For a property only two years old, the Indian Games Expo (IGX) sure is moving in the right direction, and rapidly at that, too. Over the 15th and 16th of October, gamers from across Mumbai, and I was reliably told, from other cities as well, converged at the World Trade Centre to experience a gaming festival like no other in the country.
The highlight at IGX was the debut of PlayStation’s Virtual Reality (PSVR) headset— Sony’s attempt at taking the VR bus all the way to the bank. While I had very limited time to experience what undoubtedly is the future of gaming, as we know it, early impressions were encouraging. Whether it’s driving across the countryside in Driveclub, or being Batman in Arkham, immersing yourself in the game via the OLED headset is a unique experience.
Having said that, though, having experienced the Oculus Rift not too long ago, the PSVR doesn’t quite feel like a direct competitor. However, when you compare the prices the two come at, the drop in clarity and quality is understandable.
While the longest queues were reserved for the VR, IGX had much more on offer. My personal favourite was trying my hand at Ubisoft’s unreleased title, For Honor. A hack and slash game where players can be samurais, Vikings and knights, For Honor looks promising and plays even better. Really looking forward to it dropping soon.
Apart from that, IGX played to the galleries with a FIFA 17 tournament and went old school with some good old Counterstrike – both of which were successes.
All in all, a great second edition of a property that has all the makings of being much, much bigger sooner rather than later.
