Category: Covert

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nDreams Crytpic Tweets Look Like A ‘Phantom’ Sequel Tease

A series of cryptic tweets today from nDreams look like they could be hinting at a Phantom: Covert Ops sequel announcement.

Phantom: Covert Ops was one of our favorite games from last year. We gave it a 4/5 score in our review and dubbed it nDreams’ best VR game to date. It’s quite a unique game and definitely sounds less exciting on paper than it is in practice. In Phantom, you play as a stealthy elite operative that must infiltrate enemy bases and assassinate bad guys from a distance — all while navigating rivers and canals in a kayak. Yes, the whole game takes place with you seated in a kayak and it’s actually a genius workaround of the VR locomotion vs immersion conundrum.

The first tweet is a stylized ‘X’ that, to me, looks like two oars crossing to make the symbol. That’s the heavy implication in my mind that this could be a Phantom: Covert Ops sequel. After that was a tweet with a pickaxe, which could allude to being able to climb mountains rather than just explore in a kayak. Then there’s of course a gun in the next tweet. Finally there’s the tweet embedded at the top of this article which includes all three icons.

Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long to find out whatever these tweets are teasing. There is of course also the chance this could be related to their new publisher fund, rather than a creation of their own making.

nDreams has been developing VR games for as long as consumer-grade VR headsets have existed, so we’ve got our fingers crossed that whatever it is will build upon what they learned from working on Phantom: Covert Ops.

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Review: Covert

After the success of Eclipse: Edge of Light indie virtual reality (VR) developer White Elk Studios’ next title was far more ambitious, a pure co-op experience for Oculus Go and Gear VR called Covert. Mixing both mobile and VR gameplay together Covert was an entertaining videogame mainly hampered by the technology. So White Elk has gone back and updated the experience for PlayStation VR and Oculus Rift, enhancing the controls in the process. It works yet the constraints of mobile VR are still present.

CovertCovert is first and foremost a cooperative VR videogame and in that regard, it’s a supremely fun experience. The basic storyline is that you and your mate are experts at stealing stuff, so you’re hired by some shady character to pull off several heists. In VR you play as the thief, having to run around, avoid guards and be proper sneaky. Your cohort who plays on a smartphone is the hacker, viewing the levels from an overhead viewpoint.

Both of your actions are intrinsically linked, the thief can’t progress without the hacker. This does make having someone to play with essential and it’s the teamwork which gels the experience together. The to-and-frow of information creates a joint sense of achievement when you sneak past guards or complete one of the other various puzzles. Moments where the hacker needs to manoeuvre a platform the thief is standing on help to ensure the mobile player isn’t just a button pusher but a viable second player.

That joint feeling of success is just as easily transferred when failure comes a calling. Communication is key and if that gets confused or messed up in any way it usually means death. These moments also proved to be the most amusing, left and rights getting confused meant walking directly into guards which have only one response, shoot. There’s no running in Covert either. Get spotted and you can hide depending on the environment and if you’re quick enough.

CovertHowever, Covert can’t escape its roots, most notably in the control scheme. On PlayStation VR you have two choices, DualShock4 or PlayStation Move, both have their good and bad points with DualShock4 VRFocus’ preferred option. The reason for that is movement and interaction. When it comes to pressing buttons and pulling levers the PlayStation Move does offer two controllable hands, yet there’s no physical input. All you do is press the Move button to initiate said sequence thus hampering that immersion motion controls allow. Using the tech White Elk has done an admiral job combining movement with Move’s button layout but it lacks the smooth control a directional stick offers.

Covert’s stealthy gameplay really played into DualShock4’s wheelhouse, being able to nudge forward and look around corners or quickly duck in behind a box for cover. That did mean some odd-looking arms which tracked to the controller and occasional camera recentering to align the laser pointer, something the PlayStation Move didn’t suffer from.

The puzzles themselves weren’t overly complicated, with the hacker dispensing info on how to cut wires or distracting guards with TV’s to clear the way. Overall an initial playthrough takes around 5 or so hours, a decent amount of content for the type of experience Covert offers. There’s also the swapping factor to consider, do you play all the way through in VR then change or swap places every level to keep the gameplay dynamic?

If you’re after a co-op experience on PlayStation VR Covert certainly shines in this department, with some great team-based moments. It does still feel like an Oculus Go port, from the visuals to the interactions. As such, there is a noticeable difference when playing co-op titles like The Angry Birds Movie 2: VR Under Pressure which is tailored to the system. That being said, this is definitely the best version of Covert to showcase the power of VR co-op.

