PSVR 2 News & Reviews

Creator of Indie Breaktout ‘Braid’ Building Roomscale VR Game With ‘no concessions for stationary play’

braid, braid vr, jonathan blow, jonathan blow vr, Meta Quest 3 News & Reviews, PC VR News & Reviews, PSVR 2 News & Reviews, the witness vr, XR Industry News / Ryan Harris / December 4, 2023

Jonathan Blow, the creator of one of indie gaming’s fomative successes, Braid, has begun hiring a team to develop his first VR game.

Before Fez (2012), before Limbo (2010), and before Minecraft (2009), Braid (2008) was one of the breakout successes in the formative years of indie game development and distribution.

Braid is a fairly basic 2D platformer, but with the twist of intriguing time-manipulation mechanics which made it play more like a puzzle game than a typical side-scroller. The game was widely praised and its success helped indie game development become… well, a thing. Braid is getting an Anniversary Edition next year.

Jonathan Blow, the creator of ‘Braid’ and ‘The Witness’

Now years after his 3D puzzler followup, The Witness (2016), creator Jonathan Blow is ready to try his game design chops in the VR realm with a focus on pure roomscale gameplay.

“This game has a boundary-pushing design and is made for untethered, roomscale play, with none of those game-ruining concessions for seated or stationary play,” says Blow.

While the game is far from a formal announcement, he recently shared that he’s looking to hire a small team of developers for the project, including a VR Lead Programmer:

Lead development of a new VR game, starting the game from scratch, using our in-house engine. This game has a boundary-pushing design and is made for untethered, roomscale play, with none of those game-ruining concessions for seated or stationary play.

Lead one other programmer and work with others at the company to build this game on a relatively rapid timescale. We’re looking for someone very motivated who can build high-quality technical systems without micromanagement.

Experience shipping VR games is a huge plus. Experience with Android and Vulkan rendering are a substantial plus (but it’s not a dealbreaker if you are fluent in some other rendering API). No C# Unity programmers please (unless you just happen to know C# and are better in a systems language than you are in C#).

Our engine and gameplay code are written in the in-house programming language created by Thekla. It is a modern systems language with high-powered features that do not cost runtime performance; we recommend looking into the language before applying.

Given the job description (“tetherless,” “Android,” etc), it sounds like the game is very likely to target Quest as a first priority, though Blow hasn’t confirmed any specific platforms of release.

Speaking to Road to VR Blow said that although this will be his first VR game, he’s dabbled in the medium before.

“I have been interested in VR for a long time. We had The Witness running on Valve’s pre-production hardware [prior to HTC Vive]. But the time was never right for me to do a game,” he said.

As for why he’s looking back toward VR now? He says the hardware is ready.

“It is just more about hardware having reached a certain threshold that is pretty good now, so it will only get better from here.”

Blow says development of his new VR game is expected to begin in earnest starting in 2024, so it will be some time before we see a formal announcement.

Creator of Indie Breaktout ‘Braid’ Building Roomscale VR Game With ‘no concessions for stationary play’ Read More »

Propaganda Sim ‘Not for Broadcast’ Coming to PSVR 2 in December

not for broadcast, not for broadcast vr, not games, notgames, PSVR 2 News & Reviews, tinybuild / Ryan Harris / December 1, 2023

Critically-acclaimed propaganda simulator Not for Broadcast VR is finally headed to PSVR 2 this month.

First launched on flatscreen monitors in 2022 and later in a separate VR version for Quest and SteamVR, NotGames announced it’s finally bringing the dystopian broadcast sim to PSVR 2, launching December 14th.

Primarily, Not For Broadcast is about live-mixing camera feeds and making sure the National Nightly News airs without a hitch. Pretty quickly though, you’ll find out that it’s also a game of moral compromises, as you’ll need to balance a finicky public and an increasingly dire situation in what feels like a prequel to George Orwell’s 1984.

You might need to favor a certain political party, jazz up otherwise banal segments with populistic controversy, or even turn in your family member to an increasingly authoritarian government.

This dark and brilliantly satirical take on modern politics and media is also chockfull of big buttons which control full motion video (FMV) clips, making the VR version of the game feel especially close to the bone. We liked in so much when we reviewed it in early 2023, we gave it a resounding [8.5/10]. Check out our no-spoilers review to see why.

