firewall ultra

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Competitive PSVR 2 Shooter ‘Firewall Ultra’ Reveals Co-op PvE Mode, Live Service Ambitions

Firewall Ultra, the next-gen sequel to the popular PSVR-exclusive shooter, launches next week and with it, a co-op PvE mode supporting up to four players.

Set to launch next week on August 24th on PSVR 2, Firewall Ultra is just around the corner. Today developer First Contact Entertainment revealed the game will go beyond its pure PvP roots with a co-op PvE mode. While it doesn’t sound anything like full-featured campaign, the studio claims it has been planning the mode from the start.

Called Exfil (short for Exfiltration), the new mode will see up to four players battling bots across the game’s array of maps as they seek to activate objectives and then return to an evac zone for extraction.

When you first load into a mission in Exfil, you’ll hack into one of two available access points to reveal the laptop locations and then make your plan of attack. Will you try to split up to cover more ground as a squad, or will you stick together to cover each other’s backs? Do you plan to sneak through corridors and try to remain undetected for as long as possible, or will you roll up guns blazing to wage war? The choice is yours since every level in Exfil is like a miniature playground with a wide assortment of options and possible scenarios.

First Contact says it has “designed each map to accommodate both PvE and PvP game modes so you’re always uncovering new pathways through levels and finding great flanking spots to take out enemies.”

The studio says it has spent time making sure the AI enemies are more than just cannon fodder.

“At the start of a mission the enemy units won’t know your location, so they’ll simply be preoccupied patrolling around the map. Once you initiate a hack and start firefights, that’s when things get more intense. Reinforcements equipped with various weapons will dynamically converge on your position from around the map in unique ways to keep you on your toes,” the studio says. “AI enemies also have an assortment of gadgets at their disposal, similar to players, with the ability to throw out grenades, lay traps, breach rooms by kicking down doors, and even deploy C4 charges. These aren’t your run of the mill AI bots that just run into the line of fire blindly—they take cover, flank you, and react to your moves intelligently.”

Co-op VR experiences are great, but the odds are low that many of your friends have their own PSVR 2 headset to play with you. Luckily First Contact says the PvE mode can be played privately with friends (or solo) and includes public matchmaking to join you up with other players.

Firewall Ultra’s Live Service Ambitions

While predecessor Firewall Zero Hour on PSVR eventually transformed into a live service game with regular seasons that brought new maps and other content, First Contact says Firewall Ultra is being designed as a live service title from the ground up.

Firewall Ultra is designed as the kind of game you can keep coming back to again and again over time on your PSVR 2 and consistently find something fresh and new to do and see. As a live service title, that means constant updates with new content such as maps, weapons, and contractors, as well as redesigns for locations like the shooting range and safehouse lobby environment,” the studio shares. “We want this to feel like a living, breathing world that evolves over time. Just like the world of Firewall Ultra is five years into the future from the previous Firewall title (Firewall Zero Hour), as time goes on, Firewall Ultra itself will also see changes.”

To that end players can almost certainly expect seasonal paid battle passes, just like the original game, which could offer new cosmetics and maybe even contractors for a fee.

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Firewall Ultra launches on August 24th, 2023 at 8AM PT, exclusively on PSVR 2. The game is priced at $40 for the standard edition and $60 for the deluxe edition; pre-orders are available now.

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PSVR 2 Team Shooter ‘Firewall Ultra’ Confirmed for 2023 Release

Firewall Ultra, the team shooter exclusive to PSVR 2, doesn’t have a release date yet, however developers First Contact Entertainment confirmed with Road to VR it’s indeed releasing sometime this year. In the meantime, the studio has revealed a new character to its lineup of Contractors.

Firewall Ultra is the upcoming sequel to the well-recieved squad-based shooter Firewall Zero Hour, which launched on the original PSVR in 2018. While we were hoping to hear news of the sequel’s actual release date, it appears we’ll have to wait a little longer, as the studio announced it’s confirmed for 2023 release.

We didn’t know when it was going to launch when it was initially announced back in September. At the time we speculated it may even be a launch day title, but now given the indefinite ‘2023’ launch window, it seems we’ll be left waiting.

PSVR 2 is set to launch on February 22nd, and to keep the hype for what could become the platform’s most prominent team shooter, the studio also revealed a new character to the lineup. Here’s what First Contact says about the new character, Havoc:

Havoc joins the fray in Firewall Ultra as a brand-new Contractor. With a background as a decorated former elite military operative, he is well-trained, well-conditioned, and well-equipped to get the job done—despite his cocky attitude. He was kicked out of the program after a big disagreement with a superior and is now looking to make a name for himself in the world of private contracting.

In Firewall Ultra, his Conditioned skill increases his resistance to bullet damage and deploys a mine once he’s eliminated from battle.

In the meantime, you can wishlist the PSVR 2 exclusive game here.

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Here’s Every Game Announced for PSVR 2

Sony has revealed the price and launch date for PSVR 2, although it still hasn’t tossed out a launch day lineup for PSVR 2. We’re adding more games to out running list though the closer we move to the February 22nd launch of PSVR 2.

