Category: The Brookhaven Experiment

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Oculus Creep Into Their Store’s Crypt, Return With Gear VR And Oculus Rift Horror Sale (Updated)

The temperature is getting colder, the nights are getting darker, and there’s more than a few unsavoury noises coming from beyond the foggy darkness. It’s the witching hour draws near and Halloween is just a short while away.

Throughout the few couple of weeks we’ve been keeping you up to date constantly on all the latest Halloween related updates, be they related to new content as we’ve seen today with Luden.io’s pumpkin-filled update for city destruction sandbox videogame VRobot. Limited time bundle deals, as we’ve seen from HTC Vive adding Star Trek: Bridge Crew into the sales deal for a short time. New releases such as OBSCURA, The Exorcist: Legion VR and Stifled. Even augmented reality (AR) videogames are getting in on the act with Scooby-Doo Go, another dog – this time a ghostly one – in the form of Bydo’s Return and of course the inevitable update from Niantic Labs for Pokémon GO.

For Oculus themselves they have several items in the offing; including Echo Arena‘s 2017 Halloween Bash, with the VR multiplayer title receiving a makeover with mysterious sights, new costume options to customise your avatar and a number of spooky and peculiar holiday-themed toys for you to play around with – if they don’t decide to play with you, that is. There’s been a small focus on re-advertising some fright filled experiences as well, with the likes of ABR VR receiving a new trailer upload on Oculus’ YouTube Channel.

ABE VR screenshotThe best news for Oculus Rift owners though must surely though be the newly announced Halloween sale which has, for the second year in a row, now gone live on the Oculus Store. Seventeen Oculus Rift along with sixteen Samsung Gear VR videogames and experiences have been reduced in price for a limited time.  The full list is below.

Oculus Rift:

Gear VR:

There will no doubt be more Halloween related updates coming soon, be sure to stay informed by checking back regularly with VRFocus.
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The Best Indie VR Games on PC

Many years ago, virtual reality (VR) was simply a fantasy. One of the first times it was ever described was back in 1936 by a science fiction writer. But now, many people use VR headsets tethered to smartphones, gaming consoles, and PCs. In fact, research firm KZero estimates that there could be over 171 million people who will use VR software and hardware next year.

When it comes to playing games, nothing can beat the experience of virtual reality gaming. With VR headsets and other gear, you are not just playing a game, but it feels like you are IN the game. There are a lot of games you can play with your VR and among them are indie games created by independent developers or sometimes, a small team of developers. Here are the best indie games you should definitely play on PC with your VR:

Holopoint

Developed by Alzan Studios, Holopoint is for gamers who are into archery. Real life archery can be expensive or perhaps your schedule does not permit you to play the sport. Instead of going to an archery range, you can just play Holopoint. This indie VR game gives you the chance to fire away one arrow after another whenever you want.

Holopoint is an action-packed game where you play the hero. Your task is to fight several waves of enemies with your bow and arrow. The waves get harder as you complete each of the levels. This indie VR game is for you if you want some archery madness coming your way.

Raw Data

Raw Data is an indie game that is actually quite successful. It was the first VR best-selling game on Steam. It is a hit sci-fi game that quickly got the attention of VR gamers. Raw Data by Survios is a strategy or shooter game set in a futuristic world.

As the player of the game, you will be given two choices on which hero to play, whether it is Saija the Cyber Ninja or Bishop the Gun Cleric. Once you have selected the hero you will play as; you will have to infiltrate the evil Eden Corp. Your mission, which is to steal data to destroy the company, is not easy because you have to be prepared for the many enemies waiting for you.

Vanishing Realms

Here is another great indie game that you can play with your VR headset on PC. Vanishing Realms is a fun RPG game that is developed by Indimo Labs. The game has good motion controls that allow players to explore a different kind of world where they can also test their battling skills. The enemies include life-sized monsters, which you will have to beat while you continue with your given tasks.

You do not have to be an RPG fan to like this game. It is a single-player game where you get to travel various locales in the virtual world and fight monsters as you go along. It is like a mash-up of Skyrim and The Legend of Zelda with highly responsive controls for your adventure.

The Brookhaven Experiment

The Brookhaven Experiment is from the developer Phosphor Games. If you are a fan of horror games or you are brave enough to face any horrific scene on VR, this game is recommended for you. In The Brookhaven Experiment, your goal is to survive the game. Some weapons and tools will help you live through the whole game, but it is up to you how you use them against the monsters.