In the meantime, you can find Not for Broadcast VR over on the PlayStation Store for your wishlisting pleasure.

Propaganda Sim ‘Not for Broadcast’ Coming to PSVR 2 in December Read More »

Former ‘SUPERHOT VR’ Devs Announce Miniature ‘Toy Trains’ Game for All Major Headsets

Meta Quest 3 News & Reviews, PC VR News & Reviews, PSVR 2 News & Reviews, something random, something random vr, superhot vr, toy trains, trains, trains in vr / Ryan Harris / December 1, 2023

Something Random, a new studio founded by the creators of Superhot VR (2017), announced a pint-sized train simulator game simply called Toy Trains.

The miniature track-building game is all about connecting up disparate pockets of tiny people on the map with a variety of pieces, providing both basic and specialized bits so you can chug your way around or over obstacles.

Here’s how project lead Marcin Jóźwik describes it:

“At its core, it’s a game about making connections. On the gameplay side, we pair little houses with construction sites in order to build meeting places for inhabitants of that world – Railies. On the story side, it’s about the need to uphold connections with other people, even when it proves hard. The theme radiates even outside the game itself. Our goal was to make something that can connect various generations. A title that can be enjoyed by kids, their grandparents, and everyone in between.”

While it’s set to be Something Random’s first game as a studio, the team’s founding members all previously worked at SUPERHOT.

“The design principles in both games are basically the same,” explains Cezary, the team writer/designer. “We’re always laser-focused on delivering gameplay that is easy to understand, fluent, devoid of any unnecessary fluff. If the player is not having fun within the first 15 seconds of the game – we failed at our job.” The other thing that connects those games is that both of them make time stop – but in a very different sense.

Toy Trains is set to launch on Quest 2/3/Pro via App Lab, PSVR 2, and SteamVR headsets on January 16th, 2024. You can download a free demo now on Steam for PC VR headsets.

Update (9: 00 AM ET): A previous version of this article didn’t include info on the planned Quest release.

Former ‘SUPERHOT VR’ Devs Announce Miniature ‘Toy Trains’ Game for All Major Headsets Read More »

‘Resident Evil 4’ VR Mode Coming to PSVR 2 in December, Launch Trailer Here

capcom, PSVR 2 News & Reviews, resident evil 4, resident evil 4 remake, resident evil 4 remake vr, resident evil 4 vr, resident evil 4 vr mode / Blake Jones / November 30, 2023

Set your calendar reminders, because Capcom announced today that the official VR mode for Resident Evil 4 (2023) remake is coming to PSVR 2 on December 8th.

In the new VR mode, you can tackle the game’s main story, which pits you against crazed villagers, huge creatures (some may say even Gigantic), and other epic boss battles. Yes, that means you’ll be able to upgrade and blast away with all of the weapons from the main story.

While the PSVR 2 mode will be free to players of the game, the studio also announced it’s putting out a free demo at launch, which lets you experience the start of the game as well as try out the shooting range so you can get a taste for how each weapon shoots in VR.

What’s more, the game’s VR implementation was done by the same development team behind the full-length VR experiences of Resident Evil 7 biohazard and Resident Evil Village—two extremely well-done VR modes in their own right.

And just to avoid confusion: the VR mode coming exclusively to PSVR 2 on December 8th however isn’t the same as the Quest-exclusive refresh of Resident Evil 4 (2021), which was remastered from the 2005 original by Armature Studio using new textures and including its own self-developed, VR-native controls.

‘Resident Evil 4’ VR Mode Coming to PSVR 2 in December, Launch Trailer Here Read More »

The Best VR Games to Share with Your Family This Thanksgiving

Meta Quest 3 News & Reviews, pc vr games, PC VR News & Reviews, psvr 2 games, PSVR 2 News & Reviews, psvr games, quest 2 games, quest 3 games, steamvr games, thanksgiving, thanksgiving 2023 / Ryan Harris / November 22, 2023

The food coma is fast approaching, but you probably still have some fellow Americans to entertain on this holiest of holy feasts. What better way to liven up the post Turkey Day frivolities than popping your brand-new VR headset on a noggin or three?