Here’s a look at what we hope will be a quickly growing list of all games announced for PSVR 2 thus far. Also, don’t forget to check out our detailed hands-on with PSVR 2 hardware to see what sets it apart from the original.

There is no list of launch-day games yet. In our list, we take a look at the games officially mentioned by Sony, followed by the rapidly growing number of studios committing to support PSVR 2 at some point.

Horizon Call of the Mountain

Horizon Call of the Mountain isn’t a log flume ride or hollow VR “experience” like the trailer might suggest. Nay, developed by Sony’s first-party Guerrilla Games and Firesprite Studios, the first VR take on the Horizon universe is going to be an honest to goodness story campaign the devs say will take around seven hours to complete, along with some “additional content” included in the game.

Check out our hands-on here.

Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge

Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge is an action-adventure experience where you’ll take on the role of a droid repair technician operating near the Outer Rim. First introduced on Meta Quest in 2020, this will be the first time this run-and-gun, Star Wars-flavored adventure will be available outside of the Meta ecosystem.

Check out our spoiler-free review here

Resident Evil Village

Capcom is bringing Resident Evil Village to PSVR 2, and it says the game will provide “an even deeper immersive experience by taking full advantage of the vivid graphics possible with the headset’s 4K HDR display, PlayStation VR2’s eye tracking, PS5’s 3D Audio and more.” Lady Dimitrescu awaits!

Resident Evil 4

Resident Evil 4 is already available on Quest 2, although this particular version is a classic zombie shooter of another stripe. The game coming to PSVR 2 is actually the remake, so we’re getting all new everything this time around and not just uprezzed textures. We’re hoping the VR support is as good as the Quest 2 version, and decidedly better than RE7 Biohazard, which wasn’t bad, but it is showing its age since it was released in 2017.

Demeo

Created by VR veteran Resolution Games, Demeo is a VR take on a tabletop RPG dungeon crawler. It has fared remarkably well on Quest 2 and PC VR headsets since release in 2021, which is in part thanks to its basement-themed, D&D-style action that lets you unite with friends for a tactical gaming night from afar.

Check out our review here

No Man’s Sky

The redemption story continues, as Hello Games vows to bring its space exploration simulator to PSVR 2, including all of the successive patches and DLC drops that took it from procedurally generated empty shell to a universe truly brimming with possibilities.

The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners Chapter 2

This is a full-fat sequel to VR’s most popular games as of late, The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners. Like the first in the series, you’ll scrounge around a post-apocalyptic New Orleans that’s not only brimming with the undead, but also rival gangs that you can choose to join or battle. Physics-based combat, low ammo supplies, and a very touchy stamina system means you’ll need to think long and hard before running into that crowd of walkers.

Firewall Ultra

It’s not clear how much “new” content we’re getting right out of the bat with First Contact’s next Firewall game, which like the original promises tactical squad-based shooting action across a host of maps, although Firewall Ultra is decidedly the future of the franchise. We can expect to see legacy maps, characters and weapons, but also updates for more of everything down the line.

The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR

Supermassive Games just revealed The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR, or what it calls a “fast-paced roller coaster action-horror-shooter where every move you make, and everything you see, could mean the difference between life and death.” Set inside the sinister world of The Dark Pictures Anthology, Switchback VR makes good use of headset eye-tracking: some enemies only move when you blink (Visine not included).

Crossfire: Sierra Squad

Smilegate tossed out a trailer to a brand-new VR game called Crossfire: Sierra Squad, a first-person shooter in the Crossfire universe. The game is played either solo or in co-op mode with up to 4 players on a team as you battle against AI baddies. The studio says there are 39 types of weapons including pistols, rifles, throwable – and throw back-able – grenades and sniper rifles with revolutionary scope mechanics give you plenty of options to dispatch 17 types of enemies.

The Light Brigade

Funktronic Labs showed off a new single-player roguelike game called The Light Brigade which it says is “filled with immersive gunplay and moody mystery.” Uncover the mystery of the gloomy ‘Sunken World’ as you climb the ranks of the titular Light Brigade, unlock firearms and unique spells. The Light Brigade will be available for pre-order starting November 15th.

Hello Neighbor: Search and Rescue

tinyBuild Games and Steel Wool Studios (Five Nights at Freddy’s) announced a VR take on viral indie hit Hello Neighbor, which is coming to both PSVR and PSVR 2 with cross-buy. “Mr. Peterson’s creepy house takes on a new level of immersion in VR, and there is nothing quite as scary as actually seeing that familiar shadow tower over you just before everything goes black,” tinyBuild says. Hello Neighbor: Search and Rescue will be available for pre-order starting November 15th.

Pistol Whip VR

Cloudhead Games is bringing a free PSVR 2 upgrade to the PSVR version of its award-winning physical action-rhythm game where thrilling gunplay and dynamic tracks collide, creating a dreamscape world for players to blast, duck, and dodge their way through to become the ultimate action hero.

Cities VR – Enhanced Edition

With its intial launch on Quest earlier this year, Fast Travel Games managed to bring Cities: Skylines to VR, albeit in a slightly smaller package to run on VR hardware. Smaller, as in the size of your city: you’re actually a Godzilla-sized goliath towering over your little town as you manage all of its buildings and keep up with city planning.

