November is a good month to be a PlayStation VR owner. In celebration of the device’s one year anniversary last month, Sony has decided to include not one, but two games with PSVR support for this month’s free PlayStation Plus game lineup.
This month’s official game lineup features Bound as the headline title, which is a breathtakingly beautiful platformer/adventure game about a dancer exploring a surreal and mesmerizing world. The game first released outside of VR and got a free VR patch when Sony’s headset released, so now the base game is free too for this month.
Interestingly, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood isn’t technically included in this month’s free PlayStation Plus game lineup. Instead, it’s just a specially designated bonus game. From November 7th (next Tuesday) all the way until January 2nd, all PlayStation Plus subscribers will be able to download Until Dawn: Rush of Blood for free. Fans of horror games definitely don’t want to miss out on this twisted roller coaster ride.
All in all these are two very solid exclusive PSVR titles that are well-worth checking out. And for the sake of clarity, here are the other non-VR games PlayStation Plus subscribers can look forward to:
R-Type Dimensions, PS3
Rag Doll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic, PS3
Dungeon Punks, PS Vita (Cross Buy with PS4)
Broken Sword 5: The Serpent’s Curse (Episodes 1 & 2), PS Vita
Let us know what you think of this month’s offerings down in the comments below!
It’s a good time of the year to be picking up videogames at a discount, and thankfully that includes those that are for virtual reality (VR) headsets. If you are a PlayStation 4 owner however you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re not getting as many opportunities to save cash as owners of the PC based head mountned displays (HMDs), specifically the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.
Luckily there is indeed a very good value deal happening on the PlayStation Store at present for PlayStation VR owners. The bundle, first spied by TheNerdMag, is called the Worldwide Studios Selected PS VR Titles Mega Pack and features ten PlayStation VR titles on sale, all of which are PlayStation VR exlusives.
There is however one slight snag – it appears that it is only in Malaysia where the bundle is being sold. Of the course the setting up of an account of a different region is a familiar task for many PlayStation 4 owners and for those without the knowledge there are plenty of guides out there explaining how to make it happen. Additionally the pack contains language support for English, Chinese and Korean.
The price works out to be 480 Malaysian Ringgits (MYR), the equivilent of approximately £88 (GBP), €100 (EUR), or $116 (USD). The ten PlayStation VR titles are below, with extracts from VRFocus‘ previous previews, reviews and stories regarding each where applicable:
“Bound casts the player as an ever-moving character in an aesthetically unique world, similar in intent to the GameCube’s P.N.03 but very different in resulting gameplay. The dancer that represents the player on-screen will use a variety of leaps and twirls to overcome the pitfalls of a chaotic level design, crossing bridges, bounding across gaps and solving switch puzzles all while visually impacting the world. The latter is an impressive visual treat in VR, but it’s actually the puzzling gameplay that makes Bound worthy of the transition to the new medium.”
“While still insisting that the PlayStation VR version of Driveclub is still a technical demonstration and nothing more, the experience feels as though a lot of work has gone into getting it just right. The handling is tight and responsive, the car feels weighty and collisions are given just enough oomph that they’ll interrupt your driving line but fall short of sending you spinning. It’s a very different way of playing Driveclub, and it arguably is what Evolution Studios’ racing experience needed to separate it from the pack all along.”
“Here They Lie is a surreal, psychological horror that put players in a nightmarish world that doesn’t go for jump scares, rather a slower more methodical build up of fear and dread. The Tangentlemen achieve this not only through the visual art style, but also with spatial audio and lighting to increase the suspense.”
“Every early adopter of the head-mounted display (HMD) should consider a purchase of PlayStation VR Worlds. A selection of mini-games both family friendly and more maturely themed, PlayStation VR Worlds offers a taste of the potential of VR without daunting newcomers with the possibility of a ten hour experience; or even just an hour, for that matter. Once that initial boundary has fallen what else can PlayStation VR offer to get the party swinging?”
