Developer MunkyFun have had previous success in the smartphone videogame market with League of War: Mercenaries and have chosen to expand upon that premise by bringing the concept into virtual reality (VR) with a with a real-time strategy title for the PlayStation VR.
League of War: VR Arena starts up its Campaign mode by giving players a choice of what general they wish to play as. As first only one is available, with others being unlocked through gameplay. The developers have chosen to forego any kind of tutorial in favour of getting right into the action. While this approach has advantages, players can find themselves missing out on some critical game mechanics due to the lack of tutorial or hint system. The campaign mode has less a story than some loose exposition that chains together the various one-on-one matches against the AI generals. While the voice acting is competent, the frequently repeated phrases, many of which drip with insult and arrogance, can get wearying after a while.
Gameplay is simple, players look down upon a terrain table where they can see the spawn points for their units. Once a unit is ready, you can use the PlayStation Move controller to pick them up and put them down on the battlefield. You can choose to set them to focus on a specific target, but for the most part they simply do as they want once you have placed them in the field. Which could be considered realistic to warfare, but can prove a source of frustration at times, and does eliminate much of the strategic element of traditional RTS.
Each unit has a rock/paper/scissors type weakness to another, such as infantry being weak against tanks but strong against helicopters. Early on, simple swarming tactics will easily win the day, though later on more careful consideration of build order is needed. You can accelerate the production of a unit by focussing resources on it, essential for the later parts of the campaign. Winning battles in Campaign mode nets the player medals which can be spent on customisation and upgrade options in Arcade mode.
Arcade Mode is the only multiplayer option in the title. It is local multiplayer, in which one player dons the PlayStation VR headset and uses the PlayStation Move controllers, while the other player uses the TV screen as a ‘social screen’ and the Dual Shock controller. This mode works well and is quite fun, but the lack of online multiplayer is both baffling and a major lack in the videogame of this type.
League of War: VR Arena looks great. It is crisp, smoothly animated and boasts a variety of different types of terrain for players to do war upon, such as hot deserts or lush woodland. Sadly, terrain is purely cosmetic and has no effect on any of the units. Music and sound were decent, though not especially notable.
Over all, League of War: VR Arena is a decent, if somewhat flat, experience. there are no twists in game mechanics. Difficulty slowly ratchets up, but little actually changes. Aside from the possibility of challenging a visiting friend to an Arcade match, there is little to draw you back in once you have completed the Campaign. Which will not take long, since battles are over in a remarkable short period of time, This is not a bad videogame by any means, but it is a shallow one, a fun time-waster that is sadly let down by its lack of online multiplayer, which might have gone so way towards extending its lifespan.
Popular strategic war title League of War was announced as making it way from mobile over to virtual reality (VR) back in August, with developer MunkyFun announcing that a version developed specifically for the PlayStation VR was being worked on. League of War: VR Arena has now been released and is available to download now.
Taking elements from real-time strategy titles as well as classic tabletop wargames, League of War: VR Arena lets the player survey a terrain table where the various units are deployed, along with enemy structures, territory and other potential objectives. Players can access 12 different units, any four of which can be deployed at a time. Units available include soldiers, tanks, helicopters, artillery and flamethrowers, all have which have specific strengths and weaknesses. Each unit has an energy cost associated with it, depending on how powerful it is. Once a unit is ready for deployment, it can simply be picked up and placed in the desired position on the battlefield, ready to go into action.
The developers have been keen to emphasise the social ‘mixed reality’ elements of the title, since the title allows for one player to strap on the PlayStation VR headset and uses the PlayStation Move controllers, while another player can engage with gameplay using a Dual Shock controller from the TV screen using the ‘social screen’ function.
Strategy titles such as League of War: VR Arena have seen a resurgence in interest with the rise of VR and augmented reality (AR), with several titles such as Korix and Brass Tactics exploring the new possibilities presented by the technology.
League of War: VR Arena has two modes currently available, the competitive Arcade Mode that allows users to play against other opponents, and single-player campaign mode, where players can defeat AI opponents to earn medals which can in turn be used to upgrade and personalise your forces to make a truly customised force to be reckoned with.
League of War: VR Arena is available now from the PlayStation Store, priced at £18.99 (GBP).
VRFocus will bring you further news on League of War: VR Arena as it becomes available.
Back in August developer MunkyFun announced its strategic warfare simulator League of War: VR Arena for PlayStation VR. Then during Sony Interactive Entertainment’s (SIE) Paris Games Week (PGW) press conference the title surfaced again with a new trailer and a tentative release date of 7th November. Today, the studio has confirmed that date as well as the price.
