PS VR Video - Astro Bot

PS VR Video Highlights What’s On Offer

PlayStation Europe has released a video highlighting the range of games and experiences on offer with PS VR.

From Moss to Resident Evil 7, Beat Saber to Tetris Effect, Firewall: Zero Hour to Astro Bot Rescue Mission, the two-year-old platform is shaping up rather nicely — if we do say so ourselves.

You can check out the PS VR trailer here:

Are you hoping to receive a PS VR this festive season? If so, what experiences are you interested in trying out? Or, have you no desire to get one? Let us know below.

PS VR Multiplayer Game Smash Hit Plunder

PS VR Multiplayer Game, Smash Hit Plunder, Gets Physical Release

Triangular Pixels‘ PS VR multiplayer game Smash Hit Plunder is getting a physical release, via Perp Games, this year.

PS VR Multiplayer Game Smash Hit Plunder

The multiplayer adventure features up to 4-player versus for friends and family while sitting in the same room. While also a solo adventure, Smash Hit Plunder is also the first officially ‘co-op narrative campaign adventure game’ for PS VR.

In singleplayer or co-op, you have to help the VR Mage through the main campaign and battle each other in versus modes using an alternate view of the world; specially designed for the TV screen while playing with the DualShock 4 controllers:

Smash Hit Plunder will be available for PS VR in a physical form at some point soon. The first playable public demo will be at this years’ EGX.

Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner M∀rs

Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner M∀rs gets a September release date

There’s not going to be many names more difficult to remember or type out this year than Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner M∀rs.

Aside from the difficult name, it’s also a noteworthy release thanks to the fact that it’s not just a remaster of a 15-year-old game, but it’s a game published by Konami. The Japanese publisher has been less than prolific in their releases lately and seemed quite happy to fade away from the games industry entirely.

Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner M∀rs

Moving on, Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner M∀rs looks like it’s had some real love and care poured over it. The video below clearly showcases just what the development team have been up to in bringing the game kicking and screaming into the modern age. They’ve done a whole load of work but it boils down to making the game look really sharp and 4K ready:

Zone of the Enders: the 2nd Runner M∀rs also has a ‘1st Person VT Mode’ being touted on its promotional materials. What this mode actually consists of can’t be confirmed yet. Perhaps you’ll be able to play through the whole game in this mode, perhaps not.

It’s fair to say that the original Zone of the Enders was mainly sold to people through a demo for Metal Gear Solid 2 – there’s no way I was the only one who did that. Still, a pleasant surprise was in store for people happy to pay ridiculous amounts of money for a demo. It turned out that the original Zone of the Enders was a great game and this was also true of the 2003 sequel.

Look out for Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner M∀rs when it launches on the PS4 and PC this September.

Best Upcoming PS VR Games 2018

The Best Upcoming PS VR Games 2018

Sony had a great first year with their PS VR headset, selling more than 2 million units in 2017. It’s a surprise to those that predicted VR wouldn’t quite catch on… That being said, there’s still work to be done to get VR into the mainstream. Sony can overcome that fact by releasing lots of compelling games – simple, but true for any platform.

So what about 2018? What new PS VR games can you look forward to this year, and will the support continue? Well fear not, Sony has recently just recommitted to PS VR and has stated that it will receive over 130 new games this year. (That’s 280 VR games by the end of 2018).

As for those new games, here are some of the best upcoming PS VR titles we’re looking forward to playing.

Moss

The hotly anticipated Moss, from Polyarc Games, quickly became one of the most desired PS VR games after its initial E3 2017 reveal. With platforming, a smattering of action and beautifully clever puzzle-solving on the cards, it’s no wonder.

You can try it out while you wait through the free PlayStation VR Demo Disc 2. Moss is released on the 27th February, and it’s exclusive to PS VR.

Bravo Team

Another one announced at E3 2017, Bravo Team was one of two titles shown off by developer Supermassive Games – the other game being The Inpatient, (see below!).

Bravo Team promises VR co-op play where you’ll need to take cover, go over tactics and shoot your way to victory. Bravo Team releases exclusively on March 6th, 2018.

Blood & Truth

Best Upcoming PS VR Games 2018: Blood & Truth

Blood & Truth is basically a full game of The London Heist seen in PlayStation VR Worlds. That was a truly memorable experience loved by many, so Sony London Studios decided more was needed.

Blood & Truth places you into the heart of London’s organised crime syndicate and you’re out looking for revenge – I wonder if Frank is still around? Blood & Truth is coming at some point in 2018, but we don’t know when. It’s exclusive for PlayStation VR.

The Inpatient

Never want to sleep again? That’s ok, Supermassive Games has you covered with The Inpatient. Another expansion of the Until Dawn game universe, The Inpatient takes place in the Blackwood Sanatorium we all remember in our worst nightmares…

Better news: the horror title is due out this month on the 24th January 2018. It’s another exclusive for PlayStation VR.

Golem

Best Upcoming PS VR Games 2018: Golem

Announced way back in 2016, Golem‘s fate suddenly became unknown. Luckily, it appeared again at the Paris Games Week press conference to much relief.

From Highwire Games, it’s a VR adventure that allows you to explore and fight your way through the ruins of the “Endless City”. Golem is due out on the 13th March 2018. Exclusive for PlayStation VR.

Star Child

Star Child is a VR science-fiction adventure featuring classic side-scrolling platforming from the ‘good old days’. That extra, awesome immersion that VR provides will encourage you to really dive into the rich, 2D world created for you by Playful Corp. You can try it out while you wait through the free PlayStation VR Demo Disc 2.

Star Child is coming at some point in 2018, but it’s another one in which the exact date remains a bit of a mystery. Of course, it’s exclusive for PlayStation VR too.

