Something For The Weekend: PlayStation VR Deals To See September Off

Time for another entry of Something for the Weekend, the weekly series where VRFocus bring you a number of deals on virtual reality (VR) titles. We head to the PlayStation Store for the final Sunday of September to find the best deals on PlayStation VR titles. With experiences that will take you to the seven seas, outer space, and even into the eyes of an eagle. There is something for everyone this weekend. As always, be sure to check back every weekend for even more deals right here on VRFocus.

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Battlezone Gold Edition

Battlezone is arcade VR action at its finest, with options galore allowing players to uniquely hone their combat strategies. With both extensive single-player and multiplayer modes there’s enough here for countless hours of gameplay, so you can comfortably sit cocooned inside these rolling machines of destruction and never get bored, because quite frankly, it’s too much fun. PlayStation VR owners have been enjoying Battlezone for months, if you own an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive you don’t need to have second thoughts about this, Battlezone is one of the best VR titles out there.” – Read VRFocus’ Senior Staff Writer Peter Graham’s review of Battlezone.

Battlezone Gold Edition is available now for £12.99 (GBP) down from the usual £29.99.

One Piece: Grand Cruise

Get ready to experience the life of a pirate as you step onto the famous Thousand Sunny Ship and meet the legendary Straw Hat Pirates. You’ll come face-to-face with members of the crew including Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Sanji, and many more while dealing with fierce battles that will see you firing cannons to defend the ship. Explore the ship, feel like a pirate and enter the world of One Piece.

One Piece: Grand Cruise is available now for only £5.79 (GBP) down from £7.99.

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SUPERHOT VR

Time moves when you move. That is the core rule of this intense title that will see you having to use strategy and quick thinking to overcome the many challenges that await you. With no regenerating health bars, no conveniently place ammo and only one hit ending your life, you’ll need to be creative as you’ll outnumbered and outgunned. Grab weapons of fallen enemies to shoot, slice and maneuver your way through a hurricane of slow-motion bullets. Think you have the skills to make it out alive?

SUPERHOT VR is available now for £14.99 (GBP) down from £19.99.

Apex Construct

Apex Construct

“Despite some minor gripes, its clear that Apex Construct represents the way forward for VR videogames, an absorbing, intriguing experience that draws you in with a rich world complete with its own history and mysteries to be unravelled as well as a fluid combat system. Apex Construct is the standard by which future VR titles will be judged, and an indicator that VR has stepped up its game.” – Read VRFocus’ Staff Writer Rebecca Hills-Duty review of Apex Construct.

Apex Construct is available now for £12.99 (GBP) down from £24.99.

Loading Human

Loading Human: Chapter 1

“Loading Human is the adventure game of the future. Your dying father, an esteemed scientist, has summoned you to his Antarctic base to undergo an intensive interstellar quest: retrieve the Quintessence, an elusive energy source that will help reverse the aging process.”

Loading Human: Chapter 1 is available now for £12.99 (GBP) down from £34.99.

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Werewolves Within

After several attacks on the townsfolk, the medieval village of Gallowston has had enough. Players will be transport to the village where they must uncover the werewolves that have been causing all the trouble. To do this five to eight players will need to work together in a fast-paced game of hidden roles and social deduction to cleanse the town of the werewolves and uncover which player is the werewolf lying and betraying their friends in order to survive. Capturing the essence and competitive spirit of the tabletop game, this VR version will immersive players right into the fun.

Werewolves Within is available now for £12.99 (GBP) down from £24.99.

Time Carnage

Time Carnage

Time Carnage is well-made, and is a fine, competent example of its genre, with some excellent music and sound design, though it ultimately fails to stand out amidst many other similar titles that litter VR videogame libraries. Shooting dinosaurs is still lots of fun, though.” – Read VRFocus’ Staff Writer Rebecca Hills-Duty review of Time Carnage.

Time Carnage is available now for £8.99 (GBP) down from £15.99.