60%

Awesome

  • Verdict
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Covert Review (PSVR/Rift): Local Co-op Spy Game Is Markedly Improved

In its original form, Covert was a good game imprisoned inside a headset it didn’t seem built for. Its ideas for local VR co-op adventuring were genuinely exciting, but fell victim to Oculus Go’s limited tracking and input far too often. Now available on PSVR and Oculus Rift, Covert finally graduates from double no to a budding spy game worth a look.

Covert PSVR/Rift Review

In Covert, one player wears a VR headset whilst another joins them via a free companion app. As new members of a thieves guild, the VR player sneaks through levels avoiding detection with the help of the mobile player, who can open doors, temporarily disable traps, point out safe passages and blind enemies. Think Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes, only expanded into a narrative driven campaign.

There’s plenty of gold to be mined from this setup, and Covert quickly sets about extracting it. Frantically navigating laser grids requires hilariously panicked communication, fuelled by concerns for stepping out of line too early or your companion not keeping up with you. One of the game’s best concepts allows the mobile player to possess movable crates, morphing them into a sort of surrogate second player.

With the improved controls comes a much more refined difficulty curve, though the game does still have some occasional road bumps. These can often be where the game comes together, though, with its multiple strands mixing together to create challenging gauntlets that feel suitably suave when they’re going well and brilliantly anarchic when they’re not. Plus there’s a generous checkpoint system that means any annoying failures aren’t punished too severely.

Ultimately Covert doesn’t hit that stride as many times as you might hope in its three to four hour campaign, often falling back on its simpler, more showcasey ideas. For the mobile player in particular it’s not always the most engaging experience, but its best moments make up for a lot of the downtime.

But Covert isn’t fully free of its mobile shackles. Though the game supports both Oculus Touch and PlayStation Move controllers, many of it’s interactions retain automated animations. You don’t physically press any virtual buttons, for example, but instead press the corresponding one on your respective controller and then watch your virtual hand carry out the action.

It’s a little jarring, as are the game’s broad collision barriers that often push the camera backwards when you try to lean in to inspect items in close detail. Movement on the PlayStation Move controllers is also pretty stiff, especially when you’re under pressure and quick movements make the difference between life or death (though it’s far preferable to using the Go’s touchpad and you can switch to DualShock 4).

Covert PSVR/Oculus Rift Review Final Impressions

Mostly freed from the limitations of early mobile VR, the console and PC versions of Covert finally feel like the game it should have been two years ago. This an often amusing, occasionally engrossing bit of local VR collaboration that will have friends reaching the tops of their voices, if rarely doubling down on deep spy work. Still, if you’re looking for something to play with a friend that doesn’t own a headset or if you want more experiences like Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes, you should accept this mission.

Final Score: :star: :star: :star:  3/5 Stars | Pretty Good

Covert PSVR Review

Covert is available from today on PSVR and Oculus Rift. For more information about how we arrived at this score, check out our review guidelines. 

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The VR Game Launch Roundup: Sneaky Tanks and Mythical Beasts

VRFocus brings you another list of independent virtual reality (VR) titles to look forward to over the course of the next week. Once again, owners of every major headset can look forward to something new to add to their VR collection. Make sure to check out our accompanying video to get a preview of each videogame.

CovertCovert – White Elk Studios

In this co-operative videogame, you and a friend must work together to carry out a successful heist. Featuring cross-play, the gameplay features one player on a mobile device and one in VR, as either a thief in VR or a hacker on a mobile.

Grave Of The Petrified – Studio Burning Eyes

A single-player VR experience set in an ancient Greek temple, Grave of the Petrified pits you against one of the most famous monsters in Greek mythology, Medusa. This is a spine-tingling escape experience where you have to locate the keys to a door to get out, just don’t gaze at Medusa or you’ll become part of this graveyard.

Grave Of The Petrified

Tanky Tanks – EpiXR Games

Tiny tanks in little battle arenas, what’s not to like? A single-player shooter with various modes to switch up the gameplay such as Bomb Mode, Invisible Mode (all the enemies have disappeared!) and Speed Mode (get there in half the time).

