nDreams - PlayStation LifeStyle https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/tag/ndreams/ PS5, PS4, PS Plus, and PSN News, Guides, Trophies, Reviews, and More! Wed, 28 Jun 2023 22:07:33 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.3 https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2023/03/cropped-favicon.png?w=32 nDreams - PlayStation LifeStyle https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/tag/ndreams/ 32 32 Synapse Review (PSVR2): Fantastic Synaptic Tactics https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/886162-synapse-review-psvr2-ps5-worth-buying/ https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/886162-synapse-review-psvr2-ps5-worth-buying/#respond Thu, 29 Jun 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/?post_type=review&p=886162 Synapse throws platoons of standard soldiers, behemoths with couch-sized miniguns, a conga line of exploding goons, and Psycho Mantis-esque flying freaks at players at a relentless pace. It’s a constant barrage of gunfire, explosions, flying debris, and — in some cases — lasers from the sky. But despite those odds, they’re still no match for […]

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Synapse throws platoons of standard soldiers, behemoths with couch-sized miniguns, a conga line of exploding goons, and Psycho Mantis-esque flying freaks at players at a relentless pace. It’s a constant barrage of gunfire, explosions, flying debris, and — in some cases — lasers from the sky. But despite those odds, they’re still no match for the player in Synapse — an engrossing power fantasy built around PlayStation VR2‘s intricacies.

Synapse’s power comes from two main sources: the player’s telekinetic abilities and array of firearms designated to each hand. Gunplay is somewhat standard, but still incredibly smooth. Reloading avoids the tedium seen in other VR shooters, as the magazine doesn’t need to be manually ejected and inserted before pulling back the hammer. Instead, one button ejects the magazine and it just needs to be pushed back in. This can intuitively be done on any surface, with the other hand, or on the player’s body.

Cover is similarly simple to grasp, since anything can become a wall to hide behind. Grabbing a surface sticks players to it, and allows for quickly popping in and out of safety.

Synapse Review (PSVR2): Synaptic Tactics

Shooting is a significant part of the game, but the true magic comes from how this melds with the telekinesis to elevate the experience. Moving things around is as simple as looking at it and pushing the correct trigger, as Synapse utilizes PSVR2’s eye-tracking technology. This ensures players can pluck exactly what they want almost every single time. It’s a brilliant example of how tech can improve gameplay; it’s much more natural to grab an object by looking at it than it is to move a cursor over it. Targeted objects even stick out from the monochrome backgrounds with a blue and violet hue.

This synergy makes the player a force to be reckoned with, as they fling soldiers with one hand while blasting with the other. Success and getting to higher levels is all about knowing how to efficiently rack up kills and retreat when it gets too sticky. While not an oppressive game, failing to deal with the constant pressure of Synapse’s hordes will lead to a premature restart. Feeling like a Jedi John Wick is where the game is at its best, and its thoughtful loop is built around that.

Getting to that state takes time, though. Not just because multitasking can be tricky at first, but also because Synapse is a roguelite with a sizable skill tree that locks players out of some abilities. Skill points unlock after hitting certain milestones, which adds a rewarding metagame that makes the following run a little easier. 

Synapse Review (PSVR2): Synaptic Tactics

It sounds simple because it is, and that applies to many of its systems. While perks, spawn points, and weapons can change, runs aren’t too different from one another since it utilizes the same level layouts and four enemy types each time. There also aren’t any random or rare elements like bonus rooms, secrets, or impromptu bosses to add more layers of unpredictability.

This simplicity and relative stagnation between runs is what holds it back, since it rarely changes itself up like some of the best roguelites. Players can’t make builds or experience a new playstyle on the next run like they can with Hades or Dead Cells. Synapse is focused and doesn’t get stale over its runtime, but that’s come at the cost of replayability and variability fundamental to the genre. 

Its take on difficulty also bucks genre trends, but for the better. Rather than a static main difficulty that takes a while to overcome, Synapse has three stages that escalate after each successful run and unlock another part of the ending. This steady rise levels out the difficulty curve, and ensures players don’t hit a wall. A consistent challenge is much more satisfying than making small baby steps to a finale that can sometimes feel out of reach.

