The Oculus Quest 2 in the corner of my room has been gathering dust for a while. Last week, my uncle was visiting from Pakistan and he really wanted to try it out. He had fun playing Beat Saber, one of the top titles on our best VR games list, but after he left it went back in the case.

Recently, however, I downloaded Resident Evil 4 VR, a virtual reality port of the 2005 classic. I grew up playing "Resident Evil 4" on the Gamecube as a kid, and have fond memories of taking on the role of Leon Kennedy in a bizarre hunt through a zombie infested village to find the President's daughter. At the time, it was seen as a great feature of video game storytelling. Now it's a bit cheesy. In any case, the gameplay mechanics and worldview were deeply realized for the time and are still considered by many, including us, to be the best Resident Evil yet.

And now, Oculus Quest 2 is a great deal on Cyber Monday.

Courtesy of Capcom, I was offered a code for the game. Immediately, Resident Evil VR felt familiar yet fresh. It was the same world I remembered, with secret items and gold-dropping crows. But it was far more immersive than the square CRT TV in my parents' bedroom.

The simple act of removing the gun from its side holster and loading new ammunition was strangely satisfying. Especially in a game where ammunition was limited and the enemy was relentless. Especially in a game where ammunition is limited and the enemy is relentless. From the outside, I would have looked like an idiot, but in VR I was an action movie hero.

Since VR is a very specific design consideration for game developers, I am in awe of how well Austin-based developer Armature Studio brought the game into a simulated 3D environment. Not only have many textures and graphics been revamped, but objects can be poked and prodded, and react just as they would in the real world.

For example, walking through the villages, I see crosses with skulls hanging from each arm. When I strike the skull with my hand, I see it sway back and forth. These little details, which Armature could have left alone, add to the immersion of the game.

Through my play, I learned that VR requires technology, and watching the gameplay live videos on IGN, I was amazed at the unique movements players made as they peeked around corners and ran through hordes of enemies. It is clear that "Resident Evil 4 VR" gives players a variety of degrees of freedom depending on how immersive they want to be. You can point and shoot as if you were using a TV remote control. Or he can hold the handle of the gun with both hands for added stability and a greater sense of realism.

And I think that's part of the power that "Resident Evil 4" brings to the VR space. There are certainly more immersive VR titles out there, titles built from the ground up with physical movement and motion control in mind. But new franchises have a higher threshold for new players. And "Resident Evil 4 VR" gives longtime gamers a comparative perspective.

In the comments on the IGN video linked above, many are not only surprised by the way Resident Evil 4 VR plays, but also by how completely different the experience is from the original GameCube version. 2005 games give players a context on which to base context, but the VR remake places that context within the framework of virtual reality. This contrast, I feel, helps lifelong gamers understand the value of VR. In other words, it does for me.

I intend to play "Resident Evil 4 VR" all the way through, even if I can only play for 30 minutes at a time and need a break. But with rumors of a "Resident Evil 4" remake for the PS5 and Xbox Series X spreading, I can personally at least say that it doesn't have to rival the original, but instead this VR remake will.