“Depicting a new form of sports entertainment that takes place 50 years in the future, RIGS: Mechanised Combat League aims to be a fast-paced FPS, the kind that might have required a few nearby sick bags on lesser VR hardware. ”
“Starblood Arena, the unique arena shooter that sees players piloting individualised space ships all with their own unique weapons and attributes, such as soldier Elsa in her versatile ship Mandible, or fast but fragile assassin Blade and his ship Raptor. ”
“A first-person test of mental and physical dexterity as players complete a series of tasks to solve increasingly challenging puzzles. These challenges can range from building towers to creating bridges, working out mind melting puzzles, and blowing up enormous towers of blocks. Puzzle titles tend to be single-player affairs but Supermassive Games has incorporated PlayStation VR’s Social Screen feature, allowing a second player to use the connected TV, creating a much more social experience.”
“Until Dawn is a story driven horror videogame, with the player’s in-game decisions having a direct influence on the outcome for each of the characters involved. A convoluted journey through an unwelcoming world. Until Dawn: Rush of Blood is a far more straight forward affair. It’s a shooting gallery, pure and simple, but when played in VR it’s far more appealing than could it could ever sound on paper.”
VRFocus will bring you more news on VR bundles and offers throughout the week to come, and as we end Friday be sure to look out for this week’s edition of ‘Something For The Weekend’ hitting this Sunday.
If you’re a PS4 user in Europe, you probably know that, every two weeks, Sony hosts a sale on its PlayStation Store, slashing the prices on tons of games of a certain theme or category. It was only a matter of time before such a sale hit the slate of PlayStation VR (PSVR) games that have released over the past six months and, today, that’s finally happened.
A whole heap of PSVR games have gone on sale on the EU store, including some of the biggest launch titles like Battlezone, EVE: Valkyrie and Driveclub VR. PSVR players are an eager bunch, so you’ve likely already picked up many of the headset’s bigger games. As such, we’ve picked out seven lesser known titles that you should definitely consider grabbing over the next two weeks.
Bound is one of those games you might not know supports VR; Plastic’s beautiful platformer, that turns simple actions like running and jumping into elegant dance moves, released long before PSVR came out. Surprisingly, though, its launch integration with the headset remains one of the best experiences for it so far, and the developers continue to improve it with PS4 Pro support and other updates. Don’t miss it.
Wayward Sky might not be the most challenging of puzzle/adventure games, but it’s got more than enough charm to make up for it, and a smart implementation of VR locomotion too. You play as a young girl that sets out to save her father when they crash land on a mysterious floating fortress. Played with two Move controllers, you move in third-person, peering down into a wonderful model world, and then take over in first-person for specific actions. It’s a wonderful little adventure.
Six months on from release and Tethered remains one of the few games that would satisfy VR gamers looking for a demanding tactical challenge. The game has you commanding tiny ‘peeps’ as they gather resources and defeat enemies all in an effort to raise your spirit energy. Since we reviewed it it’s been updated to support PlayStation Move, which gives you an even greater degree of control over the action. This is one for PSVR owners that want proper games.
Windlands gives a lot of iron stomached VR gamers what they’ve been asking for; full locomotion with analogue sticks. But it doesn’t stop there, as this Spider-Man simulator has you swinging from branches and platforms across floating islands, gathering collectables and leaping across chasms. Move support is on the way, so if you’ve been holding out for it then you might want to pick this one up now.
Sadly soaring under many people’s radar, we can’t recommend this one enough. How We Soar is an enchanting little adventure that tells the story of a writer and the worlds he builds using origami-style visuals. You ride on the back of a phoenix, and we’ve never so badly wanted to bring our hands into an experience so that we could grab its bright red feathers as we flew. We try not to use the term magical too much, but How We Soar definitely fits the bill.
PSVR might not have the same 360 degree tracking capabilities as the HTC Vive, but The Brookhaven Experiment still makes a pretty good case for porting games from the SteamVR headset over to PS4. The console version of this wave shooter has some smart workarounds to bring the full experience to users without causing issues with occlusion, meaning you can have a fun, immersive and fully frightening time blasting away deformed monsters.