Keep in mind: some of the best results we’ve had over the years tend to be with very noob-friendly games and apps. Your Thanksgiving Day guests probably won’t have enough time (or inclination) to learn complex mechanics, and keeping things quick and simple is usually the right way to go to make sure everyone not only gets involved, but doesn’t have to wait around a bunch either.

Above all, one of the best ways of getting everyone gawking is by making sure you can see the action on a TV screen or monitor, which you can do easily with any headset out there. It’s fairly straight forward on SteamVR and PSVR 2 since you already have a monitor/TV hooked up. For Quest, you can mirror your view to your Meta App-connected phone, or cast to a smart TV.

Now, let the arm flailing and requisite safety briefing begin!

Beat Saber

What: This incredibly addictive and easy to pick-up game is one of the best entry points for VR firstimers, but has enough depth to appeal to anyone along their way on the pro VR gamer skill tree.
Who: Everyone will want to get up at least for a song to slice blocks to the beat. Thankfully there’s plenty of difficulty settings to satisfy even the most musically disinclined.
How long: 5 – 15 minutes per person
Why: Most songs last around five minutes, but you’re bound to encounter failures along the way, and also family members that just can’t help themselves for a second go at another song.
Platforms: Quest 2/3/Pro, PSVR/2, PC VR

Store links: Meta Store (Quest, Rift), PlayStation Store, Steam

Pistol Whip

What: Like Beat Saber in addictiveness, but instead of slicing blocks to the beat, you’re shooting dudes John Wick-style. It’s all very stylized, so there probably won’t be much, if any pearl-clutching.
Who: Older kids, teens and adults of all ages.
How long: 5 – 10 minutes per person
Why: Like Beat Saber, most songs (called ‘scenes’) last around five minutes. Remember to lower the difficult to easy mode so most anyone will get to the end of the level.
Platforms: Quest 2/3/Pro, PSVR/2, PC VR

Store links: Meta Store (Quest, Rift), PlayStation Store, Steam

CREED: Rise to Glory

What: CREED: Rise to Glory (2018) is a highly polished arcade boxing game that puts you in the shoes of Adonis Creed, the protagonist of CREED (2016) and CREED II (2018). Punch, punch, punch, block and dodge.
Who: Everyone with some caveats. Make sure your family member is physically fit enough to go the distance for a full match, and kids may have problems hitting their much taller targets.
How long: 5 – 10 minutes
Why: Freeplay matches against AI can last anywhere from 2 – 5 minutes, but depending on how much fun everyone is having, this might be a good opportunity to let your family members really flaunt their dodging and punching prowess for a few sessions.
Platforms: Quest 2/3/Pro, PSVR/2, PC VR

Store Links: Meta Store (Quest, Rift), PlayStation Store, Steam

Blaston

What: This room-scale is a free-to-play shooter that puts you in a ring to go 1v1, giving you multiple weapons to shoot and dodge around. While online matches are great for seasoned players, pop into single player mode for some quicker and easier human vs. AI action. Also, if you have two headsets, you could set up 1v1 duels!
Who: Everyone will want a turn, as they see you grabbing guns and Matrix-diving out of the way of oncoming bullets.
How long: 5 – 10 minutes
Why: Individual matches can be shorter than 5 minutes, although you may want to dedicate more time to each player, as they quickly build expertise with the game’s various weapons.
Platforms: Quest 2/3/Pro, PC VR

Store Links: Meta Store, Steam

Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs

What: This VR version of the hit mobile game Angry Birds is exactly what it says on the tin, putting the slingshot in your hand to take the fight to the evil piggies, who hide in increasingly elaborate wooden structures.
Who: Everyone should find this one an easy choice; it’s dead simple and super fun to smash blocks and knock down stuff. Serious name brand recognition should also perk up an ear or two with the older crowd.
How long: under 5 minutes
Why: It’s easy to get lost in this one, as you trudge ahead to harder levels, or continuously retry a level to get the best score. Pass this one around the room quickly and keep the masses snacking.
Platforms: Quest 2/3/Pro, PSVR/2, PC VR

Store links: Meta Store (Quest, Rift), PlayStation Store, Steam

Puzzling Places

What: Puzzling Places brings relaxing and wholesome 3D jigsaw puzzling to VR, letting you put together hyper-realistic miniatures of beautiful places from around the globe.
Who: Everyone. While it doesn’t have a ton of crowd-pleasing wow factor, this is great for quieter moments where you want to show off how ‘neat’ VR can be, especially to older family members.
How long: under 5 minutes
Why: Keep difficulty low to get people through fast enough
Platforms: Quest 2/3/Pro, PSVR/2

