Something For The Weekend: PlayStation VR Discounts Across The Board

Once again its 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. September moving along nicely and though the weather in the UK doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be, that doesn’t stop the deals on VR titles from coming. This week we have a look at the PlayStation Store to list some of the best deals currently available. This includes mind-bending puzzle adventures, charming tales about friendship and even going for a dive, there is sure to be something for everyone. As always, be sure to check back every weekend for even more deals right here on VRFocus.

18 Floors

Experience a suspenseful and thrilling VR puzzle adventure in this title that will have you traveling to a time-bending black hole to discover the true identity of Andrea, Queen of Noah Star. Along the way you will also come face-to-face with a galactic conspiracy and need to try and keep yourself focuses on this fantastic journey that will require puzzle solving skills and focus.

18 Floors is available now for £7.99 (GBP) down from the usual £11.99.

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Unearthing Mars

“As Co-Pilot of the retrieval team, the player will have the full experience of a space explorer on Mars. Unearthing Mars provides hours of unique gameplay experiences, ranging from navigating a landing craft through a sandstorm to driving a Mars rover. From puzzle-solving to first-person shooting, the game will allow players to resolve challenges from a variety of game genres.”

Unearthing Mars is available now for only £4.99 (GBP) down from £11.99.

Along Together

Become a kid’s imaginary friend in this charming title that will see you guiding them through extraordinary worlds in a journey to find their missing dog. Players will need to harness the power of imagination to lift trees, move boulders, power incredible machines, and create new paths where there are none to follow. Along Together is a charming experience that will be sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face.

Along Together is available now for £7.99 (GBP) down from £15.99.

SUPERHYPERCUBE

“SUPERHYPERCUBE seems like the love child between Rez Infinite and Tetris, psychedelic, neon rich visuals with a puzzle mechanic that’s difficult to put down. If you’re after something that little bit different for your HTC Vive this holiday season, take a look at SUPERHYPERCUBE.” – Read VRFocus’ Senior Staff Writer Peter Graham’s review of SUPERHYPERCUBE.

SUPERHYPERCUBE is available now for £4.99 (GBP) down from £11.99.

The Walker

“The Walker was selected for the China Hero Project by Sony, representing the highest level of Chinese game development. It also received the 2017 Golden Plume award for Best VR Game. A VR action-shooter, The Walker offers a unique 360° all-directional monster-slaying experience for FPS and zombie fans. The story takes place in old Shanghai, where undead exorcists have traditional weapons at their disposal, as well as magical Chinese talismans.”

The Walker is available now for £9.99 (GBP) down from £15.99.

Sneaky Bears

The world is under attack and it falls to you to save the day. When a horde of evil teddy bears lead by an evil mastermind bear named Frank come for you, it will take all sorts of weapons to be able to stop them and put an end to the evil plan that they have started. On your mission you’ll also need to rescue the innocent Panda teddy bears that Frank and his minions have taken hostage as well so get ready for a fight.

Sneaky Bears is available now for £3.69 (GBP) down from £11.99.

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The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR

“The achievement made by The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR is one by way of both hardware and design to capitalise upon this. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR’s level of immersion is simply fantastic, and while Bethesda Softworks could well have gone the route of DOOM VFR and created a shorter spin-off experience, developing a brand new The Elder Scrolls instalment specifically for VR would have taken many years and far too much in the way of resources for what is still a nascent audience. As it stands some may find the price point of the videogame a bitter pill to swallow, but for those who dreamed of a truly immersive role-playing experience, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR is simply the best opportunity available today.” – Read VRFocus’ Editor Kevin Joyce’s review of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR is on sale now for £24.99 (GBP) down from £49.99.

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Floor Plan

Looking for a puzzle adventure videogame that place place entirely inside an elevator? Then this is the one for you. Go floor to floor, find items, and meet a bizarre cast of characters and discover the relationships between the different things in the building to uncover the secrets within.

Floor Plan is available now for £2.99 (GBP) down from £4.99.

RollerCoaster Legends

“Speed off on an eight-minute rollercoaster journey only possible in virtual reality. Visit the Temple of Poseidon, the River Styx, Tartarus, and the Palace of Hades, by zipping up and down daring drops and twists while sitting on your couch. RollerCoaster Legends is a mythology based rollercoaster featuring icons from Greek mythology, including the Minotaur, Kronos, Charon, and Hades. Enjoy the thrills of a gigantic rollercoaster in a location only possible to visit through your VR headset.”

RollerCoaster Legends is on sale now for £2.49 (GBP) down from the usual £3.99.

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Gran Turismo Sport

Get ready to feel the thrill of driving and the dizzying rush of acceleration as you get behind the wheel of the worlds fastest cars in intense races. Do you have what it takes to become the master of the sport and raise through the ranks to become the greatest racer there ever was? Gran Turismo Sport offers a truly immersive way to experience Motorsport’s and is a must have for fans.