  • Supported platforms: Oculus Rift
  • Launch date: 13th March

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Co-op Stealth Title Covert for PlayStation VR & Oculus Rift Delayed By 2 Weeks

Delays are an inevitable part of videogame development as studios find new issues or look to further finesse their projects to aid sales. Today is no different with White Elk Studios confirming that Covert won’t be arriving just yet, pushing the launch back by a couple of weeks for PlayStation VR and Oculus Rift.

The delay is due to the studio adding PlayStation Move support, which sounds like it was a last-minute decision to include motion controls for the PlayStation VR version rather than purely having DualShock 4 support. Covert was originally designed for Oculus Go and it’s 3 degrees of freedom (3DoF) controller so the addition of full 6DoF support should further enhance the experience.

When it comes to availability White Elk Studios President and Creative Director Jonathan Hawkins told VRFocus in an email that: “Currently, we are only targeting a North American launch,” for PlayStation VR.

As the name suggests Covert is a videogame about being sneaky, as you’re required to pull off a series of heists. This is a cooperative experience where the virtual reality (VR) player becomes the thief whilst their partner uses an Android or iOS device – app supports Android 7.0 – iOS 6 & above – to be the hacker, breaching security systems to give their accomplice vital information to successfully complete the job.

Covert

White Elk Studios was founded by former members of the God of War team, with Covert being the teams second VR title. The first was Eclipse: Edge of Light for Google Daydream which the studio recently brought to PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. PlayStation VR owners will be pleased to know that Move support is currently being wrapped up thanks to community feedback. No date has been set for that update to arrive at the moment.

Covert is now scheduled to launch for Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR on 10th March 2020. VRFocus will continue its coverage of Covert and Eclipse: Edge of Light, reporting back with all the latest announcements.

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Co-Op VR Adventure Covert Delayed Into March On PSVR & Rift, But Getting Move Support

There’s a small delay for the PSVR and Rift versions of co-op VR adventure, Covert, but not by much and with good reason.

The game, which originally launched on Oculus Go a few years back, will now arrive on March 10th. Developer White Elk confirmed as much on Twitter (see below), having originally set a late February release for the title. But the team has solid justification for the delay: it’s adding in PlayStation Move support to the PSVR version.

Originally this version of the game was going to support the DualShock 4 gamepad. We’re happy to hear it’ll be getting full six degrees of freedom (6DOF) motion controller support as we thought this was something that held back the original version of Covert.

Covert is a local co-op spy game with a full campaign. One player is in VR, sneaking through environments, avoiding detection from guards and cameras. The other uses a free companion app to guide them through, relaying information on enemy positions and more. While the idea is solid, we thought the execution left a little to be desired on Go. We’re hopeful that the expanded tracking and control options on Oculus Rift and PSVR help improve the experience considerably.

Meanwhile, White Elk is still working on the Quest port of its first VR adventure game, Eclipse, though it’s now listed in the Oculus Store. No word yet on if Covert will be getting a Quest version too, but here’s hoping.

Will you be picking up Covert on PSVR or Rift? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Co-Op VR Adventure Covert Delayed Into March On PSVR & Rift, But Getting Move Support appeared first on UploadVR.

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The VR Game Launch Roundup: Kinda Strange and Kinda Funky

VRFocus presents a list of 5 brand-new virtual reality (VR) titles to look forward to over the course of next week. Featuring both AAA and independent videogames, be sure to check out the accompanying YouTube video for a preview of each title’s gameplay.

Soul AxiomSoul Axiom Rebooted – Wales Interactive

Previously released on all traditional gaming formats in 2016, Wales Interactive has now added VR support to this story-driven adventure puzzle game with vast improvements over the original release. Set in a cyber-world known as Elysia, users can collect and build up their powers and with the game featuring multiple possible endings, it’s up to every user to control their own destiny.

Covert – White Elk Studios

In this co-operative videogame, you and a friend must work together to carry out a successful heist. Featuring cross-play, the gameplay features one player on a mobile device and one in VR, as either a thief in VR or a hacker on a mobile.

Space Channel 5 VR: Kinda Funky News Flash! – Grounding Inc.

Take a trip into the 25th century in this easy-to-learn dance VR title suitable for the whole family. You are on a mission to defeat an evil alien race known as the ‘Moralians’ – by outperforming them on this galactic dance floor!

