Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure

August 17, 2021

Zombieland: Headshot Fever Studio XR Games Raises £1.5 Million

British virtual reality (VR) developer XR Games is known for bringing high profile IP’s into VR, having released Zombieland: Headshot Fever and The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure. To help with its expansion plans the studio has announced this week a new funding raise of £1.5 million GBP ($2.1 million USD).

Zombieland: Headshot Fever

The funding round was led by Maven Equity Finance with participation from ACT Capital Partners. This follows on from a £1.5 million raise in 2019 and £2.6 million in 2018. XR Games will use the investment to develop its own original IP as well as creating 20 new roles at its Leeds, UK studio.

XR Games will still continue its work-for-hire which has seen the studio work with the likes of Rovio Entertainment and Sony Pictures Virtual Reality.

“We’re delighted with the investment from our new partners at Maven Capital Partners, as well as ACT Capital Partners following on from their previous investment, and continued support from Praetura Ventures. We’re already putting the investment to good use by hiring senior personnel such as a chief operating officer, creative director, and a new head of production,” said XR Games’ CEO Bobby Thandi in a statement. “We’re also expanding the development, game design and art teams, and we’re further developing our sales and marketing initiatives to expand our work-for-hire division.”

The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure

“It’s so exciting to see the team grow and develop, and with our vacancies receiving hundreds of applicants, it’s clear that there’s a huge appetite from others wanting to join our journey,” Thandi continued. “This most recent round of investment enables our recent hires and existing team to kick start our own original IP initiatives, and helps to fund further R&D into augmented and virtual reality.”

Zombieland: Headshot Fever is XR Games’ most recent release, originally arriving for Oculus Quest earlier this year followed by a Steam port last month. A PlayStation VR version is also slated to be in the works. As further details arise regarding what XR Games is doing next, VRFocus will let you know.

May 28, 2020

XR Games Celebrates Award by Giving Away The Angry Birds Movie 2: VR Under Pressure Copies for PlayStation VR

Who doesn’t like a free videogame every once in a while? Gamers might be used to Games with Gold or PlayStation Plus freebies but they’re still paying for a subscription. British developer XR Games is offering copies of its title The Angry Birds Movie 2: VR Under Pressure for PlayStation VR. But you need to be quick the offer is limited.

The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure

The promotion is to celebrate XR Games winning a Northern Tech Award from GP Bullhound in the ‘Top 15 Northern Stars’ category, bringing the fun co-op experience to more players stuck at home.

“Since families are still facing varying degrees of lockdown measures across the world, we’d like to do our bit to help,” said XR Games’ CEO Bobby Thandi in a blog post. “How you might think? Well, we’d like to give away 500x free copies of Angry Birds Under Pressure VR.

That’s right, there are 500 copies of the PlayStation VR exclusive up for grabs, it’s just a case of fastest fingers first. All you need to do is fill out this form to nab yourself a code.

The Angry Birds Movie 2: VR Under Pressure arrived last summer, created in collaboration with Sony Pictures Virtual Reality and Rovio Entertainment. Rather than pitting players against one another, they all have to work as a team to keep the submarine they’re in from breaking whilst scoring as many points as possible.

One player dons the PlayStation VR while three others use the TV social screen and DualShock 4 controllers to control Angry Birds characters. There are gameplay variances between the VR and non-VR modes so players can keep swapping around to mix the experience up.

In its review of The Angry Birds Movie 2: VR Under Pressure VRFocus noted: “Developers have experimented with a number of social apps and videogames in VR, with one of VRFocus’ favourites being Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes. The Angry Birds Movie 2: VR Under Pressure, on the other hand, takes that camaraderie and puts a controller in everyone’s hand for some intense, vocal excitement.”

VRFocus will continue its coverage of XR Games, reporting back with the latest updates and announcements.

December 24, 2019

The Best PlayStation VR Games of 2019

So it’s the end of the year and what a 12 months it has been for virtual reality (VR) fans. With hardware makers pushing out more and more headsets Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has taken a far more relaxed approach by letting PlayStation VR continue to do its thing. The headset has had some excellent videogames appear and here is VRFocus’ pick of the best.

