Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation
What Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality developers are talking about
Just because the PlayStation 4 is a remarkable system doesn't mean that it's immune to the occasional hiccup. Thankfully, we've vetted some of the bigger PS4 problems and found solutions for whatever might ail you.
The post Problems plaguing the PlayStation 4 (and some possible solutions) appeared first on Digital Trends.
The original Project CARS from Slightly Mad Studios was a crowdfunded project that aimed to provide hardcore racing fans an authentic and comprehensive racing experience. It executed on multiple levels, eventually providing over 100 unique tracks and 125 cars across multiple racing disciplines and platforms over the course of its release.
Eventually, virtual reality capability for the Rift, Vive, and OSVR was unveiled last year and it quickly became one of the definitive immersive racing experiences. Via unknown means, the trailer for Slightly Mad Studio’s forthcoming sequel, Project CARS 2, has leaked and it looks like they’re taking the incredible attention to detail of the original game to the next level.
The trailer was spotted by TrustedReviews and is the only video on the RaceDriver YouTube channel thus far. In the trailer itself, the cars and tracks are as beautiful as ever. We’re treated early to a snow covered track with piles of white powder that truly look like they can be scattered if you veer too far off the track and we wouldn’t be surprised if that were the case in the final game.
The focus in this trailer is on the more dynamic changes these tracks can undergo as we’re shown shots of the weather and time of day changing rapidly and how the racing venues reflect that. We even witness what appears to be water pooling up on the sides of the tracks as rain continued to pour down.
Slightly Mad Studios is really looking to solidify their Project CARS racing franchise as a premier experience across platforms. With a planned track roster of over 200, 8 racing disciplines including rallycross, eSports functionality mixed into their online matchmaking, and the visual fidelity shown in this trailer, it doesn’t look like they will have too much of a problem. It remains to be seen if the game will launch with VR capability, but it is very likely considering the previous game’s compatibility with HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. Maybe even the PS VR will be included this time around?
Project CARS 2 is currently planned to be released on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Tagged with: PC, project cars, project cars 2, ps4, racing, Slightly Mad Studios, Steam OS, xbox one
Last week we reported on the details of the first piece of DLC for Capcom’s Resident Evil 7: Biohazard [Review: 9/10]. Released today for PlayStation 4, Banned Footage Vol. 1, the first pack of new content, includes three things for intrepid horror junkies like myself to sink their teeth into. The aptly titled Nightmare is a wave-based survival mode, Bedroom is an escape-the-room puzzle experience, and Ethan Must Die is a brand new game mode. Only Nightmare and Bedroom feature PlayStation VR (PSVR) support.
Unfortunately, this means that the most interesting new feature (Ethan Must Die) is left out of the VR fold, but we have our fingers crossed it will get support later on.
Instead of accessing the new content from VHS tapes inside the game itself, you’ll actually go to the Main Menu and find them all under the “Extra Content” option. From here you can select the Banned Footage collection or the new Ethan Must Die game mode.
You can watch a quick teaser video above showing off what’s in store for the Banned Footage Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 collections. The second set is due to release on PS4 in two weeks on February 14th. What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with blood, guts, and gore?
The first piece of new content in Banned Footage Vol. 1, Nightmare, offers some much-needed replayability to a game that formerly only consisted of a single-player campaign. You’ll take on the role of Clancy, the cameraman from the Beginning Hour demo and one of the playable VHS tapes found in the core game. The events found here supposedly take place after he is separated from the rest of his crew. Your objective is to survive for 5 hours until dawn.
You’ll start off in one of the basement rooms of the Baker House, near the processing area. If you completed the base campaign, it will be immediately recognizable. You’ll start with a small collection of resource scraps that can be used to purchase items like guns, ammo, first aid kits, skill upgrades, and more. Spread throughout the basement are processor that create more scraps over time. You can also set traps in pre-defined locations.
Exploring this game mode requires quickly memorizing the layout and making trips between the different processors to stay stocked up on your scraps and supplies. The traps are best saved for late-game usage to get the most out of them. Rooms that have objects in the middle (such as tables) are useful for keeping distance between you and the Molded creatures that spawn. Careful aim and keeping a cool-head will be crucial to passing this new mode.
While it’s not necessarily infinitely replayable and would be improved by more maps or multiplayer, it feels like a welcomed addition to the game. That being said, I can’t help but feel like it should have been there to begin with. It adds a missing layer to the experience that was very likely ready to include by the time the game launched.
This bit of content feels the most similar to what’s already found in the VHS tapes from the base game’s campaign. You’ll start out as Clancy once again, strapped to a bed this time, as Marguerite stops by to deliver your supper. After she leaves it’s up to you to frantically search the room for a way out.
