The Metal: Hellsinger VR Demo is a collaborative effort from game developers Lab42 and The Outsiders that takes the flat version of the game from 2022 and makes it virtual. Now your journey through hell blasting away demons in rhythm to metal music, you’ll be doing it full scale virtual reality.

You can get a taste of the game right now on Steam as the game devs have released a demo which includes the first two levels. The VR version of the game is more than just a straight port of the game. The devs are committed to using the new gameplay mechanics available in virtual reality.

Every weapon is retooled for maximum effect in VR. Each weapon will feel different to use. The developers have created a new hub dubbed The Unknown’s Lair for players to regroup and strategize before tackling the next level. The hub will also contain options for setting gameplay options as well as exploring lore. In keeping with the lair motif, the options take the form of arcane volumes.

Also available in the hub is weapon and level selection. Additionally, you can review your statistics. All of these functions are designed to work in a VR manner where you can reach and touch or grab items. The game devs are taking great pains to include a host of VR options that in today’s VR game market should be standard.

Hellacious Options

So there will be options for vignettes, snap/continuous turning, turning speed adjustment, head vs hand directional movement and more. For the game in particular because it is a rhythm based game, there will be options for beat indicator, aim assist, automatic/manual weapon pumping and height calibration.

Graphically, the game looks impressive when played on my Quest 2 using a AMD 7800 XT GPU. (Can’t wait to try this when the PC adapter for the PSVR 2 becomes available in August).The level design is such that even though the game is arena based, each stage visually flows into the next one. This approach gives a great feeling of more space than there actually is. The game depicts the hellish environments in an impressive array of colors, with the reds especially popping out.

The reds are notable because some enemies are winged demons that pulse internally with the red in time to the music. This provides a great visual aid when to time your attacks for maximum impact. From the levels available in the demo, there is a decent variety of enemy types that evoke, but do not copy, the Doom enemies.

One option available is a Beat Indicator, which is a reticule that overlays an enemy. It shows you the optimum moment to attack for optimal damage. String together enough maximum hits and you will get a prompt for a finishing attack. This is a combination dash and slash attack where you put down an enemy using your skull handled sword, the Terminus.

Metal: Hellsinger Weapons

Other included weapons in the demo are the Paz, a sentient skull that acts as a pistol. For the shotgun equivalent you have the Persephone, better known as the Queen of Death. For two handed firepower, there are the Hounds, Cerberus and Orthrus. The designers gave each weapon a demonic overall and they look very cool.

Two of the eight ‘hells’ are available in the demo and feature some of the music, which is a vital aspect of the game. For the first level, Voke, there are two songs by Mikael Stanne of Dark Tranquillity. Stanne along with Alissa White-Gluz from Arch Enemy each have a song on the second level, Stygia.

Music is a vital part of the game, and they have collected an impressive array of metal talent. The soundtrack includes work from such artists as the composer duo, Two Feathers plus vocalists like Serj Tankian from System of a Down, Matt Heady from Trivium, and Randy Blythe from Lamb of God.

As you move through a level, the music becomes more layered. It moves from simple rhythmic beats to add more instrumentation and then vocals. This is a great approach, as it heightens the tension as the enemies and action ratchet up.

Coming 2024

A specific release date has not revealed yet beyond sometime in 2024. Metal: Hellsinger will include most of the content from the original game except for the Leviathan mode. The game will officially support the Quest 2, Quest 3, PSVR 2, HTC Vive and Quest Pro. There will be DLC to purchase upon game launch.

Metal: Hellsinger comes across as a cross between Pistol Whip and Hellsweeper, both great VR games in their own right. Considering the positive reaction the flat game has received and what the demo shows, Metal: Hellsinger VR is ready to make a fun entry in the VR Rhythm game genre.

***Metal: Hellsinger key provided by the publisher.***

The post Riffing in the Abyss: Metal: Hellsinger VR Preview appeared first on COGconnected.

This weekend many are gathered at their friends and families houses for an Easter feast. Many are spending time with their kids as they hunt for chocolate and other goodies left from the Easter Bunny. As a gamer, while both of these are appreciated, we also love a great ‘ol deal on some accessories this Easter weekend too. We’ve (mostly) outgrown the Easter egg hunts, and those aforementioned goodies, so what better way to enjoy and reminisce than to treat ourselves with some sweet new gear? Younger us would absolutely want that! And future us would also agree. Jump into these fantastic Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PC, Mobile and Switch accessory deals right now!

