Nearly 4 Years On, PSVR’s Firewall Launches Its Final Season

Just under four years on from launch, PSVR-exclusive Firewall Zero Hour has launched its final season.

The tenth season is fittingly named Operation: X and developer First Contact Entertainment says it isn’t planning any additional seasons past this one. The game will, of course, remain in operation past the end of this season.

Included in Operation: X is the return of legendary weapons alongside 24 missions that allow you to unlock new cosmetics. You’ll need an Ops Pass to access the new content.

This isn’t a massive season by most accounts, then. But First Contact is currently busy working on a brand new game for PSVR 2. No word on what exactly that will be just yet but we’d certainly welcome an official sequel to Firewall. You can keep track of every announced and rumored PSVR 2 game right here.

Firewall first launched in 2018 and quickly grew in popularity on PSVR thanks to its tactical battles that were best experienced with the rifle-shaped Aim controller. It essentially ended up feeling like VR’s answer to Rainbow Six. We gave the game 9/10 back when we did review scores, saying it offered the definitive multiplayer shooter experience on PSVR.

Are you going to be jumping into Firewall’s final season? Let us know in the comments below.

Firewall: Zero Hour Dev Hiring For ‘Next Generation’ VR Project

Firewall: Zero Hour and Solaris: Offworld Combat developer First Contact Entertainment is developing a “next-generation project” for VR.

As spotted by Zuby_Tech on Twitter, the developer currently has several positions listed on its website, many of which point to a new VR project. Most telling is a listing for a Lead Engineer says the studio is seeking someone to “help us create the next generation of high-end VR games”.

Firewall Dev Working On ‘Next Gen’ VR Game

Other listings make mention of a “AAA VR” project and work on “next generation consoles”.

It’s speculation on our part, but those listings could suggest First Contact could be working on a project that’s compatible with PS5 and/or its upcoming VR headset. Sony is yet to reveal much about the device but we are expecting it to launch in 2022 and we know that the company is already reaching out to developers about it. You can catch up with everything we know about PS5 VR right here.

Plus, it would make sense to see First Contact return to PlayStation after the success of Firewall, which is regarded as one of PSVR’s best multiplayer VR shooters. The game has received continued support since its launch all the way back in 2018 and the studio eventually brought its follow-up title, Solaris, to PSVR too. We’ll have our fingers crossed a potential sequel to either could be on the way.

In other PS5 VR rumors, Sony itself recently acquired The Persistence developer, Firesprite. Yet more job listings confirm the studio is working on a big VR project tied to a popular console IP from the past 10 years.

Solaris Offworld Combat Available On PSVR Today, 50% Off For PS Plus Members

Solaris Offworld Combat is available from today on PlayStation VR for PS5 and Ps4 consoles, with a 50% discount over the next two weeks for PlayStation Plus members.

Solaris released on Quest and PC VR late last year, and the PSVR release was meant to arrive around the same time. However, delays saw it pushed into 2021 and then into May, with a separate physical release planned for June. From today, the game is finally out for PSVR players on PS4 and PS5. The big bonus is that the game will be discounted for the next two weeks for anyone that is subscribed to PlayStation Plus, available at 50% off. No doubt this is a shot and getting lots of players into the game at launch.

Given Solaris is an online-based competitive VR shooter, a PS Plus subscription is pretty much a requirement to play the game. Because of that, most people who are interested probably already have a subscription and will benefit from the discount automatically. That being said, if you’re not a PS Plus member and you’re definitely going to pick up Solaris, subscribing to PS Plus before purchasing the game will probably save you some money.

As you would hope from a shooter on the PSVR platform, Solaris also supports using the Aim controller for those that own it, otherwise the DualShock 4 is also an option.

When the game released for Rift and Quest back in September, we deemed it ‘sci-fi Quake for the VR age’ and thought it was a great experience overall, despite some minor nitpicks. You can read the full review here.

Solaris Offworld Combat is available on PSVR now, alongside PC VR and Oculus Quest.

Solaris: Offworld Combat Gets PSVR Physical Launch In June, Planned Digital Release In May

Solaris: Offworld Combat is coming to PSVR this June with a physical release from Perp Games. According to a First Contact Entertainment representative, the digital version is planned to release a month earlier in May.

