Far Cry VR is not a normal virtual reality game. Designed for “free-roam VR”, it can’t be played in your home on an Oculus Quest or Valve Index headset. Instead, you must go to a special location where VR magic transforms a room the size of a whole apartment into Far Cry 3’s exotic, pirate-controlled island. This allows up to eight people the freedom to walk around and explore huge areas that simply can’t be done within the confines of your furniture-filled living room.

Unfortunately, despite these shattered barriers, Far Cry VR feels tightly restricted. It’s more akin to an on-rails light gun shooter such as Time Crisis than a Far Cry experience. Thankfully, though, this lack of ambition doesn’t totally overshadow the genuine thrills of VR at this scale.

Myself and two other IGN staff members had the opportunity to play Far Cry VR at Meetspace VR in London, where we played through the whole game in co-op. The previously mentioned Time Crisis vibe comes directly from Far Cry VR’s set-up. It’s essentially a high-concept arcade game; a 30-minute experience only available at 52 venues across the world. These parameters mean the depth of experimentation that you’d expect from Far Cry is traded for instant and accessible thrills. There’s no choice between stealth or action, there are no outposts to capture, and there are no animals to befriend and unleash on your foes. Instead, you and a group of friends are tasked with simply gunning down waves of enemies to obtain the highest score on the leaderboard.

These concessions to the Far Cry formula are understandable given the format, but sadly the experience doesn’t take full advantage of its one unique feature. While you are able to freely walk around the game’s environments, the level design is restrictive. Areas funnel you down narrow pathways, which makes for a very on-rails shooter feel. Fights take place in static kill boxes which seem designed for you to simply stand in position and fire on incoming enemies, rather than navigating the space to hunt them down.

But despite all this, Far Cry VR is a good time, at least in the moment. Being able to walk long distances uninterrupted in a VR game feels weird and fun, and holds novelty for most of the 30 minutes. Despite not demanding rigorous movement, the immersion makes it all too easy to get into character, and so after half-an-hour of ducking behind cover and swinging an AK-47 wildly, you build up quite a sweat. And while most of Far Cry’s hallmark ideas are ignored, the game’s stand-out segment does make good use of the series’s obsession with drug-fuelled psychedelics. Enemies fire at you from architecture floating in the sky, while sea creatures float by uncomfortably close amidst the carnage. It’s all amusingly trippy.

Zero Latency, the company behind Far Cry VR, has just three locations in the UK and 11 in the United States. This means you’ll likely have to travel to visit one, perhaps even quite a distance. If you’re a Far Cry fan, such a pilgrimage will probably disappoint; this is a Far Cry game in name only. But if you live near a Zero Latency site and have the cash to spare, there’s definitely some fun to be had in free-roam VR. I suspect one of the company’s bespoke games that don’t come shackled to the expectations of an existing series, however, is probably the best way to experience it.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.

John Hanke, the Founder and CEO of Niantic, has published his detailed thoughts on the metaverse. The Niantic boss is seemingly far from excited about the concept, with fears that a virtual universe may evolve to become a "dystopian nightmare" and one that humanity should look to work to avoid.

In a lengthy blog post published on Niantic's website, Hanke describes his fears around a proposed metaverse, arguing that fictional depictions of such a concept serve to act as a warning for society. He says, "A lot of people these days seem very interested in bringing this near-future vision of a virtual world to life, including some of the biggest names in technology and gaming. But in fact these novels served as warnings about a dystopian future of technology gone wrong."

It's not that Hanke is against supplementing the real world with technology – I mean, he's the founder of a software company that creates augmented reality games. The CEO instead says that "we can use technology to lean into the ‘reality' of augmented reality — encouraging everyone, ourselves included, to stand up, walk outside, and connect with people and the world around us." In Hanke's view, technology isn't something that should be used to replace core human experiences by launching people into a virtual mega-sphere of total escapism. Moreover, it should be used to better human experiences by using technology to supplement their experiences in the 'real' world.

