First-person shooter title Firewall Zero Hourhas some fresh new screenshots earlier in the E3 2018 timetable, and now its developers at First Contact entertainment are following that up with a chat about what players can expect from the upcoming title.
Firewall Zero Hour involves two teams of mercenaries fighting for victory. Players can choose to control the action with either the gun-like PlayStation Aim controller, or stick to the classic feel of the DualShock 4.
Adam Orth said: “We’re really close to finishing the game now, and every engine is on in the studio right now.”
Hess Barber added: “Teamwork is super crucial. Its enhanced by VR and when you combine the pace of the kind of games that we’re talking about and the immersion there’s so many different tactical pieces that fit together to make the game its own special thing.”
The death cam is a unique feature of Firewall Zero Hour which lets new forms of strategy develop: “When you die in Firewall you’re taken out of the game, but you can cooperate with your team in death in a weird way.” Orth said.
Barber continued: “The death cam lets you switch cameras once you’re out. You can change cameras and look around and you’re still communicating with your team. Each camera has a name, so you can tell your team exactly where the other team is.”
Once the other players are whittled down, it becomes a deadly one-on-one dual, with a host of invisible spies aiding each combatant: “You know you’ve got all the other team members helping, it gets very interesting because there are very few places that they can hide.”
Teams can adopt an offensive or defensive role, as Orth explains: “There’s a laptop in each level full of crucial data, and you’re either an attacker trying to get it, or a defender trying to protect it.”
Barber expands on the role of the defender: “If you’re a defender, you’re using mines and traps and C4, getting that area all prepared, knowing the other team is going to come in.”
For future coverage from E3 2018, keep checking back with VRFocus.
Ever since the early days of PSVR, fans have been hoping for games like Counter Strike or Rainbow Six—the sort of team-based shooters most gamers are familiar with one way or the other, be it on PC or console. Now First Contact Entertainment, the studio behind VR shooter ROM: Extraction (2016), have set their sights on the multiplayer, objective-based shooter genre; what I experienced at E3 2018 has not only shown that the four vs four shooter checks all the right boxes, but it does it with the sort of immersion PSVR players have been waiting for.
Standing with my PS Aim and a PSVR headset, I strapped into the four vs. four match of a classic attack/defend mission. The map was a sprawling open-plan office space, not unlike what you’d find only a few yards away from the convention floor in downtown LA where E3 takes place.
Image courtesy First Contact Entertainment
Picking one of the 12 characters – a nondescript white guy with a beard (so basically me), I was first assigned the role of attacker. Starting the match, my three other teammates and I were tossed into the far-side of the map with a few objectives to complete. We had to locate a secret document which would then reveal the coordinates of multiple sites. Killing the other team is predictably the best way to complete these objectives unabated.
There were only three standard loadouts available in the demo: a 5.56 caliber G36K assault rifle, a 12 gauge pistol-grip shotgun, and a silenced 9MM MP5 submachine gun. For the demo, each class had its own locked-in secondary weapon (a pistol) and plenty of extra gubbins such as smoke bombs, flash bangs, and frag grenades, although I was told the final game will feature plenty of opportunity to customize loadouts.
Firefights are definitely familiar in respect to traditional shooters, although having the extra latitude to aim down the red dot sight of the assault rifle in my hands, physically peer around corners, and burp out a smoke grenade for cover is really the satisfying and immersive parts I’m more used to in the many PC VR shooters I’ve played like Onward or Pavlov.
Image courtesy First Contact Entertainment
The headset’s integrated mic also means you’re able to talk naturally and coordinate with your teammates so you can divvy up areas and lay down suppressing fire. You’re always in contact with your teammates no matter where they are, although thanks to spatial audio you always have some idea of where they are relative to your position, even when they’re obscured by walls.
Getting a chance to play defense, we decided to first locate the other team’s objective, and hide in there waiting for them. As soon as they opened the door, well, we all died when they tossed in grenades and shot the holy hell out of us. But it was a fun tactic to try out to say the least.
The game’s locomotion scheme combines smooth forward motion with snap-turning, although I saw there’s also a smooth-turn option available for users less susceptible to artificial locomotion-induced nausea.