Perp Games 👾🎮 on Twitter: “We’re not finished just yet. Solaris Offworld Combat is the next game to be getting a physical box release. Coming in June to global markets! Will you be buying it? https://t.co/5sphrqsh10” / Twitter

Solaris: Offworld Combat on PSVR

Originally, Solaris was coming to PSVR late last year around the same time as the Quest and PC VR version of the game but got delayed. Now, it’s slated for release in just a couple of months.

The latest VR shooter from First Contact Entertainment (creators of Firewall Zero Hour) is a sci-fi competitive VR shooter that feels a bit like Quake in VR due to its speed and intense arena levels. It’s a very breezy, fast-paced game that’s accessible and easy to quickly jump in and out of. The closest comparison is probably Hyper Dash.

Soalris is a notable release because other than Firewall Zero Hour, there really haven’t been many options for shooter fans on PSVR. Alvo is coming soon too, but the headset is on its last legs at this point.

The PS Aim Controller continues to be one of the best things about the PSVR platform, so I’m all for seeing more games support it, but it’s a shame games like this didn’t hit PSVR earlier in its life cycle. Hopefully PSVR 2 on PS5 is backwards compatible and it can give late-life cycle games like this one new life when it releases.

Solaris is coming to PSVR very soon with a planned digital release in May and physical release from Perp Games in June. For more on this game make sure and read our Solaris: Offworld Combat review and stay tuned for all the latest in VR.

Watch: Alvo VR Shooter PSVR Gameplay With PS Aim Controller

Alvo is a very fast-paced 10-player online VR shooter with influence from non-VR shooters like Counter-Strike that’s planned to hit PSVR first this March, followed by PC VR and Quest with full crossplay across all three platforms.

This one has been on our radar for years and it’s finally nearing release now. We first wrote about Alvo about 2 1/2 years ago and it has come a long way since then, as evidenced by a new trailer back in September. As you can see in the footage above, it doesn’t look like a game hampered by the technical and hardware limitations of the PSVR at all whatsoever. There’s good reason why it landed on our list of most-anticipated VR games for 2021.

Most notably is the speed of movement and fluidity of actions. You’ll see the player vaulting over fences, sliding around corners, and ducking behind cover with the response time of something you’d see in a PC VR shooter like Pavlov or Contractors, not a PSVR shooter. As someone that has spent a lot of time playing every VR platform out there, I can say that this does not look like a rigid PSVR game. That’s a very strong compliment.

I have a lot of love for Firewall Zero Hour and the new ground that it broke, proving there is a market for competitive-focused VR games on platforms like PSVR, but the speed and intensity of games like Alvo is definitely appealing to me as well so I’m eager to jump in and try this one out for myself soon.

According to a developer we spoke to via Discord, a closed beta for PSVR is planned for late January or early February in Europe and North America with a full release on PSVR planned for March. The footage we’ve embedded above is captured on PS4 Pro using PS Aim Controller but it will also support PS Move controllers or DualShock 4.

alvo gameplay scope

In terms of features, it’s got a full slate. In addition to grenades and guns like the M16, AK47, P90, pistols, shotguns, and even scoped sniper rifles (yes, real working scopes, not full-screen blackout “scopes” like in Medal of Honor or Population: One) there will be killstreak rewards as well.

This is a full smooth locomotion shooter with running, jumping, climbing, sliding, and going prone with three game modes: free-for-all, team deathmatch, and search & destroy.

The number of maps available at launch is still in flux, likely sitting around 4-6 with 2-3 nighttime variants of existing maps to add a bit more variety. Post-launch support is expected to include new maps, weapons, characters, and game modes.

The developers have already got PSVR and Rift crossplay operational, but it will eventually be coming to the Oculus Rift PC store, Steam VR, and Oculus Quest sometime after PSVR launch. There will also be PS5 optimization patches as well as HMD optimization for other headsets like Vive and Index as well.

Alvo is currently in closed beta on PSVR with a full release planned for late February or March. Releases on both PC VR and Quest are expected to follow afterward, with full crossplay between all three platforms.

alvo psvr player crouching

For more on Alvo, check out the official website, join the Discord server with over 2,300 members, and follow the game’s Twitter page, Facebook page, and YouTube channel to stay up-to-date.