The only game on this list made by a big publisher, Werewolves Within is Ubisoft’s lesser-known but creatively fascinating multiplayer VR game, unjustly sitting in the shadows of Eagle Flight and Star Trek. It tasks players with finding which of their troupe is secretly a vicious werewolf. The player in control of the disguised beast must do all they can to lead others astray. It’s a brilliant example of the new kinds of experiences social VR can create.
It’s that day of the year which every journalist hates. 1st April, aka ‘April Fools Day’, is a day in which every news story that comes your way has to be scrutinised twice as hard. Some press releases are obviously intended for nothing more than a moment’s titillation, others walk a line far too close to reality for comfort. Some however, are genuinely laugh-out-loud funny. Here’s VRFocus’ picks of the best efforts in 2017.
Kratos to Make a Guest Appearance in Bound DLC
Bound is a wonderful and often forgotten gem in the PlayStation VR’s line-up. God of War is a brutal and beloved PlayStation exclusive franchise. Why not combine the two? Developed in collaboration between Plastic Studios and Sony Santa Monica – the latter of which is the studio responsible for many of Kratos’ adventures – Bound today had some new downloadable content (DLC) announced for it, in which Kratos becomes the highly animated hero. This is more than a little suspicious, but would undoubtedly sell well if it weren’t.
Another April Fools Day, another videogame coming to Nintendo’s much berated Virtual Boy. This year the responsibility has been handed to Funktronic Labs, the developer of – you guessed it – Cosmic Trip for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. Of course, the studio isn’t really working on a Virtual Boy edition of their VR videogame; they’re still working on finishing the high-end PC version currently in Steam Early Access.
REWIND Moves into Hardware Development
UK virtual reality (VR) content developer REWIND has a had a hand in many well known projects, including the recently launched Ghost in the Shell experience for Samsung Gear VR and Oculus Rift. With a number of years of experience under their belt, why not step into the world of hardware development? Because that’d be stupid. That’s why.
Google Introduce New VR Haptic Feedback
For many, the next landmark development in VR won’t be wireless (although that technology does rank highly on near-everyone’s ‘wish list’), it’ll be haptic feedback. What’s better to aid immersion than incorporating all your senses – not just sight and sound – into the experience? Well, one of Google’s many April Fools gag delivers just that, with Haptic Helpers: a new programme in which people enter your home to aid you in your suspension-of-disbelief.
Virtual Umbrella’s Bertie Millis Launches AFVRC
It seems like every week someone at VRFocus proclaims this acronym on the group chat. Most frequently with the word ‘not’ in front of it and a massively sigh afterwards. Yes, there are many VR conferences. So many in fact, that they’re starting to overlap due to there simply not being enough days in the year. Bertie, we don’t want AFVRC. Nobody does.
Of course, there’s plenty more April Fools gags coming from the VR industry. Let us know your favourites in the comments section below.
Next Thursday 10th November is set to be a big day with two hardware releases. Google will be launching Daydream View its latest head-mounted display unveiled in October, and Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) will be releasing PlayStation 4 Pro. Today SIE has announced which titles will be optimised for the new console, making use of the extra power it provides, and there are several virtual reality (VR) videogames in that list for PlayStation VR.
VRFocus had previously reported that Battlezone would be part of the line up, developer Rebellion made the announcement last month. But many of the experiences are new with a total of 13 VR videogames on the list. They are as follows:
PlayStation VR:
Battlezone
Bound
Driveclub VR
Hustle Kings
PlayStation VR Worlds
Rez Infinite
RIGS: Mechanized Combat League
Robinson: The Journey
Super Stardust Ultra
The Playroom VR
Thumper
Tumble
Until Dawn: Rush of Blood
PlayStation 4 Pro:
Battlefield 1
Call Of Duty: Black Ops 3
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Dishonored 2
EA Sports FIFA 17
Firewatch
Helldivers
Hitman
inFAMOUS: First Light
inFAMOUS: Second Son
Knack
Mafia III
Mantis Burn Racing
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
NBA 2K17
Paragon
Ratchet & Clank
Rise of the Tomb Raider
Smite
The Elders Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited
The Elders Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
The Last Of Us Remastered
The Last Of Us: Left Behind
Titanfall 2
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Viking Squad
Wheels of Aurelia
World Of Tanks
XCOM 2
And this is only the first wave, expect more to be added in the weeks and months to come. Already confirmed is Capcom’s Resident Evil 7 biohazard, which is due out on 24th, January 2017.