Image courtesy First Contact Entertainment
According to the First Contact, there will be nine maps in total at launch, which are set in Russia, the UK and the Middle East.
As a side note: the game also supports DualShock 4, although the demo was presented with Aim, which was a much more immersive that it would otherwise be on gamepad. If you have a PSVR and haven’t bought an Aim controller yet, this may just be the game that pushes you to shell out the 80 bucks—a steep price for sure, but something I’d consider crucial to maximizing immersion in Firewall Zero Hour.
The game is slated to arrive on PSVR sometime in 2018.
With mostly prior confirmed PSVR titles presenting at E3 2018, we expected Sony to dedicate a few moments during its E3 2018 keynote to highlight the platform’s upcoming VR games, of course with the understanding that high-profile PS4 titles would mostly overshadow VR titles. Well, that’s a bit of an understatement.
After all was said and done, the only PSVR title to get time on the big stage was the PSVR-compatible title Trover Saves the Universe, a platformer from Justin Roiland’s Squanch Games that supports both PSVR and PS4. As one of the most tepidly-received games to debut at Sony’s patently declamatory presentation (which was first held in church-like venue to show off The Last of Us Part II, and then in a secondary auditorium to show the company’s other big-budget games), the level of evangelization of the platform and its upcoming VR games was lacking to say the least; it was a decisive emphasis on blockbusters over less crucial titles, and therefore PSVR in general.
Image courtesy Squanch Games
Not even Beat Saber, the impressively successful VR indie title that’s done over two million dollars in revenue—practically unheard of for an indie game that hasn’t seen funding support from one of the big VR players—got time on the big stage. At-home viewers were treated to only a few seconds of the game during the intermission while actual attendees of the PlayStation E3 keynote moved from one auditorium to another.
Instead, Sony quietly put out a PSVR highlights reel shortly after the presentation ended, which wasn’t shown during the E3 keynote. Games shown in the video below (in chronological order) include: Trover Saves the Universe, Tetris Effect, Moss, Ghost Giant, Beat Saber, Firewall Zero Hour, DOOM VFR, Creed: Rise to Glory, Evasion, Star Trek: Bridge Crew, The Persistence, Star Child, Skyrim VR, Jupiter & Mars, AstroBot: Rescue Mission, Vacation Simulator, and Superhot VR—many of which were previously known or even launched last year.
Sony has more games coming to PSVR (that much is certain), and there’s also a number of new games being shown at E3 2018 for the platform too. Although unlike Oculus or HTC, Sony’s gaming lifeblood is still inexorably tied to its traditional console titles, and as the PS4 console inevitably starts what PlayStation Chief Tsuyoshi Kodera calls the “final phase of its life cycle,” consolidating that investment where it counts the most—in its big budget console exclusives—makes it clear where the company’s priorities lie.
For comparison, last year’s E3 PlayStation presentation featured six PSVR games presented on stage: Skyrim VR, The Inpatient, Starchild, Monsters of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV, Bravo Team, and Moss, all of which amounted to seven minutes of stage time. It wouldn’t have been hard to sandwich six or seven extra minutes into this year’s presentation, but obviously Sony thought differently for whatever reason. Maybe more and better is coming. Maybe now just wasn’t the time to trumpet its VR platform.
We’ve had the chance to try out many of the newly debuted titles (including Trover Saves the Universe), and it’s clear these games are either commensurate, or above last year’s games in quality, which means really only one thing: Sony has decided to publicly care less about PSVR for now. While good games worth your time are still coming to the platform, the company just didn’t feel like PSVR deserved the limelight this go around—not a guarantee that they’ve given up on PSVR, but noteworthy just the same.
For a VR headset selling at the all-time low of $200 during its ‘Days of Play’ sale, the company really ought to care what new players think though. As the headset becomes more and more affordable, Sony needs to reassure the world even more so that PSVR isn’t a stagnant platform, lest it fall entirely off the radar at the most important gaming expo on the planet. In the end, it’s all a bit of shame, as important and extremely fun titles like Sony Japan Studio’s Astro Bot Rescue Mission finally dial into what makes the platform great, but are completely overshadowed by what the higher-ups most likely considers the safest investments for now.