Logitech G735 Wireless Gaming Headset (PC & Mobile) – $178.99 ($51.00 off)

Razer Barracuda Pro Wireless Gaming Headset (PS5, Switch, PC & Mobile) – $179.99 ($70.00 off)

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 Gaming Headset (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC & Mobile) – $69.99 ($30.00 off)

Razer Basilisk Ultimate HyperSpeed Wireless Gaming Mouse – $89.99 ($60.00 off)

SteelSeries Rival 650 Quantum Wireless Gaming Mouse – $59.99 ($30.00 off)

Logitech G PRO Mechanical Gaming Keyboard – $79.50 ($50.49 off)

Razer Huntsman Mini 60% Gaming Keyboard – $79.99 ($40.00 off)

Razer Wolverine V2 Chroma Wired Gaming Pro Controller (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One & PC) – $129.99 ($20.00 off)

Razer Wolverine V2 Wired Gaming Controller (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One & PC) – $69.99 ($30.00 off)

PowerA Enhanced Wireless Controller – Animal Crossing (Switch) – $45.99 ($14.00 off)

Quest 2 Virtual Reality Headset (128 GB) – $199.00 ($50.99 off)

Did you end up scooping up some sweet new gear like the Meta Quest 2 this Easter? Let us know in the comments below, or give us a shout on Facebook and X Make sure to check in again tomorrow as we have a list of the very best game deals on offer and don’t forget to share the wealth with your friends and fellow gamers out there!

The post The Easter Bunny Has Some Sweet Treats, Like The Quest 2 VR Headset on Sale Now appeared first on COGconnected.

A blast from the past is almost ready to return the gaming world. The puzzles of the 90’s are getting ready to be unleashed in a ground-up remake built with Unreal Engine 5. That’s right, today, Cyan Worlds is happy to announce that their puzzle adventure Riven, is coming once again to flatscreen and VR platforms in 2024. The Myst sequel is being remade with the intention of retaining a major connection to its roots. However, the new version of the game is aiming to take the interactive storytelling medium to new heights with modern-technology. Of course, a new teaser trailer gives players a glimpse of the game’s updated look. 

Riven is widely regarded as a standard setter for the 90’s. A sequel to Cyan Worlds’ Myst, the game invites players to enter the D’ni Empire and explore the decaying age of Riven. Of course, with modern technology at developer’s disposal, the game is ready to offer immersion on a whole new level. In fact, players can experience a larger and more puzzle-filled world. Now, players will also be able to explore with free movement as they travel across the various islands of the game. Importantly, each island is home to its very own intricate puzzles. Additionally, the remaster of the game includes familiar and brand new storylines that will further immerse players in the world that begins to take shape around them.

Interestingly, a new trailer gives players a look at Riven. Of course, the teaser trailer shows off the remastered graphics and gameplay of the upcoming release. Check out the trailer below.

Riven is set to release on platforms later in 2024. Fans can stay up to date on the remaster by following Cyan Worlds on X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.

SOURCE: PRESS RELEASE

The post Riven Remaster Set for 2024 Release appeared first on COGconnected.

Despite the seeming dominance of men in the swashbuckling pirate domain, there were actually plenty of women pirates. Anne Bonney and Mary Read hung out with Blackbeard in the Caribbean. Irish pirate Grace O’Malley tormented the British fleet and in China, Cheng Shih became an almost mythic character of naval power. To say that she has been “forgotten” is probably misleading. It’s more like people in the West have never heard of her. In any case, The Pirate Queen: A Forgotten Legend aims to introduce Cheng Shih to a wider population via a new VR game.

Tempered Expectations

Thanks to big-budget VR games like Assassin’s Creed and Asgard’s Wrath 2, we’re starting to expect our VR adventures to have substance. It’s probably an unfair comparison, but The Pirate Queen feels like a throwback to the demo-length games that early VR was known for. The Pirate Queen: A Forgotten Legend clocks in at a couple of hours, tops. While it doesn’t look low-rent, The Pirate Queen feels fairly lean in terms of gameplay and content.

The Pirate Queen: A Forgotten Legend takes place over the course of one night. You play as the titular Cheng Shih, whose pirate husband Zhang Bao has recently died. You have inherited his pirate empire and you are on your way to pirate ascendancy. Only Guo Podai — a near equal in the pirate trade — stands in your way, so you attempt to poison his tea. The British launch a surprise attack, so suddenly your path to pirate leadership means defending your leadership on several fronts. 

A Pirate’s Life for Me

This capsule summary hints at swashbuckling adventure, exciting naval combat, interpersonal struggles, and more. Unfortunately, none of these promises are kept. Instead, The Pirate Queen is more akin to a rowing and climbing simulator with lots of escape-room type puzzles.

The Pirate Queen: A Forgotten Legend is an entirely linear game, so even though, for example, you are rowing from ship to ship, you’re on rails. There is no free exploration on the ships either. You’re either climbing the rigging to reach a specific goal or solving object-manipulation puzzles to move forward in the narrative. Combat consists of firing below-deck canons but you don’t really see the impact of your actions. 

The puzzles are definitely the highlight of the game and they can be approached via an “easy mode” where clues are highlighted or a more challenging mode where hints are on demand. Still, the challenge in this case is relative and only puzzle game novices will struggle with putting objects together.

Veteran actor Lucy Liu provides the majority of narrative exposition and voices the main character but her performance, while professional, is also a bit dispassionate. There are no other rendered characters, but we do hear the occasional voice and see shadowy silhouettes behind curtained windows. It’s a reasonably successful solution to a low-budget situation. The Pirate Queen: A Forgotten Legend is more in “the spirit of” historical events, rather than an accurate representation of them. It conflates or re-orders several real conflicts and situations. That’s probably irrelevant to anyone but diehard fans of Chinese naval history.