Synapse Review: The final verdict

Synapse’s roguelite elements are too light, but it’s a well-designed shooter that empowers players in ways only a VR game can. Developer nDreams has taken PSVR2’s eye-tracking and adaptive triggers and built them into the game’s mechanics without turning them into gimmicks. Snatching a barrel and detonating it over a group of hostiles is as gratifying as instinctively throwing back an incoming grenade while dumping submachine gun rounds with the other hand. It all combines to make for a thrilling VR shooter that excels for how it takes advantage of the hardware

  • Gunplay is tight and intuitive
  • Telekinetic powers are empowering and thoughtfully utilize PSVR2's eye-tracking for pinpoint accuracy
  • Difficulty ramps smoothly
  • Roguelite elements are done well, but too basic and don't have enough variety

8


Disclaimer: This Synapse review is based on a PS5 copy provided by the publisher. Reviewed on version 1.001.000.

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Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord Story Trailer Sets Ghastly Stakes & Release Date Window https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2023/06/01/ghostbusters-rise-of-the-ghost-lord-release-date-window-story-trailer/ https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2023/06/01/ghostbusters-rise-of-the-ghost-lord-release-date-window-story-trailer/#respond Thu, 01 Jun 2023 18:11:17 +0000 https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/?p=884092 Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord was already confirmed for 2023 for PlayStation VR2 and Quest headsets (Quest 2, Quest 3, and Quest Pro). Now developer nDreams has gotten a little more specific about the VR game, noting that it will release in fall 2023. The Ghostbusters VR story trailer has the release date window […]

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Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord was already confirmed for 2023 for PlayStation VR2 and Quest headsets (Quest 2, Quest 3, and Quest Pro). Now developer nDreams has gotten a little more specific about the VR game, noting that it will release in fall 2023.

The Ghostbusters VR story trailer has the release date window

The trailer also lays out the stakes for the story by asking who the Ghost Lord is, why he’s in San Francisco, and what his goals are. It sounds like he’s trying to harness or create clean energy and aims to use the prison on Alcatraz Island for his nefarious deeds. There’s no more specific release date or price for Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord, but those details will presumably come later in the year.

nDreams held a short creator roundtable after the show and went through various questions. Art director Jack Bromhead said busting ghosts is all about teamwork and upgrading gear (using currency gained during missions) is key to getting better at trapping ghosts. Bromhead also stated that there will also be Mini-Pufts in the game and the overall stylized art direction is so that the ghosts and characters stick out from the dark environments.

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Ghostbusters VR Headed to PSVR 2 https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2022/06/09/ghostbusters-vr-psvr-2-release-playstation/ https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2022/06/09/ghostbusters-vr-psvr-2-release-playstation/#respond Thu, 09 Jun 2022 16:22:44 +0000 http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/?p=867682 Sone Pictures Entertainment has announced that there will be a Ghostbusters VR PSVR 2 release. The game was first revealed at the Meta Quest Gaming Showcase in April and will be a launch exclusive for Quest 2. No release date was given along with the announcement, but that’s not too surprising as the PSVR 2 […]

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Sone Pictures Entertainment has announced that there will be a Ghostbusters VR PSVR 2 release. The game was first revealed at the Meta Quest Gaming Showcase in April and will be a launch exclusive for Quest 2. No release date was given along with the announcement, but that’s not too surprising as the PSVR 2 doesn’t have a release date either.

What we know so far about Ghostbusters VR

Jake Zim, Senior Vice President of Virtual Reality at Sony Pictures Entertainment, has confirmed that Ghostbusters VR will be an “in-home four-player cooperative adventure VR game” via press release. “Ghostbusters VR” is also a working title, so we will likely see a new name for it in time.

Developer nDreams has likewise verified that the game will be arriving on PSVR 2 through a tweet posted below. When asked whether Ghostbusters VR would be a launch title, the developer stated in another reply in the thread that it would “be able to talk more about the release details at a later date.”