The PlayStation 4 Pro’s extra processing power will allow developers to create even richer videogames or make their current ones look even better. As Rebellion said in its statement, the console is: “offering a crisper, more vibrant experience”.
As VRFocus learns about further PlayStation VR titles being optimised for PlayStation 4 Pro we’ll let you know.
Welcome, one and all, to the first ever (and quite possibly biggest ever) release roundup for PlayStation VR. If you’re a regular reader here at UploadVR you’ll know that every Friday we give you a quick update on all the games that have launched for the Oculus Rift, Gear VR, and HTC Vive over the past seven days. Now that Sony’s headset is out, we’re going to be doing a list for that too.
Below you’ll find everything that hit the platform in the past few days plus our recommendations of what to buy. If you’re looking for something a little more in-depth, then we’ve recently gathered all of our reviews and coverage for launch into one handy post too.
Bound, from Plastic
Price: Free, Base Game Required: $19.99
Available as a free upgrade to anyone that already owns the game, Bound is a hypnotic adventure in which a dancer explores past memories by gracefully moving throughout fantastical environments. It’s more experience than game, but still not to be missed.
Recommendation: One of PS VR’s best games, believe it or not. Pick it up. Our review.
Volume: Coda, from Mike Bithell
Price: Free, Base Game Required: $19.99
Another free update, Coda brings more levels to the Volume experience specifically built for VR. This is a third-person stealth game played from an isometric view and made with a lot of heart. Plus the entire original game can be played in VR too.
Recommendation: You may well already own it. If you don’t? You should.
100ft Robot Golf, from No Goblin
Price: $19.99
Before PS VR gets a realistic golf simulator it’s going to get this bonkers anime-inspired multiplayer game. Take control of mechs, make cities and oceans your courses, and smash friends in the face with golf clubs. What’s not to love?
Recommendation: If not on launch day, perhaps in a quieter week in the months to come.
Rise of the Tomb Raider, from Crystal Dynamics
Price: $59.99
Lara’s latest heads to PS4 with a VR mission that’s around two hours in length. Explore Croft Manor and the history of the family itself in a Gone Home-style adventure that’s well worth a look for fans of the franchise with both game and hardware.
Recommendation: Not worth it for the VR alone, but the full game’s a treat too. Our thoughts.
Batman: Arkham VR, from Rocksteady Studios
Price: $19.99
Become one of the most iconic comic book heroes of all time in this brief adventure that lets you use the PlayStation Move controllers to become the Batman. Explore famous sights and meet with beloved characters as you solve a murder mystery.
Recommendation: Arkham VR isn’t a great “game,” but die hard Bat fans should definitely give it a go. Our review.
Battlezone, from Rebellion
Price: $59.99
Rebellion reboots a gaming classic for the new age. Jump into a tank, head onto retro battlefield to take down enemies with an array of weapons. Four player co-op makes this one of the platform’s only teamwork-based games so far.
Recommendation: If you can afford it, Battlezone is one of PS VR’s best. Our review.
Driveclub VR, from Evolution Studios
Price: $39.99 (Season Pass Holders for Driveclub Get a Discount)
Evolution Studios’ popular PS4 racer returns for headsets. It’s a somewhat skimmed down version of the original, but it’s still a mechanically precisce simulation that looks great and feels even better. Plus it’s the only game of its kind on the platform right now.
Recommendation: If you need a VR racer, this is your only option on PS VR right now, and it’s super immersive. Our thoughts.
Thumper, from Drool
Price: $19.99
Thumper comes across as a simple title, but quickly descends into a chaos. This is one that will need all of your concentration, both mentally and physically, while you’re trying to overcome electric obstacles to the beat of the increasingly bombarding music.
Recommendation: One of PS VR’s best games yet. Grab it. Our review.