Store links: Meta Store, PlayStation Store

Wooorld [Quest]

What: It’s like Google Earth for Quest. Browse an immersive, 360 Street View photospheres, or look down at a tinker toy map of 3D cities. It’s social, but you can also do private single-player sessions so people don’t have to deal with multiplayer.
Who: Everyone. We’ve all had places from our past that we either haven’t or physically can’t return to. This gives you and your loved ones a trip down memory lane that is sure to set off some long conversations and stories.
How long: 10 – 20 minutes per person
Why: You can easily spend hours alone revisting places, but make sure to set the expectation early on that not everyone can hog the headset. Ask someone to show you their childhood home, or favorite vacation spot and move on to the next person.
Platforms: Quest 2/3/Pro

Store links: Meta Store

SUPERHOT VR [No PSVR 2 Support]

What: Insanely stylish, easy to pick up and play, Superhot VR (2017) tosses a little time-bending cartoon violence your family’s way that shouldn’t receive too many odd glances from the older generation.
Who: Younger, more game-savvy players are sure to love the concept, letting them live out their dreams of being an action hero. The concept is simple and slow enough to get anyone in the mood to punch some red crystal dudes in the face.
How long: 5 – 10 minutes
Why: A single stage can go by pretty quickly. It may be best to do a round-robin style match that lets everyone have a go when one player fails a level, or relegate a person to two to three of the smaller sections a piece.
Platforms: Quest 2/3/Pro, PSVR (no PSVR 2), PC VR

Store links: Meta Store (Quest, Rift), PlayStation Store, Steam

Richie’s Plank Experience [No PSVR 2]

What: Walk the plank! Literally! Get a wooden board from your garage and line it up with the game’s virtual plank to really scare the bejesus out of people as they teeter over perilous heights.
Who: Everyone, with a few caveats. Make sure the person is healthy enough to take a self-induced tumble. Tell kids they can’t jump off the ledge and skydive, because… floor.
How long: 5 minutes per person
Why: This is a classic experience that will have everyone watching and wanting to take a go themselves, putting your VR headset at the center of attention.
Platforms: Quest 2/3/Pro, PSVR/2, PC VR

Store links: Meta Store (Quest, Rift), PlayStation Store, Steam

Gran Turismo [PSVR 2]

What: Drive fast in cars you can’t afford.
Who: Older kids, teens, and adults. Although speeds can be excessive, the driving experience is comfortable enough for most anyone.
How long: 5 minutes per person
Why: You can easily put someone in the corner with this one, as they progress to more difficult tracks, although it’s an easy game to pass around as people get the immersive feel of driving faster than they ever have in real life.
Platforms: PSVR 2

Store Links: PlayStation Store

Don’t Miss

Quest Intro Apps – Oculus First Contact, First Steps, and First Encounters (Quest 3) are great ways to ease in newbies if they’re looking to learn more about the headset and common control schemes. Not a ton of crowd wow factor, but it might be just the thing for a smaller gathering with more dedicated neophytes.
Space Pirate Trainer – Pew pew pew. It’s fundamentally just a wave shooter, but it’s by far one of the best looking and best feeling out there. Find it on Meta Store (Quest, Rift), Steam, PlayStation Store.
Half-Life: Alyx – It’s not going to be the easiest to show off, since you’ll need to have a specific safe state in mind to drop players into, but it’s tough to beat if you’re looking to wow anyone with the best-looking VR games out there. Find it on Steam.
Red Matter or Red Matter 2 – Again, story-based stuff with a ton of tutorial-worthy VR control mechanics won’t be the easiest to show off, but if you happen to have a good save state, it can’t hurt to pop a non-believer into this extremely polished adventure game. Find both on Steam, PlayStation Store, Quest, and Rift.
Moss or Moss 2 – Try plopping the kids down into this family-friendly puzzle platformer that will have you awwwing to nearly the same degree as Astro Bot. Find both on Steam, PlayStation Store, Quest, and Rift.
Google Earth VR – This PC VR-only app is a good replacement for Wooorld. Giving a loved one the opportunity to travel, especially if they aren’t physically able, is going to really be a special moment. Travel the sights and revisit distant places you never thought you’d see again in the flesh. Find it on Steam and Rift.
ASTRO BOT Rescue Mission – Maybe not great for the crowd-pleasing wow factor, but after you show off some of the fan favorites above you might park a few more of your curious family members in a chair and let them experience the best platformer PSVR has to offer. Find it on PlayStation Store (No PSVR 2).
The Lab – Valve’s PC VR-only collection of mini-games and photogrammetry scenes isn’t really the “future” of VR anymore, but kids and adults alike will love the app’s snackable mini-games Longbow, Core Calibration, and Xortex. Find it on Steam.

