Oculus Rift Previews – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

April 12, 2022

Preview: Now There be Goblins – You Have my Hammer

Nobody likes goblins. They’re always getting into places, causing trouble, generally being a nuisance. I’ll tell you who really hates goblins; the king. As a blacksmith grafting for coin, apparently I’m on speaking terms with this smug-looking monarch. He commissioned me to craft a massive gold statue of him and the local goblins have taken a dislike to them. Or they want the gold. Either way, goblins are attacking, the king doesn’t like that and I have to defend the kingdom. I have no clue why we don’t have soldiers for this.

All I have are a shield and my trusty blacksmithing hammer. Thankfully I can build defences, which should clue you in on what genre Now There be Goblins falls into. This tower defence game plays like many others you will have seen or tried. The enemy enters an arena area and walks a predetermined path towards their goal, which is our failure point. As the hero, I build weapons and barricades to kill any and all goblins.

Across the opening levels I learn how to move around the playing area, plus how to select defence items. This early on, it’s the usual barricade that is placed on the paths to slow down the enemy, as well as a few weapons – crossbow, cannon and sharpshooter. These can be dotted around off the path to lay down damage. But you know this, I’m sure.

The goblins enter the kingdom in waves, variously armoured and kitted out with weapons. A highlight of Now There be Goblins is the ability to pick up the discarded weapons from the goblins, all of which feature differing damage stats and styles, such as bludgeoning or stabbing damage. It’s rather laughable to be standing behind a barrier, swinging both arms wildly to whack and stab horrible goblins.

Of course, in between waves placements can be repaired or upgraded, it’s all very much par for the course. Until the bosses show up, and then everything goes to hell. I was happily building items, looting corpses, defending the kingdom. I knew a boss was in this wave, but I underestimated them severely. They are huge, hulking enemies that seemingly know nothing except swinging a weapon and moving forward. I died. A lot.

However, even with those deaths, I was levelling up to unlock new weapons and items and slowly progress bit by bit. I began to admire the visuals and the wonderful little details that brought my role to life. I will happily write a paragraph about just the blacksmith hammer, which is attached to your arm via a chain. This means it can be thrown… and recalled. Like Thor with Mjolnir. I was lopping the hammer, snapping it back, catching it, taking a bit of a pose. It was glorious.

There were a few graphical glitches from the chain – sometimes it stretched across the entire map, other times it glitched through the placements. But I still felt like a God. And that theme continues in the style of Now There be Goblins, the developers have used a slick cartoon style, with daft, overly large proportions and pops of colour. The weapons and defences feel weighty and look chunky.

I’m still slowly working my way through the campaign. This is an early access title, so it’ll keep receiving updates over time. And I’ll definitely keep coming back. Now There be Goblins has a really delightful gameplay loop, and while the bosses are scary and tough, they feel fair enough to return to the mission and try a new tactic next around. I’ll be back for those goblins, and to protect the kingdom, but I’ve got a Godlike hammer and a bad attitude.

February 24, 2022

Steam Next Fest: No Lower Decks on Ziggy’s Cosmic Adventures

Elden Ring might be out tomorrow but who cares when you got all these virtual reality (VR) videogames on Steam Next Fest to play! Next to catch gmw3’s eye was Ziggy’s Cosmic Adventures by Stardust Collective, a title mixing roomscale sci-fi management with some space-based combat.

Ziggy’s Cosmic Adventures takes place entirely inside a very snug cockpit that’s very light on luxuries – there’s not even a seat for those long intergalactic journeys – but heavy on buttons, switches and levers. Excellent then for some immersive VR gameplay, where you have to main your little ship to keep yourself alive by managing power levels to systems including life support and flight control.

The demo treats you to the first level and one crucial component of Ziggy’s Cosmic Adventures, a strange green alien with unquantifiable power – no not Mooncake. This little guy quite literally powers your ship, although doing so seems to kill the poor little guy so you have to eject the corpse into space. So there are some dark undertones to what initially seemed like a fairly colourful adventure.

The demo doesn’t give you much time to play with all the bells and whistles the cockpit has to offer but there are certainly plenty of them. You can 3D print your little green pal Ziggy, swap batteries between stations and then blast off to your next destination. The cockpit is very compact but not claustrophobic, with everything nicely within reach, with the studio claiming you only need a 2m x 1.5m area.