Waddle Home, from Archiact Interactive
Price: $9.99
Remember Waddle Home from the Gear VR days? It’s back and revamped for VR, taking full advantage of the kit’s position tracked controllers. Guide penguins safely through treacherous environments, batting bombs and more out of the way in order to get them to an alien bent on saving them. Really. This was good fun on Gear and there’s no reason a spruced up PS VR version wouldn’t be the same.
Recommendation: Pick this one up for some Lemmings-inspired VR fun.
Headmaster, from Frame Interactive
Price: $24.99
What’s the most obvious interaction you can think of with PS VR’s position-tracking? For us, it’s head butting a ball in soccer, and that’s exactly what you do in Headmaster. This isn’t a simple little minigame, though, Headmaster has a full campaign with plenty of different game types.
Recommendation: One for the sports fans among us that like a dash of comedy.
EVE: Valkyrie, from CCP Games
Price: $59.99
VR’s flagship multiplayer space fighter comes to PS VR with cross play support on Rift. Take part in huge battles against other ships from the EVE universe in this expansive and exciting aerial shooter. Free updates keep on coming too.
Recommendation: A good one to get in on the ground floor with. Our review of the Rift version.
EVE: Gunjack, from CCP Games
Price: $9.99
The original Gear VR gallery shooter comes to PS VR with refined visuals. Gunjack is about as simple as they come, but that doesn’t stop it from being a healthy helping of fun. It’s a great game to introduce people to VR with, too.
Recommendation: A simple shooter that’s great to share with VR newbies.
RIGS: Mechanized Combat League, from Guerrilla Cambridge
Price: $49.99
One of the first full blown first-person shooters for PlayStation VR. RIGS is set in the not too distant future in which mech combat has become a popular sporting event. Jump into your Rig and take to the battlefield in this frantic shooter.
Recommendation: The best FPS on PS VR right now. Pick it up. Our review.
Job Simulator, from Owlchemy Labs
Price: $29.99
On of the HTC Vive’s staple titles is now ready for its PS VR debut. Put on the headset to travel into the future then use a machine to travel back to the present and mess around in the silly jobs that humans did… back then?
Recommendation: A great way to introduce people to the magic of VR. Our review of the Vive version.
Super Stardust Ultra VR, from d3t
Price: $19.99
The arcade classic gets VR-ified with a new cockpit view that makes it a little more like Battlezone than it does the original Stardust. Still, if you want the classic experience then that’s available to play in VR too.
Recommendation: If you’re looking for Battlezone, maybe buy Battlezone. This one’s a bit wonky.
The Assembly, from nDreams
Price: $29.99
It’s been a long time coming, but nDreams’ The Assembly is finally available this week. This is an engrossing first-person adventure in which you’ll control two different protagonists as you explore a secret underground layer belonging to the titular organization. There are puzzles and choices aplenty to be made as you study lab experiments and surreal setups.
Recommendation: We reviewed The Assembly on PC and enjoyed it generally. $30 is a little steep, but it’s an interesting experience.
Tumble VR, from Supermassive Games
Price: $9.99
One of the better PlayStation Move titles comes to PS VR with new levels and support for the DualShock 4 (though Move integration is still in). Use position tracked controls to grab blocks and stack them as high as possible, then watch it all come tumbling (get it?) down.
Recommendation: It’s cheap, clear fun, and a great demonstration of what VR can do. Our review.
PlayStation VR Worlds, from Sony London
Price: $39.99
One of the original PS VR titles is finally available. This is a collection of several different experiences, many of which Sony used as tech demos for PS VR over the years. There’s a shark infested dive into uncharted waters, a fast-paced downhill race, and a high-octane London shootout amongst others.
Recommendation: There’s some good experiences, but it’s rather forgettable overall. Our review.
Hustle Kings VR, from EPOS Game Studios
Price: $19.99
Hustle Kings has been on PlayStation platforms for what feels like an age, and now you can play it in VR. There’s not much more to say about it, is there? It’s pool in VR. If that’s your thing, have at it, though be aware there’s a rival coming up.
Recommendation: Sports Bar VR sounds like the better bet. Pass.
Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, from Supermassive Games
Price: $19.99
Until Dawn was a brilliant choose your own adventure horror game, but this is not Until Dawn. It’s a horror rollercoaster in which you face off with enemies from the original title, blasting them away with the PlayStation Move controllers.