The Best VR Games to Share with Your Family This Thanksgiving Read More »

‘Shadow Legend’ Studio Announces Sci-fi Fantasy Adventure ‘Arken Age’ for PSVR 2 & SteamVR

arken age, arken age psvr 2, PC VR News & Reviews, psvr 2 adventure, PSVR 2 News & Reviews, psvr 2 shooter, steamvr shooter, vitruvius, vitruvius vr, vitruviusvr, vr shooter, vr single player / Ryan Harris / November 22, 2023

VitruviusVR, the studio behind Shadow Legend VR (2019) and Mervils: A VR Adventure (2016), announced the upcoming release of a new sci-fi action-adventure game called Arken Age.

Coming to PSVR 2 and PC VR headsets, the single-player VR adventure is set to bring a host of headlining features that ought to raise an eyebrow among fans of the genre, including fully customizable melee and ranged weapons, physics-based combat, boss fights, over two dozen unique areas, and a 10-hour campaign.

Here’s how VitruviusVR describes the story:

Your journey begins in Celestial Custodian’s Tower on the shores of the Bio-Chasm, a terraformed realm created to harvest Arkenite Energy. Its divine founder, the Grand Arborist, has ceased cultivation of your planet and every transmission sent to him has been met with abject silence. Uncover the truth behind the disappearance of the Grand Arborist, forge alliance with the Nara alien race, and take up arms against the usurper Hyperion & his legion of corrupted soldiers.

The game also boasts plenty of weapon customizations—30 in total. You can nab new gear by looting scrap throughout the game, refining it for cash, and then buying a number of items such as weapon blueprints, shields, grenades, health syringes, and ammo.

Back at the crafting table, you can take blueprints to create new and more powerful weapons in order defeat increasingly more difficult enemies throughout your journey.

Moreover, the game promises some epic boss fights, each of which are “specifically designed for VR,” the studio says, mentioning that each boss has numerous stages and will require quickly timed attacks and blocks to bring your opponent down. Players will need to use long-range guns, close-range melee weapons, retractable pickaxes, and quick-inventory deployables to come out as victors.

Arken Age looks pretty promising thus far. At least from the reveal trailer, it appears to pack in a ton of visual depth along with its fair share of unique VR-native interactions. Of course, we’re reserving judgement for when we go hands-on, which will reveal whether the game is as deep as the feature set and 10-hour campaign might suggest.

There’s no release window yet, however in the meantime you can wishlist the game over on Steam and PSVR 2.

‘Shadow Legend’ Studio Announces Sci-fi Fantasy Adventure ‘Arken Age’ for PSVR 2 & SteamVR Read More »

‘Arizona Sunshine 2’ Livestream @11 AM ET Today to Show off Campaign Gameplay, Co-op & More

arizona sunshine, arizona sunshine 2, arizona sunshine II, Meta Quest 3 News & Reviews, PC VR News & Reviews, PSVR 2 News & Reviews, vertigo games / Ryan Harris / November 17, 2023

Vertigo Games is kicking off a livestream today in a special Arizona Sunshine 2 Gameplay Showcase that’s slated to reveal more about the studio’s next zombie-slaying adventure.

Arizona Sunshine 2 is nearly here, launching on PSVR 2, Quest and SteamVR headsets December 7th.

In the meantime, the studio promised we’d be seeing an eye-full during a special in-depth look at fresh campaign gameplay with developer commentary, all-new game details including co-op announcements, special guest appearances, never-before-seen co-op gameplay from highlighted creators, and more.