Solaris: Offworld Combat Update Adds Squads, New Map, And More

Solaris: Offworld Combat is getting squad support in its biggest post-launch update yet this week. The update will also introduce a brand new map, several fixes and improvements, and will enable players to freely move their non-primary hand.

 

When Solaris first launched it delivered on the promise of fast-paced, easy-to-pickup-and-play thrills with addictive gameplay, satisfying gun mechanics, and vibrant map designs. However, the inability to group up and play with friends was a huge issue.

According to developer First Contact Entertainment via email, squad support was “probably the most requested feature” since launch, so it’s finally getting added.

A new version of Fury is coming as well, dubbed Fury Major, which will focus on centralizing player engagement with more close quarters combat moments. Stamina is also getting reworked so you no longer lose any for sprinting and you’re only impacted for spamming slide over and over.

The other major change which should improve player immersion dramatically, at least in my opinion, is that now your free hand has full tracking. Previously whichever hand was not your primary hand (for example your left hand if you are righthanded) would just be glued to the gun at all times even if you moved the controller around. Now, they’ve unattached it, just like in the main menu, so you can move it freely. Weapon accuracy is unaffected.

There are a handful of other changes as well, such as crouching in real life triggering a slide if you’re sprinting, daily XP bonuses and weekly challenges, balance adjustments, and more.

solaris offworld combat fury major 1 solaris offworld combat fury major 2

For more on Solaris: Offworld Combat follow the game’s official Twitter and YouTube and make sure to check out our full review and launch day livestream right here.

Firewall Zero Hour On PS5: Faster Loads, Increased Fidelity

First Contact Entertainment confirmed that Firewall Zero Hour will offer PS5-specific improvements when playing the PSVR game on a next generation console.

As confirmed by Sony earlier this week, some PSVR games’ specific features will see improvements when played in backwards compatibility mode on PS5. We already know that PSVR exclusive Blood & Truth will feature a higher resolution and higher framerate on PS5, and now we have details for another PSVR exclusive — multiplayer FPS game Firewall Zero Hour.

Developers First Contact Entertainment put out a tweet with a video that details the improvements coming to Firewall on PS5.

The text from the end of the video, detailing the changes, reads as follows:

Firewall Zero Hour played on PS5 offers reduced load times and improved visual fidelity resulting from an additional increase in supersampling pixel density from what is currently offered on PS4 Pro. 

Firewall Zero Hour launched on PS4 for PSVR in 2018, and has continued to receive content updates ever since. The game recently entered its fifth competitive season, which added loads of new content and a brand new map as well.

It’s an interesting time for PSVR players — while almost all PSVR games will be playable and compatible with the PS5 using backwards compatibility, you do need to register to receive a free camera adapter before you can start playing. You can read our review of the PS5, from a VR perspective, here.

It seems like a PSVR 2 hardware refresh for PS5 is unlikely to come next year, but more recent comments seem to hint that there may be something in the works for further down the line.

Will you be playing Firewall on PS5? Let us know in the comments.

Solaris: Offworld Combat Review – Sci-Fi Quake For The VR Age

Solaris: Offworld Combat, the next VR shooter from Firewall Zero Hour developers First Contact Entertainment, is out now for PSVR, Rift and Quest. Check out our impressions in our Solaris: Offworld Combat review!

Note: This review was originally published on September 26th, 2020. It’s now been updated to include the PSVR version.

Following up on one of the most successful and well-known PSVR games, Firewall Zero Hour, is no small task. Especially when your next game, in this case Solaris, launches first on different headsets (before the recent PSVR homecoming). But for all its differences and unique challenges, I think Solaris is still mostly a worthy follow-up to the breakout PSVR hit.

The big difference here is that Solaris is not a realistic-style tactical military shooter. At all. Whereas Firewall borrows heavy inspiration from the likes of Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon, Solaris is more like an alternate reality sci-fi version of Quake with its focus on pick-up-and-playability and quick-paced gameplay.