PlayStation VR Group shot

First and foremost this is a list of the best PlayStation VR videogames which launched in 2019. Which means there are several titles which appear on other ‘Best of lists’ that won’t appear here. Beat Saber is a prime example. While the highly popular rhythm-action experience left Early Access in May, that was only for PC (including an Oculus Quest edition). The PlayStation VR version launched in November 2018, hence its omission.

The Best PlayStation VR Games of 2019:

Blood & Truth

Hailing from Sony London Studio, Blood & Truth was the biggest PlayStation VR exclusive of the year by a long shot. Mixing intense action gameplay with a tightly interwoven storyline and cinematic cutscenes, the title showcased what could be achieved with PlayStation VR. VRFocus’ review gave it a full five stars, saying: “From start to finish Blood & Truth is one hell of a ride, a finely choreographed John Woo movie that’s all about sheer entertainment.”

Ghost Giant

Zoink Games’ Ghost Giant, on the other hand, is a very different beast; loveable and kind-hearted. A puzzle adventure where you play the titular Ghost Giant, an invisible friend to a lonely boy named Louis. Placed in the centre of a living cartoon world, you can interact with a lot of the world, helping not only Louis but the other town residents as well.

Perfect for gamers of all ages, Ghost Giant is a relaxed experience full of child-like wonder, being able to open houses and peer inside to see the richly detailed worlds. Great for when you don’t anything too hectic.

No Man’s Sky: Beyond

A summer update adding VR support rather than a dedicated VR videogame, even so, No Man’s Sky: Beyond was a major addition from Hello Games. With a massive procedurally generated universe to explore, new planets to discover, unusual creatures to find and other players to team up with, No Man’s Sky: Beyond offers quite possibly the most VR gameplay for your money. Plus the there’s the added benefit that the update was free for those who already own the original version.

Unless you really don’t like sci-fi and flying around in spaceships, then No Man’s Sky: Beyond is a solid addition to any VR library.

Tetris Effect

How do you make one of the greatest, most iconic puzzle videogames even better? Give it to a team which includes Enhance Games and let them work their magic. Offering both VR and non-VR gameplay, the core Tetris mechanics remain untouched with some added extras for those well versed in the puzzle title.

The big change comes for the visual and sound design, with a feast for your eyes and ears. Needless to say, while the non-VR version does look and sound nice, the effects are far more pronounced and engaging. And when it comes to addictive gaming Tetris Effect doesn’t disappoint.

Trover Saves the Universe

When the guy who helped co-create Rick & Morty decided to found his own videogame studio and then create a VR title, you know it’s going to be a little different from the rest. Trover Saves the Universe has that weird and zany humour Justin Roiland is known for, combined with a third-person adventure, where you control Trover, a little purple eye-hole monster trying to save the universe from a beaked lunatic named Glorkon, who just so happens to have kidnapped your dogs and put them in his eye sockets. Exactly…

So what about proper multiplayer titles? While No Man’s Sky: Beyond does feature multiplayer, you can’t enjoy it when a few friends are around. That’s where Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure comes in handy. Exclusive to PlayStation VR, the title uses the social screen (TV) to allow up to four people to play locally, one in VR and three via the TV. The job is to collect treasure and not let the submarine you’re in suffer too much damage.

It’s a fast and frantic videogame where the VR player is the captain, with a different viewpoint and tasks to the other players. Thus encouraging everyone to have a go in VR. There is a single-player mode but Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure is all about the social gameplay.

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted

What’s a ‘Best of’ VR list without a horror title thrown in to scare you. Bringing the classic franchise into VR, Five Night’s at Freddy’s: Help Wanted combines all the original mini-game levels with a bunch of new ones. Not for the faint-hearted, Five Night’s at Freddy’s: Help Wanted is full of jump scares as you try to survive the night in the Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza security office, or repair vents in the depths of Circus Baby’s Entertainment and Rental.

When it comes to playing VR horror keeping the lights on won’t help, you need nerves of steel and Five Night’s at Freddy’s: Help Wanted certainly helps test that.

A Fisherman’s Tale

Released all the way back in January by French studio InnerspaceVR, A Fisherman’s Tale is another puzzler for those who like something a little different. Clinching the VR Game of the Year at the VR Awards 2019, A Fisherman’s Tale is an experience about perspective and a little wooden sailor.