After feeling like a kid in a candy store thanks to all those buttons it was time to try the space combat. Depending on your flying preference, I found it useful popping into the settings to tweak the invert options as you can swap them all for pitch, yaw and roll. With HOTAS-like controls you’ve got to make it through an asteroid field, shooting any that get too close followed by a few enemy ships that want Ziggy for themselves.

All the mechanics were easy to grasp with the combat section being the trickiest purely because you have to stand up – it is roomscale after all – so spinning around could get a bit jarring for less experienced players.

Ziggy’s Cosmic Adventures looks awesome and offers another great example of VR gameplay during the Steam Next Fest, well worth a download. For more updates keep reading gmw3.

February 9, 2022

Preview: We Are One: Prologue – Getting Yourself out of Trouble

Whether it’s time-travelling or time looping, virtual reality (VR) videogames have continually played with this mechanic, providing some truly head-scratching puzzles. The likes of Wanderer head down the more traditional route of travelling back in time to alter pivotal events whilst Transpose offers a far more mind-bending experience with copies of yourself. That ability to buddy up is central to Flat Head Studios’ latest puzzler, We Are One, where success means making sure your past self doesn’t cock up.

Previously known as Help Yourself, We Are One is a time loop shooter where the aim is to shoot a variety of enemies before they kill you, before you run out of ammo; and most importantly of all, before you run out of time.

Starting from a lofty position where you can survey the environment you’ll be able to select from a number of teleport points. Some may offer cover, other’s provide shields to repel projectiles but generally, you need guns and ammo to complete each level. As mentioned, puzzles revolve around the use of combining your various selves together, so one may have access to the gun but no ammo or you may need to protect a past version of yourself to complete a particular task.

Whilst it sounds complicated Flat Head Studios has done a great job of gently building up your familiarity with the mechanics. There’s no locomotion to worry about, so you can focus on your surroundings – which as you can see from the screenshots are quite striking between your colourful green character against the black and white environment. In fact, the mechanics are fairly simple, all you need to remember is that time resets once you leave one spot and head to another.

This sets up some awesome sequences where early on you’re passing the gun up to yourself on a higher platform or catching it mid-air to pop the final enemy. Of course, you need to make sure you don’t muck up by fumbling a throw or getting shot. Should that happen you get the option to completely restart the puzzle or overwrite your last position – (and only your last position).

The prologue has a decent selection of levels to keep you busy, with the full game to feature a story mode, a level editor and more. It may have only been a taster of what’s to come but every level was enjoyable, offered a new twist from the last, and made progression really fun. There’s something quite satisfying about seeing your past selves working together, especially when it’s one of the latter, trickier puzzles.

If you own a Meta Quest 1 or 2 then you may have already played We Are One, as a beta has been available via AppLab and SideQuest since last year. Today, Flat Head Studios has progressed the title even further with the launch of the free prologue. This updates the Meta Quest version with new environments, better lighting, enhanced visual effects, more levels and other tweaks whilst making this early portion of the title available to PC VR owners.

We Are One is slated for an official launch later in 2022 and gmw3 can’t wait to see the final version in action.

January 21, 2022

Preview: Sword Reverie – Just the Beginning of this JRPG’s Journey

There just aren’t enough Japanese anime-inspired role-playing games (RPG) for virtual reality (VR) headsets so when Isekai Entertainment revealed Sword Reverie a couple of years ago, the videogame looked like it could well fill that void. Today, after three years of development Sword Reverie hits Steam Early Access, offering a taster of what’s to come.

Like any fantasy RPG, you want plenty of combat, an engrossing storyline and a protagonist that you can really inhabit and customise to your liking. Some of these features are present in Sword Reverie whilst others certainly need some further finesse.

The title is quite clearly built around combat, getting you into the action whilst attempting to add a narrative via a dude who idly stands next to you watching the battles unfold. You have a blade in each hand that you can neither drop nor stow away in any fashion like you’re Daniel Radcliffe in (the stupid but fun) Guns Akimbo. Needless to say, this would make using an inventory rather difficult so there isn’t one. You can pick items up from fallen enemies and chests but they’re automatically added to your magical storage. If you enjoy organising your potions from your weapons then you’ll be disappointed.

