I’d been warned in person and on the Internet that The Exorcist: Legion VR is borderline unplayable on PS4, but
- It’s based on one of my favorite movies (The Exorcist III).
- I really like the idea of VR horror games.
- It was discounted enough during a sale that I could no longer resist trying it.
A few years ago, I decided to finally watch the film version of The Exorcist. I’d long been a fan of the book, but I didn’t think I’d care much for the movie. And I ended up liking some scenes, but it wasn’t going to become one of my favorites.
I’d heard that the sequel was garbage, and so I didn’t bother seeing it (and I probably never will). But at some point I learned that the third film was
- Based on the follow-up book, Legion (which I also liked).
- Written and directed by William Peter Blatty, the author of both books.
- Very strange.
So I watched that one, and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. The main character, Bill Kinderman, was played by George C. Scott. I recognized him from the A Christmas Carol movie that used to play on television every year when I was a kid.
Another actor I recognized was Fabio. He didn’t have a speaking part and was not credited, but that was apparently his first movie appearance other than something he was in as a toddler. The Exorcist III came out the year after he posed for the cover of Ironsword.
One thing that makes the movie strange is a series of scenes that don’t really seem to fit. And that’s because Blatty didn’t plan to include them but the people in charge insisted on shooting a lot of additional footage, such as a final showdown. (The original ending was just as understated as much of what preceded it.)
As I once mentioned in the big thread about movies, I’m glad the theatrical version has the ending it does even if it wasn’t what Blatty wanted. I like it when a movie unexpectedly goes off the rails.
The game has some decent atmosphere in places. But I think that’s largely because VR automatically makes things more immersive.
The controls are shockingly bad, however. From a video I saw once, it appears that the PC version supports two-handed motion controls. Not so on PS4. One of your hands is stationary and the other files around the room wildly, occasionally becoming controllable. The game prompts you to enter your height and then constantly forgets it, making it even more difficult to perform simple actions. I find myself having to repeat the tedious “calibration” sequence frequently, hoping each time that it will work. But it usually doesn’t.
The first chapter begins with a message on a two-way radio. After I fought the controls for a few minutes and managed to pick up the radio, I immediately dropped it on the floor. The only way to pick something up off the floor seems to be using the non-functional hand (which can at least grab things, and which can just barely reach the floor when you crouch), moving to something that’s just the right height, and then dropping it so that you can attempt to pick it up with your other hand.
The controls are not the game’s only problems. I sometimes find myself outside the intended play area or suddenly missing one of the tools required to progress. I think that I’ve spent almost as much time restarting the game, reloading my save, and restarting chapters as I have fighting with the controls. My actual play time is minimal, and I’ve only made it through two of the five chapters so far.
I think I’m going to keep at it, though.