Hanke's interest in designing games that drive more real-world interactions through the use of technology can be seen in Niantic's release catalogue. Games like Pokémon Go and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite use AR technology that connects the virtual to the physical in order to promote active play. In this vein, Hanke says that Niantic questions how technology can make people better. "Could it nudge us get us off the couch and out for an evening stroll or a Saturday in the park? Could it draw us into public space and into contact with neighbors we might never have met? Could it give us a reason to call a friend, make plans with our families, or even discover brand new friends? Collectively, could it help us discover the magic, history, and beauty hiding in plain sight?" he asks.

In the post, Hanke describes his future hopes for achieving more real-world interactions within what he calls the 'real world metaverse'. The CEO explains that "Building the real world metaverse lies at the intersection of two major technical undertakings: synchronizing the state of hundreds of millions of users around the world (along with the virtual objects they interact with), and tying those users and objects precisely to the physical world."

In order to develop its augmented worlds further, Hanke says that Niantic is pursuing avenues within its Lightship platform (the technology that underpins Pokemon Go) that would support a "shared state" experience of the world. In this shared state, interactions with digital objects in the physical world would be consistent for everyone. If one person were to change something in the digital world, it would be reflected in what the millions of other participants using the AR system also see. Hanke says that tying digital interactions to the physical world like this is a task similar to creating Google Maps but for computers.

Niantic's long-term goal in the field is to develop games that promote a "shared state" experience that can be discovered and explored through other AR technologies such as smart glasses. To make sense of this, Hanke says, "We imagine a future of worlds that can be overlaid on the real world. For now, we’re calling these ‘reality channels’ to give the idea a name. Think of Pokémon GO, upgraded for smart glasses where the Pokémon wander through your local park, seeming to actually inhabit the world. In this future version, Pokémon appear to you as if they are really there, scurrying around passing pedestrians, hiding behind a park bench, or roaming in herds through your favorite park."

Hanke continues to explore the idea further, explaining how digital creations in the real world could affect infrastructure and other in-game users. "Buildings might take on the pastel hues of the Pokémon universe; a 10-story Pokémon GO Gym might rise above your local shopping center. If you encounter another player on the street, they might even appear transformed into the guise of their in-game persona." he says.

Niantic has partnered with Qualcomm to invest in "a reference design for outdoor-capable AR glasses" that would sync up with Niantic's maps to create a medium through which users could experience these overlaid worlds. Despite first versions of the hardware existing for "internal R&D", Hanke says that the company's work in the field is just beginning and expects it to continue for a number of years. Looks like we won't be seeing our favourite Pokémon soaring over any busy city streets just yet then.

In other Niantic news, why not check out this article detailing how the company recently issued a response to fans over complaints surrounding its decision to reduce the in-game extended range feature for Pokéstop interactions in Pokémon Go.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. He adores the idea of chasing his favorite Pokémon around the local park. You can follow him on Twitter.

As the last planned expansion in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s first season pass, The Siege of Paris feels like the series going out with more of a whisper than a shout. New and interesting activities are in short supply while content that is functionally identical to the rest of the main game flows like wine. And even the return of the fan favorite more open-ended assassination missions and strong character performances can’t save the story from feeling run of the mill at best.

As with the previous expansion, Wrath of the Druids, two new visitors to Ravensthorpe arrive with the intention to butter Eivor up and convince them to sail to a faraway land and solve their problems. After a little wining and dining, Tolk and Pierre, charming representatives of the Elgring Clan, succeed in commissioning the Wolf-Kissed to ship off to Francia and help in their plight against the Mad King, Charles the Fat.

9th Century France’s visuals didn’t immediately shock in the same way that Ireland did in Wrath of the Druids. The rolling grassy hills and river-webbed deltas look almost identical to much of England from the base adventure. Where Ireland’s color palette and geography felt like you were entering an old and mysteriously untamed place, Francia’s wildlands felt disappointingly simple. Simple can still be beautiful of course, and the parts of the country where King Charles had rampaged into blackened craters almost felt more devastating thanks to how familiar they felt. That said, if you put a location from Francia side by side with one of the regions in the middle of England, I’d be hard pressed to tell you the difference.