During the main levels, Sword Reverie is a far more arcade-oriented experience, you wander through the town killing everything in your path. The first four are very linear, opening up a touch more after that. However, there’s a very by-the-numbers feel to the fights as most of the enemies simply stand there waiting for you to walk up to them. Some of the slightly tougher armoured opponents do have a small path they follow yet for the most part you can often see who’s in the next section and plan accordingly.

Not that’s there’s much planning involved, you’ve got two giant magical swords after all. That magic is key in Sword Reverie as it’s elemental-based and so are the enemies, red for fire; green for grass, and blue for water; each one more effective over the next in the sequence. The only caveat to these three is the yellow/gold magic, which can be used against all three, so you’ll find yourself sticking to that a lot.

If you do you’ll miss out on all the magical effects the other elements have. For example, swinging both swords from head to toe unleashes a ranged attack, a bright yellow arrow when using that elemental magic whilst the blue element launches three balls of water for a wider attack. Magic is physical, swinging your arms to activate it. Unfortunately, the first two abilities are very similar in action with Cleave requiring both swords to cross in front of your chest before slashing downwards. The number of times I’d try one move and get the other did start to grate, especially as they both use different amounts of mana.

What really needs some fine-tuning is the melee combat because it isn’t satisfying. Think hack and slash rather than an actual sword fight where you block, parry and attack. You can sort of block but it was easier to step back to avoid the swing, then reengage. Part of the problem was the clunky, slow nature of the enemies, with some ragdoll physics kicking in if they fall over. They do look great, with a superbly bold, vivid art style, and once you begin inflicting punishment the armour starts to look worn and bodily scars begin to appear. The final blow tends to slice them in two, although on one occasion I felled an opponent by cutting off its foot.

Away from the action in the Guild Hall you can utilise all those resources to craft new weaponry, refine resources or other items. It’s the only time you get any sort of customisation options in Sword Reverie, hopefully, Isekai Entertainment will expand this section further.

On first inspection Sword Reverie hasn’t immediately sold itself even as an early access title. There are certainly good ideas in place such as the elemental magic, creature design and it isn’t bad to look at either. What Sword Reverie needs is for the combat to be more fluid so the sword fighting becomes less repetitive as well as better delivery of the story, some random adventurer talking failed to absorb me in the narrative. Sword Reverie is out today on Steam if you want to give it a chance.

December 16, 2021

Preview: AGAINST – Slicing a Hardcore Rhythm

When a virtual reality (VR) developer reveals another rhythm action videogame it can be a little difficult to get excited about the whole prospect. However, when Joy way revealed that its latest project AGAINST would be in this genre it piqued VRFocus’ interest due to its dark aesthetic and multiple gameplay features. Looking unlike any other rhythm action title is one thing but providing a unique gameplay experience, that’s a bit harder. Due to arrive as a Steam Early Access videogame, AGAINST does have its own flair, even if it is a bit cheesy at points.

You might have already played a version of AGAINST as Joy Way took part in Steam Next Fest during the summer, offering an early demo of its gritty design. The look and feel of AGAINST has been significantly enhanced since then, particularly where the visuals are concerned. Gone is the very striking, almost film-noir style in favour of an environment a touch easier on the eyes. That hint of colour which would only appear in an enemy’s eyes or as the indicator to slice in a particular direction has made its way across the landscape, making for a far more polished looking experience.

AGAINST might look prettier but it’s no less brutal in its delivery, where you can hack henchmen in half, cut the heads off giant snakes and uppercut gormless goons with visceral trails of blood. Unlike a lot of other rivals AGAINST doesn’t pretend to try and handhold new VR players with friendly, bouncy rhythms; it’s brutal, in your face and definitely looking to attract those hardcore VR fans.

In a similar vein to Pistol Whip 2089, AGAINST employs a narrative campaign strategy rather than loads of individual songs you can swap between. So you get a story set in 1930’s New York City, playing out over seven levels. Full of the stereotypical comic book tropes, there’s an over-the-top villain who wants to unleash darkness on the world and you play a detective determined to stop him. While the narrative does provide a mildly humorous respite between levels and provides some explanation of why you’re fighting werewolves, burly blokes and snakes, if you skip it you won’t be missing much. Although the skip function never worked, so replaying levels meant having to listen to it all again and again, unfortunately.