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Trackmania Turbo

Every wanted to step into the driving seat of a powerful car and drive around outlandish tracks? If so, then this is the title for you. Experience the thrill of racing like never before as you complete races and challenges on over 200 unique tracks across five difficulty levels. Think you can make it to the top of the worldwide rankings?

Trackmania Turbo is available now for £12.99 (GBP) down from £24.99.

Eagle Flight

“Fifty years after humans vanished from the face of the Earth, wildlife and nature reclaimed its cities, leaving you with a breathtaking city playground in Paris. As an eagle, you soar past iconic landmarks from the Eiffel Tower to Notre Dame Cathedral, and dive through narrow streets in order to fight opponents and protect your territory. Eagle Flight gives you the absolute liberty to explore Paris from a bird’s eye view!”

Eagle Flight is on sale now for £12.99 (GBP) down from the usual £34.99 with PlayStation Plus members saving an extra 5%.

Star Trek: Bridge Crew

“While Star Trek: Bridge Crew definitely appeals to the core fan base – Ubisoft has added the original USS Enterprise in there as well – non Star Trek fans of the franchise will also find something to like about the title, especially with a few mates playing. The production values are top notch making Star Trek: Bridge Crew one of those rare VR experiences that feels like a AAA title, and likely part of most VR gamers’ collections.” – VRFocus’ Senior Staff Writer Peter Graham’s review of Star Trek: Bridge Crew.

Star Trek: Bridge Crew is available now for £15.99 (GBP) down from £29.99.

That is all for this week but remember that VRFocus gathers all the best sales and deals every week, so check back next weekend at the same time to discover more.

Amazon Running Discount Promotion on Several PlayStation VR Titles Including Resident Evil 7

In January Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) held its winter sale dropping prices across a range of virtual reality (VR) titles for PlayStation VR. If you didn’t pick up a deal then, or you’ve recently purchased the headset, Amazon US has a few software discounts available.

Currently the online retailer has five titles on discount, the most notable one being Resident Evil 7 biohazard, which launched in January, with a sizable 33 percent off. If you head over to the PlayStation.Store you’ll still find the videogame at full retail price.

Resident Evil 7 - Family

The titles currently on offer are:

Werewolves Within – £25.49 ($29.99) – 15% off

Loading Human – $20.98 ($39.99) – 48% off

Resident Evil 7 biohazard – $39.99 ($59.99) – 33% off

Moto Racer 4  – $19.99 ($39.99) – 50% off (Amazon Prime members only)

Eagle Flight – $34.00 ($39.99) – 15% off

Resident Evil 7 biohazard will be the most popular choice out of the bunch, having been well received by media and fans alike. Both Werewolves Within and Eagle Flight come from Ubisoft, both offering different multiplayer challenges, with the former a tactile game to uncover the hidden werewolf, while the latter is a much more high octane experience flying through the streets of a long deserted Paris.

Recently SIE has been updating the hardware, expanding and improving its functionality. Today sees the PlayStation 4 Pro Media Player update go live, adding support for 4K VR videos. Earlier this month SIE also released version 4.50 for PlayStation 4, with PlayStation VR getting support for Bluray 3D discs and an enhanced Cinematic Mode.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of PlayStation VR, reporting back with the latest deals.

Eagle Flight, Pinball FX2, Surgeon Simulator: ER and More Added to PlayStation VR Sale

While the Oculus and Steam winter sales have now ended, PlayStation VR owners are getting even more deals with 14 new titles added to the January sale.

Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) launched its PlayStation sale just before Christmas, with 13 virtual reality (VR) videogames included. Those discounts end today, but the newly featured titles below are on offer until 20th January 2017. The deals aren’t available in every territory so check your PlayStation Store to see which ones have been included, all the discounts and prices listed below are for the UK.

