The newly announced Budget Cuts Ultimate, which combines both Budget Cuts (2018) and Budget Cuts 2 (2019) stealth action games into a single experience, is set to launch on PSVR 2 and Quest 2 next month.
Budget Cuts Ultimate is set to bring both games to those respective platforms for the first time, launching on June 1st.
Originally released on PC VR and the original PSVR, Budget Cuts makes use of a unique portaling system that completely rethinks teleportation in VR as we know it. Not only can you pop around corners like a ninja, but also throw knives through portals, making for some compelling encounters with the world’s armed security robots.
Here’s a description, courtesy its developers Neat Corporation:
As your last human co-worker is hauled away, a mysterious briefcase from someone on the outside is delivered to your desk. You need to get to the bottom of what is going on at TransCorp.
Sneak around enemy robots by climbing through air ducts and service tunnels, or embrace violence by unleashing a fistful of knives, quivers of arrows, grenades, and coffee mugs onto their unsuspecting circuits. Once you’ve completed your mission, test your skills in the arcade with multiple modes, difficulty levels, and scoring.
You can wishlist the game on PSVR 2 here, and on Quest 2/Pro here.
Budget Cuts (2018) was originally slated to arrive on PSVR back in May, and due to the global slowdown it also fell victim to another delay in June. Starting today though, PSVR users will finally be able to step into the stealth action game that was so highly anticipated on the PC VR platform.
Budget Cuts is now live on the PlayStation Store, priced at $30 and $24 for PS Plus members. North America has physical copies as well; Europe is said to get them starting October 23rd, with pre-orders opening on the Perp Games Store next week.
We reviewed the game back at its PC VR release in 2018, and while we gave it a resounding [9.2/10] at the time, some users did notice pesky performance issues at launch that prevented them from enjoying the full unfettered fun of sneaking around office corridors and ganking robot guards.
Although those perf issues on PC VR have since been ironed out, it was still uncertain whether the game would actually fit all of its physics-based interactions onto the more modest PS4 platform. It appears though Neat Corp and Coatsink have done an admirable job porting the game for PSVR.
While we haven’t had an opportunity to test it on PSVR yet, YouTube channel Shugghead Gaming has a video review (linked below) that drills into the game’s specifics, noting that performance is a non-issue.
Shugghead Gaming highlights in the video that one of the sticking points to the game is the snap-turn control scheme, which is necessary due to PSVR’s front-facing PS Camera sensor. According to him, the game also feels somewhat dated in comparison to subsequently released titles on the platform, which is in part owed to the teleportation-only locomotion style.
Still, for what we can gather, Budget Cuts on PSVR is basically the same experience you can have on PC, albeit with an extra PSVR exclusive level in addition to the previously released DLC. We’re still waiting to see if Neat Corp/Coatsink will bring the game to Quest, which would be the next logical step for a title that’s already been slimmed down enough to fit on PSVR.
Budget Cuts (2018) was originally slated to arrive on PSVR back in May, and due to the global slowdown it also fell victim to another delay in June. Starting today though, PSVR users will finally be able to step into the stealth action game that was so highly anticipated on the PC VR platform.
Budget Cuts is now live on the PlayStation Store, priced at $30 and $24 for PS Plus members. North America has physical copies as well; Europe is said to get them starting October 23rd, with pre-orders opening on the Perp Games Store next week.
We reviewed the game back at its PC VR release in 2018, and while we gave it a resounding [9.2/10] at the time, some users did notice pesky performance issues at launch that prevented them from enjoying the full unfettered fun of sneaking around office corridors and ganking robot guards.
Although those perf issues on PC VR have since been ironed out, it was still uncertain whether the game would actually fit all of its physics-based interactions onto the more modest PS4 platform. It appears though Neat Corp and Coatsink have done an admirable job porting the game for PSVR.
While we haven’t had an opportunity to test it on PSVR yet, YouTube channel Shugghead Gaming has a video review (linked below) that drills into the game’s specifics, noting that performance is a non-issue.
Shugghead Gaming highlights in the video that one of the sticking points to the game is the snap-turn control scheme, which is necessary due to PSVR’s front-facing PS Camera sensor. According to him, the game also feels somewhat dated in comparison to subsequently released titles on the platform, which is in part owed to the teleportation-only locomotion style.
Still, for what we can gather, Budget Cuts on PSVR is basically the same experience you can have on PC, albeit with an extra PSVR exclusive level in addition to the previously released DLC. We’re still waiting to see if Neat Corp/Coatsink will bring the game to Quest, which would be the next logical step for a title that’s already been slimmed down enough to fit on PSVR.
