It’s been some considerable time since this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo, otherwise known as E3. But one of the more curious announcements at the time, and one that caught many (including ourselves) by surprise was that of Final Fantasy XV virtual reality (VR) spin-off title Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV. It wasn’t just that it was a title that was based off of the main videogame’s fishing mechanic – although there was a degree of surprise that fishing of all things would be the focus – but that there had already been a Final Fantasy XV VR experience revealed at E3 in 2016. In fact, that had even been its title, Final Fantasy XV: VR Experience. It was also known as the Episode Prompto.
Final Fantasy XV: VR Experience was more content that stood alongside the main game as opposed to it being a specific title. It also wasn’t the best, as VRFocus Editor Kevin Joyce noted at the time in his preview: “It’s essentially a demo of what Square Enix views as the potential for VR blindly rolled into a product with the hope of success being bred from the attachment of a powerful franchise. A cynical view perhaps, but one which is hard to avoid given the poor quality of the Final Fantasy XV: VR Experience preview build on offer.”
Despite this its absence a year later was both unexpected and unexplained. What had become of the title? It had at one stage been slated to be DLC. Had it been reworked or would we ever even see it again? The answer to the last part of the question is apparently no. With Square Enix issuing an official statement on the matter that first made its way to Gamespot.
“Final Fantasy XV: VR Experience at E3 2016 was a technology demo that we showcased. Since then, we have learned much from the technology and have leveraged our learnings from the Episode Prompto DLC. The result of that is our first PlayStation VR title, Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV.”
With the 2016 project now confirmed dead, focus fully falls on Monster of the Deep, gameplay details of which were revealed just under a month ago. We will of course bring you more details about the videogame as soon as we are able. For everything related to PlayStation VR stay tuned to VRFocus.
PlayStation VR has sold over 1 million units and had more success in sales compared to the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. VRFocushas put together a list of games that we know are coming to the PlayStation VR. If you prefer watching all the games coming to PlayStation VR, scroll down to the bottom to view it.
Farpoint is a first-person shooter on the PlayStation VR. When it launched, it debuted at number two in the UK Sales chart and is sold alongside the new Aim controller. Starting with a bloke putting on a PlayStation VR in his basement he then finds himself transported to an uncharted alien world filled with all manner of enemies.
Survive in an unknown alien world after a crash, search for fellow human survivors whilst shooting hoards of alien creatures. The new DLC Cryo Pack coming on the 27th of June, a 2 player co-op with challenge levels in an ice world.
This VR game is a multiplayer racing title based on slot car racing. You can play with up to four friends or race AI opponents. Taking inspiration from toys by Scalextric and Carrera, FuturLab has created a title that evolves slot-car racing in a way only videogames can do.
Featuring both a singleplayer – against AI – or an online multiplayer for up to four people, Tiny Trax includes six vehicles to select before heading out onto the track. Friends can select either single races or go for a tournament to test their skills.
Is a first-person shooter set in the year 2076, where you must throw, slow and shoot your way through extraterrestrial-bots inspired by classic arcade shooters, the studio only released one image, showing a vicious looking robot. First Contact Entertainment describes ROM: Extraction’s gameplay mechanic as “Throw, Slow & Shoot.” Whereby players will have the ability to slow down time – called “Reflex” power – to help defend themselves against these dangerous looking, extraterrestrial robots. The videogame will be a first-person shooter (FPS) using motion-based controls, three difficulty settings and global and local leaderboards.
Gran Turismo Sport was original slated for release at the end of 2016, but the developers were forced to push back the release date to 2017. Polyphony Digital are known among fans as being perfectionists, so it was not a huge surprised that an ambitious project such as Gran Turismo Sport ended up taking extra time.
The game now has a new Racing wheel designed exclusively for Gran Turismo Sport on the PlayStation 4. Specifically designed specially to enhance the experience of playing Gran Turismo Sport, the upcoming driving and racing simulator from Polyphony Digital on the PlayStation 4. Gran Turismo Sport is also offering virtual reality (VR) compatibility, which in combination with Thrustmaster’s racing wheel, could offer even more immersion to players.
THESEUS is a third person action-adventure where you play the titular character on a quest to slay the Minotaur from the ancient Greek mythology.
Taking inspiration from titles such as ICO, Shadow of the Colossus and the Last Guardian, Forge Reply has gone for a third-person viewpoint for its VR adventure, with Theseus employing a mix of static and dynamic cameras to aid immersion and gameplay.
Play this survival horror game where you wake up from a cryrosleep in the year 2521. Survive an experiment gone horribly wrong to save the ship.
Sneak around and hide behind cover, being stealthy will feel natural in VR and give you the upper hand.
7. Bloody Zombies – nDreams
Bloody Zombies is a side-scrolling brawler set in London. It supports one to four players online or locally. Follow the story of four lone survivors and fight zombies who appear as 2D cardboard cut-outs in a virtual environment.
A real-time strategy game announced at the 2016 PlayStation Press Conference and will be released in Japan in 2017. You’ll play as the demon load with the aim to conquer the world.
Play the the God of Destruction and fight against those heroes of justice by using the food cycle, breeding monsters and repelling incoming heroes while conquering strongholds.
Is a Chinese developed game set in a medieval-themed world and strategic gameplay where you assume the role of a commander. You have to build up your team to enjoy PVE and pvp, each battle lasts about 5 minutes and you will win the game after you destroy the enemy’s forts.
It’s cross-platform and is supported by HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, PSVR, Google Daydream and Samsung Gear .