The game also gives the players a chance to discover how the unfortunate event happened where zombies have started appearing in town. Aside from that, you could even stop the strange events from happening if you figure out some important things in the game. Just like Vanishing Realms, The Brookhaven Experiment is a single player game. It is certainly not for the faint-hearted because of the graphics and the realistic sound. If you are a horror-junkie though, you should definitely add this game to your collection.

Hover Junkers

If you are looking for a first-person shooter game, Hover Junkers may be what you want to play what your VR today. Developed by Stress Level Zero, Hover Junkers is set in a futuristic time and place where everything on earth has degraded. In the game, you will play as one of the junk hunters where you will find as many scraps as you can.

There are almost 20 ships that you can choose from. They range in size from small to really huge ships. You will use these ships when you go to the multiplayer arena of the game where you will need to fight against enemy players. Your chosen ship can be fortified using the scraps that you have found, which is why it is important that you keep looking for them.

Redefine your way of playing indie games with the help of your VR equipment. Connect your VR to your PC and start playing the games above.

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Phosphor Studios’ The Brookhaven Experiment Comes to Gear VR

Originally launched on HTC Vive back in July 2016, Phosphor Studio’s horror wave shooter The Brookhaven Experiment then arrived on Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR that same year. Now the developer has brought the experience to mobile, arriving on Samsung Gear VR today.

Available through the Gallery Apps section of Oculus Home, The Brookhaven Experiment is a first-person shooter where players have to fight back waves of hell spawned creatures, using only a torch and gun. Being a port of a HTC Vive title one of the biggest differences is the visual fidelity. This has obviously been reduced to cater to mobile devices which can be seen in the launch trailer below.

The Brookhaven Experiment GearVR image2

Retailing for £5.99 GBP on the Oculus Store the title supports both touchpad and the new Gear VR 3DoF controller for a more immersive experience. 

For the latest updates from Phosphor Studios, keep reading VRFocus.

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The Brookhaven Experiment Gets A Gear VR Version, Available Now

The Brookhaven Experiment Gets A Gear VR Version, Available Now

The Brookhaven Experiment by Phosphor Games, one of VR’s most popular titles from 2016, is officially coming to Gear VR with a mobile version that’s available starting right now on the Oculus Home Store.

As one of the first VR wave shooters and one of the first VR zombie games, The Brookhaven Experiment’s success and popularity is largely responsible for two of the biggest trends you’ll see in VR gaming right now, especially on Steam. The game is already available, in full, on HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and PlayStation VR. Now, it’s coming to Gear VR with support for that platform’s one-handed motion controller.

The most noticeable difference between the “full” PC and PSVR version of the game and the stripped down Gear VR version is the visual fidelity. You can still see it’s the same game, but if you look closely, you can clearly tell them apart. This change was obviously necessary to make the port happen at all.

And once you play the Gear VR version, you’ll then realize that the majority of the game’s entire design has been reworked too, according to Jarod Pranno, Co-Founder of Phosphor Games:

Due to the differences between PC VR hardware and mobile VR hardware, a straight port of Brookhaven was not an option. We had to almost rebuild the game from the ground up, which was a lot of work but gave us the chance to make some fundamental changes to the game to make it more appropriate for the GearVR HMD and controller. “The Brookhaven Experiment” for GearVR is more of a streamlined, arcade-style experience. The game features five maps, each of which has an end boss that can be defeated to unlock the next map. Maps can also be played after the end boss has been defeated for high score, with each wave escalating in difficulty, similar to the survival mode of Brookhaven PC.
Instead of an inventory, upgrades are acquired in each map as the player defeats waves, with better scores leading to better and better upgrades. Good scores also allow the player to acquire high-powered temporary weapons, which are discarded when they run out of ammo, and throwable grenades.

Other than that though, the heart is still the same. You’re still spinning around in circles as zombies descend on you, you’re still frantically aiming and shooting, and you’re still trying to scrape by wave-after-wave to progress further.

According to Phosphor Games the Gear VR version of The Brookhaven Experiment should already be live on the Oculus Home Store by the time you’re reading this article.

Let us know what you think down in the comments below!

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Here’s All the Games You Can Play with Your New PlayStation Aim Controller

The highly-anticipated Farpoint is launching exclusively for PlayStation VR today, and is compatible with a brand new accessory: the PlayStation Aim controller. A bundle including the PlayStation Aim and Farpoint is available, but there’s more to this new device than just one videogame.

