During PlayStation’s State of Play event developer nDreams announced that the long-awaited ghostbusting VR game, Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord, is set to launch October 26th.
Update (September 15th, 2023): nDreams and publisher Sony Virtual Reality announced Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord finally has a street date: October 26th, 2023.
The game is priced at $55. Pre-ordering on Quest or PSVR 2 gets you the ‘FULL CONTAINMENT EDITION’, which features the full game plus six months of upcoming DLC and bonus content, the studio says. The original article follows below:
Original Article (June 1st, 2023): nDreams, also known for Fracked (2021), Phantom: Covert Ops (2020), and upcoming PSVR 2 exclusive Synapse, also released a new trailer featuring a few snippets of gameplay, showing off some of the game’s four-player co-op in action.
In it, we see some a bunch of the franchise’s iconic stuff, such as proton packs, ghost traps, P.K.E. meters, and even the Ecto-1.
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Image courtesy nDreams, Sony Pictures Virtual Reality
Image courtesy nDreams, Sony Pictures Virtual Reality
Image courtesy nDreams, Sony Pictures Virtual Reality
Image courtesy nDreams, Sony Pictures Virtual Reality
Image courtesy nDreams, Sony Pictures Virtual Reality
If you’re just hearing about Ghostbusters’ first at-home VR title, here’s how the studio describes it:
Strap on your proton pack and step into the world of Ghostbusters in immersive virtual reality. Run your Ghostbusters HQ in a new city, San Francisco, and unravel a rich mystery in a new chapter for the Ghostbusters universe. Wield iconic equipment as you track, blast, and trap ghosts in gripping encounters across an extensive and engrossing campaign. Go it alone, or as a team with up to three friends in co-op to defeat a ghastly new threat – the Ghost Lord. Continue the Ghostbusters’ legacy, protect the city from fiendish ghosts, and experience all the humor and frights from the beloved franchise.
Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord is set to launch on Quest 2 and PSVR 2 at some point this fall (see update). Notably, the game’s first trailer was captured on PC, so it’s possible we may also see a release on SteamVR as well, although nDreams hasn’t confirmed as much.
In the meantime, you can wishlist the game on PSVR 2 here and Quest 2 here.
A couple of months back nDreams and Sony Pictures Virtual Reality (SPVR) dropped a surprise announcement that work had begun on Ghostbusters VR for Meta Quest 2. Today, SPVR has revealed that the franchise is expanding even further into VR, with Ghostbusters VR also coming to PlayStation VR2 whilst a new title, Ghostbusters VR Academyis being made specifically for Hologate location-based entertainment (LBE) venues.
Ghostbuster VR (working title) is going to be a 4-player cooperative experience set in San Francisco rather than New York. It’ll be up to you and your mates to grab those proton packs and rid the city of manacing ghosts. Only a short teaser trailer has been shown so far. Considering nDreams is developing the title, its no surprise that Ghostbusters VR is coming to PlayStation VR2 as the studio has previously released the likes of Fracked for PlayStation VR.
As for Ghostbusters VR Academy, this will utilise Hologate’s unique LBE setup to offer fans a unique experience where players take on the role of ghostbusters in training. There will be two versions, one for Hologate Arena and one for Hologate Blitz. In Arena players work as a team to complete high-risk ghost encounter scenarios whilst Blitz puts them in a flying prototype ECTO vehicle.
“Ghostbusters VR Academy, the new location-based VR training experience, will continue to expand the world of Ghostbusters in a way that honours the legacy of the franchise and offers something entirely new,” says Jake Zim, Senior Vice President, Virtual Reality, Sony Pictures Entertainment. “For the first time ever, players will be able to train to be a real Ghostbuster in an amazing academy setting and race a new flying version of the ECTO using HOLOGATE’s vehicle motion simulator.”
“Sony Pictures VR is doing incredible things for virtual reality, and we’re thrilled to collaborate for this new experience,” adds Leif Petersen, CEO and HOLOGATE founder. “Ghostbusters VR Academy is a natural fit for HOLOGATE’s ARENA and BLITZ platforms. It transcends reality so players can create memorable moments while fulfilling longtime wishes to operate iconic Ghostbusters equipment. We can’t wait for players to step inside this world.”
Ghostbusters VR Academy will be coming to 400 Hologate locations by the end of 2022. The PlayStation VR2 version of Ghostbusters VR will, of course, depend on when the headset launches, currently unknown at this point. It’ll join a growing selection of titles Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) revealed during its recent State of Play event.
For continual updates on Ghostbusters VR, keep reading gmw3.