In practice, it plays out much like a real-life escale room puzzle would, tasking you with exploring every nook and cranny of your surroundings for a way out. But you have to be careful because if you make too much noise then she’ll come back to inspect on what’s going on. If she catches you out of bed then it’s Game Over. If you hear her coming, then you have to try and put everything back the way it was so she doesn’t notice.
Even though it’s not a wave-based survival mode like Nightmare, this one felt more nerve-wracking to me. Part of that could be because Marguerite as a character is more terrifying and disgusting than the Molded, which act much like the over-used zombie archetype that they seem to be based upon.
It’s unfortunate then that it loses its appeal after you’ve figure it all out, but it was fun while it lasted. A bit reminiscent of the Happy Birthday tape from the original game, albeit with a more frantic and rushed premise.
Finally, the most interesting piece of new content in the bunch is a brand new game mode called Ethan Must Die. While it adds the meatiest junk of stuff to do with the most interesting replayability elements, it unfortunately lacks any PSVR support. Hopefully that changes.
You’ll start out alone and afraid in an attempt to surpass the overwhelming odds of an entire game mode tailor-made just to kill you. Whereas the core campaign featured a litany of ways for you to fight back or run away and hide, Ethan Must Die doesn’t sport those same fine luxuries.
Instead, everything in this game mode appears to be randomized. The higher the star rating on a crate the better item it could have. When you die, you’ll leave a gravestone behind and if you make it back to that gravestone on your next playthrough, then you get a randomly selected item from your past corpse given back to you. It’s almost like an even less forgiving version of Dark Souls’ death and soul system.
It’s strange that this mode doesn’t support PSVR play because for the most part all of the assets are reused from the core game even if this is a “new game mode” technically. It’s a lot of fun and features a disgustingly difficult gauntlet of challenges.
If you loved the original game, then this is worth the $9.99 price of entry. However, I’d recommend getting the $29.99 Season Pass to get this, Banned Footage Vol. 2 (typically $14.99) and an unannounced third piece of paid DLC content all together. You’ll save money that way.
However, if you weren’t amazed by Capcom’s brand of first-person horror in Resident Evil 7, then this isn’t going to do anything to change that. With the most interesting piece of content lacking PSVR features, it’s a bit of a hard sell if you’re a fan of Sony’s HMD, but is still worth playing outside of VR.
Tagged with: banned footage, capcom, dlc, horror, playstation, ps4, PSVR, Resident Evil 7
Bandai Namco revealed that its upcoming flight sim Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown will launch across multiple platforms in 2017 and is now set to arrive for the Xbox One and PC in addition to a previously announced PS4 release.
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New gaming hardware launches always lead to a rabid fervor. Early adopters and brand loyalists will line up days in advance just to be one of the first consumers to get their hands on a particular device. I personally know people that have camped out for new phones, gaming consoles, and Black Friday shopping deals. It’s a real thing. PlayStation VR was no different when it released.
But what I haven’t heard much of is the need to do that for a device that’s been available to the general public (at least in most regions) ever since early October. Now, over three months later in late January, folks in Japan are still being forced to line up outside just to get their hands on a PS VR headset. It would appear Sony is having trouble keeping up with demand, even all this time later.
In the images posted by Twitter user kaztsu, you can see hundreds of people across a wide variety of locations around Japan sitting, standing, and even sleeping outside to save their spot in line. It’s hard to tell exactly how many people were waiting over the past few days, but across the entire country it was likely several thousand. The rabid fans were photographed by by Twitter user kaztsu and first reported on by Kotaku.
When fans found out that a new shipment of Sony’s PS VR headset was set to hit stores that day, the lines started forming. Reportedly, demand was so high, even at this stage of the product’s life cycle, that many of the people pictured are simply there to receive a mere chance of getting one. Exact shipment numbers weren’t guaranteed and many of these people aren’t waiting on a pre-order or pre-purchase of any kind, they’re new buyers.
According to the Kotaku report, major retailers were passing out raffle tickets in the morning and announcing winners later in the day. In some large cities, such as Osaka, Nagoya, and Tokyo, people started lining up as early as the night before to try their chances at scoring a headset.
Despite the closure of RIGS developer Guerrilla Cambridge, excitement for Sony’s PS VR remains higher than ever. However, it does make you wonder if this is pure demand outstretching supply, or if there is a shortage of some kind going on?
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard [Review: 9/10] just released this week for PlayStation 4 and features a 10+ hour campaing that’s entirely playable inside the PS VR headset. That’s sure to provide gamers with enough thrills (and nightmares) to make the long and arduous wait worth the time.