Recommendation: A great distraction for horror fans. Our review.
Harmonix Music VR, from Harmonix
Price: $14.99
The makers of Rock Band VR have something a little different for the launch of Sony’s headset. Music VR is a surreal experiential piece with four different minigame-esque activities. It’s not something that will keep you busy for long, but you can party with robots.
Recommendation: Only if you’re interested in seeing how music and VR can collide. Not much to it.
Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA X, from Sega
Price: $49.99
This one is a niche title, as nine times out of ten those who would be interested in Hatsune Mikue: Project DIVA X will be fans of the long ongoing series of games the vocaloid comes from. Bob your head and wave your arms along to music as you enjoy the concert, and even earn your way to get up close to the superstars.
Recommendation: If this is your thing, go for it. You know already if this is for you or not.
Here They Lie, from Tangentlement
Price: $19.99
VR horror gets trippy with this first-person exploration game. You explore a monstrous world in which just about anything can happen, and whatever does transpire usually ends up being very disturbing. Fun for all the family.
Recommendation: Horror fans that don’t get motion sick should give this a whirl. Our review.
Keep Talking & Nobody Explodes, from Steel Crate Games
Price: $14.99
This is already something of a multiplayer classc in VR circles. In Keep Talking, the VR player has to defuse a bomb while others that can’t see the device use a free manual to guide them through it. Close teamwork is essential to emerge victorious.
Recommendation: Perfect for VR parties, if you’re planning to host one.
Loading Human, from Untold Games
Price: $39.99
Loading Human is an ambitious story-driven adventure game where feelings are real, characters are convincing, and story comes first. Sadly it’s been stunted by some awkward controls thanks to PlayStation Move’s limitations.
Recommendation: The Assembly is better and cheaper. We recommend passing on this one. Our review.
Sports Bar VR, from Cherry Pop Games
Price: £14.99 (Not Released in US Yet)
What’s known as Pool Nation VR on HTC Vive comes to PlayStation VR for launch and holds up surprisingly well. Use the Move controllers to play various minigames with friends or just trash the sandbox environment.
Recommendation: Definitely one to get if you have friends to hang out with in VR. Lots to do.
Rez Infinite, from Enhance Games
Price: $29.99
A cult classic comes to PlayStation VR. Many remember Rez for its tranquil on-rails shooting action and nowhere has this been better realized than with Rez Infinite. Sadly, it doesn’t come with the amazing suit it was revealed with last year.
Recommendation: An essential purchase for fans of the original and just about everyone else. Our review.
SUPERHYPERCUBE, from Polytron
Price: $29.99
Just as the title would imply, Superhypercube is Hole in the Wall on acid. Using your Dualshock 4 controller to change the shape’s position, you have to get the ever growing collection of blocks through the hole.
Recommendation: It’s pretty addictive, and it comes with our recommendation. Our review.
Wayward Sky, from Uber Entertainment
Price: $19.99
A charming little adventure unlike anything else seen on the platform. In Wayward Sky you explore a massive sky fortress, alternating from third and first-person views to deliver immersion without making players ill.
Recommendation: Definitely one to check out though it falls short of greatness. Our review.
I am surrounded by a sea of shapes, twisting and pirouetting through a tangle of vines. As I leave them behind, I approach a room of boxes that suddenly come together into stairs and platforms. I dash up them, then dance through a field of floating globes, ever closer to my goal.
Bound is a dancing platformer / art world on the PlayStation 4. It was created by a small Polish developer named Plastic, working with Sony’s Santa Monica Studios. It is a platformer, where you run and jump through a landscape, looking for the way forward to the end. Here, though, through motion capture, the protagonist is a dancer who moves with grace, who not only does the running and jumping with beautiful agility, but also has a dancing button to move through tangles of vines, overgrowth of plants, and other obstacles.
Gameplay wise, it is pretty standard platforming stuff from the last 20 years, though the dancing mechanics add some variety. What really makes Bound different though, is its world. The game starts as a pregnant woman walks onto a beach, then gazes out at the waves. You then go to a surreal world in her mind. You are on floating platforms made of squares, a sea of white cubes undulating far below.