When you first start AGAINST it drops you almost immediately into the tutorial, and for good reason, there’s a lot to get to grips with. If you’ve played any rhythm action title several components will be instantly familiar such as using the sword to slice opponents, knuckle dusters to punch them, and a revolver – followed by Tommy guns later on – to shoot them at range. Kill them in time to the music – which is mainly Dubstep or heavier EDM – and you’ll score points, helping attain that leaderboard position, you get the gist.

AGAINST mixes things up by adding punchable directional arrows, thus activating a short wall run sequence or boosting you up to a higher platform. The wall running especially helps to open up the dark and moody levels, providing a novel switch in focus for a moment. However, later levels naturally bombard you with opponents, obstacles to dodge and these switching moments. Even on the normal difficulty setting (Easy and Hard are also available), this can get quite fierce which some players may find jarring.

Get past that and you’ve got a really challenging experience that takes two or three levels to get into. The first just seemed ridiculously difficult even on normal with multiple restarts required to complete the level. The second and third were a breeze in comparison and moments where you have to use the sword to deflect bullets back at the shooter became mini (John Wick style) badass moments that were very satisfying to complete. What you have to get used to is the constant weapon switching between the sword, guns and fists. As any Beat Saber player will know, you find a nice rhythm and flow that makes the more expert levels manageable. AGAINST doesn’t quite have that as it just feels like it’s trying to do too much all at once.

That being said, AGAINST has a personality that other VR rhythm games lack and additions like the mini-bosses at the end of some of the levels help to give it a classic arcade vibe VRFocus loves. Joy Way says that the Early Access period will be used to add a couple more weapons and polish and that the core campaign is done, which is slightly concerning regarding longevity as there are only seven levels. There is a free Beatmap Editor (VRFocus hasn’t tested this tool yet) which could extend the experience by making your own custom maps if you really want to. AGAINST didn’t instantly hook, it takes time to warm to but there is a little magic under the surface. Hopefully, Joy Way will nurture it and not leave it in the early access abyss.

November 11, 2021

Preview: After the Fall – Frosty Social Mayhem

With all that’s happened over the last couple of years, 2019 seems like an age ago. It was that year when VRFocus got its first hands-on glimpse of Vertigo Games’ Arizona Sunshine follow up After the Fall, an action-packed shooter set in the frozen wasteland of Los Angeles. After a few delays, the studio is almost ready to launch the zombie-themed FPS across multiple headsets and VRFocus got another peek at the title and game mode called Harvest.

In actual fact, the demo contained three distinct sections of After the Fall, and as expected offering a different flavour to the proceedings since last we met. Available were the Outlands, and introductory level given players the main gist of the controls, a hub section called The Line where players can meet up and chat before heading out on co-op missions together, which leads us to the Harvest.

If you’ve played Arizona Sunshine you’ll likely have dabbled in the frantic horde mode, a later addition where you have to survive waves of enemies. Harvest is After the Fall’s horde mode of sorts but instead of running around a singular map, players have to work their way through a level, stopping off at occasional safe houses, with the main goal being to collect as much Harvest as possible from dead enemies.

This you can then use in Harvest-o-Matic’s found in safe rooms to purchase useful equipment such as health, pipe bombs and ammunition. It’s a setup most Left 4 Dead or Back 4 Blood players will be familiar with. You all have to work together because inventory space is very limited, choosing between a health pack or a tasty explosive could mean life or death on those frozen streets.

Before getting there The Line is worth an exploration. It’s like a massive arcade with loads of cabinets in the middle, where you can team up with three other friends before going on a Harvest (AI bots are available to make teams up to 4), head to the shooting range or talk to Luna who runs the place. *Spoiler* As an awesome nod to Vertigo Games’ previous title there are Arizona Sunshine cabinets offering a very basic twin-stick shooter for a quick time killer.

Vertigo Games has been sure to include plenty of accessibility options that are always worth a peruse before heading into the action, as you can play seated or standing, teleport or use smooth locomotion and change how reloading works. It’s the latter that VRFocus instantly had issues with which was a worry so close to launch.