What are the biggest new VR games for September 2020? Find out in this month’s full rundown!
After a slow August, the year’s releases are picking up steam as we head into the holiday season. September should offer a little something for everyone, from hardcore zombie action in a new Walking Dead VR game to family-friendly party thrills in Cook-Out. Let’s dig in to the new VR games for September 2020.
New VR Games September 2020
Cook-Out: A Sandwich Tale (September 3rd)
Resolution Games – Rift, Quest
Resolution Games’ latest VR party game, Cook-Out, riffs on Overcooked, getting up to four players to work together to make sandwiches as quickly as possible. It promises a hectic good time as ingredients fly and customers, including werewolves, get peckish.
Falcon Age (September 3rd)
Outerloop Games – Quest
A heartfelt adventure telling the story of a girl and her feathered companion, Falcon Age comes to Oculus Quest for the first time. We liked it a lot on PSVR, and have high hopes for this port.
Stride (September 4th, Early Access)
Joy Way – PC VR
The Early Access release of this highly-anticipated Mirror’s Edge VR-lookalike is just around the corner. Stride will come armed with an Endless Mode to try out its brand of VR free-running. We’ve been hands-on with it already, and it shows promise.
Solaris: Offworld Combat (September 24th)
First Contact Entertainment – Rift, Quest
After a last-minute delay in August, Solaris moves its fast-paced multiplayer arena shootouts to the end of September. First Contact was behind the excellent Firewall: Zero Hour, so Solaris should be in safe hands.
Budget Cuts (September 25th)
Neat Corp – PSVR
It’s suffered multiple delays but it looks like September will finally be when we get our hands on the PSVR version of Budget Cuts. Will this seminal stealth title measure up on the platform?
The Walking Dead: Onslaught (September 29th)
Survios – PC VR, PSVR
Another long-delayed game, The Walking Dead: Onslaught impressed up with its return trailer in August, so we have high hopes for this one. Survios is a VR veteran, so fingers crossed it pulls it off.
Agence (TBD)
Transitional Forms – PC VR
First coming to the Venice Film Festival this week, Agence is a new type of VR experience that has players interacting with tiny AI-driven characters. This is definitely one of the more ‘out there’ experiences releasing this month.
What’s your pick of the list for new VR games September 2020? Let us know in the comments below!
Originally due for release this past May, the PSVR version of Budget Cuts just suffered another delay.
Neat Corp’s original VR stealth game has been a long time coming for Sony’s console. In March, we reported the game would arrive the following May but, a few days into that month Neat delayed it to July 10th. At the time the developer cited complications caused by the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for the push back. Now, with a week to go before that new date, the game’s been delayed again, this time to September 25.
But it’s not all bad news; the PSVR version of the game will also sport a new level named the Panopticon. In this newly-designed map (seen above), the player has a clear goal to reach, but a variety of ways to get there. “We wanted to encourage the player to pave their own path forward, either through brute force and action or through stealth and sneaking their way around in order to reach the center of the level,” designer Olle Axelsson wrote on the PlayStation Blog.
It’s a shame to see the game delayed again, but at least there’s a little extra content to sweet the deal. No word yet on if Neat will also bring last year’s sequel, Budget Cuts 2: Mission Insolvency, to PSVR, nor if a Quest port could be on the cards after a PSVR release, but fingers crossed. Meanwhile, Neat also continues to deliver updates for its Early Access VR title, Garden of the Sea.
Much like Camouflaj’s Iron Man VR which was beset with delays until today’s launch, Neat Corporation’s Budget Cuts has been pushed further and further back. A new date has been revealed today for the PlayStation VR version, now taking place in September.
The main reason the PlayStation VR version seems to be taking longer is that Neat Corporation is adding a bunch of new content to the two year old PC VR title. There’s going to be an Arcade Mode built within a “fully modeled and intractable arcade machine” and a competitive mode.
Most of the new details the studio has released relate to the Panopticon level. This is a whole new area built with specifically for PlayStation VR. “With Panopticon we wanted to put the players journey and the importance of choice at the core of the levels design,” notes Olle Axelsson, Game Designer, Neat Corporation. “We wanted to encourage the player to pave their own path forward, either through brute force and action or through stealth and sneaking their way around in order to reach the centre of the level.”
A very circular level to challenge those navigational skills, Panopticon aims to be a little different from the rest, playing with ‘space and form’ to really challenge players.
In any case, Budget Cuts will still retain that stealth gameplay it is known for, exploring the expansive office network by using whatever vents, ceiling crawl spaces and other areas to remain hidden. Get spotted by a robot guard and you’ll either have to be quick on your feet or take them down with some office stationary.