Everything in Solaris is about as streamlined as it can possibly get — for better and (in some small cases) for worse. For example, there are no game modes to pick from, maps to select, playlists to queue for, or anything like that. The main menu literally just says ‘Play’ or asks you to put on the helmet to enter a game. That’s it. From there you’re spawned into a match with seven other people in a 4v4 game to capture control points that move around the map, sort of like Headquarters in Call of Duty. It’s very quick and efficient and, above all else, very fun.

In addition to the four guns (starting pistol, automatic assault rift, grenade launcher, and rocket launcher) there are two equipment items: proximity mine and deployable cover shield. It’s enough gear to add some strategy to encounters, but does feel a bit light overall.

solaris offworld combat rifle solaris offworld combat gameplay solaris offworld combat gameplay solaris offworld combat gameplay

Another example of this streamlined approach is the lack of an inventory, weapon switching, or reloading. You walk over weapons to pick them up and then it auto-switches to that new weapon. You shoot the special weapons until they’re out of ammo and it switches back to your starting pistol. No reloading ever required. In this way the “weapons” actually function a bit more like upgrades since they’re temporary. It adds intensity because you can visibly see when others pick up the weapons and creates competition to see who can get them first.

Solaris: Offworld Combat Review – Quest vs Rift

Solaris: Offworld Combat is out on both Quest and Rift with cross-buy and cross-play support. So even if you only have one headset, you’re playing against and with people on both platforms at all times. Visually it’s extremely similar. So similar in fact, that other than a few particle effects and lighting enhancements you can barely tell the difference. Gameplay is functionally identical. The only difference I’ve ever really spotted from a performance level is at the start of a match on Quest, before you’re ever in combat, there is a little bit of jitter and stutter as things are initializing, but once you’re in the game and actively playing, that all goes away. Refer to the video below for a side-by-side comparison.

However, not all of the streamlining they’ve done is for the better. One great example of this is weapon handling. In Solaris, you literally cannot control your left hand at all. Every weapon in the game is essentially one-handed just like the pistol, which is fine in and of itself, Half-Life: Alyx did this as well, but in Solaris your left hand isn’t tracked at all. If you reach out with your left controller it doesn’t do anything, you’re only using it as a thumbstick to move around.

The issue with this is twofold: a lack of presence and immersion, but also a lack of gameplay opportunity. In games like Onward your left hand is equal to the right hand, you could pull your pistol with the left hand, cradle the gun on your left shoulder and even pull the trigger left-handed if you wanted to. But in Solaris your left hand is basically the left half of an Xbox controller in your hand without tracking.

All that being said — you will forget about it. While playing I tended to rest my right controller on top of my left controller to steady the aim regardless of weapon so it generally felt like I was using both hands in-game even though I wasn’t. I genuinely stopped noticing or caring about it during the heat of battle.

Solaris: Offworld Combat ReviewComfort Settings

Solaris: Offworld Combat should be avoided if you require teleportation movement to enjoy VR because smooth, direct locomotion is the only option. That being said, there are some settings you can tweak to make it more comfortable if you’re not extra sensitive. In the main menu options you can switch between smooth and snap turning or turn on/off the FOV vignette for turning and sprinting.

Another odd limitation is the restricted physical crouching. I know the Quest and Rift S are capable of accurately tracking me as I lay down on the ground, or even roll around, because I’ve done it in games like Rec Room and Onward, but there are invisible barriers in Solaris that only let you go down as low as the crouch button animates.

Probably more than any other shooter I’ve played in VR, Solaris is the most seamless to play. It’s pure entertainment that just works. You never have to fuss around with anything feeling wonky or off because all the things that usually cause those issues in VR just aren’t here. On the surface things can see simplistic, but in the moment they absolutely are there to ensure the game is as fluid and playable as possible from top to bottom.

Solaris: Offworld Combat Review Final Impressions

Solaris: Offworld Combat is more than just the sum of its parts. While it’s easy to nitpick some of the decisions made, like your left hand not really being tracked in the game or the lack of a party/friend system at all for launch, the fact of the matter is that it’s still just incredibly fun to play. Visually it looks great on both Rift and Quest and the gameplay has that quick and seamless feel of Quake mixed with a slick Tron-style aesthetic. Despite the issues, Solaris is easily the most accessible and streamlined VR shooter I’ve played in recent memory and scratches the arena shooter itch I’d forgotten I had.


