There are two things that make virtual reality extra impressive: scale and physical reactions. As we've said so many times, you really need to wear the headset to understand just how affecting these assets are, but we also appreciate that it's not easy for everyone to get eyes-on time with the device. As such, we've already tried to explain in detail what the sense of scale feels like – but what of the emotional response?

Windlands may actually frighten those who have a real-world fear of heights

Well, a really good place to start is Windlands, an upcoming indie platformer that's launching on PlayStation VR in the near-future. This is a first-person game in which you assume the role of a kind of Stretch Armstrong-like protagonist, swinging your way through a vibrant jungle environment like Spider-Man. The game is all about leaping high into the air, and using your few abilities to traverse its colourful world.

And as a result, those with vertigo are going to have a real-world reaction to the game. We explain things in more detail in the video embedded above, but after playing the demo for Windlands at EGX 2016 last week, reviewer Alex Stinton walked away from the booth physically shaken by the experience. This wasn't a case of motion sickness or anything "bad" that could be attributed to the game – it simply affected him because he's frightened of heights.

It doesn't look like much, but Windlands gives you an unreal sense of height

But it's this ability to elicit real-world reactions that stands as one of the technology's defining features. We went eyes-on with Kitchen a few years back – Capcom's horror tech demo that preceded Resident Evil 7's announcement – and found ourselves automatically lurching around in our chair to avoid the attacks of a Grudge-esque antagonist who only existed in the virtual world.

The simple fact is that some people won't be able to cope with the events that transpire in some games in VR

Of course, this increased sense of intensity does introduce challenges for developers. The simple fact is that some people literally won't be able to cope with the events that transpire in some games; horror is heightened to new extremes in virtual reality, but anyone with phobias – such as vertigo – may find the experience difficult to deal with. Could it also be a way to help people to overcome their fears in a safe environment, though?

It's too early to answer that, but it's clear that studios are going to have to be careful with what they create, and there may also be a need to warn players about what they're going to see. A while back we read about an Oculus Rift title which allowed players to shoot themselves in the head; it's the kind of action that – even though it's still a game – could cause serious trauma and distress in the real-world.

But that's kind of cool, right? Obviously we're not overly keen on playing a suicide simulator, but the fact that PlayStation VR can trick your brain so much into believing what you're seeing is real that you have a physical response to what's going on – well, it bodes well for the future of the technology in our opinion. And it just speaks to how powerful virtual reality is – it really can make you believe that you're somewhere else.

Are you enticed by the idea of PlayStation VR eliciting real-world reactions, or do you prefer your games to be less intense? Do you think that developers will need to be careful with the types of experiences that they create, given that the emotional response can be so potent? Try not to worry in the comments section below.

[source bit.ly]