While details of the game are sparse, it will have players explore Ghostbusters HQ in San Francisco while experiencing a new chapter in the Ghostbusters universe. The game can be played solo or in co-op with up to three other friends. Players will have access to many iconic Ghostbusters equipment, tracking and trapping ghosts that haunt the city. The developer hopes that the game will capture the humor and horror that fans expect from the franchise.

The PSVR 2 headset does not yet have a release date, although there are rumors that it will not arrive until 2023. A recent report suggests that mass production of the headset will begin in the second half of 2022 with an initial target of 1.5 million units. Sony has confirmed that PSVR 2 will have more than 20 “major” launch games.

In other news, Resident Evil 2, 3, and 7 are rumored to release on PS5 soon, and it’s looking like PS4 and Xbox One players for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will need to pay $70.

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Sony Confirms PSVR 2 Will Have Over 20 Launch Games https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2022/05/25/psvr-2-launch-games-lineup-sony-playstation-vr/ https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2022/05/25/psvr-2-launch-games-lineup-sony-playstation-vr/#respond Thu, 26 May 2022 03:43:49 +0000 http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/?p=866947 Sony has revealed that over 20 “major” PSVR 2 launch games have been confirmed from both first-party and third-party developers, during an investor relations presentation headed by Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan. While some of these games have already been announced by several developers, many are still unknown or have been revealed but with […]

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Sony has revealed that over 20 “major” PSVR 2 launch games have been confirmed from both first-party and third-party developers, during an investor relations presentation headed by Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan. While some of these games have already been announced by several developers, many are still unknown or have been revealed but with no name.

What some of the 20+ PSVR 2 launch games might be

PSVR 2 Launch Games

Through a slide in the presentation (shown above) entitled “PS VR2: New Levels of Immersion,” Sony boldly suggests that Horizon: Call of the Mountain will be one of the launch games for PSVR 2. A few untitled games at launch for the VR system confirmed through various tweets and documents may be ones from nDreams (Fracked), Fast Travel Games (Apex Construct), and Coatsink (Phogs, Cake Bash).

Otherwise, a fair chunk of the remaining launch games can only be chalked up to rumors. This includes a PSVR 2 version of Half-Life: Alyx, something that Hideo Kojima might be working on, and an unknown game by the developers of Firewall Zero Hour. Other studios that might be making PSVR 2 launch games could be in the collage of logos showing who is currently developing games using Unreal Engine 5.

In the presentation, Sony also confirms several known features for the upcoming virtual reality system. It will come with a controller with haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, as well as 4K HDR resolution and an expanded field-of-view by way of foveated rendering and enhanced tracking. The system will also be simple to use, requiring only a single cord to connect to the PS5.

Rumors that an official PSVR 2 event could take place as early as June have intensified after the PSVR 2 was showcased at GDC 2022. Given the number of launch games for the system, this might be an event that’s separate from a potential PlayStation showcase appearing around the time E3 2022 would have taken place this summer.

In other news, Sony is planning to have 12 PlayStation live-service franchises by 2025, and No Man’s Sky Leviathan update will feature roguelike gameplay and a space whale.

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PSVR 2 Games Will Be Made in Unreal Engine 5 https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2022/04/06/psvr-2-games-will-be-made-in-unreal-engine-5/ https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2022/04/06/psvr-2-games-will-be-made-in-unreal-engine-5/#respond Wed, 06 Apr 2022 22:50:53 +0000 http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/?p=864715 Epic Games has confirmed at least some of the upcoming games for PSVR 2 will be built using Unreal Engine 5. The device was included in the list of studios using Unreal Engine 5 to create new games, and other studios include Saber Interactive, Bloober Team, Remedy, Supermassive Games, Gearbox Entertainment, and Haven Studios. Unreal […]

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Epic Games has confirmed at least some of the upcoming games for PSVR 2 will be built using Unreal Engine 5. The device was included in the list of studios using Unreal Engine 5 to create new games, and other studios include Saber Interactive, Bloober Team, Remedy, Supermassive Games, Gearbox Entertainment, and Haven Studios.

