case scenario is they find my body holding a controller, playing The Arrogant Kaiju Princess and The Detective Servant. Yes, that is a real game. No, you probably don’t want to look it up. And no, I don’t own it. Yet. We’re gonna need to do better than just ten percent off the price during a Steam sale. But once I do buy it – I promise you that they will find me dead playing it.

Riven VR Is So Immersive It’s Dangerous

The point being, I am alone. And, being alone, this morning I decided to reheat a couple frozen bagels in the oven because after ten years as a television writer, you live pretty big. Knowing it would be about 20-30 minutes until the bagels were as warm and soft as your mom, I decided to try playing the new remake of Riven in virtual reality. I don’t get to use VR as much as I’d like, and being a fan of the original, it seemed like a fun way to pass a few minutes before checking on those bagels I had recently mentioned. Breakfast would be done soon!

Now, I had already played about an hour of the Riven remake in 2D on my computer and Steam Deck and loved it. This is extremely obvious for a remake, but even in its enhanced state, it feels like a game out of time. While panoramic, FMV-filled puzzle games were all the rage back in the ‘90s, Riven feels rarer now. More mysterious. Or I’m just getting a dose of something I haven’t had shot straight into my veins since I was in middle school.

But in virtual reality – dear lord – Riven shines. I’ve played a lot of virtual reality games, but Riven should be included with every virtual reality headset made by every manufacturer. It is a wild travesty that Riven isn’t on PS VR2 (outside of using it as a headset for Steam). I don’t think it would single-handedly save the eternally undying genre that is virtual reality; but I do think that this game is what virtual reality is made for. It’s a tactile experience designed for moving around and using your hands.

The difference between playing in 2D and VR is far greater than even in the underappreciated Star Wars Squadrons. You can take your time in Riven. You’re supposed to take your time. As the sounds of the ocean wash over you, you make your way between islands, solving various little gizmo puzzles. But most of the time there’s no sense of urgency. You go at your own pace while exploring a beautiful world. It’s relaxing. Hell, I’d say it’s more calming than some of the virtual reality meditation apps I own. There was one point, overlooking a cliff, when I just sat down on my floor and took a break. It’s that convincing. It’s that comforting.

Not to mention that playing the game is easier in VR. While nobody would ever confuse me for an intelligent person (I’m truly the stupidest man on Earth), it’s easier for me to spot little details when solving problems in virtual reality. 2D still gives you plenty of ways to examine your surroundings – but it’s just more natural to walk around a rusted device, look at every angle, and poke at it with the hand controllers. It’s easier to crane your neck, looking for a way around or the right lever to get some transport machine to show up.

Riven Is So Much Better In VR

Also, riding in those transport machines is amazing. Since I’m guessing approximately none of you are going to play this game in virtual reality, I’ll just say that using transport in Riven is more fun than any VR roller coaster I’ve ever tried. Some people go to Dave & Busters and pay $5 a pop for this. I can just annoy the game by going back and forth between islands. One point early on, a section made me realize how gorgeous the opening scenes of BioShock would’ve been in VR. It caught me up. It swallowed me whole. I kept meaning to take a break, but I kept finding another door to open, another pipeline to mess with, another lever to pull.

Until I heard my fire alarm go off and I remembered I’m, again, the stupidest human alive. I tore off my VR headset and realized somehow – without me noticing – my entire apartment had filled with smoke. Not a little bit. Like, enough that it was probably a danger to my health. I’m not even sure how I missed it. I usually have a big fan behind me when playing VR because my air conditioning decides it’s on vacation during the summer. Maybe that blew a lot of the smoke away from me. I was also wearing special prescription goggles under my VR headset (because I’m that hot), so maybe that kept my eyes from watering. Or maybe my brain smelled burnt toast and thought, ‘Eh, it may be death time, but at least this isn’t while playing The Arrogant Kaiju Princess and The Detective Servant.’

Fortunately, I was able to pull down my fire alarm – almost falling off the stepstool in the rush – and open all my windows and vent the apartment. I tossed the toast in the sink and poured water on it. I sprayed Febreeze everywhere, adding to the future survival of this planet. I lit a few candles and turned on an air purifier I haven’t touched since 2020. Then a neighbor banged on my door and asked if I needed help. I didn’t. I said I burnt some food I was making. They looked at me like I was a giant idiot, because I was. I filled my home with smoke trying to warm up the world’s simplest breakfast.

I’m not super happy that my apartment – right now, right this moment – smells like arson at a bakery. Knowing my apartment’s ancient ventilation system, it’s probably going to smell this way for a couple days. Fantastic. But honestly, it’s rare I get that lost in a game. Even in virtual reality. Usually there’s a tiny distraction. A lens is smudged. A glitch takes me out of it. The virtual boundaries pop up even when I’m in the very middle of the space. But that didn’t happen here. It was beautiful. I was finally getting what I always wanted out of virtual reality: Going somewhere else and forgetting everything else even existed. Just, you know, I should try to not almost kill myself next time I do it.