The Brookhaven Experiment

The Brookhaven Experiment screenshot

An update to introduce support for the Aim controller is coming on 6th June, 2017 to this horror shooter title from Phosphor Studio. The Brookhaven Experiment was previously a HTC Vive exclusive before being ported to PlayStation VR with some changes, including implementing more realistic graphics and simplifying the inventory and loudout system.

Dick Wilde

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First-person wave shooter Dick Wilde features a whole array of strange weaponry, such as nail gun, paintball guns and harpoon rifles, all of which will be made compatible with the Aim controller in a future update along with the other two-handed weapons to make shooting alligators and piranha easier.

Arizona Sunshine

ArizonaSunshine_PSGamepage (6)

Airzona Sunshine is one of the most popular VR first-person shooters available on the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Featuring the zombie apocalypse and a desperate struggle to survive in the harsh desert conditions, this title will also feature support for the Aim controller when it comes to PlayStation VR in June 2017. Using the Aim controller limits players to a single weapon, but by recompense, accuracy is much increased.

Rom: Extraction

ROM Extraction screenshot 7

Fast-paced action shooter Rom: Extraction has a unique feature where instead us using a standard arsenal of guns, players instead throw orbs that have two potential functions: igniting the orbs to attain kills, or activating an effect that slows down time allowing the players to strategically pick off targets. The Aim controller will effectively act as an orb launcher. Rom: Extraction will be coming to PlayStation VR sometime in summer.

VRFocus will bring you further information on when Aim Controller support is introduced and what other titles will support the Aim controller as that information becomes available.

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7 Games You Can’t Miss In PSVR’s First Big Sale

7 Games You Can’t Miss In PSVR’s First Big Sale

If you’re a PS4 user in Europe, you probably know that, every two weeks, Sony hosts a sale on its PlayStation Store, slashing the prices on tons of games of a certain theme or category. It was only a matter of time before such a sale hit the slate of PlayStation VR (PSVR) games that have released over the past six months and, today, that’s finally happened.

A whole heap of PSVR games have gone on sale on the EU store, including some of the biggest launch titles like Battlezone, EVE: Valkyrie and Driveclub VR. PSVR players are an eager bunch, so you’ve likely already picked up many of the headset’s bigger games. As such, we’ve picked out seven lesser known titles that you should definitely consider grabbing over the next two weeks.

Bound – £7.99

Bound is one of those games you might not know supports VR; Plastic’s beautiful platformer, that turns simple actions like running and jumping into elegant dance moves, released long before PSVR came out. Surprisingly, though, its launch integration with the headset remains one of the best experiences for it so far, and the developers continue to improve it with PS4 Pro support and other updates. Don’t miss it.

Wayward Sky – £9.49

Wayward Sky might not be the most challenging of puzzle/adventure games, but it’s got more than enough charm to make up for it, and a smart implementation of VR locomotion too. You play as a young girl that sets out to save her father when they crash land on a mysterious floating fortress. Played with two Move controllers, you move in third-person, peering down into a wonderful model world, and then take over in first-person for specific actions. It’s a wonderful little adventure.

Tethered – £11.49

Six months on from release and Tethered remains one of the few games that would satisfy VR gamers looking for a demanding tactical challenge. The game has you commanding tiny ‘peeps’ as they gather resources and defeat enemies all in an effort to raise your spirit energy. Since we reviewed it it’s been updated to support PlayStation Move, which gives you an even greater degree of control over the action. This is one for PSVR owners that want proper games.

Windlands – £13.99

Windlands gives a lot of iron stomached VR gamers what they’ve been asking for; full locomotion with analogue sticks. But it doesn’t stop there, as this Spider-Man simulator has you swinging from branches and platforms across floating islands, gathering collectables and leaping across chasms. Move support is on the way, so if you’ve been holding out for it then you might want to pick this one up now.

How We Soar – £9.99

Sadly soaring under many people’s radar, we can’t recommend this one enough. How We Soar is an enchanting little adventure that tells the story of a writer and the worlds he builds using origami-style visuals. You ride on the back of a phoenix, and we’ve never so badly wanted to bring our hands into an experience so that we could grab its bright red feathers as we flew. We try not to use the term magical too much, but How We Soar definitely fits the bill.