There’s also no release date for the Quest 2 version of the game either, but we do know that it will be a Quest 2 exclusive at launch. The game was announced at the Meta Quest Gaming Showcase in April, which featured a line-up of games that were all said to release within a year of the showcase airing. At the latest then (and presuming no delays) Ghostbusters VR would be set for April 2023, with a PSVR 2 release sometime after that.
So far, details on the game are scarce. We know that it will feature both single and multiplayer modes with cooperative gameplay, but little else. You can view the first trailer embedded above, but bear in mind that it’s a cinematic trailer rendered in the game’s engine — it isn’t actual 1:1 gameplay footage.
Today also marks the anniversary of the original Ghostbusters film, released in 1984. The PSVR 2 release isn’t the only piece of VR news announced today for Ghostbusters fans either. Sony Pictures Virtual Reality also announced a new location-based VR experience called Ghostbusters VR Academy. This will let up to 4 players don proton packs and pilot a flying ECTO vehicle at over 400 locations worldwide — more info here.
The Ghostbusters franchise has already dipped its toe in virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) gaming thanks to projects like Ghostbusters: Dimensionsand Ghostbusters World. To close out the Meta Quest Gaming Showcase yesterday Mark Zuckerberg made a surprise announcement, a Ghostbusters VR videogame is coming to Meta Quest 2.
A collaborative effort between nDreams, Ghost Corps and Sony Pictures Virtual Reality (SPVR), Ghostbusters VR (working title) will be a four-player cooperative adventure. Rather than taking place in its traditional New York location, the VR experience will be set in San Francisco from where you’ll run a new Ghostbusters HQ.
With the iconic proton pack slung on your back you and your friends – or played solo – will be able to track, shot, and trap all manner of ghoulish spectres. All in the name of protecting the city, you’ll also have to solve a compelling and original mystery during the campaign.
“With SPVR, we’ve found the perfect teammates to help bring a boundary-pushing multiplayer game to virtual reality,” says Tomas Gillo, Chief Development Officer, nDreams in a statement. “In addition, our close collaboration with the creators of the Ghostbusters franchise at Ghost Corps, combined with our extensive experience creating rich, tactile and immersive VR will blow gamers and Ghostbusters fans away.”
“If you’re looking to create a big, engaging multiplayer VR game that has to be experienced to be believed, who you gonna call? nDreams,” says Jake Zim, Senior Vice President, Virtual Reality, Sony Pictures Entertainment. “Virtual reality on Quest 2 truly allows us to live out our dream of being a Ghostbuster. The world, the ghosts and the iconic tools and equipment deliver the ultimate VR adventure. And most importantly, busting ghosts with your friends is fun!”
Exclusive to Meta Quest 2 by the sound of it, nDreams hasn’t said when Ghostbusters VR might be arriving. The VR studio does have two other projects arriving a lot faster, with Frackedand Little Cities both scheduled for release next month. For continued updates on Ghostbusters VR, keep reading gmw3.
Today at the very end of the Quest Gaming Showcase, Meta announced an upcoming Ghostbusters VR game in development by Sony Pictures Virtual Reality & nDreams, built for four-player co-op.
Can’t say we saw that one coming. At the end of the Quest Gaming Showcase, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg briefly appeared to introduce the world premiere of Ghostbusters VR, an upcoming Quest 2 game built around four player co-op.
Developed by veteran VR studio nDreams and set in San Francisco, CA, Sony Pictures Virtual Reality says players can expect to “solve a deep mystery across a new chapter in the Ghostbusters universe. Track, blast, and trap ghosts in gripping encounters by wielding iconic equipment. Go it alone, or as a team with up to three friends in co-op, in an extensive and engrossing campaign. Continue the Ghostbusters’ legacy, protect the city from fiendish ghosts, and experience all the humor and frights from the beloved franchise.”
nDreams is well known in the VR space as the studio behind titles like Phantom: Covert Ops and Fracked. The studio also just raised a hefty $35 million investment to further expand its VR development and publishing operations.
“With SPVR, we’ve found the perfect teammates to help bring a boundary-pushing multiplayer game to virtual reality,” says Tomas Gillo, Chief Development Officer, nDreams. “In addition, our close collaboration with the creators of the Ghostbusters franchise at Ghost Corps, combined with our extensive experience creating rich, tactile and immersive VR will blow gamers and Ghostbusters fans away.”
Ghostbusters VR is said to be a working title for the time being, and while no specific release date has been announced, Meta said that everything shown at the Quest Gaming Showcase is expected to launch in the next 12 months, presumably including Ghostbusters VR.