League of War: VR Arena features both a single-player Campaign mode and an Arcade co-op multiplayer mode where players face off head-to-head, with one using the PlayStation VR and the other using the Social Screen. In VR players grab a unit with a Move controller and place it on the battlefield where they want to attack the opponent while Social Screen players use a DualShock 4 controller, with the videogame launching player-selected units automatically when their charge time is complete.
“League of War: VR Arena will turn your living room into an intense virtual battlefield that combines the immersion of VR with the immediacy of head-to-head competition,” said Nick Pavis, CEO and Co-founder of MunkyFun, Inc. “With one player on the headset and the other playing via the TV screen, it’s a throwback to classic strategy combat where you can’t hide behind a screenname—win or lose, your opponent will be right next to you!”
The goal in League of War: VR Arena is to destroy the opposing army’s towers and base. Each commander can build a squad comprised of Infantry, Tanks, Recon, Choppers and Artillery, each of which occupies one of five spawn pads. Each unit requires time and energy to build, with more powerful units requiring more energy and taking longer to charge up.
League of War: VR Arena is exclusive to PlayStation VR, released on 7th November via the PlayStation Store for $19.99 USD, €19.99 EUR and £15.99 GBP.
For any further updates from MunkyFun, keep reading VRFocus.
Paris Games Week is here and Sony has revealed a slew of new trailers showing off their lineup of PSVR games coming in 2017 and 2018. Grab some popcorn, because here’s 21 minutes of fresh footage.
Eden Tomorrow
Developer: Soulpix Release Date: Spring 2018
Eden-Tomorrow catapults the player right into the heart of a strange cosmos: frightening creatures, cryptic riddles, abandoned places and the ever-present question: “what happened here?”
Apex Construct
Developer: Fast Travel Games Release Date: TBD
[Apex Construct] takes place in a shattered but beautiful post-apocalyptic future filled with merciless robots, where two powerful AIs are locked in a drawn-out conflict. As the last remaining human, you’ll explore this world and use your wits and combat skills to survive, while discovering why almost all organic life has become extinct.
Megalith
Developer: Disruptive Games Release Date: 2018
Megalith is an action-packed hero shooter that transforms you into a titan, letting you use your massive size and firepower to compete with others in a quest to become a god. Immersed in the conflict of an ancient world, you will need to use a combination of teamwork and skill to survive. Fight for supremacy on the fields of battle using free locomotion, strategy, and destructible environments. Define your own style of combat by customizing your abilities so that you can vanquish your foes and push your disciples to victory.
Blood & Truth
Developer: Sony London Studios Release Date: TBD
From the moment you slip on the headset, you become Ryan Marks, an elite Special Forces soldier who is on a dangerous mission to save his family from a ruthless criminal overlord. Playing as Ryan, you will come face to face with enemies, uncover secrets and experience the thrill of the chase.
Sprint Vector
Developer: Survios Release Date: TBD
Sprint Vector is the ultimate competitive VR game: a multiplayer adrenaline platformer that merges the physical thrill of extreme sports competition with the unhinged energy of a zany game show spectacle. Survios’ innovative Fluid Locomotion System and intuitive intended motion mechanics let you comfortably attain and maintain extreme speeds in VR.
Experience virtual reality horror in a whole new light in this sound-based thriller where enemies hear your fear. Follow in the quiet footsteps of David Ridley, a grief-stricken widower seeking solace in virtual memories of his traumatic past that are slowly turning his world dark. Create sound waves to reveal the world around you, using objects and your own voice in unique virtual reality and mic-enabled gameplay. But beware your nightmares are listening to every noise you make…
Star Child
Developer: Playful Corp Release Date: 2018
Star Child is a cinematic platforming adventure that follows the journey of Spectra and her companion on an important mission to an alien planet. After becoming stranded, they uncover a hostile, overwhelming force that threatens to destroy everything. At a pivotal, startling moment, Spectra gains the ability to gradually take control of the world around her and fight back.
League of War VR Arena
Developer: MunkyFun Release Date: November 7th
League of War: VR Arena is a hands, on, fast-paced war game. Swiftly deploy your tanks, infantry, and choppers in a battle to destroy your enemy’s base before they destroy yours!
Discover the glory of being an elite fighter pilot. Become an Ace pilot by taking down enemies through tactical dogfighting, while experiencing the exhilaration of flying freely in a fully immersive world.