Have you ever waited outside for a product launch? Did you have trouble getting a PlayStation VR, or still haven’t gotten one yet? Let us know in the comments below!
In its next dashboard update, Microsoft will remove Xbox One's popular Snap feature to free up processing power. The freed-up RAM and processing should be reallocated toward making games run better.
The post Xbox One ditches Much-beloved Snap feature to boost performance appeared first on Digital Trends.
Ghost Recon series fans can now apply for closed beta access to Ubisoft's upcoming shooter Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands, and selected players will be able to explore its massive open world starting in February.
The post ‘Ghost Recon Wildlands’ opens enlistment for February beta appeared first on Digital Trends.
Webhallen, a large Swedish retailer, claimed that its Switch pre-orders not only sold out, but that they surpassed pre-orders numbers for the PS4. Interest in the console has caused pre-orders to sell out worldwide.
The post Nintendo Switch pre-orders are outpacing PS4 at Swedish retailer appeared first on Digital Trends.
Adding limited VR support to a game that would appear to be a good fit for comprehensive support seems to be a trend lately in the games industry. Perhaps it’s a way for developers to experiment without sinking too many funds into VR development, or perhaps it’s symptomatic of a larger issue with adoption numbers. Either way, more and more developers are opting for small slices of their games in VR rather than the entire experiences.
Joining the ranks of Gran Turismo Sport, the recently released Moto Racer 4 also only supports VR for a small handful of race types, although they claim that won’t always be the case. The game is published by Microïds and developed by Artefacts Studio.
The full game (which the above trailer incorrectly states is already fully playable in VR) features 15 different game modes between single and multiplayer with up to 10 total racers in local and online multiplayer. Additionally, you can race in both asphalt (high-speed racing bikes) and Dirt modes (stunt-filled Motocross).
But unfortunately only the single player Time Attack and Hot Lap modes are supported as of this time. Luckily, according to an official press release, “Microïds and Artefact Studios will progressively and freely make all game modes and races, already available in Moto Racer 4, compatible in VR,” but there is no time frame on the rest of the game’s content.
I tried Moto Racer 4 with the PS VR headset and while it was disappointing that I couldn’t play the entire compliment of game modes, such as with Driveclub VR [Review: 7/10] for example, the sense of speed was unmatched inside Sony’s HMD. There aren’t many racing games to choose from yet with support for the PlayStation headset, so Moto Racer 4 was a bit liberating in a way. Driveclub VR provides an excellent outlet for cockpit-based racing, but sitting atop a bike in Moto Racer added a more visceral nature to the speed and made me feel more vulnerable.
That being said, it doesn’t look too great visually. Playing the game inside the headset’s downgraded resolution transforms a game that was already only average into something visually sub-par by modern racing game standards. The framerate is reportedly improved on the PS4 Pro version, both inside and outside of the headset, which lets it run smoothly, but still leaves a bit to be desired in terms of graphical fidelity.
Strangely, even though Moto Racer 4 is also available for PC via Steam, there doesn’t appear to be any support for the Vive, Rift, or OSVR headsets at this time, but maybe that can be incorporated later on like the rest of the game modes.
“It was the first time we’ve worked on this feature, and we known that it would be a challenge to make it comfortable for a moto racing game, certainly more difficult than a car race,” said Production Director at Artefacts Studio, Olivier Gaudino during an interview. “During production, we have been faced with motion sickness, and we had to work particularly on camera settings in regards to the bike and the locations. We tried several adjustments in order to reduce motion sickness, VR tests were interesting since each person had a different sickness reaction. Finally, we found a way to reduce the motion sickness, and the immersive experience is really strong during the races, in GP mode and Dirt mode as well.”
At this time with such a limited VR offering, it’s hard to recommend Moto Racer 4 as a racing game if you’re intrigued by the VR support. Additional game modes will be added to Sony’s headset at this time, but right now there just isn’t enough to do. If you’re a fan of the franchise in general and would like to try it outside of the headset however, you’ll find a capable arcade racing game with plenty to do and lots of bikes to ride.
Moto Racer 4 is now available on PlayStation 4 with limited PS VR support as well as on Xbox One and PC.
Tagged with: artefact studios, microids, Moto Racer 4, motocross, playstation, PS VR, ps4, racing
Today is the day that Resident Evil 7: Biohazard finally releases to the world. If you haven’t read or watched our review [we gave it a 9 out of 10] then you should definitely do that for more information on the game as a whole. Make no mistake though, Resident Evil 7 is an extremely scary game. It features a richly detailed world full of dangerous creatures that always put you in a constant state of fear no matter where you go. Playing in VR is even more terrifying and immersive, cranking the unnerving settings all the way up to 11. It’s not for the faint of heart and may not be a game you can stomach, which is sort of the point.