When it comes to modern zombie movies the Zombieland franchise is one of the better ones, a nice mixture of over-the-top gore and a comedic narrative. Today, XR Games and Sony Pictures Virtual Reality (SPVR) have announced Zombieland: Headshot Fever, an arcade shooter coming to most VR headsets this Spring.
Inspired by classic 90s light gun games like Time Crisis II and The House of the Dead 2, Zombieland: Headshot Fever is designed to be a fast and frantic single-player shooter where you don’t need to wander around, all the zombies come straight to you. All you have to do is take them all out as quickly as possible because time matters.
Featuring an ‘Adrenaline Mode’ activated after two quick headshots, it’ll allow players to rack up bigger combos and improve their times to get on the leaderboards. They’ll be able to unlock shotguns, revolvers, assault rifles and more weapons to find their perfect setup.
“With this VR game, we’re bringing the zombie apocalypse right to you in a totally new way while preserving the humour and wit of the hit movie franchise. Now ‘Zombieland’ fans can feel what it’s like to stare down an onslaught of Zombie hordes and make split-second gameplay decisions in order to blast their way to survival,” said Jake Zim, SVP, virtual reality, Sony Pictures Entertainment in a statement.
All four heroes (Tallahassee, Wichita, Columbus and Little Rock) from the movie franchise will feature. Little Rock will be voiced by Abigail Breslin from the Zombieland movies, Tallahassee will be voiced by Woody Harrelson’s brother, Brett, while Wichita and Columbus get VO actors approved by Emma Stone and Jesse Eisenberg respectively.
“Being trusted with bringing an iconic Sony Pictures franchise to life is extra rewarding and exciting when you’re a huge fan of Zombieland,” says Bobby Thandi, Founder and CEO of XR Games. “The Zombieland world is a no-nonsense kind of place, and to this end we’ve made one of the purest shooting games for VR. We handcrafted the content, upping replayability, and incorporated mechanics from racing games such as time splits so you know exactly how well you’re doing. It’s about practising ’til you’re perfect.
Zombieland: Headshot Fever is set to release this Spring for Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Windows Mixed Reality headsets, and later for PlayStation VR. As further updates on the videogame are released, VRFocus will keep you updated.
Perp Games, purveyors of physical virtual reality (VR) videogames for PlayStation VR has announced its working with Tequila Works to bring Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Sonto retail, starting with European stores in December.
Released in September across multiple formats, Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son continues on from the original 90s movie. Created in collaboration with Sony Pictures Virtual Reality (SPVR) and MWMi, the videogame puts you in the shoes of Phil Connors Jr., the son of the protagonist of the iconic film, as he returns to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
Just like his father Connors Jr. is forced to relive the same day over and over. The only way out is to listen to friends and family and help them out by solving elaborate puzzles inside the time loop.
“Groundhog Day is a timeless classic, a tragic comedy –or a comedic tragedy? – of philosophical tones. We are big fans of the original movie so, of course, we were in for the sequel… in VR! With Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son we wanted players to come for the lulz but stay for the depth,” said Raul Rubio, CEO and Creative Director of Tequila Works in a statement. The journey from selfish to selfless is plagued with hilarity, introspection and many, many loops. We are delighted that fans can put this refreshing and narrative-complex VR title on the self, next to its illustrious predecessor, as a resonating monument to all daddy issues in the world. To World peace!”
“Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son is one of the most talked-about VR games of the year, coming from one of the most talented VR studios in the world. We can’t wait for retailers to be able to offer to take the trip back to Punxsutawney later this year and are thrilled to have been given the chance to work with Sony Pictures Virtual Reality to bring this game to a wider audience”, adds Rob Edwards, Managing Director of Perp Games.
European stores will have Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Sonavailable from 6th December 2019 for PlayStation VR. A North American launch will follow, no date has been announced at the moment. For further updates, keep reading VRFocus.
Next month will see the theatrical release of Jumanji: The Next Level in cinemas worldwide. To help promote the new film Sony Pictures Virtual Reality (SPVR) has teamed up with location-based entertainment (LBE) specialist The VOID on an immersive experience called Jumanji: Reverse the Curse.
Up to four players will be able to take on the roles of Dr. Bravestone, Ruby Roundhouse, Professor Oberon and “Mouse” Finbar in an effort to save Jumanji from a new terror. The quest is to rescue the Scepter of Se’payu containing the Red Jewel of Jumanji and return it to the temple from which it was stolen. All while evading man-eating wildlife, navigating across treacherous landscape and battling evil henchmen.