Resident Evil 7 biohazard – Not a Hero DLC
Developer: Capcom Release Date: December 12, 2017
Not a Hero is a chapter that explores the direct aftermath of RE7’s main story. Unlike the nightmare suffered by untrained civilian Ethan Winters, players take control of Chris Redfield to tackle the outbreak as a trained professional. Experience a different flavor of survival horror with an arsenal of tactical weaponry!
Rec Room
Developer: Against Gravity Release Date: 2017
Rec Room [is] a vibrant and growing virtual community where you play with friends new and old from all around the world! Customize your look then head to the Rec Center for endless fun and games like our epic co-op Quests, 3D Charades, or Paintball! Or play casual minigames like Disc Golf, Dodgeball, and more. Or create and share your own activities using an ever-expanding variety of fun creative tools. Rec Room is a fun and welcoming environment for people from all walks of life! Come and join the fun for free!
Ultrawings
Developer: Bit Planet Games Release Date: 2017
In Ultrawings, you’ll pilot four distinct aircraft using your virtual hands or gamepad! Soar around four unique, beautifully stylized islands! Earn money to buy new airplanes and new airports! You’ll pop balloons, snap photos, perform spot landings, compete in aerial races, fly through score rings, and even perform emergency landings!
Bow to Blood
Developer: Tribetoy Release Date: 2018
Bow to Blood takes place in a fantastical sci-fi world, a massive gas giant with mist-soaked floating islands and continents at the heart of a declining empire. Experience harrowing high-speed races, deadly battles with swarming assault ships, perilous encounters with aerial beasts, mind-bending challenges, and more.
Snow Fortress
Developer: Mythical City Games Release Date: 2017
Snow Fortress is a room-scale Virtual Reality snow fort building & battle game. Relive your childhood by building snow forts as you prepare for epic snowball fights! Unlock tools to protect your fort and deliver a fury of snowballs at your opponents!
Grill, fry, and bake your way to freedom in Dead Hungry, a fast-paced new PSVR title from the makers of the legendary PixelJunk series. You are a fearless food-truck cook working double overtime to single-handedly save the world from certain doom. Using burgers, fries, a generous portion of side menu items–and anything else within reach–you can restore the living dead to human form! Turn swarms of zombie schoolgirls, office workers, and sumo wrestlers into well-fed and highly functional members of society! Get creative feeding this unstoppable mob with food, phones, or anything else you please! They aren’t just hungry–they’re Dead Hungry.
Missed the announcements from Paris Games Week (PGW)? A huge fan of virtual reality (VR)? PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR owners likely already know that there are now over 100 titles on the platform. But that’s just now. There’s plenty of videogames on the way to add to that collection, and luckily VRFocus has got your back. Below you can find a list of all the PlayStation VR videogames that were announced or mentioned at PGW – and we have also created a little video recap which you can find below.
Bandai Namco bring you Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, taking their popular fighter pilot series to VR for the first time. With spectacular views, a dynamic weather system and various maps, this videogame demands the highest possible aerial combat skills.
Chris Redfield comes up against new and terrifying enemies in his pursuit of deadly psychopath Lucas in Resident Evil VII thanks to the Not A Hero free DLC. There are plenty of gory situations to confront on the path ahead as Redfield seeks an end to the bloody reign of the murderous Baker family.
Developers Against Gravity have created a social platform where players can engage in multiplayer games with one another. As with all the products mentioned here, check out the link for more information.
Announced at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), VRFocus thought Moss was perhaps the cutest VR game to date. Sadly, that date has shifted, with the title now delayed until 2018. Developed by Polyarc, Moss asks players to solve puzzles in a larger-than-life world. The protagonist Quill also recognises who you are and tries to point out tips when you’re stuck. Quill’s intricate hand movements actually promotes sign language as she uses her body, hands and squeaks to communicate with you.
Announced at PGW today, this first-person shooter (FPS) takes adventure to a futuristic, robot-filled sci-fi world. You play as the last human on a world where synthetic creatures seek to dominate their new hunting grounds. Created by Fast Travel Games, this Swedish studio is formed of Ex-Rovio, EA and DICE staff.
Another newly announced title, Bow to Blood is a multiplayer videogame where players pilot airships into combat with other players. PlayStation VR owners can go solo or team up to battle rivals. Stand and fight or reposition on your foe? It’s your call.
Announced back in August this real-time tabletop warfare simulator should be something strategy fans will enjoy. Players will have access to 12 different units, four of which can be deployed at one time. This includes tanks, soldiers, flamethrowers, artillery and helicopters. Each unit costs energy to put on the battlefield – so don’t start spamming out loads of troops without thinking careful first.