Delightfully charming in its design and gameplay, the single-player videogame centres around a lighthouse which you’re both inside and outside of. Confused? Don’t worry as it’s all about picking stuff up and learning how to manipulate your surroundings. Great for new and veteran VR players alike.

Vacation Simulator

A followup to the insanely popular Job Simulator, Vacation Simulator is like one massive toybox split across three different regions, a Beach, Forest and Mountain. Inside each one are loads of mini-games to complete as well as other fun stuff to play with. Challenges range from building sandcastles and making burgers to throwing snowballs and a little skiing.

With light-hearted humour throughout Vacation Simulator is another VR experience suited for all players, designed to showcase how immersive and unique VR technology can be in comparison to standard videogames.

Concrete Genie

Another title which isn’t purely VR, Concrete Genie’s main campaign isn’t VR compatible. Instead, the title has two ‘VR modes’, the ‘VR Experience’ campaign which has a basic narrative and is required to complete before unlocking ‘Free Paint’, so you can let your creative ideas go wild.

With a visually stunning aesthetic, Concrete Genie offers an interesting mix of VR and non-VR gameplay depending on what you fancy at the time. Plus it’s a creative stop-gap until Dreams eventually arrives in 2020.

Concrete Genie

August 30, 2019

The VR Game Launch Roundup: The First September Offerings

After a strong selection over August, here are some early VR releases for September to help cure those post-summer blues. Here are five VR titles that have confirmed release dates over the course of next week. Also, make sure to check out our helpful little video guide freshly made for our YouTube channel. In addition, be sure to check out our post-Gamescom articles full of exclusive insights and interviews discussing various VR content.

Honor and Duty: D-Day All Out War Edition – Strange Games

Complete with single and multiplayer modes, Honor and Duty: D-Day All Out War Edition is a WW2 shooter featuring upgradeable weapons, 4 player classes to choose and training your own soldiers over the course of 40 game stages.

Supported Platforms: PlayStation VR (Retail copy)
Launch Date: 3^rd September

Gamedevvr – Frederik Handberg

Put yourself in the shoes of a 1990s game developer in this unique game within a game experience. The action takes place in your developer’s basement where, along with developing games of your own, make sure to stay hydrated, eat regularly and take out your development frustrations on your surrounding environment.

Supported Platforms: Valve Index, HTC Vive & Oculus Rift
Launch date: 3^rd September

Elven Assassin – Wenkly Studio

This well-received single and multiplayer action title was first released in 2016. It has now been given the Oculus Quest treatment where players can relive fond memories of defeating hordes of enemies with crossbows while dodging axes when war breaks out in your kingdom.

Supported Platforms: Oculus Quest
Launch date: 5^th September

Spice and Wolf VR – Spicy Tails

Based on the Japanese Light novel series by Isuna Hasekura, the story follows the adventures of travelling merchant Kraft Lawrence and Holo, who can transform herself into a wolf. You join them as they seek refuge in an old abandoned house. Working with the original creators of Spice and Wolf, this VR animation has been developed and published by SpicyTales and can still be enjoyed in 2D by non-VR users.

Supported Platforms: PlayStation VR
Launch date: 5^th September

The Angry Birds Movie 2: VR Under Pressure – XR Games

The popular Rovio Entertainment videogame series flung its way onto mobile devices late 2009. Now almost a decade on, the battling birds have continued to reach new heights with their ever-growing universe of books, comics, TV shows, two feature films and of course new games. This newest release is a PlayStation VR exclusive couch co-op based off the most recent feature film, The Angry Birds Movie 2, and takes place on board the Piggy Gadget Lab from the same film.

Supported Platforms: PlayStation VR (Retail copy)
Launch date: 6^th September

August 20, 2019

Review: The Angry Birds Movie 2: VR Under Pressure

Playing a board game with friends and family is a time-old tradition, with plenty of people out there probably able to remember tense games of Monopoly after a good meal. The digital age has dampened that spirit for this pastime somewhat, but at the same time helped it evolve and find a new audience. Thanks to features like PlayStation VR’s social screen that gaming essence has made it’s way to virtual reality (VR), in the form of The Angry Birds Movie 2: VR Under Pressure.