4 STARS


Solaris: Offworld Combat is out now on Rift and for Quest with cross-buy and cross-play functionality across both platforms. This review was conducted using both versions of the game, but most time was spent in the Quest version. A PSVR version also release today, May 18th. For more on how we arrived at this score, check out our review guidelines

Review Scale

Solaris Hands-On Preview: 5 Ways It’s Like Unreal Or Quake In VR

Solaris: Offworld Combat is the next multiplayer shooter from First Contact Entertainment and we got the chance to go hands-on with it for the very first time last week. During my session I played the game on both Rift S and Quest and came away excited to see more!

From the very first moments of gameplay, it’s obvious that Solaris takes heavy inspiration from the likes of Quake, Unreal, and other classic arena shooters. And remarkably, it actually runs and looks strikingly similar on both Quest and Rift — as you can see in the video below.

Now, let’s dive into what it’s like it play it.

 

5 Ways Solaris Channels Quake And Unreal For Old-School Shooter Fun

Fast-Paced Gameplay

In Solaris you’re a cyber athlete from the future that battles it out against others on virtual battlegrounds. It’s a pretty meta premise that’s a bit like VR-within-VR and the presentation absolutely nails it. What this means functionally is that you spend very little time standing around waiting. Load times are incredibly quick, you move around maps at a quick pace, and can even slide across the ground for an evasive speed boost.

Just like in Quake and Unreal, it pays to stay on the move. Standing still is a great way to get shot so you’ll want to learn maps fast so you know the best cover points and hallways to sprint down while getting the drop on an enemy.

 

solaris offworld combat rifle

No  Reloading Necessary

Solaris doesn’t have a reload button. I know, that seems weird. With the popularity of modern military shooters and the “realism” VR affords in games like Onward, it’s a bit odd to think that you won’t need to actually reload your gun at all. But in the future cyberscape of Solaris, where they’re going they don’t need reload buttons.

And if you played old-school games like Doom, Quake, and Unreal, then you’d know those don’t have reload buttons either. All reloading does is slow you down and Solaris is all about the speed of immediacy of combat.

 

solaris offworld combat map 1

Walk-Over Item Pick-Ups

Speaking of the immediacy of combat, in Solaris you don’t need to manage an inventory, manually pick up weapons, or switch weapons at all. You run full-speed over item spawn points and you just automatically pick them up. Everyone begins each match with their standard semi-auto pistol and within each map you can find a rocket launcher, grenade launcher, and assault rifle weapons, in addition to a deployable shield cover and proximity mine. Shield and health power-ups round out the offering.

In some older shooters you could cycle between various weapons, but you don’t do that in Solaris. Instead, whatever improved gun you find is your default weapon for a short time until you’ve used it up, then it just auto-switches back to your pistol. You need to take advantage of increased firepower when you’ve found it.

This one I expect to be a bit divisive, because in some ways it smacks of the taste of dumbing things down, but I don’t think streamlining necessarily means dumbing down. From what I’ve played Solaris is still an immensely fun, challenging, and deep shooter with a lot of nuance, but it sidesteps pain points that don’t translate smoothly to VR by simplifying things that get in the way of just having fun.

 

solaris offworld combat gameplay

Teamwork Is Key

Since Solaris only has one game mode that’s basically like King of the Hill, called Control Point, it encourages teamwork above going rogue as a solo player. Technically you can still get XP and rank up to unlock new cosmetics even if your team doesn’t win, but being on the winning team nets you a big XP bonus so it’s worth playing cohesively.

Solaris has in-game voice chat, but unfortunately it won’t have a party system or friend invite system at launch. At launch it’s only going to be “Pre-Season” and then the standard Season of rankings will begin shortly after. It’s my understanding that as new Seasons begin, new cosmetics will roll out, and likely other changes like new weapons and maps too.

And yes — all maps and weapons that are added will be included for free.

 

solaris offworld combat gameplay

Easy To Learn, Difficult To Master

Solaris is the kind of game you can quickly hop in and play with little to no fuss (assuming at least seven other people across PC and Quest have the same idea) and it’s a lot of fun. However, there is still depth here. Learning the maps, working with your team, getting the hang of shooting each gun, and developing strategies takes time and means that the entry level for playing is quite low but the skill ceiling for being really, really good is very high.