Showcased at E3 this year, this videogame asks players to see the world through sound; similar to how echolocation would work underwater. The noise you make highlight the surroundings around you in a creepy white line drawing style. Unfortunately, whilst using sound shows your path it also draws the attention of enemies. You will need to balance your need to see versus your need to keep safe. A slow and steady process that really gets under your skin.
A fast-paced obstacle course racing title that asks players to swing their arms back and forth in order to increase the speed at which they travel. Climb, jump, leap across various obstacles and compete against friends or A.I.
Developers Playful Corp have created a dark, cyberpunk world where strange creatures roam in a bizarre neon-lit world. A side-scrolling platform experience, the protagonist has to solve puzzles and take an elevator deeper into an alien world.Transference– Coming Soon
Announced at E3, Elijah Wood’s videogame company Spectrevision and Ubisoft have created a psychological thriller videogame where players delve into the destructive tale of a man’s obsession as they explore his digitally recreated memories. Think Inception, but as a videogame where you have to solve puzzles in the man’s memories. VRFocus did an interview with Kyle McCullough from SpectreVision if you want more information.
Available on the Samsung Gear VR and now coming to PlayStation VR, this flying simulator allows you to try three different aircrafts, has several missions which in turn allows the player to purchase airports across three separate islands. Shoot balloons, take photos, fly through rings, race against players or practice that perfect landing.
This tongue-in-cheek action videogame allows you to cook up a storm as a chef feeding some very hungry zombies. That’s right, you’re not killing zombies on mass but feeding them some very well-cooked hamburgers instead. Perfect for Halloween.
Set in sci-fi world on what seems another planet, PGW is the first time anything of this videogame was showcased and very little is known about it for sure. However, it appears to be the evolution of previously announced VR title Eden. And features some very strange and bizarre looking creatures that resemble a Brachiosaurus. The teaser also features three-armed robotic drones and enormous monsters.
Showcasing the first hands-on previews at PGW, the gameplay features customisable costumes, a various array of fish (and other creatures) and various ways of catching fish from travel to sonar detection.
A first-person videogame where you play as a titan on a quest to become a powerful god. With destructible environment and a range of weapons in a stylised world.
Set in a medieval castle with ghostly inhabitants, you play a young mage recently returned from magic school on a quest to delve into their family’s fraught past. You have to rebuild your family’s wealth and use your wand to uncover treasure, coins and crowns. As the name of the title suggests, you’ll have to do a lot of smashing and hitting things to do that. Venture into multiple dungeons, secret rooms and set things on fire, smash everything you see or sneak up on ghosts to find hidden gold.
Another new title to add to the growing list of PlayStation VR games available for players, you play a brutal gangster in London. On a quest to avenge his murdered family, you have to break into enemy hideouts, casinos and gun down your enemies. You need to be prepared for both stealth gameplay as well as ready to throw yourself into the action. The teaser showcase lock picking and a bomb detonating as you shoot down enemies.
Those are the latest videogames that have been announced or will be coming soon to the PlayStation VR. Watch the video below to get a glimpse of all the videogames and follow VRFocus for any further announcements on the videogames.
Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) certainly didn’t disappoint with today’s Paris Games Week (PGW) 2017 press conference, showcasing plenty of titles that confirm its continued support for PlayStation VR. One of those making an appearance was League of War: VR Arena which has been confirmed for release next month.
Originally announced back in August, League of War: VR Arena is a real-time tabletop warfare simulator which looks like a cut down version of Command & Conquer. Today MunkyFun Games showed off a new trailer for the title with plenty of gameplay footage which mainly revolved around the two-player portion of the videogame, where one player uses the headset whilst a second person uses the social screen feature to wage war.
Players will have access to 12 different units, four of which can be deployed at one time. These include soldiers, tanks, flamethrowers, artillery and helicopters, all which need to be carefully deployed on the battlefield to win. Each unit takes a certain amount of energy to deploy, depending on how powerful it is. When a unit is ready, players simply pick it up, put it down on the battlefield, and watch it go zipping off to destroy the enemy’s base.
While units can be deployed however a player wishes, certain ones are more ideally suited to destroying particular enemies. So if an opponent has spammed out loads of infantry units players may want to wait until their anti-infantry helicopters are ready, gaining the upper hand.
League of War: VR Arena will be available on 7th November for PlayStation VR.