Unreal Engine 5 now available for all developers

When Unreal Engine 5 was first announced, it was confirmed the engine would continue to support all VR headsets, so the fact that some PlayStation VR 2 games are being developed using the engine is no real surprise. There was no indication of the number of PSVR 2 games in development using the engine. However, the list of studios shown during the State of Unreal Engine show, posted to Twitter by Geoff Keighley, includes developers like nDreams (The Assembly, Fracked, Shooty Fruity) and Bloober Team (Layers of Fear VR) who have already created PSVR games in the past.

PlayStation’s most recent acquisition, Haven Studios, is also included on the list. Their upcoming game will feature a persistent and evolving online environment that was compared to that of Rainbow Six Siege, although it won’t be a first-person military shooter. Haven is the only PlayStation Studio on the list but the PlayStation logo is also there, perhaps hinting at other studios using the engine.

Games confirmed to be using Unreal Engine 5 include the new game in The Witcher franchise. CD Projekt Red deliberately chose to use the engine because of its open-world capabilities. There’s also a new Tomb Raider game in development at Eidos Montreal. The list is only set to grow over the coming weeks as more games are revealed to the public.

In other news, Remedy has confirmed Max Payne and Max Payne 2 are being remade for PS5. Although Remedy is on the list of Unreal developers, these games will be remade using their proprietary Northlight engine. Elsewhere, The Last of Us 2 actor Derek Phillips is teasing an “epic” project.

 

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Sony’s PSVR Spotlight Announces Six New Titles to be Released Later This Year, Including Zenith and After The Fall https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2021/03/03/psvr-spotlight-2021/ https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2021/03/03/psvr-spotlight-2021/#respond Wed, 03 Mar 2021 21:50:58 +0000 https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/?p=844579 Sony’s PSVR Spotlight returned today, this time with the aim of announcing six new titles heading to PlayStation VR over the course of 2021. Unlike the last time where the event was strung out over several days, all of the latest announcements have been made today. We’ve already met DOOM 3: VR Edition, but you […]

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Sony’s PSVR Spotlight returned today, this time with the aim of announcing six new titles heading to PlayStation VR over the course of 2021. Unlike the last time where the event was strung out over several days, all of the latest announcements have been made today.

We’ve already met DOOM 3: VR Edition, but you can find the rest of the new titles below.

New PSVR Games Announced Today

Song in the Smoke

17-BIT’s new survival game drops players into a deceptively beautiful world filled with mysteries and an alarming number of deadly creatures, both familiar and fantastical. How you survive is entirely up to you, but you’ll need food, water, healing items, warmth, and a safe-ish place to sleep. Alternatively you can explore during the hours of darkness for greater rewards, but the world is far more dangerous during the night and you’ll need to make sure you’re prepared. The game will be compatible with Move controllers for more natural motion controls. Song in the Smoke is due to be released sometime in 2021.

Fracked

The latest PSVR title from nDreams combines first-person shooting and taking cover with skiing, free running, climbing, base jumping, and ziplining at a mountain fracking facility. Rather than being an on-rails experience, the game gives players more freedom with their movement and strategy as they take on the Fracked, “an army of gun-wielding, interdimensional maniacs”. To achieve this, players will need to own Move controllers as the game isn’t compatible with a Dualshock/DualSense controller. Those choosing to play the game on PS5 via backwards compatibility will get enhancements like improved framerates, loading times and resolution. Fracked will be coming exclusively to PSVR this summer.

I Expect You To Die 2: The Spy and The Liar

Four years after I Expect You To Die was released on PSVR, Schell Games’ sequel makes players increase their espionage expertise as they try to stop Zoraxis from taking over the world again. Details are thin on the ground, but the trailer shows players using disguises and telekinetic abilities to take on their tasks in a variety of new environments. Of course, you’re still expected to die in a number of horrible ways. I Expect You to Die 2 will be released on PSVR later this year.

