Category: PS4

Posted on

Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin Feels Like an Evolution of Double Fine’s Adventure Game Roots

Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin Feels Like an Evolution of Double Fine’s Adventure Game Roots

The original Psychonauts is the definition of a cult-classic. Tim Schafer spent over a decade at LucasArts making comedic adventure games like Grim Fandango, Day of the Tentacle, and The Secret of Monkey Island. Eventually, he left LucasArts to found his own game studio, Double Fine Productions, and their first game was a third-person platforming adventure about a secret society of psychic spies. Fans loved it, critics adored it, and as is the case sometimes, it just didn’t sell well.

Fast forward several years after a handful of re-releases of the original and Psychonauts 2 is officially happening following the studio’s raise of over $3.8 million thanks to the democratic power of crowdfunding. Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin then, alternatively, is a VR-exclusive first-person adventure puzzle game in which you embark on a rescue mission for the leader of the Psychonauts himself. The entire 3-4 hour adventure begins right where the original game leaves off and leads directly into the numbered sequel set to release next year in 2018.

Last week I visited Double Fine’s San Francisco office and had the chance to play through the first 45 minutes of the game and chat with Project Lead, Chad Dawson. He explained that when Schafer had first theorized the idea for Psychonauts 2, this interim story we find here wasn’t factored in at all. The plan before was to simply reference the mission you embark on with your team in the sequel, but just leave it as a quickly referenced unplayable flashback. The prospect of Sony’s PlayStation VR (PSVR) quickly changed that.

After playing the game for an extended amount of time, I can see why. When I originally got my hands on an abbreviated demo at E3 and was pleased with the quality of the presentation and the appearance of Double Fine’s trademark humor, but was unsure how well it could translate to an entire adventure. Thankfully the mechanics seem more than capable.

 

Dawson explained that what I was playing was essentially a final build of the game that’s already passed certification by Sony. After donning a PSVR headset, I selected the “New Game” option from the main menu and got loaded into the mind of Raz, the main character of the series and primary protagonist in each of the franchise’s games. As a psychic spy, he has a litany of special mind powers.

For starters, his clairvoyance allows him to jump into the minds of other people, seeing things through their eyes and reading their thoughts. Telekinesis lets him lift and move objects, he can push things too, and even set items on fire as well. The game’s opening moments serve as a tutorial of sorts, as it slowly introduces new powers and mechanics.

Eventually I’m able to connect to the mind of the captured Psychonauts leader, Truman Zanotto, while he is being held captive in a secret enemy base. This is where the real game starts. In a traditional point and click adventure game, you’d explore the environment and search for clues about what to do next, but in this new Psychonauts game, it feels like a more organic puzzle solving adventure. I can look around my surroundings using my actual head and leap into the minds of guards standing around.

After taking over the minds of others, I can see the room from new perspectives, looking for clues and items to help me figure out where the leader’s being kept. All in all, that’s what the game boils down to. You’ll be placed in a tricky situation, tasked with finding out what to do next using your surroundings for clues, and listening to exposition and details explained through dialogue. And even though in real life I was sitting in a meeting room surrounded by other people while I played, I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself at the jokes and witty humor throughout.

Dawson also explained the myriad challenges that a game like Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin presented. Since the team had never worked on a piece of VR content before, they started to realize that traditional movement caused some sickness in people, which is part of why the clairvoyance mechanic is used to teleport around levels by traveling through the minds of others. Since PSVR performs best as a 180-degree device, every time a player teleports there needs to be at least one other person in the line of sight directly in front of you so that you can move again.

This changed the way environments were designed and forced the studio to think about levels differently. An old-school adventure game or a modern interpretation of the genre like Double Fine’s Broken Age might simply display 2D illustrated scenes that you can move around and click on, but that doesn’t work in VR.

Some games like Obduction [Review: 8/10] adapt immersive, puzzle-based adventure games into VR with little changes, but Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin feels like a more robust re-imagining of the genre. It’s designed from the ground up with VR in mind and the mere presence of psychic puzzles truly make you feel like the headset is a portal into the minds of the game’s characters. It’s about as clever and clean of a genre/platform combination you could hope for and feels right at home.

You won’t have much longer to wait until you can get your hands on it either, as Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin is set to release for PSVR this February 21st. Currently there are no plans for a Rift or Vive version, although perhaps that will come at a later time.

Are you a Psychonauts fan? Do you plan on getting this when it releases in a couple of weeks? Let us know in the comments down below!

Tagged with: , , , ,

Posted on

Playroom VR’s Toy Wars DLC Is A Frantic Slice Of VR Co-op Action

Playroom VR’s Toy Wars DLC Is A Frantic Slice Of VR Co-op Action

Nearly four months after launch, Playroom VR remains one of the best reasons to own PlayStation VR (PSVR). Sony Japan’s brilliant minigame compilation is a free download, but it frankly embarrass some premium games with the sheer quality of its cutesy collection of single and local multiplayer experiences.

Today, Sony is adding another game to the set via a free piece of DLC. It’s called Toy Wars, and it’s a terrific blend of turret shooting and co-op action that you should definitely download.

Toy Wars has a simple premise; the VR user controls a toy gun that’s aimed using the DualShock 4’s motion controls. They have to defend the game’s cast of adorable robots from incoming enemies that slither out from beneath cupboards. Up to three other players can take a gamepad outside of VR and control giant mechs that can smash enemies with their fists. If even one baddie breaks the line and injures the turret? Game over.

Though the game can be played on your own, it’s much better with at least one friend, as things quickly become overwhelming without any help. Standard enemy types are taken down with just a few hits, but larger, tougher variations are introduced just seconds into the game. These foes take a considerable beating before they topple, and the game turns into a manic juggling act as you try to keep three sides of approaching nasties away. If (but let’s be honest, it’s actually when) you fail, then a UFO appears and sucks everyone into its illusive vacuum of doom.

It may not be as innovative as some of Playroom’s other multiplayer games, but as a shooter, Toy Wars is frantic and satisfying. It’s also proof that the DualShock 4 can be just as immersive a tool for VR shooters as a Move controller is. Spraying fire across the room feels powerful even if all you’re really using is the VR equivalent of a Nerf gun, and the communication needed with friends to ensure your safety gives it a touch of Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes. It’s one of the few VR games that shows you how great asymmetrical co-op can be.

What’s great about this piece of DLC is how naturally it fits into the overall set of games. It feels like it’s been here from day one. Not only are its mechanics as refined as anything else you’ll find in the package, but its presentation remains irresistibly adorable; seeing the characters from the other games cowering behind you as you fight for them is an especially nice touch.

Of course, what we really want to see from Sony Japan is a full-length edition of the excellent Robot Rescue minigame, but we’ll settle for this for now. Playroom VR has opened the doors to DLC in the best way possible and we can’t wait to see what else is in store.

Tagged with: , , , , , ,