  • Supported platforms: PlayStation VR
  • Launch date: 25th February

Hero Index – Fingertip Games

In this superhero-inspired flying adventure made exclusively for the Valve Index, wearing your H.E.R.O (Humanoid Exo Robotic Outfit), you take off from your battleship and make use of your deadly laser weapons arsenal to destroy all objects in your path.

  • Supported platforms: Valve Index
  • Launch date: 28th February

Space Channel 5 VRDawn Of Art – Atlas V, Novelab

Take a trip back to 35,000 BC to discover the very first pieces of artwork ever created by man. Discover the mysterious paintings on the wall of the cave in this immersive film, featuring interactive exploration elements. Narrated by Star Wars’ Daisy Ridley, users can discover the mysteries surrounding the origin of art itself.

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Couch Co-op Heist Game ‘Covert’ Launching on PSVR in February

Covert (2018), an action-adventure title that puts asymmetric co-op at its core, is coming to PSVR next month.

White Elk Studios says in a tweet that Covert is arriving on PSVR February 25th. White Elk is also known for the VR adventure title Eclipse: Edge of Light (2017) which recently landed on PSVR and PC VR headsets.

First launched on Oculus Go in 2018, Covert offers up asymmetric gameplay by way of a mobile companion app, which supports most Android and iOS devices.

Boasting six hours of gameplay, you play as either ‘The Thief’ in VR, or as ‘The Hacker’ on a mobile device. The objective: pull off a series of high-profile heists by using gadgets to infiltrate heavily guarded facilities in VR, and by breaching through security systems on mobile.

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Although Covert is geared more towards couch co-op, online play is also possible through the free companion mobile app.

We haven’t had a chance to play Covert, however it’s currently rated at [4.1/5] stars for Oculus Go, with some detracting from that score due to a perceived issue with the game’s controls. We’ll be interested to see how White Elk has changed this up to fit the PSVR platform when it arrives next month.

The post Couch Co-op Heist Game ‘Covert’ Launching on PSVR in February appeared first on Road to VR.

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Local Co-Op Spy Adventure Covert Is Heading To PSVR Next Month

Hot off the back of launching Eclipse: Edge of Light on PC VR and PSVR headsets, White Elk Studios this week revealed another port. This time it’s for its local co-op adventure game, Covert.

Covert will be making its way to PSVR on February 25 2020. You can check the teaser trailer out below. The game was previously exclusive to Oculus Go and Gear VR, where we reviewed it.

Covert offers an intriguing take on the local co-op VR formula. Similar to games like Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes, it involves one player putting on the headset and navigating levels with the aid of someone outside of VR. The VR player is tasked with infiltrating facilities without being seen, while the non-VR player has the information to guide them.

Say you encounter some patrolling guards, for example. The non-VR player is able to see their position and inform the VR player when to move. Or they might help the VR player step across an electrified floor in the right pattern. The game offers a meaty, multi-mission campaign built on that premise.

When we first played Covert we really fell for the concept but thought the game was ultimately held back by the Go hardware. Limited 3DOF tracking hindered the VR gameplay, and the Go’s trackpad just wasn’t effective for walking around environments. White Elk confirmed to us that this version of the game will be using a DualShock 4 controller, which should help with the navigation issue. No Move support is planned for release, though the developer is currently working on patching it into the PSVR version of Eclipse.

“Normally I’d try and separate a game I’m reviewing from the piece of hardware it’s running on, but Oculus Go is a weight around Covert’s neck,” I wrote in my review. “Sluggish controls and limited tracking keep the game from the stealthy slickness its otherwise excellent ideas and execution deserve. I suspect we might see Covert arrive on other, more capable Oculus headsets in the future and, when it does, it’ll easily be an instant recommendation. For now, though, this is only for Go owners that are starved of richer content.”

Hopefully the PSVR version fixes many of those problems. No update on a potential Quest release just yet.

Covert will cost $19.99 at launch. Will you be picking up the game on PSVR? Let us know in the comments below!

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The Best Samsung Gear VR Games of 2018

Samsung’s Gear VR headset was once the dominant mobile head-mounted display (HMD), it featured everywhere, in Samsung’s Unpacked events, standard videogame conferences, and institutions the world over as they looked to entertain visitors with new technology. But that position and stature have slowly faded, Samsung isn’t bundling the device with smartphones as it did and with the arrival of Oculus Go, VR enthusiasts can now go mobile with even more ease. That being said, there are a lot of Gear VR owners out there, and developers are still supporting the HMD. So here are VRFocus’ ten favourite videogames from the latest twelve months.