The presence of virtual reality (VR) at the biggest videogame event in the world, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2018, tends to be a bit of a mixed bag. There will be indie developers showcasing their latest projects while the bigger studios put on a smaller display. That’s not the case when it comes to Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), with the company showcasing 14 PlayStation VR titles at its booth, with other compatible experiences elsewhere.
All of the titles available on the booth have been announced in some fashion, some only very recently like Beat Saber, and Space Pirate Trainer, whilst others like Blood & Truth were unveiled last year.
With the launch of the PlayStation Experience booking app the full list of playable VR videogames for PlayStation VR at E3 2018 are as follows:
VRFocus has previously played titles such as Archiact’s sci-fi first-person shooter Evasion, finding it to be one first-person title to keep an eye on and Creed: Rise to Glory on PC VR headsets, saying for the latter: “Survios has already established itself as one of VR’s premium content developers, with Creed: A Rise to Glory looking to continue that trend.”
Among the main three, high-end VR head-mounted displays (HMDs) PlayStation VR has the biggest and most prominent presence at E3 2018. Neither Oculus or HTC have booths dedicated to their headsets. Obviously, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive do feature at other booths, but there’s no official support from the manufacturers. This certainly goes in SIE’s favour as E3 now allows consumers to attended, offering dedicated PlayStation fans the opportunity to trial PlayStation VR, encouraging that temptation to purchase and increase its sizeable sales lead.
VRFocus will be at E3 2018 all week to bring you the latest news and announcements from SIE regarding PlayStation VR.
During a YouTube Live at E3 interview today, Geoff Keighley spoke to Adam Orth from First Contact about his studio’s big upcoming PSVR-exclusive shooter, Firewall: Zero Hour. Orth discussed the design inspirations for the game, how it played with both the PS Aim Controller and DualShock 4, as well as the game’s content.
Reportedly, Firewall will launch with a total of nine maps. We’ve only seen two during demo sessions (a house in a large field and a shipping warehouse) so we’re eager to find out what the remaining seven locations are like. Those nine maps will be spread across three geographical regions, ranging from the Soviet Union and Great Britain to the Middle East.
Additionally, there will be 12 different contractors to pick from that each have a wide range of abilities to level up and customize. Orth also alludes to “tons” of guns and gear customization options.
Finally, near the end of the interview, Keighley asks Orth when Firewall is releasing and after a pause, Orth simply replies “very soon” without adding more. Hopefully that means a release coming this summer. Or if we’re lucky, maybe it will launch this week during E3.
What do you think? Let us know down in the comments below!
When developers first started theorizing the modern era of virtual reality headsets, I’d wager that shooters were a big part of the design discussions. Most of the great shooters are first-person games, which naturally lends itself to VR, and motion controllers are a great fit for holding things like gun in your hands. They even have triggers on them, or can be enjoyed with a gamepad and still feel good — especially if the game is focused on a cockpit.
When the PSVR launched it came with Rigs, a fast-paced mech shooter that embodied a fake sport with multiple game modes, mech classes, weapon types, and more. It was incredibly fun, but the studio eventually got shut down. The first couple years of VR then were mostly marked by a flood of wave shooters that did little to inspire creativity.
Eventually, Onward released on Steam for Vive (and eventually Rift) to bring hardcore, military-simulation style gameplay to the VR market with slow-paced, realistic firefights that felt like something out of a Rainbow Six or Ghost Recon game. People ate it up.
When the PSVR got its PS Aim Controller, Farpoint, a single-player focused (although it has co-op and limited 1v1 modes) shooter about aliens and space came along with it. It’s a good game, but doesn’t really offer the same type of military simulation thrills. Bravo Team seemed like it might fill that void when it was shown during E3 last year, but that wasn’t the case at all.
Now we’ve got Firewall: Zero Hour from First Contact. ROM: Extraction wasn’t exactly the most robust VR shooter, so I was hesitant at first. But after playing Firewall twice (both at PSX and then again at a pre-E3 event) I’m extremely optimistic about its future.