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  • Ace Banana – £7.39 (was £11.49 GBP)
  • Eagle Flight – £24.99 (was £34.99)
  • Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes – £7.99 (was £11.99)
  • KISMET – £3.99 (was £5.79)
  • Loading Human: Chapter 1 – £19.99 (was £34.99)
  • Pinball FX2 VR – £9.49 (was £11.99)
  • Pixel Gear – £5.79 (was £8.99)
  • Robinson: The Journey – £34.99 (was £54.99)
  • SUPERHYPERCUBE – £15.99 (was £24.99)
  • Surgeon Simulator: Experience Reality – £12.99 (was £15.99)
  • The Brookhaven Experiment – £10.99 (was £14.99)
  • VEV: Viva Ex Vivo‎ VR Edition – £2.49 (was £3.99)
  • Weeping Doll – £5.79 (was £7.99)
  • Werewolves Within – £15.99 (was £24.99)

So if you’ve still got some cash left over from Christmas now’s a good time to build your PlayStation VR library. For the latest PlayStation VR news, keep reading VRFocus.

Amazon’s Cyber Monday Deals Include PlayStation VR Software Discounts

The Black Friday deals are now over but that doesn’t mean to say there’s not more discounts available. For today we have Cyber Monday, where online retailers provide even further discounts to tempt eager shoppers. Online retail giant Amazon is well known for its offers at this time of year and today its now providing discounts on several PlayStation VR titles.

Sony Interactive Entertainment’s (SIE) head-mounted display (HMD) has only been on sale for just over a month, and these Amazon deals look to be the first available for owners of the device.

RIGS New Screenshot

Currently on offer (but only for US customers) are:

Batman: Arkham VR – $16.99 USD ($19.99) – 15% off

DriveClub VR – $33.99 ($39.99) – 15% off

Eagle Flight – $33.99 ($39.99) – 15% off

RIGS: Mechanized Combat League – $42.49 ($49.99) – 15% off

Until Dawn: Rush of Blood – $16.99 ($19.99) – 15% off

Loading Human – $29.99 ($39.99) – 25% off

Star Trek: Bridge Crew – $50.99 ($59.99) – 15% off (Pre-order)

Werewolves Within – £25.49 ($29.99) – 15% off (Pre-order)

 

It’s likely that most PlayStation VR owners will have picked up titles such as Batman: Arkham VR and RIGS: Mechanized Combat League, as this selection does include some of the most widely promoted videogames for the platform.

But with Christmas only a few weeks away expect even more virtual reality (VR) experiences to arrive for the headset, such as the recently announced Pinball FX2 VR by Zen Studios.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of PlayStation VR reporting back with all the latest announcements.

PlayStation VR Makes a Big Impression in UK’s Videogame Chart

It’s now been five days since Sony Interactive Entertainment released its highly anticipated PlayStation VR headset into the world. The head-mounted display (HMD) has received a mixed bag of reviews with most being generally positive towards the device. While sales haven’t yet been released on the headset itself the GfK Chart-Track for UK videogame sales does paint a positive picture in these early days.

Bearing in mind that PlayStation VR launched on Thursday 13th, and the chart track’s listing are for just two days later ending Saturday 15th October, there are six PlayStation VR specific virtual reality (VR) titles in the top 40, with two further multiplatform VR videogames on the list as well.

psvr worlds logo

Taking the highest spot of any VR title is the compilation, PlayStation VR Worlds at number 7, while Supermassive Games’ on-rail shooter Until Dawn: Rush of Blood also makes it into the top 10 at number 9.

Next up is Guerrilla Cambridge with multiplayer shooter RIGS: Mechanized Combat League at number 12. CCP Games’ EVE: Valkyrie which supports cross-platform play between PlayStation VR and Oculus Rift sits at 20. Driveclub VR by Evolution Studios comes in at 23, with Rebellion’s tank shooter reboot Battlezone sits at 28. Loading Human which launched simultaneously for PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, arrived at 36th place, with D3T’s Super Stardust Ultra VR last in the VR list at number 37.