The general flow of quests and side activities in Siege of Paris was also disappointingly familiar. Every location had the same menu of things to do, kill, and discover, all playing out the same way they always have. More of the same can be entertaining, but Francia is missing the flourish that Ireland had in this regard. Duels with the wandering Frankish Nobles and exploring Roman Excavation sites don't differentiate themselves from vanilla Valhalla’s equivalents. Rebel Missions, the expansion’s new activity, are shallower versions of the same “find this, kill that” quests too, just shortened significantly and featuring AI controlled rebels to help you complete your tasks. You can grind through these events pretty quickly to earn deniers, a currency you can spend on upgrading your rebels or purchasing new armor and runes, but none of its rewards are compelling reasons to do so outside of compulsive box checking.

The already solid combat of Valhalla has at least been given a bit more life with the addition of a new weapon type, the scythe. Scythes are two-handed weapons that are quicker than the other two-handed options. They’re great for mobs of enemies and single targets alike, and I was very surprised at how much fun I had whirling those things around the battlefield. In contrast, I never once had fun dueling against the new enemy type, the Heavy Cavalry. These mounted Frankish knights absorb tons of damage, have massive reach, and are immune to many of the movement and displacement abilities you have that make combat so enjoyable in the first place. Whenever they were dropped onto the field, they were always the most dangerous thing there and the last thing I could finish off, which provides a bit of new challenge at the cost of added frustration.

The story itself is slow to start and isn’t going to blow minds by the end of its 10-hour runtime. The conflict between Norweigian vikings colonizing a foreign land and the local tyrannical monarch using ruthless tactics to stop them is pretty similar to many of the other stories told in Valhalla so far. The interesting wrinkle of the Catholic church being subverted by radical cultists is a subplot that is teased, but remained a case that was never truly closed by the time I finished the last quest.

That said, some excellent performances from key characters like King Charles and Count Odo really elevate the simple story of a plucky rebellion versus a powerful tyrant. Charles’ presence specifically fills every scene he’s in with a profound cloud of tension that makes you feel very worried about anyone else sharing a space with him. He’s the most memorable Assassin’s Creed villain in many years.

There’s also a plague raging through Francia, but it doesn’t loom very large over the proceedings, and the only time I noticed it was when I encountered rat swarms in the sewers of Paris and surrounding ruins. These swarms are lethal if not dealt with, but the process of dealing with them is annoying. Attacks can chase them off but cannot damage them, so unless you shepherd them into sewer grates and block them off, they will pester you to death. I'm glad they were such an infrequent encounter.

The main story missions also feature a handful of Infiltrations, open-ended assassination tasks retooled from Assassin’s Creed Unity’s Black Box missions (coincidentally, also based in France). These are welcome additions to the formula, adding multiple avenues of progress to your target and the freedom to complete missions the way you want to. They offer some hard to miss prompts to get you started before branching into various opportunities to gain intel and find shortcuts that you wouldn't get otherwise. Infiltrations also often result in particularly brutal cinematic assassinations if you follow all of the leads correctly. It’s not quite Hitman-levels of freedom, but the relative openness is a call back to the series’ history that I didn’t know I missed until now.

If you're looking to upgrade your PS5 console's internal storage, then you're in luck. The WD SN850 M.2 SSD complete with a low-profile heatsink is back in stock from Western Digital direct. It's the most recommended SSD option for the PS5, but it has also been sold out everywhere for a while. It's currently back in stock at Western Digital, but probably only for a short while. In other deal news, Dell has dropped the price on the Alienware Aurora RTX 3060 equipped gaming PC to $1099. That's the lowest price we've seen, and not even other prebuilt gaming PC brands can match the price. These deals and more below.

Back in Stock (Including 1TB Model): WD Black SN850 M.2 SSD with Heatsink

The Western Digital official storefront has all models of the SN850 SSD with heatsink in stock right now, and that includes the extremely hard to find 1TB model. This is currently the most popular (and probably the best) SSD to get for your PS5 storage upgrade. It's blazing fast drive with transfer speeds rated at up to 7,000 MB/s and a PCIe Gen4 interface and it comes preinstalled with a heatsink. It's also confirmed by Western Digital themselves to be compatible with the PS5.