“Since first collaborating on Ghostbusters: Dimension, Sony Pictures Virtual Reality has continued to believe in our unique ability to bring stories to life in a fully immersive, social and dynamic way,” said Curtis Hickman, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of The VOID in a statement. “Through close collaboration on this project, we have been able to develop a dimension that is more interactive and immersive than any VOID experience has ever been before. Utilizing new technology and more illusion design, Jumanji: Reverse the Curse is a true adventure that travellers will want to experience over and over again.”
“As the characters in Jumanji are pulled into the game, we naturally had the idea to create a VR experience where fans can do the same. What’s more fun for moviegoers than to have the chance to live in VR as the characters they love – and, like in the movie, players will have to work together as a team to win the game and save Jumanji,” said Jake Zim, SVP, virtual reality, Sony Pictures Entertainment. “We had a fantastic experience working with The VOID with Ghostbusters: Dimension and are excited to take immersive entertainment to the next level with this new Jumanji story.”
Jumanji: The Next Level will be available at select The VOID locations from 27th November 2019. Tickets will go on pre-sale from 16th November, no price has been revealed at the moment. For further updates keep reading VRFocus.
The VOID locations featuring Jumanji: The Next Level:
Cinemark West Plano, Plano, Texas
Grand Canal Shoppes in The Venetian and The Palazzo Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada
Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica, California
Westfield San Francisco Centre, San Francisco, California
The Battery Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia
Mall of America, Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Rec Room at Square One, Mississauga, Ontario
The Rec Room Toronto Roundhouse, Toronto, Ontario
The Rec Room West Edmonton Mall, Edmonton, Alberta
Resorts World Genting, Pahang Darul Makmur, Malaysia
Hot on the heels of Avengers: Damage Control, the next experience heading to VR attraction The VOID is Jumanji: Reverse the Curse, made in collaboration with the Sony Pictures Virtual Reality group. The title will come to select VOID locations starting on November 27th.
The VOID is a location-based VR attraction where players don headsets & haptics vests, and physically navigate through a stage filled with props and immersive tricks which bring the virtual world to life in a unique way. The attraction is home to a variety of experiences based on recognizable IP like Ghostbusters, Wreck-It Ralph, and Star Wars.
The VOID today announced its newest VR experience, Jumanji: Reverse the Curse.
Jumanji: Reverse the Curse will give fans the ability to truly enter another game, taking on the form of its heroes, Dr. Bravestone, Ruby Roundhouse, Professor Oberon and “Mouse” Finbar, to save Jumanji from a new dark and mysterious villain. Fans will be enlisted on a daring quest to rescue the Scepter of Se’payu containing the Red Jewel of Jumanji and return it to the temple from which it was stolen. Pulled into the perils of Jumanji, players face challenges just like those that the avatars face in the movie – evading man-eating wildlife, navigating across treacherous landscape, battling evil henchmen – to survive and return to real life.
Jumanji: Reverse the Curse is The VOID’s second collaboration with Sony Pictures Virtual Reality; the first was Ghostbusters: Dimension which was the first VR experience based on external IP to be hosted at The VOID. While Ghostbusters has been mostly phased out of The VOID, the company says Jumanji will be one of its best yet.
“Through close collaboration [with Sony Pictures Virtual Reality] on this project, we have been able to develop a dimension that is more interactive and immersive than any VOID experience has ever been before,” says Curtis Hickman, The VOID’s Chief Creative Officer. “Utilizing new technology and more illusion design, Jumanji: Reverse the Curse is a true adventure that travelers will want to experience over and over again.”
Jumanji: Reverse the Curse will launch on November 27th (tickets available starting November 16th) and be available through the holiday season at the following VOID locations, according to the company:
Cinemark West Plano, Plano, Texas
Grand Canal Shoppes in The Venetian and The Palazzo Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada
Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica, California
Westfield San Francisco Centre, San Francisco, California
The Battery Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia
Mall of America, Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Rec Room at Square One, Mississauga, Ontario
The Rec Room Toronto Roundhouse, Toronto, Ontario
The Rec Room West Edmonton Mall, Edmonton, Alberta
Resorts World Genting, Pahang Darul Makmur, Malaysia
Tysons Corner, McLean, Virginia
Jumanji: Reverse the Curse launches ahead up the upcoming film Jumanji: The Next Level, which is due for release in December.
The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure is the latest VR game featuring Rovio’s classic characters. We take a deep dive to see if it’s worth your time in our full review below!