Ammo is located right on your chest, with the belt height adjustable to suit each player’s requirements. You then have the choice of Quick or Advanced reloading, the former consisting of merely bringing the gun to your chest whilst the latter is a more traditional manual VR mechanic, ejecting the magazine, grabbing a clip and cocking the gun. However, when it came to fighting that first ravenous horde of Snowbreed it was an absolute fumble fest. The Quick reloading was intermittent at best, constantly jabbing the gun at the ammo belt until something happened. Advanced reloading, on the other hand, was smooth as butter, feeling natural popping clips out and jamming another in. Additionally, there’s a Harvest multiplier if you choose the Advanced option.

After the Fall also employs and omits several other familiar VR shooter mechanics. Taking a leaf out of Half-Life: Alyx’s book are the wrist pockets, these are your only inventory slots for things like health and explosives. This becomes even more of a juggle once you start locating Floppy Disks, these unlock new equipment by taking them to the Harvest-o-Matic and then completing the run. You can hold up to four weapons if you so wish, one on each hip and one in each hand for that proper gun-toting Rambo look. But you can’t put anything over your shoulder, even the bigger two-handed weapons go on your hip which seems a bit strange. There wasn’t a chance to test how two rifles on each hip and one hand-held would look although we’d imagine the visual clutter might be a bit much. Also, there wasn’t a chance to test the weapon upgrade system which was a shame, that’ll just have to wait for the full review.

Even with those grumbles, the gameplay was exactly as hoped, fast and at times unrelenting, with Snowbreed clambering through walls, across ceilings or just plain smashing through stuff like a bulldozer. It was arcade action at its best, ziplining across buildings, gunning down corridors or monsters then in those moments where you could take a breather exploring rooms to find useful loot and collectables. Aside from the base slow and fast Snowbreed there were four more specialised foes that would pop up occasionally, Juggernaut, Eater, Brute and Smasher. They’re all tanks in their own right with the Juggernaut able to pick you up, the Eater explodes, the Brute is a super speedy fella whilst the Smasher was the final huge opponent to overcome. Certainly impressive and tough in the first run, how well they work across multiple Harvest remains to be seen.

After the Fall is gearing up to be one of VR’s biggest winter 2021 launches thanks to the wall-to-wall combat. There’s also the impressive feat of co-op, cross-platform gameplay between all supported headsets, which should ensure player numbers for full Harvest runs. Considering how some VR videogames have struggled with this feature, having it available from day one could mean all the difference. After the Fall is coming to Oculus Quest 2, PlayStation VR and PC VR headsets on 9^th December, so there’s not long to wait to see if it’s been worth those delays.

October 4, 2021

Preview: Hubris – An Impressive Early Showcase

There’s always something utterly captivating about epic sci-fi adventures, especially in virtual reality (VR). Half-Life: Alyx, Lone Echo, Stormland, all big expansive videogames with rich narratives and stunning locations that are all must-plays if you’re into VR. Playing Hubris for the first time evokes those same sorts of feelings, an ambitious tale set in a far-flung future. Developer Cyborn only released a short demo teasing what’s to come and it’s certainly promising stuff.

The first real showcase of Hubris came in March ’21 when Cyborn released a tantalising trailer for the videogame, giving everyone a look at this gorgeous world the team was developing. But as we all know, trailers and actual in-game gameplay can be worlds apart, especially when they look as detailed as Hubris made out to be.

Well, it seems as though that trailer and screenshots weren’t lying as Hubris does, in fact, look that good, with the first section of the planet you land on offering stunning sun-beaten rocks and dappled water effects – possibly the best water effects seen in VR to date. And that’s no surprise considering Cyborn’s history as a 3D animation company before moving into videogames. The buildings and tech have that usual clean-cut, sci-fi feel to them, very reminiscent of titles like Halo.

But looks alone won’t carry Hubris with the one hour demo giving a good feel for the physicality the experience will offer. The videogame jumps straight into a training mode where you can run, jump, climb, swim and pick up a gun and batteries, the former for a quick shooting range the latter a hint at the puzzles to come. Hubris is most certainly going to be an action-adventure, as you become an agent of an organisation called the Order-Of-Objectivity, or more commonly known as the OOO.