Zenith: The Last City

Not to be confused with Infinigon’s action-RPG of the same name, Ramen VR’s JRPG-inspired MMO is set in a colorful fantasy world that has taken generations to recover from a cataclysmic event known as The Fracture. Players must battle man and gods to stop this from happening again. The game allows complete freedom of movement, tactile combat, and has a gliding system to move across great distances easily. Player roles are completely flexible within the game’s class system, and players must gather Essence to become more powerful and increase their stamina. Guilds will bring like-minded players together to take on the plentiful party content, including world bosses, public events, and dungeons. The game is due to be released later this year.

After The Fall

Vertigo Games’ co-op action first-person shooter was revealed during E3 2019 for Steam and Oculus, but the game was revealed today to be making its way to PSVR too. A group of four survivors must brace themselves for the post-apocalyptic ice-covered world of an alternate 2004 LA. The weather isn’t the only danger as the world has been taken over by hordes of ferocious undead monsters known as snowbreed. Players can use either Move controllers or the Aim controller to take down their foes with weaponry and tools inspired by the ’80s, like a cassette player-turned-missile launcher. Players who want to try the closed beta before the game’s launch later this summer need to sign up on the official website.

Meanwhile, the latest PSVR headset wasn’t completely ignored. Sony promises that we’ll hear more on the PS5 PSVR at a later date, although they did share they were pleased by the community’s response to its reveal. With the headset not due to be released this year and details few and far between, it’ll be a while yet before we start seeing PSVR titles made specifically for the PS5.

[Source: Playstation Blog (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)]

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Shooty Fruity Review – Supermarket Shootout (PSVR) https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/623939-shooty-fruity-review-supermarket-shootout-psvr/ https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/623939-shooty-fruity-review-supermarket-shootout-psvr/#respond Wed, 20 Dec 2017 18:00:56 +0000 http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/?p=623939 Not juiced another VR shooting gallery.

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Sometimes it’s the craziest ideas that work the best in VR. I can just imagine the table pitch for Shooty Fruity. “So you’re a supermarket clerk, right? And you’re scanning items. But at the same time, mutant fruit is rampaging and trying to destroy your checkout counter! We’ll have a rack of guns that streams by overhead that you can grab to shoot the fruit! We can call it Fruiter Shooter!” Of course, they didn’t call it Fruiter Shooter, but here we are. We’ve got a virtual reality game about blowing the ever living juice out of mutant produce while still trying to perform admirably in a minimum wage job.

There are three main job tasks you’ll be undertaking while shooting the incoming fruit. The checkout counter has you scanning items and throwing them down the correct conveyor belt for bagging. Standing behind the food counter requires putting the correct colored food cubes on different trays. Finally, the packaging area is like the back room of the supermarket and has you picking the right items off of a conveyor belt to package. Each job tickles a different part of the brain and requires a different focus to do, particularly while under duress from mutant fruit monsters.

Shooty fruity review

Completing these job tasks will unlock new guns, which swing by on the suspended conveyor just above whichever counter you are working at. You’ll start out with a simple pistol, but gain access to additional weapons the more things you checkout. At the outset, the possible unlocks are a scant couple of guns, but by completing levels and earning juice, you can unlock guns to be put into your loadout at the start of each level. This makes going back and completing older levels far easier than it is the first go around, and makes it a viable option to grind out for a better gun if you find yourself stuck.

What’s This Gun Do?

The biggest problem that I ran into with the guns was stats that were improperly explained. I understand what each symbol means in general, but I would have liked additional information to go along with profiles of each fruit. Some guns are supposedly better than others against certain kinds of fruit—the flying bananas, pineapples, and even onion-looking things (Editor’s Note: Pomegranates. They’re called pomegranates.) come to mind—but in the heat of the chaotic fruit assault, it’s really quite difficult to paint an accurate picture for myself as to exactly what works best against what. I assume that the larger fruits have additional armor, and I basically know which guns can punch through, but it’s only an assumption that is communicated nowhere in game. For the sheer amount of fruit attackers and pool of guns that they have, I would have really loved to see more detailed information that allows players to cultivate the optimum loadout on each level.