As the mobile gaming world moved beyond the once formidable Angry Birds and found new juggernauts like Pokemon Go and Fortnite, the far-flung fowl got busy building their own multimedia empire with movies, mash-ups, and all sorts of spin-offs to keep the birds pop culturally relevant. In that spirit comes their latest effort and movie tie-in, The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure. You’d be forgiven for thinking it’s a quick cash-in, but in reality it’s an enjoyable, if brief and somewhat flawed, VR game designed for the whole family.
Under Pressure pairs the feathered and furious with their pig frenemies and takes them deep under the sea in a frantic and surprisingly well-designed asynchronous multiplayer game. In Under Pressure, player one will wear the VR headset playing a pig and operate a giant magnet while overseeing each level from an isometric view above. Meanwhile, optional players 2-4 can join in as the birds below who help perform the hectic treasure hunts by repairing machines, converting low-level treasures to more lucrative types, crafting and loading ammo, and clearing the deck of any obstacles, like TNT crates and junk that washes up with the loot.
The end result is the same sort of funny stress you find in Overcooked! or Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime where players’ assembly lines can be undone by increasingly out of control mission parameters. Under Pressure impressively piles on new mechanics with every level. Early simplistic layouts of the submarine eventually give way to more labyrinthine designs that offer tricky shortcuts, demanding players young and old will not only need to master the controls, but weigh risks versus rewards constantly in any given level.
Timing is everything, and any flock not willing to work cohesively will quickly find themselves sunken. The goal is to collect enough treasure to max out with three stars and in later levels it will take something close to perfection. Like those aforementioned titans of co-op, Under Pressure is not meant to be bested in one go. The brief nine-level story mode can be one-starred in about two hours, but to see the bonus modes after that, you’ll need many more stars than the bare minimum.
Those bonus modes continue to throw in new mechanics too, which extends the life of the game and gives a great reason to improve earlier scores. It’s a bit strange how it’s all sorted, with the four modes being Story, Bonus, Challenges, and Extra, it seems like those latter three are all really the same thing in name, and conceptually all four are really part of the same progression anyway. Beyond stars unlocking more levels, there’s little reason to return to the game. Cosmetic items like new hats can be earned but that’s as far as that goes. Still, for the arcade-hearted players, three-starring every level will be a fun and difficult challenge. At times, it can seem perhaps too difficult given the target audience, meaning some later levels may stay forever locked, but like those games it’s inspired by, half the fun comes in the humorous failures that are guaranteed to arise in any group.
One of the clearest signs of Under Pressure being greater than the shovelware some may assume of it comes via its sound design. Every action by players or by the world the players react to is cleverly instructive. With so much going on at all times, you could easily get lost in the chaos, but audio cues tip off when important events are unfolding, like when treasure is within reach, when TNT has come aboard the sub, or when you’ve got 30 seconds left to finish stacking your loot or clearing the deck. Each chime or whoosh becomes its own tuning fork for the players who become Pavlov’s birds almost subconsciously taught to do what needs to be done and urgently so.
While the game is designed for and obviously better in co-op, you can play it solo too. In this mode, the VR player can swap between the magnet-equipped pig and a bird below, but with just one deckhand and the inability to easily multitask, it’s the inferior way to play. On top of that, head tracking often went awry when playing solo in my experience. Swapping between pig and bird meant my view and aim was poorly misaligned when trying to use the magnet again. It’s as quick a fix in Under Pressure as it is with any PSVR game — a brief hold of the Options button will set you straight — but when it happens so often in a game where every second counts, it grows to become borderline inexcusable.
As there’s no walking to be done in first-person, the game avoids those nausea-inducing moments which drag down some other VR experiences. I never felt even a moment of dizziness or trouble outside of the head-tracking failures when I played alone, and even those disappeared when I played in co-op.
The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure Trailer:
The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure Review – Final Verdict
The Angry Birds Movie 2 VR: Under Pressure borrows not from the forgotten heap of licensed tie-in games of the past and instead looks to mimic some of co-op gaming’s recent hits. It does so admirably and comes out as a game surprisingly worthwhile if you’re playing in co-op. When flying solo, persistent issues hamper the game, but with a flock of friends or family, it’s a happily hectic and cleverly built game for the VR player and their sidekicks alike.
: Dimension, Sony Pictures Virtual Reality has continued to believe in our unique ability to bring stories to life in a fully immersive, social and dynamic way,” said Curtis Hickman, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of The VOID in a statement. “Through close collaboration on this project, we have been able to develop a dimension that is more interactive and immersive than any VOID experience has ever been before. Utilizing new technology and more illusion design, Jumanji: Reverse the Curse is a true adventure that travellers will want to experience over and over again.”