Sail Away

Exteriors, outdoor environments, and close-up textures are pretty typical of budget VR games. The Pirate Queen’s use of Chinese iconography and authentic ship design is a bit more distinctive. The art direction inside the cabins shows excellent attention to detail. The game’s lighting provides an evocative atmosphere.

I can see the value of The Pirate Queen: A Forgotten Legend as a great introduction to a specific slice of cultural history. After all, what young person doesn’t like pirates? Though they might be disappointed by the absence of Jack Sparrow, Cheng Shih was a formidable character and leader. For older, more experienced gamers spoiled by the likes of Asgard’s Wrath 2, The Pirate Queen will probably feel like an action-adventure downgrade.

***Meta Quest 3 code provided by the publisher for review***

The post The Pirate Queen: A Forgotten Legend Review – Low Tide appeared first on COGconnected.

Bulletstorm VR from Game Developer Incuvo has landed on multiple platforms – PC, Quest, and PSVR 2. It is a port of the 2013 flat game and embodies the 1980s era of pop culture. It’s big, brash, and laced with testosterone expletive deleted software. The flat game is an on-rails shooter that rewards players for coming up with creative and gory kills.

It is a perfect vehicle for converting a flat game to VR. Unfortunately, said conversion leaves a more than a little bit to be desired on the non-PC platforms. This is a tough review to write because I’ve been an advocate for hybrid games where a VR Mode for Triple A games is the best path to pushing VR Gaming into mass adoption.

The PC version of Bulletstorm VR has been better received than the Quest and PSVR 2 releases. The situation mirrors the same reception that another VR Game from Incuvo, Green Hell, also received. It seems that there are different development teams for the various platforms and this is the reason proposed for the quality disparity.

Ugly Visuals

Whatever the reason for the quality differences, the version reviewed here is the PSVR 2 one, and it is disappointing. Ugly visuals and low-level textures saddle the game, which give it a blurry and jagged appearance. The game is also not properly optimized for PSVR 2. This results in dropped frames in larger areas. There are also constant loading screens within a stage that present themselves as immersion breaking black screens.

I have also experienced game crashes under different circumstances. One time it happened during a busy combat moment while the other crash came when the game displayed an in-game video clip.

Something to note about the video clips, Bulletstorm offers a great option to view the cutscenes in 3D. That is outstanding and should become a standard option for all flat games converted to VR. Sadly, the implementation of the 3D clips is subpar. They are low detail and blurry. Even worse, they are often blown out with blinding white levels.

There are other technical letdowns that affect the game’s personality. Another annoyance is the sound effects and music. They often do not synch to the game and they sound off in seemingly random matter. The disappointment doesn’t end there, though. Enemy AI is just plain terrible. They stand around or run up to you and do nothing. Oft times they also do not react to gunfire hits.

Unfinished Game

Finally, the game looks way worse than flat screen version and this is not only because of the low level textures. There has been no attempt made to employ dynamic lighting. All the shadows are static. These factors leave the environments flat and lifeless. This is really apparent if you compare the graphics of the flat version game to the VR version.

The game feels fundamentally unfinished and could use another six months of development and polish. Incuvo publicly acknowledged the myriad issues on Twitter. They pledged to document all the issues raised by gamers and promise to correct them in future patches.

We shall see. They made the same pledge about Green Hell and there has yet to be any significant corrections made on the non-PC versions.
All those issues aside, when things do work properly, the game can be fun to play. Remember, this is an over the top arcade shooter and the gameplay is fun but dated. You play as the protagonist, Grayson Hunt, in the first person. Hunt is a former elite mercenary who is now rogue. He is rogue because he learns his former commander, General Victor Sarrano, used him and his unit to kill innocent civilians instead of military targets.

Your ship crash lands on Stygia, which is described as a hell planet. The goal of the game is to make your way through hostile territory and confront the general. You’ll face multiple enemies and set pieces that are designed to allow you to wreak the most gruesome havoc possible.

Dual Wielding Damage

One of the new features of the VR version of the game is the ability to dual wield weapons, something not possible in the flat version. You’ll be able to tote a gun in one hand and an energy weapon called the Leash in the other. Using the two weapons in tandem allows for devastating destruction.

The weapons are the strongest part of the game, especially the Leash. Think of the Leash as a whip composed of energy. You can lasso enemies from quite a distance and fling them either towards you or into the environment. This allows you to impale enemies on spikes or barbed wire or electrical wire or throw them over the side of structures. You can also fling explosive barrels.

For close in combat, you can kick enemies either by stunning them or pushing them into environmental objects. The more inventive you are in dispatching enemies, the greater the reward. There is a Skill Kill Point List which you can reference as a guide for actions left for you to accomplish.

So there is a good basis from the flat game for having a lot of mindless fun. However, the issues mentioned above short-circuit any sustained enjoyment of playing the game. In its current state, on the PSVR 2, I cannot recommend this game. Your best bet if you want to play the game now is to get the PC version.