Planet-side it is your normal light introduction once you’ve stopped gawping at the scenery. A bit of climbing here and there, some platforming and a good chunk of swimming where the only danger is some less than friendly squid-type creatures that can be shot with an underwater plasma gun; their tentacles then harvested for later use.

It was all going really well but the Hubris demo did falter in one regard, grabbing ledges mid-jump. As mentioned, Hubris has plenty of physical gameplay – so it is going to lean towards an intense experience just so you’re aware – and even in this short into there was plenty of jumping and grabbing ledges to become clear that the mechanic is a bit finicky. It really felt like a 50/50 split between whether the grab would work or the inevitable fall to death (or into the water). That was the only real annoyance with Hubris, having such a tight threshold when it came to grabbing ledges.

There wasn’t much else to properly get to grips with, especially as Cyborn has now pushed the launch date back from this year in 2022 at some point. What’s going to be far more revealing is how the team manage to bring such a highly detailed and visually appealing title to Oculus Quest. On PC VR the minimum spec is a GTX 1080 whilst recommended is an RTX 2070, so for Quest, there’s going to be a major hit to the visuals. Hubris is also coming to PlayStation VR so it’ll be fascinating to see how each platform holds up.

There’s also one other caveat to Hubris that may or may not be of significance to you, it is episodic. This method is appearing more regularly in VR, with some titles making it work for them whilst others have suffered by offering painfully short experiences or what feels like half a videogame. Hopefully, Hubris doesn’t fall into the latter camp with the first part said to offer around 5-6 hours of gaming.

Because from what VRFocus has seen so far of Hubris this could very well be a big surprise hit in 2022. There’s plenty of “wow factor” to the presentation and details Cyborn has revealed so far indicate Hubris could be a big franchise. The studio even has a mini-series called Terra-forma planned for after the videogame launch. But much is still unknown about the gameplay, enemies and whether it’ll be able to compete with the VR sci-fi juggernauts. So final judgement will have to wait. Definitely, one to pop on the wishlist though.

September 20, 2021

Preview: RC Rush – Mini Motoring Mayhem

Franchises like DiRT Rally, Forza and Gran Turismo might be all about realism and hardcore racing but there’s something to be said for the cheekier, plucky racing titles out there designed just to be fun. How better to encapsulate that than with diddy racing cars hurtling around compact challenging courses. There are several pint-sized racers for virtual reality (VR) players with the latest aiming to make its mark in the genre coming from Tea Monster Games, RC Rush.

As the name implies RC Rush isn’t about miniaturising cars but racing remote-controlled vehicles around tracks, with all the chaos and bumper to bumper fighting you’d expect. Designed primarily for VR but with a non-VR component ensuring everyone can play, RC Rush puts a range of micro monster trucks at your disposal with more to unlock as you progress through the career mode.

Initially, RC Rush gives you three trucks to choose from, each with the usual stat variances such as speed, grip and off-road handling. There are no customisation options – not even for liveries at the moment – so if you want a greater selection then it’s all about working through the 100 levels that make up the career, a mixture of race, time trial and elimination events. There are 30 track designs, with later levels offering different tweaks on previous courses.

If you’re playing in VR – as you should be – the controls are split between both controllers so in-game you actually have two remotes which looks a little weird but isn’t off-putting. Usual triggers for braking and reversing, and sticks or thumb pads for steering, so the controls are super simple to pick up. In VR you do lose one option though, the ability to switch viewpoints. Playing on a screen you get three to choose from (standing, behind the truck or top-down cameras) whereas in VR you’re at the sideline the entire time. This does mean that while RC Rush can be played seated, it’s easier to play standing for that better viewpoint. Hopefully, Tea Monster Games will add some more accessibility options during early access, allowing the height to be adjusted or possibly offering alternative viewpoints.

There are some options currently available depending on your skill level. Younger players can switch on automatic steering so all they need to worry about is acceleration and braking. Whilst the full “Pro mode” gives you full control over the vehicle. There’s even a brake helper should you need it.