Apple AirPods Pro Noise-Cancelling Earbuds

If you regret not picking the Airpods Pro up on Amazon Prime Day at 24% off, here's your chance to get it today at the same price. The AirPods Pro is considered one of the best truly wireless noise-cancelling in-ear headphones you can get, especially for under $200.

40lb Set Cast Iron Adjustable Dumbbell Weights

If you want to get a good upper body workout at home without spending much money, have we got the perfect deal for you. This is a fantastic price for cast iron weights, especially if you can get free shipping on orders of $35 or more (hint: buy 2 of these). Just looking at the price per weight alone, you're paying just 55 cents per pound of cast iron weights. But this deal is better than that because there's room for adjustability; the set includes 4x 5lb plates, 4x 3lb plates, 2x handles (3lbs each), and 4x collars (0.5lbs each). For $22, that's a steal.

Alienware Aurora R12 RTX 3060 Gaming PC

You'd be hard pressed to find another prebuilt desktop PC with RTX 3060 video card at this price from any vendor, let alone from Alienware. This is an outstanding deal for a very capable gaming PC. The RTX 3060 performs on par with the previous generation's RTX 2070. It runs circles around the GTX 1660 Ti, which is the card you'd most likely find in a gaming PC at this price range. This deal is part of Dell's 48-hour sale and will expire soon.

Alienware m15 R6 RTX 3060 Gaming Laptop

This is the lowest price we've seen so far for an Alienware laptop equipped with an RTX 3060 video card. Released in May, the "R6" is the newest 2021 revision of the ever popular Alienware m15 laptop featuring the new Intel Tiger-Lake CPU and the Geforce RTX 30 series video card. The RTX 3060 is more powerful than the previous generation's RTX 2070. It's powerful enough to easily handle just about any game at 1080p, the screen's native resolution. This deal is also part of Dell's 48-hour sale and will expire soon.

2021 Apple iPad Pro 11" 128GB WiFi

Save $100 off the latest and most powerful iPad Pro on the market. This iPad is the newest generation model released earlier this year. It boasts the powerful Apple M1 chip, which is significantly more powerful than any of the previous processors. The 11" Liquid Retina display with ProMotion, True Tone, and P3 wide color is better than just about other tablet or phone screen out there; the only way to get a better screen is to upgrade to the 12.9" model.

Arcade1Up Ms Pac-Man Arcade Cabinet

Save 15% off the rarely discounted Ms Pacman arcade cabinet from Arcade1Up. This is a 3:4 scaler replica that measures 4 feet tall. A themed riser is also included that raises the cabinet by an additional 1 foot, so you can choose to play comfortably while sitting or standing. Games included are Ms Pac-Man, Pac-Mania, Pac-Man Plus, and Galaxian.

Herman Miller Gaming Sale: 15% Off Gaming Chairs, Including the Herman Miller x Logitech G Embody

Herman Miller makes the best ergonomic chairs in the industry. They're also not cheap, with several of their models easily topping over $1000 in price. Penny pinchers might find it a waste of money, but honestly, in this case you get what you pay for. Many of us could spend a majority of our lives stuck to our chair, it makes sense that this would be one of the most important purchases we make. Today, Herman Miller is offering 15% off their top-of-the-line gaming collaborations with Logitech. This is the first time we've seen a substantial discount on these outside of Sample Sales and employee-only offers. If you've got deep pockets, then you'll save on what is probably the best gaming chair on the market.

Available: Nintendo Joy-Cons Skyward Sword Edition

After a long haitus, these special edition Skyward Sword themed Joy-Cons are available for order again on Amazon. They Joy-Cons are made over in a royal blue color with white accents. The right Joy-Con controller is themed after the Master Sword and the left controller features a Hylian Shield motif. Get it now before it goes out of stock again.