Fingers Crossed for Fixes

Hopefully, Incuvo will honor their pledge to fix the game and in short order. There are teasing moments of fun that shine through all the current issues with the game. If they ever get fixed, then Bulletstorm could still turn out to be a fun game.

***Bulletstorm VR PS5 code provided by the publisher***

The post Bulletstorm VR Review – Bold and Brash, But Buggy appeared first on COGconnected.

Working from home has become the norm for a lot of people. You get up, have some coffee, and sit at your desk, ready to start the day. What if your job was just that simple? What if you simply had to sit down at your desk and not touch a thing? Developed and published by ForwardXP, Please, Don’t Touch Anything: House Broken is a delightful puzzle-solving/ escape room-esque experience in VR. Players are set up with a nice little home office, complete with a simple desk featuring a big red button. Your instructions are simple; don’t touch anything. It’s right there in the name. If you manage to avoid the tantalizing temptation of touching anything, you will eventually be rewarded with one of the game’s 15 unique endings. But where is the fun in that? Press the button!

Pressing the big red button once makes a simple toggle appear, and each successive button press makes some new and interesting features of the desk come to life. In fact, try hitting that big red button over and over just to see what happens next! For taking place in one small room inside your home, there is quite a lot to do, and some of the puzzles can be especially challenging until you get the hang of it. Everything in arms reach will play a part in at least one solution.

Many of these solutions, however, rely on the same early step of entering the same code into a pin pad. Were there a few other early puzzle options to branch from, I feel it would be a little more engaging. Once I realized so many puzzles needed that same set-up to complete, I began each run doing the same thing.

Look For Clues Around Every Corner

Please, Don’t Touch Anything is built for people who love escape rooms. It’s more than just solving a puzzle put in front of you. Players have to look for solutions and patterns in unique places. This sort of game is perfectly paired with VR as you not only manipulate the objects around you but also have to move around the environment for clues. Finding potential clues by physically searching feels far more rewarding than uncovering them in a brick of text on a screen. I found myself closely inspecting everything, trying to parse out any hidden features that could help me solve the room.

Interaction with the objects is fluid and quite charming to behold. Anti-gravity makes everything not bolted down float and spin in the air. Chalk can be used on the chalkboard in a realistic and immersive fashion. I know this is the nature of VR gaming but it doesn’t make it any less impressive when it is pulled off so flawlessly.

Upon activating the aforementioned anti-gravity, I sat in the room and toyed with the clipboard, chalk, and other floating debris. Tossing them in the air to watch them spin, colliding off of each other in the air. When I first grabbed the coffee mug, I juggled it back and forth to myself before throwing it at the wall for fun. It shattered, then respawned on the desk. VR games like this provide the opportunity for childlike wonder, a brief reprieve from the world, and a chance to just marvel at the surreal.

A Delightful Reprieve From The Mundane

The majority – if not all – of the solutions to Please, Don’t Touch Anything: House Broken’s puzzles end in outlandish ways. Beginning in such a mundane place and evolving to something unexpectedly comical and weird is refreshing and rewarding. The UFO ending is my favorite, offering a variety of interactive moments and some genuinely fun effects. The Fly ending was mildly unsettling (without spoiling it, of course), and let us not forget that simple toggle. After that single press of the big red button, the toggle appears. It stays there through the remainder of your session, regardless of what you are working on. Carelessly bumping the toggle will set it off, and… well, don’t hit the toggle.

Please, Don’t Touch Anything: House Broken is brimming with charm. It has a cheeky sense of humor with some genuinely complex, head-scratching puzzles that are satisfying to solve. There is so much rich gameplay packaged into a small, simple room. The physics of each object feels great, and the graphical detail – even on the Meta Quest 2 – is sharp enough to trick the senses. I experienced no issues with environmental interactions, no bugs or glitches, just smooth, challenging puzzles. My only minor issue was how many puzzles required the same starting interaction. Given the varied endings, however, and their complex solutions, this is easily overlooked. It’s the most engaging fun I’ve ever had sitting at a desk.

*Meta Quest 2 Code provided by the publisher*

The post Please, Don’t Touch Anything: House Broken Review – Please Touch Everything appeared first on COGconnected.

When I play or review a new VR game, I ask two, fundamental questions. First, if the game was just a regular flat screen experience, would it still be any fun? Would its story, mechanics and characters hold up minus the distraction of VR? The second question is really just an inverse of the first. What experience is it giving me that justifies wearing this chunk of plastic strapped to my face? Any game that has satisfying answers to these questions is probably pretty good. In the case of Asgard’s Wrath 2, the game spins happy circles around my questions. It’s spectacular.

Asgard’s Wrath 2 is — obviously — a sequel to 2019’s Asgard’s Wrath. Bundled with the new Meta Quest 3, it’s the literal definition of “system seller.” Owners of the Quest 2 or Pro can play the game as well. I can’t address performance on those devices. The game was clearly built with the new hardware in mind.