For what is essentially an add-on to PlayStation 4, the fact that so many titles made it into the top 40 in a couple of days – with two in the top 10 – is the first good indicator of how well the headset has sold so far, although individual sales figures weren’t detailed and would prove to be useful.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of PlayStation VR, reporting back with any further updates

‘Loading Human’ Review

Loading Human is a first-person sci-fi adventure that, much like the pulp fiction space operas of years gone past, puts you in the shoes of a charming 22nd century astronaut straight out of space academy. Instead of launching into the far reaches of the known galaxy though, you’re ordered to report to your father’s polar base to help him recover the Quintessence, a powerful energy source that can reverse his rapidly declining health.


Loading Human Details:

Official Site
Developer:
 Untold Games
Publisher: Maxmimum Games
Available On: PlayStation VR, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift (Steam)
Reviewed On: Oculus Rift and HTC Vive
Release Date: October 13th, 2016


Gameplay

Loading Human is, to put it bluntly, the epitome of male fantasy. As the virile, young Prometheus, you awaken in the bachelor pad of your dreams overlooking an Antarctic wonderland. You’ve been alone in the base for six months now and you’ve been drinking yourself into a stupor waiting for Origin to finally launch, the ship that will take you to Quintessence.

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the split-level polar bachelor pad

You, the player, come to find out that your father Dorian and best girl Alice are cryogenically frozen in one of the base’s underground labs. Picking up Alice’s picture placed on top of her cryo-chamber, you’re transported to the past where you relive everything from the first encounters (of the flirtatious kind) to the moments in the game that piece together why your father needs the Quintessence, and what you have to do along the way to forward the story.

Now, I don’t have a bone to pick with transparently masculine fantasies like Loading Human on principle. But suffice it to say, if you’re turned off by Captain Kirk-levels of swagger and cheesy mid-century sexual innuendo (“we can start by getting you out of that protective suit”) and going in for a kiss after saving the helpless maiden from a fiery explosion, then this game might not be for you.

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going in for the kiss

And yes, the kiss is a scripted element in the game, and not something I’m making up. I don’t just go around kissing people in video games. Either way, it’s safe to say it left an impression on me. Not good, not bad, just an impression.

To use a lazy metaphor: Loading Human is like a shoe. I’m not saying the shoe is inherently bad or wrong for being specifically designed to fit males 13+, but it’s important to know that sometimes the shoe just won’t fit certain foot sizes—which is a pity in a way, because even though we can now inhabit fiction in the first-person thanks to VR headsets, developers are still constrained by the technology and must choose between two imperfect methods of weaving stories around you.

what... what do I do with my hands
“Don’t peek in on me while I take a bath, Prometheus. Oh, and don’t look through the giant keyhole when I’m getting changed”

Right now, NPC AI just isn’t ‘smart’ enough to respond to your actual wants and needs as a real live person, so devs either let you inhabit the body of a tabula rasa—a completely featureless character with no voice or opinions—or a fully fleshed-out person with their own wants and desires. It just so happens you’ve inhabited the body of a horndog.

So if you can consider all of the above to be subjective—either you click with it, or you don’t—below is where you’ll find the nuts and bolts of the first chapter of Loading Human.

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dear old dad, Dorian Baarick

Puzzles, while mostly standard fare (i.e. ‘get that and put it in the slot’), begin to feel arbitrary at certain points. For some reason your memory is corrupted, and you’re prompted at random times to rebuild it whilst tossed in a computerized wiremesh version of the scene. You do this by linking objects together in reverse chronological order, i.e. the tea went into the cup, but Alice boiled the water before that, and put water in the kettle before that, etc… The visual aspect of this is impressive, but it really has nothing to do with the story or how I perceive it unfolding around me. This is when Loading Human: Chapter 1 breaches immersion, and makes me feel like I’m twiddling my thumbs to stretch 2 hours of solid narrative into a slow, and often times tedious 4.

Speaking of slow: walking is painfully slow. If you forget something in the hydroponics bay, heaven help you, because you’ll be trudging for what seems like a lifetime.