The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure

Developers have experimented with a number of social apps and videogames in VR, with one of VRFocus’ favourites being Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes. The Angry Birds Movie 2: VR Under Pressure, on the other hand, takes that camaraderie and puts a controller in everyone’s hand for some intense, vocal excitement.

The videogame is based on the recent movie, complimenting the cinematic release should you have seen it (it’s not actually necessary). The gist goes that the Angry Birds and the Pigs have called a truce to their fighting because of a new threat. In the process of dealing with this menace both groups end up on a submarine, and this is where the videogame takes place.

When it comes to the classic Angry Birds style mechanics from the mobile games the only inclusion is on the VR side, with players controlling the catapult. The aim is to keep the submarine in decent condition to complete the level, whilst scoring as many points as possible. And to do that you’ll need cooperation and decent communication – there’s no lone wolfing it here. That’s because what the VR player sees is different from what’s shown on the TV, offering a nice dynamic which keeps play interesting.

The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure

As the VR player you’re the captain and therefore the one in control. You get an entire overview of the play area where your teammates are running around, able to help them by activating certain areas and picking stuff up (including them). Because you’re at a fixed central position manning the catapult there’s no movement to worry about, offering a comfortable experience allowing everyone to take turns in VR. Plus, as the captain, you’re also able to see outside. This is highly important as you’ll need to collect treasure for points, whilst destroying obstacles that could damage the sub.

On the flipside, to collect or destroy anything outside your crew needs to build it and place it in the correct area. However, there’s far more going on than just those couple of items, and as the levels progress can become an absolute haze of tasks for the social players to organise and complete. And this is where The Angry Birds Movie 2: VR Under Pressure really hooks you, it’s a ballet of Angry Birds mayhem because all the individual tasks are just so well intertwined with each other.

Developer XR Games has created a synergy to the whole experience, where everyone is sat on the end of their chairs/sofa trying to feed boxes into machines, TNT into a disposal pit and much more. All the while talking (or shouting) when something is about to go wrong, or unified relief when it all goes right. Completing the harder levels almost calls for a high five each time because everyone is so engrossed in the gameplay and invested in the outcome.

The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure

It’s like one of those team-building exercises companies go on – just without the tedium and more fun. In fact, The Angry Birds Movie 2: VR Under Pressure would be far better at bringing colleagues together than any number of faux entertainment activities some workplaces insist on engaging in.

In total there are 30 levels to play through. This may not seem like a lot but they do get tough quite fast. Not too much that they get frustrating, yet in classic Angry Birds fashion achieving those all-important three golden stars can prove to be elusive.

XR Games has ensured that should your home be empty and everyone’s busy you can still play the title in solo mode. But to be honest you’re best sticking to a solid single-player adventure for those times. Save The Angry Birds Movie 2: VR Under Pressure for what its good at, all-round multiplayer enjoyment suitable for most ages and abilities.

80%

Awesome

Verdict

August 7, 2019

The Angry Birds Movie 2: VR Under Pressure Gets Physical in September

Yesterday, The Angry Birds Movie 2: VR Under Pressure videogame arrived exclusively for PlayStation VR via the PlayStation Store. One of the unique qualities of owning the headset is the possibility of buying titles as a physical disk – something no other virtual reality (VR) headset provides – and with The Angry Birds Movie 2: VR Under Pressure being a big IP launch, a retail store version will arrive in September.

The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure

Developer XR Games teamed up with Perp Games to make the physical copy a reality, with European locations seeing a release on 6th September. In North America, the launch will take place on 13th September.

Working with Sony Pictures Virtual Reality and Rovio Entertainment, XR Games wanted to create a local co-operative multiplayer for all the family, where one player dons the PlayStation VR while three others use the TV social screen and DualShock 4 controllers.

The aim of the videogame is to run and protect a submarine with the VR player the captain and everyone else the crew. Red and the other Angry Birds team up with the Pigs to take on a common enemy, needing to keep the submarine in motion. All of which means players are tasked with doing repairs, crafting torpedoes and storing treasure.

“At Sony Pictures Virtual Reality, we believe that VR should be social, cooperative and fun. We’re excited about XR Games’ unique take on The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR game because friends and frenemies alike can team up and work toward a common goal. I dare anyone to play this game and not have a blast,” said Jake Zim, SVP, Virtual Reality, Sony Pictures Entertainment.