Gran Turismo Sport is available now for £15.99 (GBP) down from £49.99.

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.

January 11, 2018

Some Paws For Thought, As Sneaky Bears Comes To Japan In A New PlayStation VR Trailer

Yesterday, when bringing you news about the imminent PlayStation VR release of virtual reality (VR) title Out of Ammo by RocketWerkz and Zen Studios, I may have made a reference regarding being smarter than the (above) average bear. In hindsight this was an error. After all, why would you really want to anger a bear by suggesting you are smarter than it? It’s a flipping bear, for goodness sake. It could claw your face off – and last time I checked you’ve only got one of those.

Sneaky Bears Screenshot5 This all struck me upon watching one of the latest trailers for PlayStation Japan. With a video whose description begins “The world was wrapped in flames.” And then proceeds to introduce a megalomaniacal teddy bear complete with super-evil eyepatch. Welcome to Sneaky Bears VR.

Initially a title for the Samsung Gear VR and already out on HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, as well as PlayStation VR too in the West, it seems WarDucks’ cuddly criminals have now set their sights on the other side of the world. In this videogame you must take on the erudite evil mastermind Frank (a dastardly name if we ever heard it) in virtual battle of… well, maybe not wits, but certainly lasers. It seems that Frank and his army of equally bad bears have seized control of a toy factory and are going to use it to take over the world. Because of course they have.

“Armed with only your motion-controlled weapons, it is up to you to stop them and rescue the innocent Panda teddy bears that Frank and his minions have taken hostage!” They’ve got hostages too? Diabolical. It’s up to you to survive the bear army, take down Frank and save the Earth from the paws of utter chaos. You can see the trailer below.

Developers WarDucks, based in Ireland, were in the headlines themselves back in September last year. Having successfully secured over a million Euros in investment from venture capital firms. A representative emphasising that VR, as the company saw it, was the future: “Virtual reality will increasingly become part of the fabric of our everyday lives and gaming is pioneering this as we speak.”

VRFocus will bring you more news on VR releases from around the world very soon.

October 5, 2017

Sneaky Bears to Launch on HTC Vive Next Week

Back in August Irish videogame studio WarDucks released its not so cuddly first-person shooter Sneaky Bears for PlayStation VR and Oculus Rift after its original launch on Samsung Gear VR. Today, the studio has announced that the HTC Vive version is set to be released next week, on 12th October.

The launch on Steam for HTC Vive – and of course Oculus Rift – will also coincide with a new update for all the versions, adding a global leaderboard and additional difficulty levels (cuddly and crazy), to increase the challenge for seasoned gamers.

Sneaky Bears Rift

The update is in response to customer feedback for more re-playability. “Our motto at WarDucks is to listen to what the gamer wants and as such we have taken the feedback from players and reviewers into account for this update. Although reviews are positive, we hear a call from players for the game to be longer. We’re delighted that people are screaming out for more content. We are happy to be able to increase the replayability and add a more obvious competitive angle with the game,” said Nikki Lannen, CEO and founder of WarDucks in a statement.

In addition to the re-playability updates, English subtitles have been included plus additional subtitles will soon be added for Japanese, Korean, Traditional and Simplified Chinese.

Sneaky Bears storyline revolves Frank, an evil mastermind – who happens to be a teddy bear – who takes over a toy factory, creating an army of dangerous teddies with the aim of taking over the world. So it’s up to players to take down these deranged menaces and free some Panda hostages in the process.

The suggested retail price on Steam will be $14.99 USD/ €14.99 EUR with a 35 percent launch discount for the first week.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of WarDucks and Sneaky Bears, reporting back with further updates.

September 11, 2017

Sneaky Bears Developer Nets €1.3M In Funding

Dublin-based independent developer WarDucks, who recently released virtual reality (VR) title Sneaky Bears, have announced the successful completion of a Seed Funding round led by Suir Valley Ventures.

Sneaky Bears was initially released as a mobile VR title for Samsung Gear VR, but the developer recently released an expanded and updated version for PlayStation VR and Oculus Rift, with a version for the HTC Vive also currently being developed.

Commenting on the recent investment by Suir Valley, Nikki Lannen said: “Virtual reality will increasingly become part of the fabric of our everyday lives and gaming is pioneering this as we speak. Our Sneaky Bears brand has already performed extremely well on mobile VR platforms, however our move now to more sophisticated hardware, including PlayStation, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive marks an important step for WarDucks. I am delighted that Suir Valley recognises our potential in the expanding virtual reality space and is supporting our next phase of growth through this investment, together with Enterprise Ireland and other private investors.”

€1.3 million in funding has been raised by WarDucks, led by venture capital firm Suir Valley Venture, with additional funding from Enterprise Ireland and other private investors.