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Immersion

Good level design like Loading Human’s is awesome for immersion, but something that really detracts from the twinkling northern lights and the svelte interiors is clearly the locomotion scheme.

I first tried playing through with my HTC Vive because I wanted to really interact with the world’s objects using the Vive controllers. Sadly, the locomotion system is so borked that moving around became an insurmountable pain. To move forward, you depress the touchpad of either Vive wand—simple enough. To snap-turn left or right (there is no smooth turning) you then must point in your desired direction, which isn’t entirely consistent. To add to your frustration, if you decide to stand for more immersion (it’s considered a seated game), leaving your wand in a neutral position by your sides automatically activates crouch, so playing in a chair with good arms to rest your elbows on is a must at this point.

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Continuing on with a gamepad seemed like the only way to finish and enjoy the game, which worked with varying amounts of success. Picking up items with a gamepad trigger just isn’t satisfying.

Another big factor in immersion is how you connect to characters, and I’m happy to report that voice acting is light years beyond what we saw in the pre-release GDC trailers, which was heavily accented—no doubt one-time placeholders voiced by the Italian developers themselves.

The game’s two NPCs, Alice and Dorian, are convincing enough, but they do fly dangerously close to the uncanny valley for complete comfort. You can see glimmers of humanity in both, but every now and then you can catch a plastic smile, or unnatural grimace.

Comfort

Snap-turn, whether you’re a fan or not, is the reigning method of traversing Loading Human, and it’s proven time and time again to be one of the most comfortable ways of getting around first-person games.

Your head and body orientation, however, are uncoupled in Loading Human, meaning if you swivel your chair to look left, right or behind, your virtual body won’t move in that direction. The only problem is if you’re moving forward and see something interesting, you can’t just look in that direction and simply press forward; you have to virtually move your point of view using the snap-turn function, meaning you’ll always have to be psychically facing forward to walk smoothly through the world. This can be a pain, and you’ll notice it taking effect when your in-game body slows down because you’ve been veering off to the left or right of center.

Level design has very few stairs or inclines, so you’re mostly left on a horizontal plane with elevators to take you between levels. This is important, because even the most comfortable game locomotion-wise but with too many stairs (or worse, spiral staircases) can really get your stomach in a knot.

‘Loading Human’ on Steam

‘Loading Human’ for PS VR on Amazon

Summary

Loading Human wants you to create a bond with the characters of the world, but forces you to do it in a way that comes off as ham-handed and involuntary. Both writing and voice acting are better than average, and the world is almost always beautifully rendered, but this is dampened by inconsistent locomotion and cumbersome object interaction.

The post ‘Loading Human’ Review appeared first on Road to VR.

‘Loading Human: Chapter 1’ Review: Forgettable Memories

‘Loading Human: Chapter 1’ Review: Forgettable Memories

Since the post-modern literary movement, there is a fondness in art to go meta, to comment on a genre or a medium within that very thing. So when I find myself playing a game in virtual reality that takes place in virtual reality I expect some clever or amusing moments. But what I found in Loading Human felt developed by rote that doesn’t live up to its premise.

Loading Human: Chapter 1 is the first part of a trilogy of episodes. It is a science fiction point-and-click adventure that was just released — we reviewed the PlayStation VR version. It was made by a London-based developer named Untold Games, published by Maximum Games. You play as Prometheus, an astronaut in the year 2184 who will one day travel into deep space to find a powerful source of energy called the Quintessence, which can power the nanobots that can save the life of your dying father, the inventor of the Dark Matter engine that makes such space travel possible.

The point-and-click adventure is a niche genre that was once a mainstay of computer games. During it’s height of the ’80s and early ’90s there were classics like Secret of Monkey Island, Kings Quest, and Myst. Loading Human is played in first person and has the core genre convention of using random items to solve puzzles, walking around looking for that one thing you need to move forward in the story. It can be frustrating and in Loading Human there were several moments when it was. None of the puzzles were especially intriguing or amusingly diabolical.