Archangel is coming exclusively two PSVR for two weeks before coming to any other platform. In this story-driven shooter where you become a six-story-high war-machine and fight against the tyrannical HUMNX.
AI-controlled teammates in different vehicles will need your protection and will support you when your shields have failed.
SUPERHOTVR is finally coming to PlayStation VR, after debuting on Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.
SUPERHOT had heaps of critical acclaim at launch, and its VR version received equal praise. We can only assume the PlayStation VR version will be equally beloved.
The acclaimed shooter is finally coming to PlayStation VR, but this isn’t simply a port of a game you’ve already played, but an all-new installment built for VR.
Developed by id Software, the studio that created the DOOM franchise, DOOM VFR casts the player as the last known human survivor of the demonic invasion of the UAC’s Martian research facility.
Bethesda’s beloved The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is making its way to VR on PlayStation 4.
Publisher Bethesda Softworks has announced that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is set for a November 2017 release on PlayStation VR, and all of the original console downloadable content (DLC) will be included with both the digital and physical editions of the videogame.
Star Child was announced with a short trailer during Sony’s E3 press conference.
Star Child takes place on an alien world, filled with mysterious creatures and futuristic space ships. The man-made interiors of the planet hide many incredible fluorescent and neon creatures, all of which are sure to look incredibly imposing in VR.
Final Fantasy XV: Monster of the Deep will offer PlayStation VR players the opportunity to explore the world’s oceans, lakes, ponds and rivers and participate in a wide variety of fishing challenges. Many returning characters from the original Final Fantasy XV will appear in the videogame, including familiar faces such as Noctis, Prompto, Ignis, Gladiolus, and more.
17. Bravo Team – Supermassive Games
Bravo Team, appears to be a military first-person shooter (FPS). Releasing at the end of the year for PlayStation VR, Bravo Team will be one of the first competitive multiplayer VR shooters for the platform.
In Moss you will be focusing on puzzle solving and exploration, slowly finding your path forward through these huge stages. Butterflies and insects appear huge next to your mousey character as they are entirely dwarfed by trees and other creatures – something that becomes very obvious when coming face-to-face with a hungry snake.
Sparc is a skill-based, physical sport, where two players use PlayStationMove motion controllers to aim and throw projectiles at each other inside a virtual arena, all the while defending themselves by dodging, blocking, or deflecting incoming attacks from their opponent.
Sparc includes multiple two-player game modes where players can compete against their friends or find challengers via online matchmaking. Additionally, a selection of single-player challenges and training modes are included, plus a wide range of customization and personalization options for competitors.
The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2017 is in full swing, and with the big press conferences out of the way, we’re left with a few questions. Namely, where’s the Final Fantasy XV: VR Experience that was demoed at E3 2016? Have Square Enix abandoned the virtual reality (VR) spin-off?
We played the Final Fantasy XV: VR Experience at last year’s E3, and we came away somewhat unimpressed, saying; “Hope remains that Final Fantasy XV: VR Experience will be fleshed out into something greater before launch, but at present there’s nothing to suggest that it’s anything more than an afterthought created for the sole intention of jumping on the PlayStation VR bandwagon.”
Shortly after that, the Final Fantasy XV: VR Experience was delayed – since which, we’ve had nothing but vague promises that the Season Pass would include VR content. After Final Fantasy XV released, and the first DLC details were shared, VR seemed to be forgotten, with Final Fantasy XV: VR Experience entirely missing.
If VR content is still planned for the Season Pass, Monster of the Deep isn’t it – Square Enix have confirmed that the title will be a standalone release for PlayStation VR, though are yet to share any details on price. The videogame will be released on PSN this September.
Fast forward to this year’s event, and Final Fantasy XV makes a return to VR, but the Final Fantasy XV: VR Experience is still missing in action. Instead, we have Final Fantasy XV: Monster of the Deep, a VR videogame taking place in the Final Fantasy XV universe where players will be able to camp with the party and play a deeper version of the main videogame’s surprisingly enjoyable fishing mini-game.
The game actually looks surprisingly promising – unlike the trailer for Final Fantasy XV: VR Experience from last year. The fishing mechanics have been deepened, with new fish to catch and new methods of finding them.
Is it possible that Square Enix abandoned the Final Fantasy XV: VR Experience after the negative reception? Perhaps they decided to cut their losses with the title, and shift focus over to Monster of the Deep after how well received fishing was in the flagship videogame.
As it stands, the outcome might be for the best. Some gamers might lament being unable to try the Final Fantasy XV: VR Experience for themselves, but if the cancellation of that title led to a better VR experience with Final Fantasy XV: Monster of the Deep, it’s hard to argue the decision.
We’re covering all of the VR titles from E3 2017, for more on Final Fantasy in VR, and all the big news from E3 2017, stay on VRFocus.
Final Fantasy XV: VR Experience was more content that stood alongside the main game as opposed to it being a specific title. It also wasn’t the best, as VRFocus Editor Kevin Joyce noted at the time in his preview: “It’s essentially a demo of what Square Enix views as the potential for VR blindly rolled into a product with the hope of success being bred from the attachment of a powerful franchise. A cynical view perhaps, but one which is hard to avoid given the poor quality of the Final Fantasy XV: VR Experience preview build on offer.”
With the 2016 project now confirmed dead, focus fully falls on Monster of the Deep, gameplay details of which were revealed just under a month ago. We will of course bring you more details about the videogame as soon as we are able. For everything related to PlayStation VR stay tuned to VRFocus.
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7. Bloody Zombies – nDreams 
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