Out on the courses the RC cars really do feel like you’d imagine, not taught racing machines but bouncy and very lively machines. So the courses make full use of this toy-like realism with jumps and bumps aplenty, as well as obstacles galore to knock out the way or get stuck behind. The very first level is a great example of this, racing around an oval swimming pool, and what do pools have…loads of balls laying around. Going from first to last place because your car is now trying to mount a beach ball is both comical and frustrating. The notable downside with the single VR position was that busier courses were more difficult to gauge obstacles, easily clipping a post or building. Much less likely to happen if you’re directly behind the car.

Get stuck on career mode and you can always head on over to Quick Race for a few laps around the courses you’ve unlocked. Or, there’s Free Roam where you just wander the levels as you please. Tucked away here are some specific obstacle courses that’ll really test those driving skills. A multiplayer mode is planned but that wasn’t available at this time.

Currently, RC Rush is shaping up very nicely considering it’s a two-man team developing the videogame. All the cars and tracks look really good, nicely detailed with plenty going on. The mechanics and physics all seem on point, making it very easy to flip a vehicle if you fudge a jump. RC Rush is expected to launch as a Steam Early Access title on 20^th October 2021. As development continues VRFocus will keep you updated on its progress.

August 13, 2021

Preview: EVERSLAUGHT

It used to be that all-out speed and really intense combat was a bit of a no-no in virtual reality (VR) so thank goodness that’s all changed. Titles like Doom 3: VR Edition have proven that if you’ve got the VR legs for it then wall to wall carnage can be achieved. And that’s literally what you get with MobX’s Early Access project EVERSLAUGHT, a no holds barred action experience which takes no prisoners.

You always have to take Steam Early Access titles with an understanding that the gameplay is going to be a bit ropey and bugs are going to be present. So you have to try and look past these to see the potential of what’s to come. Right from the start EVERSLAUGHT conveys solid foundational gameplay that’s easily reminiscent of iD Software’s iconic shooter, think fast, keep moving and you might just make it through.

At this early stage, EVERSLAUGHT is very much roguelike in its presentation, mixing both melee and shooter mechanics. While MobX plans to build an expansive world full of lore and secrets, currently the videogame is a procedural dungeon crawler all about heading into Egyptian-style ruins to face hordes of undead creatures, slaughtering them to collect blood which can then be used in all manner of ways, from doing up your character to healing or using the rather awesome wrist-mounted shotgun.

Certainly one of the biggest features in EVERSLAUGHT is the gadget which attaches to your left hand – and only the left hand at the moment. This steampunk looking device has three features to help in combat; health, rapid movement and destruction. And it’s all controlled with a flick of the wrist. As mentioned there’s a hand cannon that pops out when your palm is facing right. Palm down and you’ll activate the grappling hook which can get you up to high ledges or latch itself onto an enemy so you can fly in to unleash all hell. Lastly, whacking the device into your right wrist will activate the healing ability, depending on how many blood vials are remaining.

Blood is what powers EVERSLAUGHT, and the only way you can get it is by killing enemies. Run out mid-level and you’ll just have to rely on the sword in your other hand to do all the work. This is where you’re introduced to the titles RPG elements. Along the way, you can pick up various broad and short swords, each with its own damage attributes as well as durability. Currently, the sword combat is fairly basic, more of a hack ‘n’ slash rather than Until You Fall’s more in-depth one to one’s. There’s no one to duel anyway, the four enemy types which you’ll come across are the standard grunt zombie, an archer, an explosive type and a big fella covered in armour sporting a massive axe.

It’s all very visceral with plenty of blood flying everywhere and heads to separate from bodies. While big swings supposedly do more damage, most encounters boiled down to some light arm flailing as the hordes rush in, only the archers keep their distance and actively run away when approached. The sword combat might not be entirely satisfying but when combined with the other abilities it does make for an enjoyable experience. Set piece encounters where you’re suddenly trapped in an expansive area are the real meat of EVERSLAUGHT, perfect for those who love videogames like GORN.

There are plenty of areas EVERSLAUGHT needs to refine during Early Access like its menus which felt clunky, trickier enemies and more depth to the character stats. Equally, the title has lots going for it and bags of potential. Not to mention it looks gorgeous with that ancient civilisation vibe, towering obelisks and intricate hieroglyphics everywhere. EVERSLAUGHT is brutal, remorseless and all the better for it, hopefully, the next year will see it grow into something special.

August 13, 2021