The game’s control schemes work well, fortunately making the slow travel around the game’s antarctic setting somewhat more tolerable. With the Move controllers acting as your hands, you can point one forward and hold the top button to walk. You can point to the side or behind and tap the top button to instantly turn in that direction. To grab items or levers you maneuver the hand to the object and hold the trigger button. To push buttons it is similar, but you just tap the trigger.

There were times where items were just out of reach or my hand wasn’t perfectly placed so pushing a button in the game wouldn’t occur, which was frustrating and extended the solution-hunt for a puzzle. Those issues are fewer when you play with the standard DualShock controller. You move with the left analog and you make instant 90-degree turns with the right analog. You have a floating cursor you move with your head, grabbing highlighted items with the shoulder buttons or activating a switch with the X button. There are fewer bugs this way, but the sense of immersion is much lower.

Graphically, the game uses the Unreal Engine 4 to modest effect. The visuals are competent and the design of things is either generic white-futuristic or luxurious wood. The base in the middle of nowhere has a decent layout, though traveling via elevator to other floors can feel tedious. The human characters look pretty artificial, mainly your father Dorian and your colleague-come-love interest Alice. It can be hard to get involved in a dialogue when the facial expressions of those you are talking to are so simple.

Speaking of dialogue, the writing in Loading Human isn’t very remarkable. The wooden acting by all involved doesn’t help either — the AI computer voice Lucy is the most entertaining and it is an artificial one like you have heard on dozens of sci-fi shows. The plot is unnecessarily complex. The loading screens of the game imply that you are in 2196, using virtual reality to relive memories from 2184 and 2185. The first scenes are in 2185, about to take off on your space mission, when things start to go wrong at the base.

While dealing with launch issues, you flashback over events from the last 18 months, when Prometheus first arrived at the base in Antarctica. And when he talked to his father about the mission. And when he first met Alice. And when they worked together on something, and so on. The entirety of Chapter 1 of Loading Human is played this way, culminating in a return to that day right before the launch. So the entirety of the game takes place in the base, consisting of living quarters and labs, with the upcoming chapters likely focusing on the space mission itself. (Though there is a sequence where you play some quick VR simulations of operations aboard the spacecraft.)

A big part of the game’s storytelling is the protagonist’s relationships with his father, his romantic interest, and his AI companion. But with each of those you only have three or four meaningful exchanges, which isn’t much time to establish a connection. And with the dialogue and acting being mediocre, the relationships never take off. Yes, the AI Lucy was fun at times, but an artificial voice cracking jokes and referencing the classic film 2001 does not make a game. As for the romance with Alice, when it ultimately comes down to a puzzle to assemble the ingredients for the perfect date with her, and no actual dialogue choices, it falls flat.

Final Score: 4/10 – Forgettable

Going through the three to four hours of Loading Human: Chapter 1 is an exercise in patience. You endure the slow walking. You steel yourself for annoying puzzles. You sit through bland conversations. The story jumps around, and you wait for things to escalate and grab your attention. And while the climax of the game tries to be impactful, swelling music and a grand subject, the visuals and cinematography fall flat. The game never lives up to the potential of VR to put you inside a story that consumes you. There are some good ideas here that could amount to something, but not in this Episode. You’re better off playing The Assembly, another adventure title that also arrived on PS VR recently.

Loading Human: Chapter released for PlayStation VR on October 13th for $39.99. Support for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive is coming soon. Read our Game Review Guidelines for more information on how we arrived at this score.


Kevin is a freelance writer with work appearing in outlets such as Geek & Sundry, Kill Screen, and Fast Company. Follow him on Twitter: @khohannessian.

Loading Human Launches Simultaneously on PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive

Today marks a new era in the virtual reality (VR) industry. With the launch of Sony Interactive Entertainment’s (SIE) PlayStation VR all the major head-mounted displays (HMDs) are now available, with PlayStation VR issuing in the first console-based headset. And what is also likely a first is the launch of Loading Human: Chapter 1, which has arrived on PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive at the same time.