Vertigo Games will also be holding Q&A sessions across Reddit, including r/PSVR and r/OculusQuest, which should hopefully answer some of the top burning questions, such as whether we’ll see native Quest 3 footage before release, and how it might handle cross-play co-op.

The livestream kicking off today, November 17th at 8AM PT (local time here). You can tune in on YouTube and Steam.

‘Arizona Sunshine 2’ Livestream @11 AM ET Today to Show off Campaign Gameplay, Co-op & More Read More »

Google’s VR Studio Owlchemy Labs Now Has Two Platinum-selling Titles

cosmonious high, Google, Google VR, job simulator, Meta Quest 3 News & Reviews, owlchemy lab, PC VR News & Reviews, PSVR 2 News & Reviews, vacation simulator / Ryan Harris / November 17, 2023

Owlchemy Labs, the Google-owned VR studio behind Job Simulator (2016), announced the game’s sequel Vacation Simulator (2019) just went platinum, having now topped over one million units sold.

The studio’s breakout title Job Simulator went platinum in early 2020, owing not only to its fun and approachable gameplay, but also for having been a launch title for HTC Vive, PSVR, and Oculus Touch in 2016.

A testament to the staying power of Job Simulator: it’s still on all major VR headsets, including new entrants such as Quest 3, PSVR 2, and Pico headsets. Since it initially went platinum in 2020, the studio says Job Simulator is now “multi-platinum”.

Building on that success, Vacation Simulator continues the original’s mad cap, object-oriented gameplay, this time letting players explore idyllic virtual destinations while taking on a variety of activities—of course viewed through the same distorted lens of a robot society in the future who have crudely reconstructed what the human-populated past must have looked like.

Founded in 2010 and acquired by Google in 2017, Owlchemy Labs is also behind the Emmy-nominated Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality (2017) and their latest VR title Cosmonious High (2022), which includes more of the object-oriented fun of both Job & Vacation Simulator, but also emphasizes realistic character behavior.

To celebrate the news of now having multiple platinum-selling games, Owlchemy Labs launched updates to both Vacation Simulator and Cosmonious High for Quest 3, bringing enhanced visuals, such as real-time shadows and increased frame rate of 90fps.

Google’s VR Studio Owlchemy Labs Now Has Two Platinum-selling Titles Read More »

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Co-op Adventure Comes to ‘Rec Room’ This Week

Meta Quest 3 News & Reviews, PC VR News & Reviews, PSVR 2 News & Reviews, rec room, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, tmnt / Ryan Harris / November 15, 2023

Social VR platform Rec Room is getting ready to launch another co-op game this week, this time taking you to the sewers with a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtled-themed adventure.

Called ‘Trials of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’, you’ll soon be able to take on Foot Clan goons with friends or strangers, and even face off against the evil Shedder mano a mano.

The turtle-powered adventure is kicking off November 15th and is also coming along with a host of digital accessories, powerups and (of course) pizza.

Rec Room users will be able to buy avatar skins to look the part, so you can dress as Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo, or even the infamous Shredder.

You can play ‘Trials of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ and any other of Rec Room’s co-op adventures for free across all supported devices, including Quest, SteamVR headsets, iOS, Android, PlayStation, and Xbox.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Co-op Adventure Comes to ‘Rec Room’ This Week Read More »

‘Tokyo Chronos’ Studio MyDearest Secures $7.8M to Further Expand IP on Quest & PSVR 2

brazen blaze, Meta Quest 3 News & Reviews, my dearest, mydearest, mydearest inc., PSVR 2 News & Reviews, tokyo choronos, XR Industry News / Ryan Harris / November 11, 2023

MyDearest, the Japan-based VR studio behind the Chronos adventure game franchise, announced it’s secured $7.8 million (1.2 billion yen), something the studio says it will use to expand its existing IP for VR headsets, such as Meta Quest and PSVR 2.

The investment was led by SBI Investment Co., Ltd. and is joined by DG Daiwa Ventures Inc., NetEase Games, Wing Capital Partners, Ltd., OLM Ventures Inc., Samurai Incubate Inc., Dentsu Group and Mitsubishi UFJ Capital.

MyDearest initially specialized in patently Japanese-style adventure games that is heavily influenced by manga, including Tokyo Chronos (2019), Altdeus: Beyond Chronos (2020), and Dyschronia: Chronos Alternate (2022).