“In terms of the core foundational aspect of what a team shooter is we aren’t reinventing the wheel, but we’re putting our own spin on it and we’re trying to do something interesting and unique through VR,” said Adam Orth, creative strategist at First Contact during an interview. “We want to have the most people playing our game, PSVR has the most headsets in the world, and there is a vacuum where this game needs to be. We saw that early on and based on the history our studio has of what we’ve made individually and together, as well as in VR, and what we wanted to accomplish tech-wise for a shooter, this was the project for us to do.”
Having played most of the other VR and non-VR shooters that Firewall owes its inspiration to, the impact that VR has on its design can’t be overstated. I’ve played Onward and Pavlov, I’ve played Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon, and I can say that Firewall feels about as grounded as fans of tactical team-based shooters have come to expect, but with added layers of immersion.
Not to mention using the PSVR’s Aim Controller just feels really really good. It was easily the highlight of playing through Farpoint and it adds so much to any shooter that supports it that it easily gives the PSVR a leg up on the competition. Since Sony controls that ecosystem so carefully, there’s no extraneous third party gun peripherals with dubious support, it’s just a first-party rifle that absolutely feels great and gets the job done.
“The PSVR Aim Controller is pretty cool, it honestly adds real immersion to everything,” said Orth. “But you can also play our game with the DS4 and that’s cool too, I prefer the DS4 personally, but I can see how moving the gun in the real world around a corner is fun and feels good.”
To be clear: this isn’t to say that Firewall is the “ultimate” VR shooter, or that it accomplishes everything a game in this genre would want to do, but it’s a step in the right direction. There won’t be a narrative single player campaign at all for example, but you can play through combat scenarios on different maps with different AI operatives solo, via co-op, or through online multiplayer. It’s a very flexible system.
“Right now we’re concentrating on shipping with this single Attack/Defend game mode,” said Orth. “It’s hard when you make a multiplayer game you fragment the player pool so you really want to concentrate on this mode, but there are definitely other modes we have thought about.”
For a game like Firewall, that leaves a lot of room for DLC to include new game modes, new operatives, new weapons or loadouts, and definitely new maps.
If you’ve tried games like Onward on a PC VR headset then there isn’t a whole lot new here that you haven’t seen, other than the PS Aim Controller, but for PSVR gamers (which is the majority of the VR market) this isn’t that far off from a revelation. Standing side-by-side with teammates, in VR, holding rifles, aiming around corners, tossing out grenades, breaching and clearing rooms — this is the type of stuff gamers have been doing for decades, just not in VR yet. Until now.
“Every contractor has their own permanent ability and then you can unlock another slot to add to that, so it feels like there is really good amount of, just in the lobby, strategizing,” explained Orth. “We’ve taken the other team out of the lobby and it’s just you and your three partners, so you decide loadout and contractors based on the map and the strategy you want to employ. A lot of shooters do this, but it just feels like, when you’re playing this game, the stakes of what you’re doing feel a lot higher because of the immersion of VR.”
And the same could be said for Firewall’s release. As E3 inches closer, this is the first time the game will be shown at the conference meaning more eyeballs than ever are about to experience the shooter. They’re still targeting a 2018 release date which means that this could very well end up being Sony’s big PSVR game for the holiday season. New PSVR bundles are likely on the way as well, which could mean prime placement for Firewall on store shelves.
It’s a big deal and the stakes, as Orth said, feel higher because of VR.
Firewall: Zero Hour is slated for a 2018 release exclusively on the PS4 for PSVR. Players will be able to experience the game with either the PS Aim Controller or the standard DualShock 4 gamepad.
Let us know what you think of the game so far down in the comments below!
During my most recent pre-release play session of Firewall: Zero Hour on PSVR, I had a revelation. I was playing the game in a low-light demo area for a pre-E3 Sony demo event in Santa Monica, but inside the headset I was in some sort of shipping warehouse full of cargo containers. I knew there were enemies about 30 yards ahead of me on the other side of the container I was hiding behind, so I reached around the corner with my arms holding the PS Aim controller and blind-fired at them.