Developed by Untold Games and published by Maximum Games, Loading Human: Chapter 1 had been confirmed as a launch title for SIE’s headset back in September, and retails for the same price across all three platforms, £29.99 GBP.

“The emergence of virtual reality has opened new pathways to immerse gamers like never before, and Loading Human: Chapter 1 was developed from the ground up to fully capitalise on this exciting new medium,” said Christina Seelye, CEO of Maximum Games. “Offering full integration with existing VR systems, and as a launch title for PlayStation VR, Loading Human offers compelling content and cutting edge technology to give gamers the best VR experience possible.”

The title casts players as Prometheus, a scientist, who’s the son of Earth’s most brilliant mind. But your father is dying and summons you to meet him. Once there you learn that he wishes to cheat death by sending you on a mission into deep space to locate the Quintessence, a life-saving energy source. As the title suggests the videogame is an episodic adventure, with this first chapter taking place in your father’s Antarctic lab.

To complement this announcement the studio has released a brand new trailer (seen below), showcasing gameplay footage alongside reaction interviews from players.

Over the past day there’s been loads of new trailers being launched as developers look to entice gamers to purchase their experiences. We’ve seen videos for Battlezone, Super Stardust Ultra VR, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, The Assembly and many more.

Keep reading VRFocus for all the very latest PlayStation VR news.

The Best of PlayStation VR Launch: Adventure Games

Virtual reality (VR) head-mounted displays (HMDs) are littered with shooting videogames and Sony Interactive Entertainment’s (SIE) PlayStation VR is no different. But what if you want something more, to dive into a virtual world and go on an adventure, explore strange new lands, uncover deep story lines and encounter characters along the way.

Adventure videogames can cover a wide gamut of other genres, including horror, sci-fi, first-person shooters (FPS), strategy and many more. And for PlayStation VR at launch there’s certainly several to choose from. But for the list below VRFocus has chosen three titles which at their core are just solid adventure experiences that’ll have gamers engrossed for several hours, as they wander these virtual realms to uncover their secrets.

Robinson: The Journey – Crytek

German studio Crytek has been working on a number of VR focused titles for other HMDs but PlayStation VR owners get an exclusive project all to themselves for launch day, Robinson: The Journey. Set on a dinosaur-infested alien planet, Robinson: The Journey puts players in control of a young boy named Robin who’s crash landed on it. The title features a mixture of puzzle solving and exploration elements across and awe-inspiring landscape.

Robinson: The Journey screenshot

Loading Human: Chapter 1 – Maximum Games

 

One of the most promising adventure titles for PlayStation VR comes from Maximum Games in the form of Loading Human: Chapter 1. With a heavy sci-fi laden plot, Loading Human casts players as Prometheus, a scientist, who’s the son of Earth’s most brilliant mind. But your father is dying and summons you to meet him. Once there you learn that he wishes to cheat death by sending you on a mission into deep space to locate the Quintessence, a life-saving energy source. As the title suggests the videogame is an episodic adventure, with this first chapter taking place in your father’s Antarctic lab. One of the key components of Loading Human is the ability to interact with almost any object in the environment, allowing players to truly explore their surroundings, whilst building relationships with the characters they come across.

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FATED: The Silent Oath – Frima Originals

 

There’s been dinosaurs and sci-fi space exploration and so now we head into a fantasy realm of mythology and lore. Fated: The Silent Oath is a first-person adventure set in the mythical age of Vikings. As with the previous two titles this is a story driven videogame that follows Ulfr, father and husband who must go on a quest to test his courage, stopping at nothing to protect those whom he loves. Players must overcome insurmountable odds to ensure the safety of his family which is being threatened by the return mythical beasts and giants. With a bright and colourful aesthetic, puzzle solving and emotional interactions, FATED: The Silent Oath is one title that aims to pull on those heart strings.

FATED: The Silent Oath screenshot

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