Similar to games like Quake and Unreal, virtually anyone can play those games. They’re pretty dead simple. But if you watch pro-tier players it looks almost like they’re playing a different game altogether due to how fluidly they move. Solaris has that same flexibility.

 

Solaris: Offworld Combat Additional Details

This article was called 5 ways Solaris is liek Unreal or Quake, but there are actually a bunch of other things I want to talk about. Thus, you get a small brain dump at the end here:

Progression

If you played Firewall Zero Hour you might remember in that game that you not only unlocked new things like guns, equipment, and skins by ranking up your level, but also by spending the in-game currency that you either earned slowly by playing or by spending real money to buy it. Solaris is rank-based progression only and all weapons are just map-based pickups.

From what I’ve seen there aren’t many cosmetics yet, but thankfully the outfit models like the shape of the helmet and style of your armor are separate from the color skin that’s applied, so you can mix and match pretty freely. It just takes a while to unlock anything, so hopefully they add a lot more.

 

Dedicated Servers, Fast Load Times

Another thing to mention as a key point is that Solaris is launching with dedicated servers rather than peer-to-peer and load times are really, really quick.

 

solaris offworld combat vortex map

No Party System

I mentioned this already, but just to emphasize: you cannot join up with a friend, make a party, or invite anyone to a game — yet. That is coming as the first major update, but for pre-season it’s not in yet.

 

No Bots, No Solo Play

When I pressed the developers for an answer here they basically just said, “We never say never,” but at this time there are no plans for anything other than strictly 4v4. That means if only seven people are online, you can’t play. There is no training mode, no bots to fight against, and no solo options at all. Hopefully they reconsider and add something, even if it’s just an option to have bots fill empty slots and balance teams.

 

No Map Selection Or Lobby System

The main menu has a play button or you can put the helmet on — those are your options for joining a match. Behind the scenes the game then slots you into a match and starts the game. There is no map selection, it’s just always random, and you can’t tweak options or anything yet. I’m under the impression that private lobbies with settings to tweak and filters to set are coming, but aren’t there yet.

 

solaris offworld combat gameplay

No Jumping

Sorry, no jump button. However — you can slide! And that’s pretty fun.


Solaris: Offworld Combat releases on September 24th for Oculus Quest and Oculus Rift with crossplay and crossbuy. There are plans for a PSVR release later, but there’s no date for that yet. Keep an eye here on UploadVR and our YouTube channel for more coverage. You can also preemptively join the developer’s Discord server.

Let us know what you think of Solaris down in the comments below!

Onward On Oculus Quest Launch Day Livestream: PvP And Co-Op VR Shooter!

For today’s livestream we’re playing realistic military sim VR shooter, Onward on Oculus Quest! If you’re curious about how we livestream the way we do then look no further than this handy guide for general tips and this guide specific to our Oculus Quest setup.


Onward aims to be the ultimate VR FPS for those after an authentic-style military simulation. The PC version excels in this regard and even though the Quest version is downgraded, it’s still a blast. It also features cross-play with PC for all game modes!

Our Onward on Oculus Quest VR livestream is planned to start at about 10:30 AM PT and will last for around an hour or two, give or take, depending partially on how well-behaved my small toddler child will be while left alone. We’ll be hitting just our YouTube and I’ll be streaming from my Oculus Quest, which will be using a Chromecast Ultra wireless cast signal, plugged into a Capture Card, to get the footage to my PC while Jamie and Zeena join in via webcam to hang out and help out with chat.

You can watch the stream embedded via YouTube right here. Set a reminder if you’re reading this early!

You can see lots of our past archived streams over in our YouTube playlist or even all livestreams here on UploadVR and various other gameplay highlights. There’s lots of good stuff there so make sure and subscribe to us on YouTube to stay up-to-date on gameplay videos, video reviews, live talk shows, interviews, and more original content!

And please let us know which games or discussions you want us to livestream next! We have lots of VR games in the queue that we would love to show off more completely.

The post Onward On Oculus Quest Launch Day Livestream: PvP And Co-Op VR Shooter! appeared first on UploadVR.