Cosmonious High

Owlchemy Labs is known for highly interactive, super approachable VR games, such as award-winning titles Job Simulator and its sequel Vacation Simulator. This one went live a few months ago on Quest and PC VR headsets, and we can’t wait to see PSVR 2’s eye-tracking bring our avatars to life.

Zenith: The Last City

From Ramen VR comes the PSVR 2 version of its Kickstarter success story, the MMORPG know as Zenith: The Last City. Promised to be a day-one launch title, there are hundreds of hours of content to chew through in this well-realized VR native.

Tentacular

Initially launched on Quest and PC VR, Firepunchd Games is bringing its wild adventure where you, a gigantic but good-hearted tentacled beast, is trying to figure out your place in the world. Help your human friends to research a strange and incredibly powerful energy source. Make progress by solving a colossal mix of action-based activities and physical constructions puzzles which unlock elements for your very own playground.

After The Fall

Launched on PC VR, Quest and the original PSVR, Vertigo Games is bringing an enhanced version of the co-op zombie shooter to PSVR 2. If you haven’t heard of it before, it’s essentially Left4Dead, but in VR, letting you sweep through levels with friends and strangers as you mow down massive hordes of zombioid baddies. Upgrade your stuff, come back for more.

Jurassic World Aftermath Collection

Coatsink originally brought this two-part psychological dino-thriller to Quest, making for a heart-pounding game of cat-and-mouse with a gaggle of Raptor baddies. Use your eyes and ears to alert you to impending doom, and hide from certain death if you can, Make sure to check out our spoiler-free review of both part 1 and 2 on Quest to see what’s in store.

Altair Breaker

Initially released on Steam and PSVR, Altair Breker is a map-based sword fighting game from the makers of Swords of Gargantua, Thirdverse. You can team up with three other friends or go it alone as you for an adventure that the studio says its for “players who want to experience stylish sword-fighting action and feel like the hero in an anime world.”

XR

Thirdverse is also developing a multiplayer shooter called X8, which is set to launch on PSVR 2 in addition to PC VR and Quest 2. Developed by Thirdverse’s US-based studio, the 5v5 hero shooter is slated to arrive on those other platforms sometime this winter before rolling out to PSVR 2 at some point.

Other Games Announced for PSVR 2

  • 2MD: VR Football Unleashed All-Star – Truant Pixel
  • Affected: The Asylum – Fallen Planet Studios
  • Aliens VR – Survios
  • Alvo – Mardonpol
  • Afterlife VR – Split Light Studio
  • Among Us VR – Schell Games and Innersloth
  • Black Top Hoops – Vinci Games
  • Black Trail – Red Horizon
  • Distortion VR – Future Mental Games
  • Do Not Open – Nox Noctis
  • Dropship Commander – Strange Games Studios
  • Engram – Maze Theory
  • Firmament – Cyan Worlds
  • The Exorcist Legion VR: Sin – Pocket Money Games
  • Galaxy Karts – VR Monkey
  • Ghostbusters VR – nDreams, Sony Pictures Virtual Reality (SPVR)
  • Ghosts of Tabot of Tabor – Combat Waffle
  • Golf+ – Golfscope Inc
  • Green Hell VR – Incuvo
  • Grimlord – MetalCat Interactive Technology
  • Hellsplit Arena – DeepType Games
  • Hubris – Cyborn
  • Hypestacks – Squirrel Bytes
  • Kayak VR: Mirage – Better Than Life
  • The Last Worker – Wired Productions
  • LONN – SixSense Studios
  • LOW FI – Iris VR
  • Madison – Bloodious Games
  • Medieval Dynasty – RenderCube
  • Mixture – Played With Fire
  • Neolithic Dawn – James Bellian
  • Pavlov – Vankrupt Games
  • Project Lousianna: The Bounds VR – Build the Light Studio
  • Propagation Paradise Hotel – Wannadev Studio
  • Requisition – Arcadia VR
  • Runner – Truan Pixel
  • Samurai Slaughter House – Tab Games
  • Shadowgate VR: The Mines of Mythrok – Zojoi LLC. and Azure Drop Studios
  • Soul of Kaeru – BrainUp
  • Stranger Things: The VR Experience – Tender Claws
  • Super Kit: To the Top – Electric Hat Games
  • Tin Hearts – Rogue Sun
  • The Twilight Zone VR – Pocket Money Games
  • Ultrawings 2 – BitPlanet Games
  • Volcanic Core – Synthesis Universe
  • The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners Chapter 1 – Skydance Interactive
  • Wandering in Space – Moonseer Games

Unannounced PSVR 2 Games

  • Archiact sci-fi game
  • Firesprite horror game
  • Vitruvius VR sci-fi game

Update (November 28th, 2022): Eurogamer’s Ian Highton has mentioned a few more titles coming in a video breakdown that has filled in some gaps in our list. We’ve added X8 and Altair Breaker to the official Sony-sanctioned list, and a handful of others in the studio-announced titles listed above.


Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below so we can include it in our list!

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