Shooty fruity review

Different fruit types do provide an exciting variety to each of the levels, which are otherwise basically the same one after the other. Cherry bombs will fly in and can be tossed out to damage other fruit. Strawberries will stop short and spit seeds at you. Blueberries are quick little buggers that will jump quickly and do a hefty amount of damage. And on and on. Learning each of the fruits and how they attack becomes key in surviving and defeating the fruits, knowing which you can leave alone for a couple of seconds longer, and which ones you need to direct your attention to right away. Mismanaging this can mean that the fruit gets too overwhelming to handle and most often resulted in a loss for me.

Fruitful Progression

Each level has three main challenges that are the means of progression. The challenges get progressively more difficult, as does each level. Early on, the checkout job may let you throw the items into any conveyor belt. Later on, a specific lane will light up, so you have to watch more carefully instead of haphazardly tossing items after scanning. After that, items begin to have barcodes, requiring them to be aligned correctly before they will scan. Each job type gains this progression of difficulty, while also introducing new, harder to kill fruits, but subsequently allowing for access to a bigger cache of guns. I found the progressive difficulty curve kept things interesting and sufficiently tested my skills without ever spiking too sharply or not increasing enough.

The challenges also follow the difficulty progression, initially being quite easy to complete without a second thought, but eventually requiring the use of specific weapons, or a focus on making sure you don’t take too much damage. The marathon challenges actually require you to last for a full half an hour on each job, which I think is a pretty ridiculous time requirement. By the time you get to the marathon levels, the content has just started to wear out its welcome, and asking players to attempt to sit behind the checkstand for 30 minutes seems like more punishment than a quick pick-up and play shooting gallery VR game should require.

Shooty fruity review

That’s exactly what Shooty Fruity is. It’s an exciting shooting gallery in virtual reality wearing one of the most bizarre and unique skins of any game that I’ve seen. It’s more fun than it has any right being with its strange premise, but that’s part of what makes it shine. It could lean in the direction of providing more information to players for optimum weapon loadouts, and I wish it didn’t try to artificially increase play time with ridiculous challenges, ultimately burning itself out. The dichotomy of mundane tasks and taking on the role of gunslinging action hero against waves of mutant fruit is an intriguing premise. Along with the satisfyingly juicy explosions that come from blasting them apart with shotguns, revolvers, and SMGs, these features help Shooty Fruity to be a game that’s more gratifying than it has any business being.


Shooty Fruity review code provided by publisher. Version 1.01 reviewed on Standard PS4 and PSVR. For more information on scoring, please read our Review Policy.

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Take Down the Mutant Fruit When Shooty Fruity Hits the PSVR this December https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2017/11/10/shooty-fruity-psvr-releases-this-december/ https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2017/11/10/shooty-fruity-psvr-releases-this-december/#respond Fri, 10 Nov 2017 20:59:49 +0000 http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/?p=615515 Do your job and defend the store.

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nDreams has announced today that virtual reality game Shooty Fruity is coming to the PlayStation VR later this year, when it will release on December 19 for $19.99.

For those unaware, Shooty Fruity is a game that forces players to scan, pack, and serve while also firing stacks of guns at mutant fruit. The game offers a supermarket “career” mode, and also allows for multi-tasking gameplay designed for VR headsets and motion controls. Players will have to complete the general tasks of a supermarket employee while also having to shoot pineapples, pomegranates, and other fruit.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the reception so far of Shooty Fruity, most notably being chosen by gamers at EGX 2017 as one of the Top 10 of the Show” said Patrick O’Luanaigh, CEO/Store Manager at nDreams, “If you thought Job Simulator was a blast, wait to you get a load of Shooty Fruity and its arsenal of berry-bursting weapons. Work has never been this much fun!”

nDreams has announced that anyone who buys the game over the holiday season or pre-orders it now will gain access to free exclusive content, including the “Explody Bear” grenade and the “Golden Guns” skin pack for your arsenal. Pre-orders should be available on the PlayStation Store now.

