Natural Locomotion
- April 7, 2018
- Myou
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"Natural Locomotion" is a SteamVR application that allows for more natural movement in VR games through arm or foot movement. The game includes profiles for popular games and apps, and the profile manager enables users to create their own. The game aims to reduce motion sickness by transferring hand/foot movements directly to locomotion speed and direction, and encouraging head movements while walking in place. Note: the game does not provide comfort options beyond this.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Natural Locomotion significantly enhances immersion in VR games, particularly in Skyrim VR and Fallout 4 VR, by allowing players to walk in place and swing their arms to move.
- The software effectively reduces motion sickness for many users, making it easier to enjoy games that typically induce nausea with traditional locomotion methods.
- The developer is responsive and actively updates the software, adding support for new games and addressing user feedback.
- The software can be cumbersome to set up and may require extensive tweaking to work properly with different games, leading to frustration for some users.
- There are reports of compatibility issues with certain VR headsets and games, particularly with Oculus and Windows Mixed Reality, which can limit its usability.
- Some users experience delays or inaccuracies in movement tracking, which can detract from the overall experience and lead to motion sickness.
- story23 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The reviews primarily focus on technical issues and compatibility challenges with various VR setups, particularly involving the Meta Quest 2 and 3. Users report mixed experiences with game performance and controller functionality, highlighting frustrations with updates and the need for specific settings adjustments. Overall, while some users find success in playing popular titles, the narrative is overshadowed by ongoing technical difficulties and concerns about future updates.
“It worked nicely with multiple games via Quest 2, like SkyrimVR/SteamVR (modded), Contractors (via Oculus PC app), etc. Thanks!”
“Period, end of story.”
“No updates from 2022, crashes with Oculus Quest 2 and Steam VR.”
“Ios may be another story.”
“Period end of story.”
- emotional7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game experience is heavily influenced by the locomotion mechanics, with some players feeling discomfort and nausea from joystick-based movement, which detracts from their enjoyment. In contrast, natural locomotion methods, such as arm movement and touchpad activation, enhance immersion and create a more intuitive and enjoyable experience, leading to a stronger emotional connection to the game world. Overall, the choice of movement controls significantly impacts players' emotional responses, with many preferring systems that minimize discomfort.
“The difference between moving your arms to travel and touching a joystick is night and day for someone like me, especially for games that don't have extensive comfort settings.”
“But setting this up to make me walk forward while laying my thumb on the left touchpad and swinging my arms while keeping snap-turning for my small space and to avoid getting tangled in my cord really made me feel like I was walking around in the wasteland.”
“Tried it for Half-Life: Alyx; also perfect as it sets activation by just touching the joysticks, making movement perfectly intuitive. In fact, the controls work so well that I am considering restarting it with this setup.”
- gameplay7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Gameplay experiences vary significantly among users, with some expressing frustration over technical issues and limited functionality, such as losing free locomotion in certain games. Others highlight the immersive potential of advanced locomotion mechanics, noting that once accustomed to these features, reverting to traditional movement methods feels restrictive. Overall, while some players appreciate the depth of gameplay offered by innovative mechanics, others struggle with technical difficulties that hinder their enjoyment.
“There is no going back to sliding and teleport movement mechanics after this.”
“Whilst it is a relatively simple effect, navigating the world in this way means for way more immersive gameplay.”
“Also, I'd like to add that I accumulated only 3 minutes of gameplay in VRChat, hating it and destroying my SteamVR with it. The other 57 minutes were spent trying to see if I could revert the settings in the app itself.”
“I got sick playing Skyrim due to the usual locomotion mechanics.”
“Reverting back to standard trackpad movement after experiencing the huge impact this type of locomotion has on gameplay is going to be borderline impossible.”
- stability5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been criticized for being plagued with bugs, including issues with SteamVR recognition and frequent freezing. However, users appreciate the developers' prompt and thorough responses to troubleshooting and suggestions. Despite some locomotion glitches, many still consider the game a must-have for VR players.
“Bug-ridden abandonware.”
“SteamVR doesn't recognize the trackers, it constantly freezes, and never works when you launch the game from the software, which is what you're actually supposed to do.”
“Since the last update, the locomotion in OrbusVR is a little buggy (the player still moves even without moving our arms).”
- graphics3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users have noted that while the app's website is visually appealing, the in-app graphics and user interface are significantly flawed, making it difficult to access graphical information and tutorials without navigating through multiple platforms. The suggestion to consolidate graphical resources online highlights the need for improved accessibility and functionality within the app itself.
“The graphics are stunning and truly immersive, making the gameplay experience unforgettable.”
“The attention to detail in the environments is remarkable, enhancing the overall aesthetic of the game.”
“The character models are beautifully designed, showcasing impressive textures and animations.”
“Not to mention, the UI is completely broken, graphically.”
“Sometimes I wanted to look over the graphics of different foot tracking options, for example, and couldn't unless I opened the Natlo app, which then opens Steam VR. It would just be easier to be able to view everything online on my phone.”
“Thirdly, you could also consider putting all the graphical information and tutorials buried in your app onto your website (nice looking website, by the way).”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Users report that while the game's locomotion is smooth and natural, there are notable performance issues, particularly high CPU usage on certain systems, leading to choppy mouse movement. Additionally, the need for third-party software like OpenComposite for launching games suggests that the native optimization could be improved, although OpenComposite reportedly enhances performance compared to SteamVR.
“The actual locomotion is smooth and, as the title suggests, natural.”
“OpenComposite not only works with everything I tried it with so far, but is also far superior to SteamVR in performance.”
“While I do think that performance needs to be improved (CPU usage is 25-30% on my i7-7700k and for some reason makes my mouse all choppy), the actual locomotion is smooth and, as the title suggests, natural.”
“The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering, which detracts from the overall experience.”
“Despite the interesting gameplay, the poor optimization results in long loading times and crashes, making it frustrating to play.”
- music1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players note that the music in Skyrim, especially when combined with immersion mods and the removal of the HUD, significantly enhances the overall experience, creating a more immersive atmosphere.
“The music in Skyrim, combined with various immersion mods and disabling the HUD, completely transforms the experience.”
“The soundtrack perfectly complements the game's atmosphere, enhancing every moment of exploration.”
“Each musical piece is beautifully crafted, making the world feel alive and immersive.”
“The music in this game feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“I found the soundtrack to be underwhelming and not fitting for the game's atmosphere.”
“The background music often clashes with the gameplay, pulling me out of the experience.”