The Brookhaven Experiment – £9.49

PSVR might not have the same 360 degree tracking capabilities as the HTC Vive, but The Brookhaven Experiment still makes a pretty good case for porting games from the SteamVR headset over to PS4. The console version of this wave shooter has some smart workarounds to bring the full experience to users without causing issues with occlusion, meaning you can have a fun, immersive and fully frightening time blasting away deformed monsters.

Werewolves Within – £14.99

The only game on this list made by a big publisher, Werewolves Within is Ubisoft’s lesser-known but creatively fascinating multiplayer VR game, unjustly sitting in the shadows of Eagle Flight and Star Trek. It tasks players with finding which of their troupe is secretly a vicious werewolf. The player in control of the disguised beast must do all they can to lead others astray. It’s a brilliant example of the new kinds of experiences social VR can create.

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Eagle Flight, Pinball FX2, Surgeon Simulator: ER and More Added to PlayStation VR Sale

While the Oculus and Steam winter sales have now ended, PlayStation VR owners are getting even more deals with 14 new titles added to the January sale.

Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) launched its PlayStation sale just before Christmas, with 13 virtual reality (VR) videogames included. Those discounts end today, but the newly featured titles below are on offer until 20th January 2017. The deals aren’t available in every territory so check your PlayStation Store to see which ones have been included, all the discounts and prices listed below are for the UK.

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  • Ace Banana – £7.39 (was £11.49 GBP)
  • Eagle Flight – £24.99 (was £34.99)
  • Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes – £7.99 (was £11.99)
  • KISMET – £3.99 (was £5.79)
  • Loading Human: Chapter 1 – £19.99 (was £34.99)
  • Pinball FX2 VR – £9.49 (was £11.99)
  • Pixel Gear – £5.79 (was £8.99)
  • Robinson: The Journey – £34.99 (was £54.99)
  • SUPERHYPERCUBE – £15.99 (was £24.99)
  • Surgeon Simulator: Experience Reality – £12.99 (was £15.99)
  • The Brookhaven Experiment – £10.99 (was £14.99)
  • VEV: Viva Ex Vivo‎ VR Edition – £2.49 (was £3.99)
  • Weeping Doll – £5.79 (was £7.99)
  • Werewolves Within – £15.99 (was £24.99)

So if you’ve still got some cash left over from Christmas now’s a good time to build your PlayStation VR library. For the latest PlayStation VR news, keep reading VRFocus.

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New PlayStation VR Releases For The Week Of 11/06/16

New PlayStation VR Releases For The Week Of 11/06/16

It’s a pretty good week to be a PS VR owner. There are only two completely new releases, but they’re big ones for Sony’s headset, and European fans will finally be getting access to one of the platform’s best launch games too.

If you missed last week, you can see those new releases here. Also, UploadVR recently launched the ‘UploadVR PS VR Community’ on PlayStation 4! Join up, find other gamers to play with, and engage in discussions.

Robinson: The Journey, from Crytek
Price: $59.99

The makers of Far Cry, Crysis and Oculus Rift exclusive The Climb return this week with their brand new PlayStation VR adventure. Step into the shoes of Robin, a young boy that crash lands on the uncharted planet of Tyson III. Together with your AI companion, HIGS, you’ll explore the treacherous lands in search of other survivors.

Recommendation: Robinson is a beautiful adventure, though one you might want to wait for a sale on.

Eagle Flight, from Ubisoft Montreal
Price: $39.99

First released on Rift, now moving over to PS VR. Eagle Flight is the debut VR effort from videogame publishing giant Ubisoft and a compelling first-person flight game in which you explore a beautiful rendition of post-apocalyptic Paris as a majestic eagle. Single and multiplayer modes included.

Recommendation: Eagle Flight is great, but be warned it’s somewhat lacking in content.

The Brookhaven Experiment, from Phosphor Games Studio
Price: £14.99 (Now available in EU)

One of the HTC Vive’s scariest shooters makes its way over to PS VR and is mostly intact. Stand on the spot and use two PlayStation Move controllers to aim weapons and pour bullets into mutated beasts. Turn 180 degrees with the press of a button to make sure occlusion isn’t an issue.

Recommendation: Brookhaven is one of PS VR’s best shooters for the time being.