Fore more on Shooty Fruity, check out below:

Shooty Fruity challenges players to scan, pack, serve and more whilst firing stacks of guns at tons of mutant fruit across their glowing supermarket ͚Career͛. Featuring brand new multi-tasking gameplay designed from the ground up for VR headset and motion controls, players shoot pineapples, pomegranates and more whilst doing jobs across numerous shifts, including the newly revealed Canteen job role. What͛s more, new weapons can be purchased in the staff room, the game͛s central hub where players can also customise and test their load out, including C4 launchers, flak cannon-style shotguns and more, all whilst grabbing a cup of coffee!

Shooty Fruity is set to release on December 19, 2017.

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Bloody Zombies Review – Undead VR Brawler (PSVR/PS4) https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/600923-bloody-zombies-review-undead-brawler-psvrps4/ https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/review/600923-bloody-zombies-review-undead-brawler-psvrps4/#respond Tue, 12 Sep 2017 08:00:33 +0000 http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/?p=600923 A different use of virtual reality.

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I’m a guy who enjoys a good pun, and a play on words using different dialects is among the highlights. Bloody Zombies may seem like a painfully obvious name for a game about beating up the undead, until you realize that it takes place in London and features a cast of four British survivors looking to destroy every bloody zombie in their path. It’s a bloody good pun, one made through sheer simplicity. I’m already excited to play this game and we’re not even past the title yet.

Bloody Zombies is a brawler game like classic arcade brawlers of old. Think Double Dragon, Streets of Rage, or Turtles in Time and you’ve got the right idea. Brawlers are a dime a dozen though, with a new one seeming to hit the PSN every few months at least. It’s a formula that’s easy to copy to almost any theme. In order to stand out, you’ve got to do something unique. The team at Paw Print Games decided to take the brawler formula and add VR, giving a unique perspective on the traditionally side scrolling format. With virtual reality support, it becomes another game that allows for multiplayer both within and outside the headset, removing the stigma of VR being a traditionally solo experience.

Better in VR

In fact, it seems that Bloody Zombies was designed with the idea of having at least one person playing in VR at any given time. Facing the same side-scrolling view as TV players, the VR players can look side to side and up and down, unbound by the limitations of the edges of the screen. Secrets and dangers can be discovered and communicated from this angle, and the depth of the play area is far easier to judge than trying to play on a screen. With the headset on is my preferred way to play, and when my wife donned the headset after three or so levels of playing co-op without, she agreed.

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It might have been because I started in VR first and then moved on to playing on the TV screen, but I felt that the TV experience was quite limited in scope, albeit on purpose for the benefit of revealing secrets in VR. In many ways it can feel tedious and frustrating playing on a two dimensional screen. The screen boundaries almost feel unfairly limited just to attract that VR player. Having a better sense of depth by leaning into the scene makes performing combos and taking down (or avoiding) enemies much, much easier. As virtual reality gains ground, I’m always on the lookout for unique uses of the platform. Expanding the scope of a traditionally limited view brawler certainly fits that bill.

There’s a frustrating nature in depth that comes from the flat player character and enemy models. The combat can feel quite unforgiving if you are even a hair too far forward or too far back. In massive fights with tons of enemies on every side, each with varying abilities and attacks, it’s important to be able to judge the depth and get into or out of position very quickly. The more I played, the more I was able to get used to the particular nuance of finding that right spot, but I was also playing in VR where the particular depth is easier to judge. Moving to the TV becoming a test of patience as depth perception was severely limited.

Master the Combo

A brief tutorial at the beginning doesn’t go much into how essential combos are to surviving past the first couple of levels. Increasingly difficult enemies require attacks that will hold them at bay and do more damage. Once I figured out the combos and the special attacks, Bloody Zombies went from being quite difficult to a little more fun, I just wish the game had taken the time to explore the ins and outs of chaining attacks, juggling enemies, and using powerful special abilities at the right times. In fact, the system of special abilities is unnecessarily complicated both in equipping and in execution. The game defaults to teaching the “hardcore” inputs as opposed to the simpler ones, something that will turn away more casual players just looking for a fun and quick brawler to play with friends.