The Other Best Upcoming PS VR Games 2018

Best Upcoming PS VR Games 2018: The Persistence

Other notable PS VR games coming out this year include the following:

  • Quar: Infernal Machines
  • The American Dream
  • Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner – Mars
  • Fallout 4 VR – Expected
  • Megalith
  • Megadimension Neptunia VIIR
  • Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
  • Dreams (VR Support Due)
  • Sprint Vector
  • The Persistence
  • Transference
  • Windlands 2
  • Torn
  • Bow To Blood
  • Firewall Zero Hour

That’s it for now. We’ll be updating this article when Sony adds more games to their VR plans for 2018.

PS VR

Impressions Of PlayStation VR So Far – A Game-Changer?

I was lucky enough to have Santa bring me a shiny new PlayStation VR (version 2 – CUH-ZVR2) this Christmas. It’s an experience I’ve wanted to try for some time but, for multiple reasons, I’ve just not got around to it. So yes, like many, I’m late to the VR game, but I believe now is as good a time as any to jump in. It’s Christmas after all, there’s nothing to do outside right? With that said, reader, here are my impressions of PS VR so far.

PS VR – Setting It Up

PS VR Setup

From the clear and informative packaging alone, there’s no mistaking that Sony has thought this whole endeavour through to a serious degree. The PS VR is accompanied with a step-by-step guide to setting it all up. It’s a process that perhaps takes slightly longer than getting your average console up and running for the first time but is simple nonetheless. Most evidently, the company have prioritised ease of use for those that are new to the concept of virtual reality, replicating its welcoming price point compared to others in the market.

The core design follows these same fundamentals. The PS VR looks sleek and remains accessible – stylish, but practical. It’s also comfortable to wear and can be adjusted to fit a wide array of different head sizes. Glasses-wearers need not fear either: the VR headset will have no trouble accommodating you.

In terms of the changes from CUH-ZVR1, the first model released, we’re basically looking at an easier, slightly tidier setup. The revised headset features a dedicated place to store your stereo headphones (that come in the box). We also see smaller more shrunken cables, a refined processor unit, and last but not least, HDR pass-through. The pass-through is great for 4K TV users who don’t want to keep switching and crossing their wires to achieve that extra colour range, but it won’t mean much for everyone else.

Once you’ve fixed the headset to your noggin, the camera is correctly facing you, and you’ve got your controller in hand, it’s on to the Virtual Reality experience itself. What to try first then? My bundle included PlayStation VR Worlds, a good starting point to begin the build-up to VR tolerance.

The VR Journey Begins

VR Worlds starts with a glowing orb flying in circular strokes in the room you now find yourself. You can move your head, impressively, in a 360-degree rotation and see the room light up as you follow this orb. After that’s ended, it’s time to choose your first VR experience from the selection. I chose a deep sea descent that promised I would meet an angry shark. I was feeling brave, you see.

Now in a mini-sub, the descent began. The further down we went, the more I started to appreciate the VR effect in front of me. Deep, striking blues filled my vision while scared fish swam in the other direction. We were entering their territory, clearly. Flora and fauna coalesced back and forth as the sub continued to descend. Suddenly, I’m being told that something has been detected on the underwater radar – can you guess? I look up and there’s a huge, menacing shadow approaching.

PS VR - Shark

I now find myself face-to-face with a great white shark. The shark bites at the front of the sub trying to break its way in. It looks, at times, completely real to me. Frightening, sinister, but hugely exciting, the adrenaline is pumping. I’m told the dive has gone wrong and they’re going to try and rescue me. Then I’m being yanked back to the top as the shark continues its relentless and vicious assault. Luckily, we manage to escape its domain and make it back to the top. I’m safe and sound and my first PS VR experience is over. It flashed past so quickly, yet all I’m thinking is: what’s next?

Real Or Not? That Is The Question

Back to the menu of VR Worlds, I picked an experience decidedly different from my first. Welcome to The London Heist. Forget the delicious and aforementioned blues of the sea, I’m now in a foreboding garage and a large, bald, towering man is shouting at me while I’m strapped to a chair. The heist has gone wrong and I’m to blame apparently. He’s now staring directly at me, and it’s pretty uncanny. This guy looks real, yet I have to keep telling myself he’s not. This is VR working, and frankly, at times, it’s incredible.

Fast forward ahead and I’m shooting guys off bikes with an automatic during an epic chase scene, and then I’m in that garage again, getting abused and beaten up by my old friend. One section in particular (near the end), where a different individual lunged at me with a knife, had me recoiling back to protect myself. I almost felt where the knife landed in my stomach. What are you doing? It’s not real. Or is it?

And that, readers, was my first time using the PS VR headset. To answer a burning question: I didn’t experience any lasting motion sickness other than my first minute or two and was simply left wanting more. At this early point in time, I’m really impressed with the ease of use of the device, the memorable journeys I’ve already had and the level of realism being produced from what is, arguably, a more ‘budget’ VR headset. Sony is right when they say you need to try the headset on before you make your judgement – it isn’t just clever marketing.

So, game-changing? From what I’ve seen so far, it could well be the start of the next revolution to come.

Joyful Deals: PS VR with Camera, VR Worlds, Resident Evil 7 and NOW TV 2 Month Entertainment for £349.99

Looking to grab a good PS VR deal this winter? You’ve come to the right place.

GAME is now offering a PlayStation VR with the Camera included, copies of VR Worlds and Resident Evil 7, along with a NOW TV 2 Month Entertainment subscription for £349.99.

That’s a bundle worth £435.96 – an impressive saving – and it means you have some shiny new games to play right away too. If you like being scared silly, Resident Evil 7 is a thrilling experience.

We assume it’s part of a push to get rid of the old stock before the slightly newer PS VR model hits shelves shortly.

You can check out the deal here.