With the funding, the studio hopes to further expand both its original IP and publishing business. Coming in 2024 is the studio’s first multiplayer shooter, Brazen Blaze, representing the studio’s first big step clearly outside of the adventure game genre.

According to MyDearest CEO Kento Kishigami, the studio hopes to use the funding to better appeal to users worldwide, and not just in Japan.

“Until now, MyDearest has been a frontrunner in VR games representing Japan, but with this round of funding, it will become a frontrunner in VR games “representing the world.” The technology of VR holds the potential to create entertainment experiences that will become the common language in a new world.”

Founded in 2016, the latest round brings the company’s total funding to $16.1 million (2.4 billion yen) to date.

‘Tokyo Chronos’ Studio MyDearest Secures $7.8M to Further Expand IP on Quest & PSVR 2 Read More »

‘Vertigo 2’ Final Content Update Coming This Week with Level Editor, New Playable Characters & More

PC VR News & Reviews, perp games, PSVR 2 News & Reviews, Tsiakalis-Brown, vertigo, vertigo 2, Zach Tsiakalis-Brown, zulubo productions / Ryan Harris / November 7, 2023

Vertigo 2 (2023), the Half-Life-inspired sci-fi adventure, is getting what the developer describes as the game’s “only content update” in the soon-to-launch ‘Bottomless Update’, which ought to keep you busy well after the credit roll.

Slated to release on November 10th, the Bottomless Update is set to include three new features which developer Zach Tsiakalis-Brown says is primarily focused on bringing to the game a ton of replayability. This includes:

Mutators – major gameplay modifications that can be mixed and matched. Some mutators make the game harder, some make it easier, and some are just silly.
Alternate Playable Characters – replay the campaign as Brian, Officer 13, or Nani. Each of them have major unique abilities and attributes that change up the experience of playing through the game a second, third, or fourth time.
The Level Editor – complete freedom to build your own levels or play the ones the community has shared. A flexible and intuitive in-VR level editor makes this easy, no SDK or modding experience required.

The update is also set to feature bug fixes, balance adjustments, QOL changes, and performance improvements.

Launched on SteamVR headsets back in March, Vertigo 2 is both bigger and weirder than the original at around 10 hours of campaign gameplay, returning you to the robot and alien-infested science facility for another bout with a universe full of new worlds and lifeforms. We liked it so much in our review we called it one of PC’s greatest VR games since Half-Life: Alyx (2020).

Vertigo 2 is also set to launch sometime later this year on PSVR 2, however the exact launch date is still uncertain, as it was delayed from its original October 24th date to “later this year”. We’re staying tuned to the game’s PSVR 2 publisher Perp Games in the meantime to learn more when the time comes.

‘Vertigo 2’ Final Content Update Coming This Week with Level Editor, New Playable Characters & More Read More »

‘Arizona Sunshine’ Studio Working on Unannounced “AAA VR game” Based on a Global Franchise

AAA vr, aaa vr game, arizona sunshine, Meta Quest 3 News & Reviews, PC VR News & Reviews, PSVR 2 News & Reviews, vertigo games, XR Industry News / Ryan Harris / November 6, 2023

According to a recent job offer posted by Amsterdam-based developer Vertigo Games, pre-production has begun on a “high-profile, multiplatform AAA VR game,” which is said to be based on a globally recognized franchise.

Posted earlier this month, the studio is looking for a Lead Level Designer with a proven track record in level design for console/PC action-adventure games as well as expertise in Unreal Engine.

Acquired by Embracer Group in 2020, Vertigo Games is behind titles such as Arizona Sunshine (2016) and After the Fall (2021).

The company has grown significantly over the years, having acquired AR/VR studio Force Field Entertainment in 2021 in its bid to develop what it called at the time an “unannounced AAA game based on a well-known IP.”

Since the acquisition of Force Field, Vertigo Games released The 7th Guest VR (2023), the VR remake of the classic ’90s CD-ROM game. It’s also currently developing Arizona Sunshine 2, which is set to release on all major VR headsets in December.

Thanks to Brad Lynch for spotting the news.

‘Arizona Sunshine’ Studio Working on Unannounced “AAA VR game” Based on a Global Franchise Read More »