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Multiplayer makes any brawler better, and would be a fundamental loss if a brawler title were to launch without it. Despite being a virtual reality game, Bloody Zombies supports any combination of couch and online co-op players. Of course, for local co-op, system limitations mean that only one person can wear the PSVR headset, with three couch players on the TV. As far as I am aware, online poses no such restrictions, allowing up to four total people to play in VR. The characters in game get a little VR headset on their character model to denote which players are playing using a PSVR headset; not that it’s necessary, but it adds a dash of flavor and personality.

What would a zombie apocalypse be without a little character? Helping to sell the pun present in the title, each of the survivors is almost a stereotype of London brash, ready to kick some bloody zombie arse. This coming from someone born and raised in the Rocky Mountains, so perhaps it’s not all that exotic, but I found each character really fun, with their own voice lines throughout. Brilliant cartoon animations bring the typically dark and dreary nature of a zombie threat into a light that many pieces of media fail to provide, while still painting London red. It is called Bloody Zombies after all, and that title isn’t just because they’re Brits.

Bloody zombies review

Without the support of virtual reality, it would be hard to recommend Bloody Zombies as anything outright different from any other beat ’em up game. Does it need virtual reality? No, it could have just been another digital brawler, albeit one full of personality. Does it benefit from virtual reality? Absolutely, and without it, my score would be lower. VR lends a unique perspective and gives players real gameplay reasons to want to put on the headset instead of just playing on a TV. Thought of as a virtual reality game with the ability for couch co-op via the TV, Bloody Zombies is a fun brawler that has both unique implications for its own genre and VR. That kind of evolution of games and platforms is just what video games need to grow.


Bloody Zombies review code provided by publisher. Version 1.00 reviewed on a standard PS4 and PSVR headset. For more information on review scores, please read our Review Policy.

The post Bloody Zombies Review – Undead VR Brawler (PSVR/PS4) appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

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Bloody Zombies Gets a Launch Date, Price, and Pre-Order Discount https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2017/08/04/bloody-zombies-release-date-price-and-pre-order-discount/ https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2017/08/04/bloody-zombies-release-date-price-and-pre-order-discount/#respond Fri, 04 Aug 2017 14:00:05 +0000 http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/?p=591043 Co-op brawling on TV and VR.

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Announced back in May, nDreams revealed today that Co-op brawler Bloody Zombies release date will be September 12th across all platforms. Pre-orders for the game open today (excluding Xbox One for the time being) and any pre-orders will receive a 10% discount on the launch price of £10.99/€13.49/$14.99 (pricing may vary in your region).

Bloody Zombies is a co-op brawler that will be available on PS4, PSVR, Xbox One, PC, and PC VR (Rift and Vive). It can be played with up to four players, both TV and VR players together, online or on the couch.

Set in a London wasteland, bloody zombies have taken over the city and four rough-and-tough cockney misfits must work together to beat back the rotting hordes. Bloody Zombies features easily accessible moves, deep freeform combat, and brutal chainable combos. Players can also unlock special moves and discover melee weapons to expand their zombie-slaying abilities. The enhanced VR viewpoint means VR players can also find in-game secrets, provide tactical support, and conquer obstacles using a unique diorama view.

David Corless of nDreams says “Bloody Zombies is a classic co-op brawler but with a new twist where VR players and non-VR players can battle the undead together, either online or couch co-op. Think Streets of Rage and Castle Crashers on amphetamines, throw in some friends, add in the unique viewpoint when playing in VR and Bloody Zombies is like no other game out there!”

Paw Print Games’ Anthony White added “We’re massive fans of brawler games and have spent countless hours analyzing the genre, crafting Bloody Zombies in to a modern interpretation of the classics. VR adds a new twist to what is already a great TV experience; enhancing the gameplay and visuals and adding a wow factor. We can’t wait for people to get their hands on Bloody Zombies…”

[Source: Press Release]

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