Back to Dinosaur Island Part 2

VR technology is on the verge of becoming the new gold standard in gaming, since more and more companies are trying to bring their own devices to the market. Sony, Google, HTC and a few others are making efforts to release new gadgets for gamers to enjoy their favorite hobby, which means that you’ll soon face a pretty big decision when it comes to choosing the desired device.

Back to Dinosaur Island Part 2 is a short demonstration of what Oculus Rift DK2 is capable, and obviously of what Crytek can achieve with their new CRYENGINE technology. As the name clearly states, this is the second part of the series, and it’s a bit more refined than the first one. There’s a lot more going on in this part as well, since it’s a bit more interactive as well.

Hence, you start by having to climb a mountain wall all the way to the top, while avoiding debris on your way there. However, don’t expect too much action either, since the climbing is done by holding onto a motorized device, and it really doesn’t seem to matter how much debris falls on your head, because you cannot actually die.

In order to create a believable experience, Crytek designed the environment with as many variables as possible. Hence, there are always pterodactyls flying above your head, as well as distant screeches and all sorts of growls. Granted, there are some scripted triggers in there too, but they are not very obvious, and they shouldn’t break immersion at all.

As far as the actual graphics are concerned, it’s only natural that the game looks incredible, given the legendary capabilities of the CRYENGINE. However, it’s that much more exciting to see it in action through your VR headset, especially since the game is so well-designed. Every texture comes in very high resolutions, and the post-processing effects added on top of it all make everything extra exciting.

When it’s all said and done, Back to Dinosaur Island Part 2 is certainly worthy of a try if you have an Oculus Rift headset and a desire to put it to good use. However, you need to remember that this is just a demonstration of what the technology can achieve, so the gameplay is very short.