Flight Into Egypt

While Asgard’s Wrath 2 obviously draws characters from Norse mythology, much of the game takes place in ancient Egypt. Imprisoned by the trickster Loki, you are a god with the ability to both enter into the bodies of humans and jump back into god form. During the expansive narrative in which you move ever closer to avenging yourself, you’ll occupy four, very different characters. Abraxis, a thief and melee-focused fighter; Cyrene, a support-type, ranged weapon user with a magic harp; Alvilda, a precision ranged fighter that can also use bombs; and Djehiuty, a hybrid melee, magic and ranged specialist.

Divided into seven Sagas — each one longer than the majority of VR games — Asgard’s Wrath 2 has all the elements of classic, open world RPGs. There are mounts, a hub home base, a number of useful follower characters, imposing bosses and extensive skill trees for each character. All these come together with the same polish and depth as a traditional flat-screen game. The VR aspect adds something those games lack. In VR, combat is more immersive and towering bosses all the more terrifying.

Built for VR

Asgard’s Wrath 2 makes thrilling and convincing use of the Quest 3’s relatively robust capabilities. Its success comes from an admirable level of mechanical polish and stellar art direction. Every action in combat or movement feels natural, and the UI is excellent. Like with every VR game — or any action game, really — controls take some time to learn but eventually become fairly transparent and intuitive.

In particular, jumping, climbing and even wall running have none of the inconsistent, frustrating or nausea-inducing animations so often found in VR action games. The game allows for three levels of comfort control. I found the setting that combines free movement with the option for snap turns and to be perfectly comfortable over long periods. 

Let’s be honest, though. When it comes to wearing the device, no standalone headset is perfectly comfortable over extended play sessions. For me, there’s a limit of a couple of hours at a time, with frequent breaks. I’ve also replaced the substandard stock strap with an upgrade, and use custom lens instead of wearing glasses. Asgard’s Wrath 2 clocks in at an astonishing 80+ hours, so do the math. It’s a big but absolutely worthwhile commitment.

Like the Meta Quest 1, 2 and Pro, the Quest 3 is powered by a mobile CPU and graphics processor. It looks very good, but no one should expect PC-level texture detail or impressive effects. Still, character models are far better than in most VR action games. There’s some texture pop-in and a few rough edges but it’s more than a little miraculous that a game so ambitious can live on the Quest 3 at all.

Perfect Balance

Asgard’s Wrath 2 balances three elements: combat, exploration and puzzle solving. 

I’m not always a big fan of environmental puzzles. So often they seem arbitrary and illogical. I was surprised, then, to find myself thoroughly enjoying the sometimes challenging puzzles in Asgard’s Wrath 2. They usually involve various combinations of simple object manipulation, rather than gathering obscure pieces of loot. The ability to warp easily into the titan view — which turns the environment into a living 3D diorama — was novel and engaging every time. It gave the puzzle elements a unique dimension that drained the tedium from the process of trial and error.

As an action RPG, Asgard’s Wrath 2 is heavily invested in its combat, and its genius move is moving the player through four characters and their various weapons and combat styles, which include all the basics: melee, ranged combat and magic. In each case, combat was generally immersive and satisfying. I say generally, because melee combat on the Quest still lacks some of the visceral punch of many non-VR games. I was sometimes not entirely sure whether my parries and sword swings were making contact.

Exploration is incredibly fun and there are countless secrets, hidden treasures, engaging side quests and mini games. It can’t be stated too many times: Asgard’s Wrath 2 is not just epic for a VR game, it’s epic compared to most games in the open world RPG genre, period.

The New Standard

VR was too long characterized by games that were essentially tech demos, throwaway concepts or experiences lacking in ambition and depth. It is no wonder that consumers hesitated to join the VR movement. But that’s changing. Games are getting bigger, more satisfying and making a clear case that VR is headed into a new and exciting phase. Maybe not quite maturity, but something very close.

Asgard’s Wrath 2 is one of the most impressive open world RPGs I’ve played in any format. That it’s in VR and on a wireless headset is sort of astounding. Asgard’s Wrath 2 is simply a must-play for new Quest 3 owners and a compelling reason to pick up the hardware. It’s hands down VR’s Game of the Year.

***Meta Quest 3 code provided by the publisher for review***

The post Asgard’s Wrath 2 Review – Virtually Flawless appeared first on COGconnected.

Whatever else it is, the endless array of licensed LEGO games, toys, and entertainment is nothing if not consistent. Fun, family-friendly, and ubiquitous, LEGO products appeal to everyone with a sense of goofy humor. Building with the physical brick toys is relaxing and deeply satisfying. While some of the movie tie-in games are a bit lackluster, 2022’s LEGO Bricktales focused on the pleasure of creative problem-solving and building with bricks. It was about as close as any game has come to the “pure” Lego experience. Until now, with LEGO Bricktales for the Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro.