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The Brookhaven Experiment and Everest VR Coming to Viveport Arcade

When HTC launched Viveport back in August the selection of experiences available was fairly reasonable. After which it introduced Viveport Arcade, a content management and distribution platform giving virtual reality (VR) developers an end-to-end solution for monetizing their content at physical locations such as arcades, internet cafes, theatres and shopping centres. Today the company has announced it’ll be expanding the content line up for Viveport Arcade with the introduction of Phosphor Games’ The Brookhaven Experiment and Sólfar Studios’ Everest VR.

Phosphor Games’ The Brookhaven Experiment, has proven to be a popular title as a fast-paced zombie survival videogame, ideally suited for arcades. Receiving ‘Very Positive’ feedback from the Steam community, the hectic shooter for HTC Vive is a good showcase of the headset.

Everest VR image 1

While Sólfar Studios’ Everest VR guides adventurers through several sequences while ascending Mt. Everest, including notable milestones and interactive events from Base Camp, the Khumbu Icefall, Hillary Step, Camp Four, and the ascent to the summit.

“Viveport Arcade will represent a more than $100 million market opportunity for VR developers in the next two years,” said Rikard Steiber, President of Viveport and SVP of Virtual Reality at HTC. “From the largest amusement centers to arcade installations at family entertainment locations, virtual reality is clearly becoming the next big draw for entertainment. We believe this will be a cornerstone in democratizing access to high-end virtual reality and turning curious consumers into longtime fans.”

“Arcade distribution is going to prove very important for VR and we’re thrilled to be partnered with HTC to lead the charge on Viveport Arcade,” said Justin Corcoran, CEO of Phosphor Games Studio. “As developers, getting our content in the right consumer friendly locations gives us the chance to reach bigger and broader audiences globally, empowering us to continue creating great VR experiences.”

Viveport Arcade is set to launch initially in China and Taiwan before rolling out to thousands of locations by the end of 2017, creating revenue opportunities for VR developers, and greater access to VR for the public.

For all the latest HTC Vive, Viveport and Viveport Arcade news, keep reading VRFocus.

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How ‘The Brookhaven Experiment’ Developers Achieved 360 ‘Roomscale’ Gameplay on PS VR

How ‘The Brookhaven Experiment’ Developers Achieved 360 ‘Roomscale’ Gameplay on PS VR

The PlayStation VR is now out and available to the public. In our review we praised the comfort, affordability, and solid lineup of launch games, but the outdated tracking, camera, and Move controllers are the biggest things holding the device back. While it’s a great seated VR experience under the ideal conditions — low light, not too much movement, a clutter-free playspace, etc — it starts to show blemishes if you attempt to get up and active during a game.

Games like Batman: Arkham VR and Job Simulator are best played standing with the Move controllers, but turning all the way around in 360-degrees isn’t supported very well with the limited tracking range of a single front-facing PlayStation Camera. The HTC Vive uses its lighthouse boxes to track your entire room in real-time, whereas the Oculus Rift will soon support Touch controllers and multiple camera to enable a ‘roomscale’ experience. Since the PlayStation VR only uses LED lights, 360 doesn’t really work. If I turn my back to the Camera, it can no longer see my controllers.

As it turns out, Phosphor Games, the team behind The Brookhaven Experiment, have designed a small, simple feature that allows players to experience a 360-degree roomscale game without having “true” roomscale tracking. They just let you press a button to flip around 180-degrees inside the game world.

“We keep players on edge with a constant threat of enemies from every direction,” said David Bayzer, Lead Programmer on The Brookhaven Experiment for PS VR, during the developer diary video at the top of this article. “To cover every possible angle of attacks, we added a 180-degree flip button on the Move controller that lets players flip themselves in game space and use the PS VR’s range of tracking to cover 360-degrees. The 180-degree flip button is on the secondary knife-hand Move controller. We’re confident that the PS VR can provide the full Brookhaven experience.”

YouTube User: The Coolest Nerd

When Phosphor announced The Brookhaven Experiment was coming to PS VR, it was a bit of a surprise due to the perceived lack of tracking range. While this button-pressing solution does enable a slight work around, the fact remains that this mechanic is far less immersive than physically spinning in place. This player, also pictured above, was able to successfully play the game simply by twisting sideways, but I’d imagine that solution would run into some limitations on more intense levels.

The Brookhaven Experiment released for the HTC Vive back in July and it’s been one of our favorite VR games ever since. If the lack of “full” roomscale support isn’t a deal breaker for you, then this absolutely needs to be in your PS VR game library. It’s now available for download on the NA PSN store for $19.99. The game is expecting to release on the EU store later this month.