Level by level, you encounter more surreal uses of shapes and colors, chaotic rooms and twisting floors. Particles float everywhere, landmarks fly around, and levels spiral through the air. The geometry shakes and breaks as you gracefully move. There are towering monsters throughout the game that may attack you or attack one another, more overwhelming presences in an unreal landscape. It all helps offset the repetition of the gameplay.
This place of shapes and memories and chaos is one of the most gorgeous locales for a game I’ve ever seen and it is amazing to traverse it in virtual reality. Dancing through this artistic construction is a unique experience, like discovering what the mind of a person obsessed with art and plagued with conflict would really be like.
The camera does not update often, at times staying where it is just long enough so that you watch from a distance as the dancer crosses a series of platforms, just further emphasizing the world she is in. You can adjust the camera using the right analog on the controller, and discover an enlightening new angle on this wondrous space.
Credit: Sony
As the story unfolds, you realize the the frantic fantasy world you’re experiencing is tied to important or traumatic moments from her childhood. She is literally journeying through the chaotic metaphor of her upbringing, trying to find peace with her parents before she becomes one herself. It is wonderfully told through moments of fragmented memory between the platforming levels. And the glimpses of her calmly taking it all in at the soothing beach stand as a stark contrast to the geometrical madness of her mind.
The core gameplay, the running through spaces and jumping along platforms, finding elevators or ladders or ropes to climb, is enhanced greatly by virtual reality. Having a real sense of the three-dimensionality of space and the scale of the surreal world elevates the basic gameplay. And since it doesn’t use the PlayStation Move nor the motion controls of the Dual Shock, the PlayStation VR has no issues in tracking your head movement. You are there, looking around an unbelievable space.
Plastic provided a few features that supplement the gameplay. There is a photo mode where users can capture and modify images of this gorgeous game. The levels themselves have optional sections. A Speedrun mode unlocks when you finish the game, which has various settings to play with. You can even play the levels in a random order, changing up how you experience the story.
Credit: Sony
Bound can be played in 2D outside of VR as well. In fact, that switch creates a powerful juxtaposition that sums up virtual reality perfectly. The game loads up and you see this flat, distant image of the dancer sitting and waiting to move. When you toggle virtual reality on, this flat image is gone and this world of chaotic geometry surrounds you. The flat dancer is now tangibly there before you. You can lean in to look over her from other angles. You are not just gazing at a world that is distant. You are inside it.
Interestingly enough, this game was originally released on PlayStation 4 back in August. With the release of PS VR however, the game has been updated to use the headset’s unique properties — and what a difference that makes. After finishing the game, I went back to try it in 2D and it felt like going back to play a game made in the dark ages. There is a visceral loss when I experienced it on a flat screen from yards away. Anyone who tried Bound back then simply played a game rather than experienced a dream world of shape and movement. It is a profound contrast.
The fact that the game was updated for PlayStation VR does open a world of possibilities. Will other games get the same treatment? There are countless titles that would be made more amazing and immersive by virtual reality, imaginative titles like Journey or Unfinished Swan.
There have been games that had some basic VR support on the PCs, often only with the Oculus Rift development kits, that could use full VR releases on PS4, such as Alien: Isolation or the TheWitness. So many games could have a second life on PS VR. So it is that much more impressive that Bound is the first to do this and succeeds so well in virtual reality.
Credit: Bound Photo Mode Contest, User @erinabigalee
Final Score:9/10 – Amazing
Bound is really more accurately classified as a piece of performance art that you travel through rather than a traditional game, full of breathtaking locations that feel both real and surreal. It succeeds less as a game — I would score the 2D version significantly lower for example if given the task — and more as a powerful piece of artwork. It is a combination of visual art, of dance, of music, of visual storytelling, and simple gameplay. It should be experienced by all who believe in virtual reality.
Bound VR will be available as a free PS VR update to the standard edition of Bound which is already available now for $19.99 on PlayStation 4. The PlayStation VR headset releases October 13th. Read our Game Review Guidelines for more information on how we arrived at this score.