Problem Solved

Physical LEGO bricks have a couple of well-known downsides. It’s a right of passage for every parent to step on a sharp brick or two, or wrestle bricks from the mouth of an unruly pet. Even the most elegant and complex LEGO creation has to find a home somewhere, which takes up space. Sure, the original Bricktales came close to simulating the building experience, but on the Meta Quest 3, the illusion takes a giant leap forward.

Bricktales — both in the original release and on VR — has a simple premise. You are trying to help your inventor grandfather bring a faded amusement park back to life. To do so, you travel to a handful of richly detailed environments. You build and repair and make the people in each little land happy, earning you rewards to take back to the amusement park.

The story is benign and occasionally amusing, but the heart of Bricktales is building and puzzle-solving. You have a series of building challenges that take place outside the world, allowing you to focus on one small task at a time. For each puzzle, you have a limited and specific collection of bricks. The puzzles amp up in difficulty, and encourage all sorts of creative thinking approaches to solve. The process is immensely satisfying.

Walkabout

LEGO Bricktales for the Meta Quest doesn’t significantly change the original game. The premise and worlds are the same. The puzzles are the same, but the ability to examine the fully 3D dioramas is absurdly engaging and fun. There is a lot of detail, small animations, and character that really come through in 3D. You can, of course, move or resize the dioramas, or you can walk around them and see them from different angles. The same applies to the separate puzzle-building challenges.

LEGO Bricktales can be played in AR, with the dioramas floating in the middle of your play space, or in VR with a plain background environment. I’m still thrilled by the Quest 3’s implementation of AR. Thanks to improved and color passthrough cameras, I was able to place the dioramas approximately on an actual table in the room. It was kind of amazing.

Moving and building are pretty intuitive. You pick up with your hands and manipulate them naturally. You bring up the UI by looking at your watch. My biggest frustration was that very often the UI was imprecise to control and responded sluggishly. Of course, no matter how much it has improved, manipulating objects in AR/VR still lacks the tactile element that would make it feel truly real.

No Clutter, All Fun

Coming on the heels of the excellent Assassin’s Quest Nexus, the Meta Quest 3 is developing a strong post-launch lineup. The hardware itself is outstanding and using custom lenses from Zenni — and ditching my glasses — has made the experience even more comfortable.

LEGO Bricktales was one of the best and purest versions of the brick building experience. On the Meta Quest 3, and especially in the AR mode, the game takes on a whole new life that comes very close to the real thing. The puzzles are challenging and the tone is lighthearted. Aside from some fiddly controls, LEGO Bricktales is more proof that the Meta Quest 3 is the VR headset to have.

***Quest code provided by the publisher for review***

The post LEGO Bricktales Meta Quest Review – Proof of Concept appeared first on COGconnected.

Prepare to step into the surreal reality of the Pechorsk Security Zone. Here, things are never what they seem and deadly anomalies are awaiting around every corner. The question remains. Do you have what it takes to survive here? Or will you become another victim of the zone? Today, CM Games is happy to announce that the Steam Page for their upcoming game, Into the Radius 2, is now live. The sequel to 2019’s VR survival game, Into the Radius 2 reintroduces players to the setting of the first game with new and old mechanics abound. Of course, there are also new threats. Players can get a look at some early gameplay from the Steam page.

Into the Radius 2 brings players back to the VR universe of the first game. Playing as explorers, players will enter the Pechorsk Security Zone either alone or with a squad. Of course, both ways of playing offer a vastly different experience. Left alone, players will endure a solitary and haunting experience as they scavenge for weapons, supplies, and information on the strange and surreal realm. Importantly, the second game sees the return of realistic weaponry, a meticulous crafting system, and dangerous locations full of hostile anomalies. 

Of course, players will get a handle on how each weapon works. Interestingly, the weapons allow players to customize them with craftable attachments. These attachments will be necessary to defeat various anomalies throughout the world. Yet, they are far from the only advancements players have at their disposal. Rare artifacts also exist within the Zone. These artifacts allow players to harness strange powers and abilities beyond comprehension. 

Into the Radius 2 is set to release on Oculus Quest and Steam VR in 2025. Currently, players can check out the game’s new Steam page for a glimpse.  

SOURCE

The post Into the Radius 2 Announces Launch of Steam Page appeared first on COGconnected.

Say the words “Assassin’s Creed” to fans of action RPGs, and you’ll probably get a strong reaction. The games are polarizing. Some gamers love them, others love to hate on them. Those are both fair opinions, because while the Assassin’s Creed franchise has given us spectacular settings, stories and gameplay, it has also included buggy products, bloated open worlds and bland narratives. One adjective that has never been used about series is “system seller.” Until now, with Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR.

Assassin’s Creed Nexus is an exclusive title for the Meta Quest 2/3 and Pro. It’s not a perfect game but I’ll say right off the bat that it’s both a great excuse to pick up the Quest 3, and an encouraging start to the headset’s lineup of games. AC Nexus is also one of the most fully realized action RPGs released for VR on any platform.

Best Of All Possible Worlds

Nexus is, in large part, a sort of Assassin’s Creed’s greatest hits. It brings together familiar characters and environments from several of the flatscreen games. Nexus brings back characters from earlier titles, too. It’s hard to imagine a gamer never having played an AC game, but Nexus does a good job of reviewing the series’ premise.