VRFocus will continue its coverage of Budget Cuts for PlayStation VR, reporting back with further updates.
Our list of the best VR stealth games is stepping out of the shadows to help you on your next sneaking mission.
Stealth is one of those genres that seems like a perfect fit for VR. The ability to physically hide around corners, distract enemies by making noises and then knock them out when they get close feels incredibly empowering, and one of the best expressions of how the medium can enhance traditional games.
But making a good, comprehensive VR stealth game is incredibly hard; not only do you have to accommodate all those elements, you have to make sure enemy AI doesn’t fold under the weight of these systems. This list of the 10 best VR stealth games definitely isn’t free of those issues, but they’re all encouraging signs developers are getting closer to nailing the perfect experience.
Republique might not make the most exciting use of VR, but you can’t deny that it’s a good stealth game in its own right. Camouflaj first dived into VR with this port of its third-person episodic series, which borrows liberally from Metal Gear Solid and other series. There are some neat features here for the VR version and the campaign’s quite lengthy, but this is definitely more your traditional stealth experience that just happens to be playable in VR, putting it at the tenth spot of our best VR stealth games list.
9. The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners – Quest, PSVR, PC VR
Though it might be one of the overall best games on this list, Saints & Sinners scores towards the high end of our top ten given that its stealth is only one small part of the overall experience. The option to sneak through enemy encampments and avoid walkers definitely has tactical advantages and works pretty well, too. Ultimately, though, it’s more fun to stab zombies than it is evade them, so Saints & Sinners comes near the start of our best VR stealth games list.
Panther VR is a hugely ambitious stealth game that aims to let players pick and choose how they navigate through its levels. And developer Wolfdog Interactive has certainly proven its commitment to the Early Access release in the past year, having released plenty of updates to help improve the gameplay. We’re looking forward to Panther’s full release, which is when we’ll really be able to judge if it can climb the ranks of the best VR stealth games.
7. Arashi: Castles of Sin – PSVR
It’s not quite VR’s answer to Tenchu, but Arashi: Castles of Sin still offers around five hours of rock-solid sneaking, tasking players with taking down six Japanese warlords. Open level design gives you some say in how to get from point A to B, and a range of weapons can make for some intentive scenarios. Plus, Arashi features VR’s goodest dog, who can distract enemies on command. Sold.
Jurassic World is definitely on the short side (a second part is still to come later down the line), but what’s already here works really well. Remember the classic kitchen scene from the original Jurassic Park? This is basically that incredibly tense moment stretched across an entire game, asking players to sneak through environments and avoid becoming dino-food. Once the second part arrives we’re hopeful this’ll rank higher on our best VR stealth games list.
Of all the games inspired by Metal Gear Solid on this list, Espire 1 is definitely the most blatant. The game directly lifts a lot of the key features first established in MGS2 but finds new use from them in VR. You can actually say ‘Freeze’ into your headset’s microphone to hold up enemies, for example, and then knock them out cold with the end of your gun. Weak enemy AI holds the game back from being something really special, but we’re hoping to see this franchise expand with a stronger sequel in the future.
Like Saints & Sinners, stealth is really only an option in Sniper Elite VR, but it’s much more intrinsic to the gameplay. When you’re not nestled up in a sniper nest you’re crawling past enemies, scoring headshots with silenced pistols and trying to make it as far into a level as possible before the game’s up. And by building on its work with the existing series, Sniper managed to be a consistent, comprehensive and fair stealth experience. It’s an easy pick for one of the best VR stealth games, then.
Once again, stealth is merely an option in the Hitman series but, whereas Sniper Elite and Walking Dead emphasize action first, Agent 47 is all about sticking to the shadows and fighting back only when absolutely necessary. Adopting a first-person perspective for the first time completely changes the sneaking in IO’s iconic series, making every careful lean from behind the corner a potential run-ruining decision. But it really gives you the feeling of sneaking through areas you shouldn’t be in, making it one of the best VR stealth games.
Lots of VR stealth games aim to give players an expansive set of tools to play with. The result is something that’s often a fun sandbox, but crumbles when you expect enemies to properly react to your discovery. Phantom is a smartly constrained experience in that sense – not only is the kyack-based gameplay completely immersive, but it keeps enemies at a distance and makes their reactions much more believable. Add in some great weapons and inventive use of the game’s sole location, and Phantom: Covert Ops remains one of the best VR stealth games to date.