—
Kevin is a freelance writer with work appearing in outlets such as Geek & Sundry, Kill Screen, and Fast Company. Follow him on Twitter: @khohannessian. Featured Image Credit: Bound Photo Mode Contest Grand Prize Winner, User: @oPenguo
Platformers are weird ones when it comes to virtual reality (VR), especially when trying to get the best experience out of them without either not utilising the VR whatsoever, or doing it so much so that it becomes unnatural to watch and ruins the enjoyment. Just the word freerunning in regards to VR gaming can make those with the strongest stomachs cower away. However, VRFocus believes that there are a couple of PlayStation VR launch titles that you will most certainly be playing when the head-mounted display (HMD) finally launches.
Below are two platform games that have a mix of adventure, character, and creative spark that fuel the enjoyment factor that will ensure your VR experience is pretty great. The two chose are Bound from Plastic, and Wayward Sky from Uber Entertainment.
Bound – Plastic
This is something that you wouldn’t have expected, and didn’t know that you wanted – until now. Taking the form of an elegant dancer, you discover the story at your own rhythmic pace. It is something that could remind you of Journey in the way that the art is contemporary, and the story is what you make of it. The developers have admitted that not much has actually been shared about this title, and even though the trailer is intriguing beyond doubt you still don’t quite know what to make of the story. What’s more – there are 120 ways to complete the game. Either way, it is a title full of substance, and if you love platformers then you will find yourself considering this title.
Wayward Sky – Uber Entertainment
Warward Sky is a look and click type of title, but don’t let this put you off of it in the slightest. When in VR and playing Wayward Sky, you will be surrounded by the cinematic aesthetics and events, interacting at times that are appropriate and won’t overload you with wondering what the heck is going on in this fast paced game. You will be taking on the role of Bess, a young co-pilot who has to risk her life in order to find her father, and you will not only experience some thrilling gameplay, but also a great amount of puzzle solving to shake up the pace.
“Bound casts the player as an ever-moving character in an aesthetically unique world, similar in intent to the GameCube’s P.N.03 but very different in resulting gameplay. The dancer that represents the player on-screen will use a variety of leaps and twirls to overcome the pitfalls of a chaotic level design, crossing bridges, bounding across gaps and solving switch puzzles all while visually impacting the world. The latter is an impressive visual treat in VR, but it’s actually the puzzling gameplay that makes Bound worthy of the transition to the new medium.”
“While still insisting that the PlayStation VR version of Driveclub is still a technical demonstration and nothing more, the experience feels as though a lot of work has gone into getting it just right. The handling is tight and responsive, the car feels weighty and collisions are given just enough oomph that they’ll interrupt your driving line but fall short of sending you spinning. It’s a very different way of playing Driveclub, and it arguably is what Evolution Studios’ racing experience needed to separate it from the pack all along.”
“Farpoint has become a key example for the success of modern VR, having surpassed all expectations for commercial value upon release.”
“Every early adopter of the head-mounted display (HMD) should consider a purchase of 
“Depicting a new form of sports entertainment that takes place 50 years in the future, RIGS: Mechanised Combat League aims to be a fast-paced FPS, the kind that might have required a few nearby sick bags on lesser VR hardware. ”
“Starblood Arena, the unique arena shooter that sees players piloting individualised space ships all with their own unique weapons and attributes, such as soldier Elsa in her versatile ship Mandible, or fast but fragile assassin Blade and his ship Raptor. ”
“A first-person test of mental and physical dexterity as players complete a series of tasks to solve increasingly challenging puzzles. These challenges can range from building towers to creating bridges, working out mind melting puzzles, and blowing up enormous towers of blocks. Puzzle titles tend to be single-player affairs but Supermassive Games has incorporated PlayStation VR’s Social Screen feature, allowing a second player to use the connected TV, creating a much more social experience.”
“Until Dawn is a story driven horror videogame, with the player’s in-game decisions having a direct influence on the outcome for each of the characters involved. A convoluted journey through an unwelcoming world. Until Dawn: Rush of Blood is a far more straight forward affair. It’s a shooting gallery, pure and simple, but when played in VR it’s far more appealing than could it could ever sound on paper.”