The Best Samsung Gear VR Games of 2018

Slightly Heroes

Slightly Heroes – Hatrabbit Entertainment

Whilst this isn’t a dedicated Gear VR title that’s no bad thing. In fact that works to Slightly Heroes advantage as the videogame is a one vs one online multiplayer, with cross-platform support, enabling you to battle those on Oculus Go, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Google Daydream, Windows Mixed Reality, Lenovo Mirage Solo, and the non-VR Android app. This should ensure there’s always someone to match against. If not there’s always AI enemies to dispatch.

Arca's Path

Arca’s Path VR – Dream Reality Entertainment

Arca’s Path VR takes the gameplay style of classics like Marble Madness and updates it for VR headsets. Featuring a dark storyline where you play a girl tricked by an evil witch, you’ve been turned into a ball and must navigate 25 labyrinthine levels in a bid to free yourself and return home. To do this, Dream Reality Interactive has employed a gaze-based control mechanism, meaning you just need to look where you want to go.

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Narrows – Resolution Games

Narrows lets you take to the high seas, heading to the Caribbean during the golden age of piracy to make your fortune. Combining real-time crew-management with ship-to-ship combat, there are plenty of customization options to tweak your cannons and crew for battle, plus rogue-like replayability. Gameplay also includes swashbuckling sword fights, charting your own course, and making sure your crew of misfits are healthy and fed.

Covert – White Elk

Covert features asymmetrical gameplay that lets two players work together to pull off a high-profile heist, whether they’re inside or outside of VR. This works by the VR player having to pull off the heist while their mate acts as the hacker accomplice on a mobile device, feeding them vital information. Being the multiplayer title that it is, make sure the mobile device is compatible with the app, Android 7.0 or iOS 6 and above.

Eclipse: Edge of Light – White Elk

Eclipse: Edge of Light’s story finds you crash landing on a sentient planet. Upon discovering the ruins of an ancient civilization, you then come across a device known as The Artifact, allowing you to interact with their technology whilst bestowing seemingly magical powers upon you. In order to uncover the secrets of the planet and this long-lost civilization, eventually hoping to escape, players must recover the pieces of The Artifact that have been scattered across the landscape.

Virtual Virtual Reality

Virtual Virtual Reality – Tender Claws

Virtual Virtual Reality is a narrative-driven comedy adventure about VR and AI. Players use virtual VR headsets to explore over 50 unique virtual realities, delving into the story behind AI service Activitude. As bizarre as this all sounds, Tender Claws’ VR experience is a great introduction to VR.

CatanVR_Screenshot3

Catan VR – Experiment 7

Mixing traditional boardgame gameplay with the immersive online gaming that only VR can provide, Experiment 7’s Catan VR is a polished example of the genre. Featuring both single-player and multiplayer online modes, up to four people can play against one another in cross-platform gameplay, with players taking the role of settlers who need to establish colonies on the islands of Catan, acquiring resources to build infrastructure and roads whilst engaging in trade with other players.

Racket Fury - PSVR

Racket Fury: Table Tennis VR – 10Ants Hill

For those who enjoy a bit of sport, Racket Fury: Table Tennis VR offers a single-player campaign with four Cups to play through. Each of the 16 opponents have their own temper and unique style of play meaing players will have to think on their feet and adjust their strategy with each new opponent they face.

Astraeus Screenshot5

Astraeus – E McNeill

Like E McNeill’s three previous VR videogames, Darknet, Tactera, and Skylight, Astraeus is another deviously simple looking real-time strategy (RTS) experience that becomes a lot more complex the longer you play. Astraeus is a VR asteroid mining title where you need to build a mining network from dozens of bases and watch as hundreds of ships swarm around you. Your job is to control these swarms of mining drones, create the bases, and outpace the competition in Campaign, Skirmish, and asynchronous multiplayer modes.

The Wizards: Trials of Meliora

The Wizards: Trials of Meliora – Carbon Studio

The Wizards: Trials of Meliora is the next step in Carbon Studio’s spellbinding adventure. Designed specifically for mobile devices, the videogame enables players to wield powerful spells as they defend the realm. There are five levels to complete with four gesture-based spells to master. You’ll also be able to upgrade the spells to inflict greater damage and cause more chaos. One for those who enjoy a good magical fight.