The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure

As mentioned, the digital version of The Angry Birds Movie 2: VR Under Pressure is available, with The Angry Birds Movie 2 already out in the UK – the North American theatrical release takes place next week. For further updates, keep reading VRFocus.

July 23, 2019

The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure Lands on PlayStation VR in Two Weeks

Angry Birds fans have been inundated this year with the release of Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs and Angry Birds AR: Isle of Pigs, with The Angry Birds Movie 2 coming out next month. To coincide with the movie The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure now has a confirmed released date for PlayStation VR.

The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure

Being developed by XR Games, The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure is all about local gameplay using the PlayStation VR social screen. The studio wants the title to be a great introduction to virtual reality (VR) entertainment whilst helping: “existing VR players to evangelize their technology to the people around them,” says Richard Boon, Senior Game Designer, XR Games on PlayStation Blog.

Designed as a couch co-op videogame, one player is in VR while three others use the TV and controllers. This time the action takes place under the sea, in a submarine in fact, with VR player as captain of the submarine. All the TV players are the crew, controlling characters such as Red, Chuck, and new Angry Bird ‘Silver’, tasked with doing repairs, crafting torpedoes and storing treasure.

Explaining more about the gameplay, Boon reveals: “The captain monitors event [sic] and grabs as much treasure as possible from the ocean, which the crew then store in the sub. [The VR player] has a gameplay tool called the Magnashot, which is a classic Angry Birds slingshot with a magnet in it. It can suck stuff up and throw it back out – including the crew players. This gives the captain a lot of power. But there are things that only the crew can do, such as load machines and move explosive crates.”

The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure

As a social videogame The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure is all about communication, which can get hectic when four people are likely to be shouting. But this is a slapstick style videogame, created to be fun rather than stressful.

Rovio Entertainment and XR Games will be releasing The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure exclusively for PlayStation VR on Tuesday, 6th August 2019. For any further updates ahead of launch, keep reading VRFocus.

June 3, 2019

The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure to be a Summer Release for PlayStation VR

Rovio Entertainment’s massive videogame franchise shows no signs of slowing down, with even more virtual reality (VR) content planned. With The Angry Birds Movie 2 due for release in August, Sony Pictures Virtual Reality, Rovio and XR Games have announced a VR tie-in, The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure, exclusive to PlayStation VR.

The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure

The VR title will be a local social experience leveraging PlayStation VR’s social screen feature. A couch co-op videogame, one player is in VR while three others use the TV. This time, however, there won’t be any buildings to destroy or green pigs to attack.

Following the theme of the movie, in The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure players find themselves inside a submarine working alongside the pigs for the very first time. The story goes that Red and the birds set aside their differences with Leonard and the pigs because of a new shared new feathered foe that threatens to destroy both of their islands.

Gameplay revolves are the VR player taking on the role of Leonard, the submarine’s captain, with everyone else controlling the sub’s crew, including Red, Chuck, and new movie character Silver.

“We wanted a console VR game that could replicate the humour and action of The Angry Birds Movie 2 and take players inside the narrative of the new movie, where the birds and pigs have to set aside their differences and actually work together. XR Games, with support from Rovio and Sony Pictures, are creating a genre-defining VR game that will keep the entire family laughing and playing together,” said Joe Lawson, Head of Entertainment Content and Movie Program at Rovio Entertainment in a statement.

The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure

“VR is an exciting medium, but there are not yet enough games that can be enjoyed with family and friends in the real world,” said Bobby Thandi, Founder and CEO at XR Games. “We saw an opportunity to introduce new players to PS VR by making a game in which VR and TV players have different viewpoints and responsibilities within the same funny, team-spirited game. Rovio’s Angry Birds IP, Sony Pictures ‘The Angry Birds Movie 2’ film, and PlayStation VR’s Social Screen feature all combine to give the perfect shared VR experience in your home. We’re super-excited to launch our game alongside the film’s release this summer!”

The film is scheduled for release on 2nd August 2019 in the UK. When a precise date for the videogame is revealed, VRFocus will let you know.