Barry Downes, Managing Partner – Suir Valley Ventures, said, “We are delighted to announce that we are leading the investment round in WarDucks. Nikki and her team have already had major success, launching a number of hit VR games on mobile, and we are thrilled to help the company bring its unique Sneaky Bears IP to console and PC platforms. For the team at Suir Valley, VR is an area of enormous opportunity and potential, and we remain keen to increase our exposure to this market and become a leading investor in the expanding industry. We see Dublin based WarDucks as a great example of the type of games studio that is going to be hugely successful in the VR industry and are looking forward to working with Nikki and her team to support them grow the company rapidly and launch unique products worldwide.”

VRFocus will continue to report on new developments in the VR sector.

August 29, 2017

This Ain’t no Picnic as Sneaky Bears Hits Oculus Rift

It seems like only yesterday – because it was – that VRFocus reported on WarDucks announcing the PlayStation VR launch date for its teddy bear inspired first-person shooter (FPS) Sneaky Bears. That occurred today, additionally, the title has released on Oculus Rift.

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Originally launching on Samsung Gear VR last week, Sneaky Bears has been given the upgrade treatment for Oculus Rift.

“It’s actually a very different from the Gear VR game,” said WarDucks CEO Nikki Lannen on the Oculus blog. “We totally redesigned and rebuilt it. We realized from the mobile VR version that people liked the concept, so we decided to go much bigger and better with that original idea.”

Sneaky Bears has three game modes to play through (Fire, Bomb and Survival), each one with different bears to kill and a variety of weapons such as a toy gun, shotgun, water gun, and freeze gun. Complete five rounds in each mode to unlock a boss level.

So Sneaky Bears is now available for PlayStation VR and Oculus Rift. There’s still a HTC Vive version to come with a release date to be announced.

For the latest updates from WarDucks, keep reading VRFocus.

August 28, 2017

Stop the Rise of the Evil Teddies When Sneaky Bears Appears on PlayStation VR This Week

Last week VRFocus reported on WarDucks announcing the release of its third virtual reality (VR) title for Samsung Gear VR, Sneaky Bears. Today the studio has revealed the not so cuddly teddy bears are coming to PlayStation VR this week, with Oculus Rift and HTC Vive versions in the pipeline.

WarDucks’ first release on console and desktop VR platforms, Sneaky Bears features Frank, a twisted Teddy Bear Mastermind, who has taken over a toy factory and created an army of evil teddy bears to help with his quest to take over the world. Frank is sarcastic and ruthless, making his army of teddy bear minions in his own image.

Sneaky Bears Promo 2

In this first-person shooter (FPS) players have three game modes to complete (Fire, Bomb and Survival), each one with different bears to kill and a variety of weapons such as a toy gun, shotgun, water gun, and freeze gun. Complete five rounds in each mode to unlock a boss level.

“We are all very excited about this release”, said Nikki Lannen, WarDucks founder and CEO in a statement. “The team had worked tirelessly and the result, Sneaky Bears, is a nice tribute to the 80’s alongside being a fun and entertaining title. We’re thrilled to finally be able to share it.

“This game will make you jump, laugh, and even potentially cry. Most folks are unable to put it down. It’s a great game for all ages and a super spectator game!”

Sneaky Bears will launch on PlayStation VR in the US on 29th of August and in Europe on 31st of August at a $19.99 USD/£19.99 GBP price point. As for the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive versions, WarDucks has yet to confirm a release date.

For the latest updates from WarDucks, keep reading VRFocus.

August 25, 2017

Less Teddy Bear Picnic Than Teddy Bear Murder Spree

Teddy Bears are beloved childhood companions to many of us, so the idea of them turning evil and murderous is fairly horrific for those who have shared a bed with what you assume to be an innocent plush animal. With the release of developer WarDucks Studios new title, Sneaky Bears VR, you may not be so keen to cuddle your favourite childhood toy.

An evil teddy bear named Frank has taken over an abandoned toy factory and is plotting mayhem and world domination like a cross between Ernst Stavro Blofeld and Lots-O Huggin’ Bear from Toy Story 3. The player is tasked with following Frank around the toy factory, uncovering his sinister schemes to unleash an army of evil toys upon the world and stop him using whatever means possible.

Sneak Bears VR is available now for Samsung Gear VR and Google Cardboard, where it costs £1.69 (GBP). The Samsung Gear VR version is controlled with touchpad. The developer us also planning to launch an expanded version for the PlayStation VR at some point after the 28^th August, 2017. A price point for the PlayStation VR version has not been confirmed, nor has the control method.

WarDucks are also planning on releasing the title on HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, which will most likely be a port of the expanded PlayStation VR version.

You can watch the trailers for the Mobile VR version and the PlayStation VR version of Sneaky Bears VR below.

VRFocus will continue to report on new and upcoming VR titles.