Today has been filled with other PlayStation VR titles such as Fast Travel Games’ first VR videogame Apex Construct, or how about Blood & Truth by Sony London Studio, the spiritual successor to London Heist. Other new titles included Triangular Pixels’ Smash Hit Plunder, Q-Games’ Dead Hungry, Survios’obstacle course racer Sprint Vector, high-tech fantasy airship battler Bow to Blood and Megalith, in which players are titans who are on a quest to become a powerful god.
As you likely know next week is Europe’s biggest games focused industry event, the middle chapter of the ‘big three’, Gamescom over in Cologne, Germany. With the other two of course being E3 and the Tokyo Game Show which is still to come. Naturally the VRFocus team is (in part) attending the event and we’ll be providing you with plenty to read and watch over the course of the next week. You’d be mistaken for thinking these were the only events on the horizon however, because there is also one of the PAX events – PAX West – heading your way at the beginning of next month.
Taking place over September 1st to 4th in Seattle Washington as PAX has grown so has industry representation at it and Sony have just announced the titles that you will be able to try out should you be heading there – which does include PlayStation VR titles. Eight of them to be precise.
Click the title for a link to our most recent preview or story on each videogame.
Other non-VR videogames for the Sony PlayStation 4 that will be playable at one of the five booths at the event are:
Gran Turismo Sport – if you don’t want to play it in VR of course…
PlayLink: Hidden Agenda
PlayLink: That’s You!
PlayLink: Knowledge is Power
PlayLink: Frantics
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Detroit: Become Human
Knack 2
Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite
Swords of Ditto
Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom
Tooth and Tail
Burly Men at Sea
Dragon Ball FighterZ
Samurai Shodown V Special
Omen of Sorrow
Windjammers
Hob
Battle Chasers
With Gamescom just before and with the PlayStation Experience looming in December we’re not expecting much in the way of news from the event. However, should any updates be released or anything newsworthy be discovered VRFocus will of course bring it your way.
Developer MunkyFun announced earlier this week that it was intending to bring popular mobile strategy franchise League of War to the PlayStation VR as League of War: VR Arena.
League of War: VR Arena will let players control up to 12 units, four of which can be deployed at a time. Units can include the likes of soldiers, tanks, flamethrowers and helicopters, which need to be carefully placed and directed for optimum strategy. Each unit costs resources to deploy, so players will need to think carefully about what should be deployed and when.
The title will be controlled using the PlayStation Move controller, with the player having an overlooking view across the battlefield, able to use the Move controllers to pick up and set down units to the best spot – similar to how real world miniature wargames work.
A single player campaign mode and quickplay Arcade mode will be available at launch. The Arcade mode will allow players to be matched against other players using customised armies.
The title is expected to be released in Autumn of 2017, though a price point has not yet been set.
You can look through the screenshots below to get a taste of what is coming, or visit the MunkyFun website for further information.
VRFocus will bring you further information on League of War: VR Arena and other upcoming PlayStation VR titles as it becomes available.
Independent developer MunkyFun is bringing League of War: VR Arena exclusively to Sony’s PSVR platform this Fall. Detailed in an entry on the official PlayStation Blog, the studio’s first VR game is described as being similar to ‘holographic chess’ but with plenty of tanks and explosions, based on the developer’s League of War franchise for mobile.
While no gameplay footage seems to be available yet, the press release suggests that it follows a similar approach to the studio’s existing mobile game League of War: Mercenaries—a ‘tug-of-war’-style strategy game—with an increased emphasis on action and more direct influence over units thanks to the VR perspective and use of motion controls. No trailer for PSVR has surfaced, but MunkyFun did create a teaser for the game in March, showing two players using Oculus Rift headsets; this was clearly an early concept before it became a Sony exclusive. Based on the limited screenshots available, the final version seems to have stepped up its presentation quality considerably, as we’ve come to expect from PSVR titles.
‘Image courtesy MunkyFun
Described as “simple to play, difficult to master,” players will use Move controllers to “directly place and aim their units at the opponent,” overseeing the virtual battlefield from a tabletop perspective. The game will feature a single player campaign, and an ‘arcade’ mode that supports local multiplayer via the PSVR’s Social Screen.
“League of War: VR Arena is designed to be a powerful experience that puts players in charge of a high tech, aggressive army on a living, tabletop-style battlefield,” said Nick Pavis, CEO and Co-Founder of MunkyFun, Inc. “As you throw your units into battle, strategically choosing between quick strikes and slower but more powerful units, your opponent does the same, creating a pulse-pounding mix of strategy and action that is highly engaging on PlayStation VR.”
Rec Room
Transference 
Megalith