Budget Cuts 1 may have launched with some problems but Neat Corp has addressed a lot of those issues over time and, more importantly, worked with Fast Travel Games to greatly expand on its premise in Budget Cuts 2. This is VR stealth at its physical best: teleportation-based movement that gives the world context without breaking immersion, skill-dependent gameplay that leaves you feeling lethally effective in your best moments and an utter clutz in your worst, and tongue-in-cheek humor that makes this one of VR’s funniest games. For that reason, the Budget Cuts series finds itself at the top of our best VR stealth games list.
What did you make of our list of the best VR stealth games? Let us know in the comments below!
British publisher Perp Games has made a name for itself in the virtual reality (VR) market through its continual physical PlayStation VR releases. Today, the company has announced its biggest lineup of titles coming globally in the next couple of months.
With a busy release schedule across most formats, PlayStation VR is slated to get six videogames starting on 19th June with Mini Motor Racing X from The Binary Mill. Originally released on PlayStation Store last December, the micro racing experience offers lots of tracks and cars for single-player and multiplayer racing.
Also coming from the same developer is Rush VR, the wingsuit racing experience which has been available digitally for a couple of years. Rush VR is slated to arrive in stores on 26th June. Making it a triple bill from The Binary Mill is Gun Club VR, a first-person shooter (FPS) focused on highly realistic weapons and gameplay mechanics. It’ll arrive on 3rd July.
Joining Gun Club VR on 3rd July will be Cortopia Studios’ puzzler Down the Rabbit Hole. This magical adventure puts you as an unnamed girl who’s searching for her pet, stumbling upon Wonderland in the process.
Probably the biggest PlayStation VR featured in this selection is Neat Corporations Budget Cuts. Scheduled to launch on 10th July, Budgets Cuts performance has been improved thanks to the studios’ advancements made when developing its sequel Budget Cuts 2: Mission Insolvency.
Last but not least is Headmaster: Extra Time Edition. Originally a launch title for PlayStation VR way back in 2016, this new version set to arrive on 31st July feature the core experience as well as the pass and play Party Mode and brand the new Lost Lessons DLC.
So PlayStation VR owners have lots to look forward to. As further titles for the headset are announce, VRFocus will keep you updated.
A couple of months ago Neat Corporation revealed that its first virtual reality (VR) title Budget Cuts would finally be making its way to PlayStation VR in May. Alas, that is no longer the case, as like many developers the studio is feeling the effect of the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.
We’ve got some good news and some bad news to share with you about Budget Cuts coming to PSVR this summer. pic.twitter.com/c2I82YtDof
Neat Corporation released the above statement this week on Twitter, noting that the difficulties working from home have impeded porting the title in the desired time frame. As people have expressed on the social media site, it’s better to take longer creating a polished project in the process rather than rushing things.
And by the sounds of it the PlayStation VR port of Budget Cuts should greatly benefit from the teams experience creating the sequel. The studio mentioned last week that ‘significant advancements’ were made regarding performance with Budget Cuts 2, in turn helping Budget Cuts.
Designed as a stealth experience where you can hide in the ceiling or pop out of air vents as you infiltrate a mega-conglomerate called TransCorp. You’re not a spy, merely a former employee who has found out everyone is being replaced by robots. So as you duck and dive through the hospital clean hallways you’ll need to either avoid or take down hostile robot guards with anything to hand, from knives to scissors.
One of the most notable features of Budget Cuts was its teleportation system. Rather than casually hopping about the place, you have a teleportation gun which fires a blue orb through doors or narrow passageways. Before moving you can scope the area for hostiles, great for looking around corners, cancelling the move if the area isn’t clear.
It’s been a massive week for PSVR with the announcement of Vader Immortal, a Gorn release date and the release of The Walking Dead. Now time for a small bit of bad news: Budget Cuts has been delayed.
Neat Corp’s popular VR stealth game was due to make the jump from PC to console next week on May 15th. But, yesterday, the company issued a statement confirming the game would now arrive nearly two months later on July 10.
In a post on Twitter, the company cited the impacts of COVID-19 as one reason for the delay. “It has changed the way we can test our builds and work together, since we are now doing so from a distance but it has meant that the turnaround time between our code updates takes a bit longer,” the statement reads.
However, Neat assures that the delay will allow the team to “triple and quadruple check” that Budget Cuts arrives in good shape in July. The team says that all of the fixes and updates available in the PC version will come to the game. It’s not clear if that means the recently-added Mutators update will be available on PSVR at launch. Neat Corp originally told us it would need a little more time to add those elements.
All the same, we’ve got a busy few weeks ahead for PSVR now, so hopefully you can hold on a bit longer. We’ll be sure to give you impressions of Budget Cuts on PSVR as soon as possible.