Best Ultra-Wide Gaming Monitor: Samsung Odyssey Neo G9 49" 5120×1440 Mini LED Monitor

Preorder the Samsung Neo G9 gaming monitor (out on August 23), and get the JBL Quantum One Gaming Headset for free. That's a $300 headset. This is the first Mini LED gaming monitor we've seen and easily the best monitor in Samsung's "Odyssey" series. Mini LED technology is pretty new. You'll see them in the highest end Samsung and TCL TVs as well as the newest Apple iPad Pro 12.9" XDR display. The cost keeps 99% of us gamers at bay, but for those who can afford it, you currently won't find a better ultra-wide monitor.

Video Game Deals

More Daily Deals for August 11

Update, 10:09am: PS5 Horizon Forbidden West Bundle is in stock at Amazon at the moment, and you don't have to be a Prime member to access it.

PS5 availability is slowly starting to improve in the UK, with the likes of PlayStation Direct, Very, GAME, and Amazon now restocking the console fairly regularly. This means there are now healthy amounts of time available from when the stock goes live, to when it goes out of stock.

Even then, PS5 consoles usually come back fairly quickly now, so this could be the end of the stock shortage in the UK. Xbox Series X is already widely available as well, so the PS5 shouldn't be far behind. I'll be keeping this article updated daily with new stock availability in the UK, so keep an eye out for any updates, or you can follow @IGNUKDeals as well for live notifications when stock is available.

LIVE: PS5 Is In Stock at Amazon Right Now (£499.99)

Prime Day 2022: Sign Up for a 30-Day Free Trial

This is the perfect time to sign up for an Amazon Prime 30-day free trial, as you'll be covered for all the early deals coming this week, alongside the massive shopping event next month on July 12-13.

Amazing PS5 SSD Deals: WD Black 1TB for £125 (Best Price Ever)

This is a fantastic deal, and well worth considering if you've recently picked up a PS5, or even if you've had your console for a while and the storage is starting to run low. Remember, a PS5 only has 667.2GB of usable storage, so it won't be long before you'll need to consider expanding the capacity – and with this good of a discount, there couldn't be a better time to upgrade.

PS5: Amazon Prime Members Get Priority

Amazon is a fairly popular retailer for obtaining a PS5, especially since it'll likely arrive within 1-2 days – an exceptionally quick delivery. You'll need to be a Prime Member to get access to any PS5 drops at Amazon, but it'll likely be worth it.

The only downside with Amazon is it's the only retailer where the console will still sell out within minutes. My best suggestion is to follow @IGNUKDeals and sticking the notifications on. I'll tweet immediately when it's available and hopefully, this will start to happen even more as stock becomes increasingly available in the UK.

How to Get a PS5 in the UK

Follow IGN UK Deals on Twitter for PS5 Stock Updates

For the most up-to-the-second information about where you can find PS5 in stock at any given time, you'll want to follow @IGNUKDeals on Twitter. I'll post whenever stock becomes available, and with stock becoming even more available, you'll likely have plenty of time to complete your checkout now.

Be Logged Into Retailer Websites

When an online retailer gets PS5 in stock, it seems like everyone on the planet is scrambling to lock in their order. Retailer websites often become ultra-buggy thanks to all the stress on their servers. Your best bet for getting a PS5 when orders become available is to already be logged into your account, and to have your credit card information saved there. That way you won't waste precious seconds entering your credit card number, billing address, etc. while everyone around you is successfully checking out.

PlayStation Days of Play Sale in the UK

The Days of Play sale is coming to an end on June 8. so this is your last chance to pick up the absolute best PS5 game, accessory, or controller deal this summer. As always, my favourite deal right now is on DualSense Controllers, with both white and midnight black versions of the controller still down to £46.99 (dropping from £64.99).

Last Chance: DualSense Controllers for £46.99 (was £64.99)

Perfect for PS5: LG OLED C1 Lowest Price Ever

Days of Play: Best PS5 Accessory Deals

Days of Play: Best PS5 and PS4 Game Deals

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.