But if you are brave enough to venture into the deep, dark unknown of the Baker family’s estate in an effort to save your wife Mia, then consider this your primer on all things Resident Evil 7. It’s not a detailed walkthrough with answers for every puzzle and there aren’t any story spoilers; this is just a core list of tips that will help you get started.
Patience is the name of the game in Resident Evil 7, especially early on. Near the start of the game it’s all one massive hide and seek experience as you tip toe around the Baker house and surrounding properties. Duck behind things, peek around corners, and carefully plan your moves around where Jack and his family patrol.
It’s worth noting that you cannot “defeat” Jack or Marguerite outside of dedicated boss fights. This means if they catch site of you, any bullets you spend on them are essentially wasted. It’s in your best interest to stay out of sight and plan your routes accordingly.
But if you do get spotted, or if you get overwhelmed by several enemies at any point, then you should consider running away as one of your viable options. Ethan Winters does not have special forces training like most protagonists in the series and will be outmatched if more than a couple of enemies appear at one time.
Turning and running will help you catch your breath and calm down, but will also likely cause the enemies to disappear or meld back into the walls and floors for the time being. This is effective to let you pick them off one at a time, turn to run, then come back reloaded and ready to go. Shoot out legs to give yourself more time to escape. Make sure you keep in mind where the closest safe room is located as well to save your progress.
Perhaps the most important piece of advice on this entire list is the need to carefully conserve your ammo. Aim for head shots to take down enemies more quickly and make sure you check every nook and cranny in each room. Items are semi-randomly generated, meaning that if you reload your save file and explored a room a second time, you’d find different ammo and items than you did before.
If you can sneak past someone without using ammo, do that. If you can run past them and book it to a safe room because you’re low on bullets, do that. Ammo is very hard to come by in the world of Resident Evil 7, especially on higher difficulties, so the more you can stockpile the better.
Making sure you’ve got room in your inventory for all of your weapons, ammo, healing items, and key puzzle solutions is a difficult balance. In most cases it’s like playing a meta-game of Tetris as you move and adjust things in your inventory. At the start of the game your space is very limited, but this will increase over time as you find backpacks.
Whenever possible, drop off extra items at your safe box in the safe room — don’t destroy an item to make room in your inventory. Chances are later on in the game you’ll discover that you could have used that extra ammo or that Chem-Fluid that you trashed to make room for something comparatively less useful in the long run.
Resident Evil 7 is a classically designed old-school exploration game with a new coat of paint. Despite the fancy graphics, first-person view, and VR support, this game has more in common with the original three Resident Evil games than any in the series since then. That means lots of backtracking and obscure puzzles with vague hints.
That key you just found may only be for a specific door that you haven’t came across in the past two hours. Keeping a mental map — or checking the in-game map if you found it for this area — is more important than you might think. Remembering the location of hidden items, locked doors, and more will go a long way towards avoiding those frustrating moments of getting stuck.
If I had heeded those words more wisely and paid closer attention the first time around then I probably wouldn’t have gotten stuck as many times as I did. Each puzzle in the game is relatively simplistic, but a few will require you to think outside the box a bit. One instance in particular, the Happy Birthday VHS tape, is full of small puzzles that all feed into one overarching ‘Escape the Room’ style experience.
There are a few other scenarios that will have you scratching your head a bit at first but keep in mind that the more you think of this as a living world that you’re inside of and less like a simple game that you’re playing, the easier some of these puzzles will be. Try not to limit your solutions just to what you think the game designers want you to do.
The final tip that feeds into all other points of advice on this list is that you should carefully observe your surroundings at all times. Note where each exit is. Pay attention to likely enemy spawn points (often the black gunk on the floor, walls, and ceiling), and note any crates or drawers that may contain valuable items. In fact, several key bits of the story are only found in the files scattered around environments.
In many cases, key puzzle items were found in seemingly mundane locations, so you should expect to comb over each and every area as carefully as possible. My general rhythm consisted of sweeping a room for enemies, closing all doors, then picking through boxes and cabinets looking for supplies.
These are just a few of the tips to help you survive playing Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. If you’ve already started playing, what do you think of the game so far? If you’re wondering if you should play it in VR or not, then we’ve got answers.
Let us know your thoughts down in the comments below!
Tagged with: biohazard, capcom, PC, playstation, PS VR, ps4, re7, Resident Evil 7, scary, survival horror, xb1