While doing so, I physically turned my neck to check behind me to make sure I wasn’t getting flanked and spotted an enemy approaching from the side. Out of ammo in my rifle, I quickly switched to my pistol and spun around, in the real world, to quickly unload five or six shots into his chest, downing him as quickly as I spotted him.
Basically none of that interaction that I described just now could have happened in a non-VR game at all. The sense of presence afforded in a realistic shooter you play on a team with other people while holding a rifle peripheral is absolutely fantastic.
The previous time I played Firewall: Zero Hour at PSX last year it was shortly after the game had just been announced. I got to try a single map — a multi-story house in the middle of a large field — where attackers were tasked with hacking a laptop and defenders had to hold their position and wipe out attackers at all costs. My new demo was the same game mode (I’m told the game will ship with just this one single mode with multiple maps and operatives/gear loadouts to pick from) but on the new shipping warehouse map. There will be single-player and co-op options as well that fill in bots for the other slots, but it’s all the same game mode. There’s zero narrative content.
I also got to check out a peak at the character selection and customization screen. Previously, First Contact explained that Firewall would feature some light upgradeable elements, such as equipping different guns and other items. In the demo I saw that each operative has a different perk assigned (such as taking less explosive damage) and as you play and level them up, you unlock another additional perk on top of that.
Combining operatives with loadouts that match their perks will be a big part of the game’s strategy. I was able to play through three rounds during my demo and I came away hungry for more. The team at First Contact have really done a nice job of tapping into what makes tactical shooters like Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon so satisfying and then transferring that inside of a VR headset.
I’d be lying if I didn’t point out that the limitations of the PSVR platform come across as a bit frustrating since I desperately want to twist and side step and duck and move around while playing this game, just like I do in Onward and Pavlov on Rift or Vive, but the PSVR can’t handle that. The single tracking camera means you really need to keep your feet planted and you can’t turn any farther than 90 degrees in either direction or else you risk occluding the PS Aim controller. It was an issue I found with Farpoint as well.
Although, if I had to pick between playing roomscale with Touch or Vive wands and playing standing still with the PS Aim, I think I’d pick the Aim. It feels so good in your hands and does a remarkable job of making it feel like you’re actually holding a rifle just like your character in the game. The trigger has a believable amount of resistance, turning on and off my flashlight or laser sight is quick and easy with the d-pad, and the tracking held up surprisingly well throughout an entire match. Cradling the butt of the gun in my shoulder to actually aim down the sights felt extremely realistic.
I’m told Firewall will also support DualShock 4, but I haven’t tried it that way yet at any events. So far I’ve been really impressed with the PS Aim and how good it feels to aim, fire, and move around. All movement is full locomotion using the control sticks on the Aim, and I’d imagine it plays similarly on DS4. PS Move is not supported since there are no control sticks on the Move wands.
Also, it’s worth calling out specifically that this game is nothing like the poorly-received Bravo Team despite surface-level similarities. Supermassive’s modern military shooter is wave-based and doesn’t allow for any locomotion whatsoever other than picking when to move up on a level, whereas Firewall is a full-on shooter with all the bells and whistles you’d expect of something like this. It’s the game players wanted Bravo Team to be, more or less.
After the smash-hit success of WipEout VR, Firewall: Zero Hour and Dreams both represent huge moments for PSVR and, by extension, VR as a whole. These are the kinds of games that can really move the needle in terms of putting an industry on the map.
Are you excited for Firewall: Zero Hour? Let us know what you think so far down in the comments below!
It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything about Firewall: Zero Hour, arguably the most exciting game on the horizon for PlayStation VR (PSVR) right now. A few more drips of info have just been discovered on PlayStation’s official website, though.
A new listing for the First Contact Entertainment-developed multiplayer shooter has just been discovered, confirming several new features about the game. Firstly, the page notes that players will be able to pick from 12 experienced mercenaries, though we’re not sure if these characters will have varying gameplay styles of if this is merely a cosmetic choice. We do know, however, that weapons will be upgradable.
There’s also some info about the game’s three main modes. We already knew that the competitive option features two teams of four facing off in attack-and-defend missions, but First Contact is also developing a single-player ‘Training Mode’ for players to test their skills in. This will feature nine different scenarios. Hopefully there’s an element of replayability to these missions and they’re not just simple tutorials, but we’ll have to wait to find out.