Nexus is not an open world game, and that’s a good thing. Instead, the player moves through three, expansive environments from different periods in history, including Renaissance Italy, ancient Greece and revolutionary-era America. The zones are plenty large and provide ample opportunities for parkour, stealth, exploration and combat. The levels feel perfectly balanced to the narrative and, most critically, to the player’s comfort. Fatigue is still most definitely an aspect of VR gaming. Open world bloat and maps claustrophobically cluttered with mission objects have become a Ubisoft trademark but there’s none of that in Nexus. 

Assassin’s Creed Nexus casts the player in a familiar assassin role, sending them into the Animus to retrieve artifacts from several simulations and stop Abstergo from some nefarious mind-control games. You first play as Ezio, stealthing through Venice in the 16th century; Kassandra in ancient Athens and Connor in 18th century Boston. Right from the get-go, finding yourself in a VR version of a virtual reality HQ is pretty thrilling and a natural fit. 

Bladed Runner

The fun continues, thanks to the game’s overall excellent movement mechanics. Climbing, jumping and stealth feel exceptionally well tuned and become natural in short order. There are a wealth of control and comfort options, so players prone to motion sickness in VR should find their sweet, nausea-free spot. Only two complaints here. Playing seated led to some awkward moments of exploration and movement, and teleporting up walls was frustrating at times. Grabbing ledges with the Quest controllers was occasionally more challenging than it should have been, until I learned the game’s very specific way of accomplishing it.

Mainline AC games — especially the earliest ones — put stealth and silent takedowns front and center. Nexus does this, too, and does it well. It’s uniquely thrilling to jump from a rooftop or shadows to assassinate a hapless victim on the street. Those with a fear of heights will find some options for mitigating it, but the vertiginous feeling of scaling a tower or church spire in VR is incredibly immersive. I’d almost go so far as saying it’s the ideal way to experience Assassin’s Creed. The developer had so much faith in their movement mechanics that the game even has time parkour time-challenge side missions. 

The caveats — and they are relatively minor — come from the Quest 3’s processing power. There are a lot of loading screens, and they aren’t short. The game’s lighting and art direction are stellar, as is the music, but up close, textures can be pretty basic. Character models and animations are quite good, however, given the hardware’s limitations. The game’s voice acting is excellent. Nexus has all the production values you’d expect from a full AC game, including a substantial 15+-hour playtime.

Another small disappointment is Nexus’ melee combat. It isn’t terrible, but not as visceral as one might expect. Blocks and parry timing aren’t as fine tuned as other aspects of combat.

Assassin’s Creed Can Still Surprise

No one is going to argue that wireless VR gaming matches the power or fidelity of corded systems. For me, though, not being tethered to a console — on top of having a substantial chunk of plastic strapped to my face — is worth a tradeoff in graphics. It’s far less claustrophobic and it’s a relief to not constantly fear becoming entangled in cables. While the Meta Quest 3 can’t rival the PSVR 2 in power, a game like Assassin’s Creed Nexus is ample proof that the Quest can provide a satisfying and immersive experience.

Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR is probably the best action game available for the Meta Quest 3 system and I’d go so far as to call it a hardware-seller. It’s certainly an impressive proof-of-concept for the standalone headset. As an Assassin’s Creed game, it nails the series’ classic stealth and parkour moves, all the more impressive in virtual reality. It isn’t an open world game, but all the better for it. I’d say it’s a must-buy for new Quest 3 owners.

***Meta Quest 3 code provided by the publisher for review***

The post Assassin’s Creed: Nexus VR Review – A Virtual System Seller appeared first on COGconnected.

Kill It With Fire from developer Casey Donnellan Games tailored a well balanced game to carry out its goal. The game has been around for a while. First, it has been released flat on every platform. Casey Donnellan Games have also done it in VR for the Meta and Steam platforms. Now it is making the leap to VR, and this review is for the PSVR 2 version. When you ask someone what creatures freak them out the most, the top two answers would be spiders and snakes. The phobia is so strong for each of them that there is a whole sub-genre of movies that pit characters against them.

Kill It With Fire knows this and adroitly balances between a game scary but also very fun. The game employs a cartoony, brightly colored visual style that softens the overall tone. How strongly a gamer reacts to stomping out spiders will totally depend on whether you instinctively abhor them.

Where the game tightens the tension, is with the sound design. The game’s music, which uses strident violins, enhances spider sightings. Its effect is excellent. When those violins kick in, you get a visceral reaction much the same as the music cues from movies such as Jaws or Psycho. It really invokes the sensation of a multi-legged creature scurrying across the floor. Or maybe up on you!

Keeping the fear factor in mind, Kill It With Fire, has an option to turn off that particular music cue if you find it too unnerving. Or maybe it becomes too irritating for you. Personally, I think it does the game a great disservice to turn that sound cue off. The music in the game is an upbeat, jazzy, spy type affair that is an excellent contrast to the spider music cue.