Next up is a co-op mode. This sees four players defend themselves against squads of AI troops to earn cash and experience points, which can presumably be used to upgrade weapons and more.
We still don’t know when Firewall will be launching, though the game did recently get an MA15+ rating in Australian classifications. The game is set to support the PlayStation Aim controller as well as Move controllers and the DualShock 4.
Now that 2017 is officially in the books is easy to get reflective about what the best games were and what the biggest stories were from the year, but it’s also important to look forward.
This year’s PSX down in Anaheim, CA didn’t hold a lot of surprises if you aren’t a fan of PSVR, but those that are were treated to brand new game announcements and attendees got to go hands-on with a litany of forthcoming VR experiences. PSX felt like a victory lap for Sony with regard to VR in 2017.
The two biggest PSVR titles at the show were undoubtedly WipeOut VR and Firewall: Zero Hour. Although WipeOut VR is simply a free DLC that adds VR support to the existing WipeOut Omega Collection, it’s still a major milestone. WipeOut has long been considered one of the best racing game franchises, is a core IP of Sony’s catalog, and features some of the most intense and blisteringly-fast speeds this side of Sprint Vector.
It wouldn’t be accurate to describe WipeOut VR as a “killer app” or “system seller” by any means, but it’s the latest example of Sony continuing to deliver support for PSVR in the form of high-quality first-party content. When I tried it at PSX I came away extremely excited to play more and if they add multiplayer that’s compatible with non-VR players it should really have some long legs that can carry it through the entire year.
But on the other end of the new PSVR game spectrum is Firewall: Zero Hour. This is a brand new title from First Contact, a game studio that’s packed full of AAA talent with credits on several Call of Duty titles and is headed up by some of the folks behind both ROM: Extraction and ADR1FT.
Firewall is being designed as a Rainbow Six-inspired tactical military shooter in which the attacking team must infiltrate an area and complete objectives while the defending team must stop them. It’s much more involved than simple Team Deathmatch and the single life setup of multiplayer gives the firefights much higher stakes. Playing with the PS Aim gun controller feels great, but the inclusion of DualShock 4 support should help it find an even wider audience.
PC VR gamers have had access to games like Onward and Pavlov for a long time now, but that’s not the case for PSVR players. With over two million headsets on the market the platform has much more potential for multiplayer-focused experiences due to the increased population.
As just two pieces of Sony’s 2018 puzzle for PSVR, WipeOut and Firewall are bright beacons on the path to the future. Millions of people around the world have experienced the magic of consumer-grade VR over the past year and a half, so now it’s time that it truly becomes mainstream.
Sony has a major opportunity here that shouldn’t go squandered. With such a great lineup of upcoming titles, a huge install base that has them comfortably out in first place, and a surging community with strong brand loyalty, they’ve clearly got several advantages. When Oculus Go eventually launches, along with other standalone devices such as the Pico Neo and Pico Goblin, VR will be even more widely available to the general public without the need for a powerful PC, game console, or smartphone.
Firewall Zero Hour caught the attention of many PlayStation VR (PSVR) fans when it was announced at the PlayStation Experience last weekend. Its tactical 4 vs 4 first-person shooter (FPS) gameplay seemed to be what a lot of people were looking for. And, for developer First Contact Entertainment, it was the game that VR needed.
The team said as much in an interview following the game’s reveal, which you can see below. “We have this team, this amazing team and we didn’t know what we were going to make,” First Contact’s Adam Orth said, “but we knew who we had as a team and we knew what VR needed — in our opinion — and that is a very realistic first-person shooter that has true locomotion in it. And a lot of our team — we’ve made tons of Call of Duty’s, Medal of Honor’s, some Overwatch, some Halo; it’s in our blood.”
Indeed, Firewall’s realistic gameplay, played with either a DualShock 4 or the Aim controller, has sparked a lot of enthusiasm, and we really liked it when we went hands-on with it. As Orth said, the game has smooth locomotion just like a traditional FPS, and its close-quarters combat gives everything a laser-tag-like feel.