Scare Versus Comfort

Another comfort option is the one that deals with spiders that jump. If jumping spiders are too creepy for you to handle, you can disable it. Again, if you do so, it takes away an awesome creep factor, dare I say it, jump scares. If you can remind yourself that it’s only a game, then do your best to leave this setting enabled.

Let’s talk about the spiders. There are a variety of them, but they all look very similar to one another. The arachnids scale up in size as you gain better items to dispatch them. They move realistically as they scurry around the room. They crawl up, over, under, behind, and in between items.

The game starts in your typical bungalow style home with each room filled with interactive objects. All you have is a pair of gloves that come equipped with a spider radar to start with. The game prompts you to hunt out and kill spiders. Kill so many spiders and you open up more weapons. One of the first items is a hair spray flame thrower in honor of the game’s name.

The first levels are small. You move around a living room, a bathroom, and an office. Weaponless, you can use your fists or can pick up household items to squash spiders. It’s up to you to suss them out and dispatch them. You can use household items like TV remotes, speakers, game controllers to squash them. It makes some for tense moments as the spiders zip around the room and climb furniture to escape you.

Going Bigger

From there, everything gets progressively bigger: the stages, the weapons, and the spiders. Quickly enough, you power up enough, and killing spiders changes from being scary to becoming comedic. It’s an understandable evolution of the gameplay. The experience is meant to be fun instead of scary. Personally, I would have preferred the game to take the scary route and pay off with a Lord of the Rings – The Return of the King – Shelob level of confrontation.

As your array of weapons grow – flame thrower, guns, ninja stars, and bombs to name a few. With such an arsenal at your disposal, the difficulty level drops while the collateral damage increases dramatically. This is how the game combats the boredom that can arise with a repetitive gameplay loop in several ways.

First, the game is short. You can complete it in a handful of hours. Next, the game gives you objectives that require you to be creative with your kills. One example is you have to kill six spiders with a gun, but only with five bullets. You access the objectives through your Arachno-Gauntlet.

Finally, the art style and aesthetics of the game are geared towards a younger crowd. Ten to twelve-year-olds will have a blast with this game. This is not a deep game, but it ties in adroitly with the fear of spiders and the desire to get rid of them.

Kill It With Fire Is A Well Balanced Game

Casey Donnellan Games has tailored a well balanced game to carry out its goal. Kill It With Fire hits the right mix of fun and length. If you are an arachnophobe, this may not be the game for you. If the idea of squashing spiders for fun appeals to your darker side, this is the game for you. Kill It With Fire is available on all platforms, be it flat or VR. And now it has come to the PSVR 2. Happy Hunting!

***Kill It With Fire PSVR 2 code provided by the publisher***

The post Kill It With Fire Review – Silly VR Spider Squashing appeared first on COGconnected.

The sprinter van is filthy, and my unenviable task is to make it shine again. Never fear, I have at hand all the tools I need. I’m holding a power washer, and on my toolbelt is a wide range of nozzles, wands, and soaps. I get to work, walking around the van, crouching — even going prone — to clean every inch. Heck, I can even invite some friends to help. I finish with a feeling of immense satisfaction, and even a bit of calm. Then I’m alerted to a few spots I missed, and happily comb the surface of the van seeking out the dirt. This is PowerWash Simulator VR.

As many gamers know, PowerWash Simulator is an unexpected hit, allowing players to spend hours spraying away virtual dirt from doghouses to mansions. It is part of the lineage of jokey games like Goat Simulator that turn out to be way more fun than you’d expect. In the case of PowerWash Simulator, not only is the game pretty deep, it’s relaxing and extremely satisfying. There’s just something in human nature that responds to watching the transformation from dirty to clean. And even better, it requires no effort, unlike real-world cleaning.

The Hands Down Way to Play

PowerWash Simulator has made the leap from monitors to VR, and it’s seemingly effortless. I don’t know if PowerWash Simulator VR is a system seller for Meta Quest, but it’s hands down the way to play the game. I auditioned it on the Quest 3, and my experience was overall very positive. The game also supports Quest 2 and Pro.

In case you’re confused, PowerWash Simulator is all about cleaning stuff. You start with small objects and move to more complex jobs. Eventually, you’ve worked your way up to daunting tasks like houses. Your tools are — naturally — a power washer and specialized nozzles, wand extenders, and soaps, each made for a specific use case. As you wash, you’re rewarded with a satisfying “ding,” which means you’ve completed an area.

The VR version preserves all the content of the PC and console versions. It allows you to move around the object and clean it. You can crouch or go prone as needed, controlled in VR via teleportation or free movement. Your toolbelt hovers around your waist. You grab nozzles and other attachments and snap them to the washer in a way that feels absolutely true to life.

A Few Smudges

Well, almost. The controls and button assignments take a bit of time to learn. They felt just a bit fiddly at times. Rotating my toolbelt with my left hand meant grabbing a specific handle, awkward if it was in an inaccessible place. Once mastered, though, the controls felt well mapped to the Quest 3 controllers. The game features a wide range of accessibility options for movement and object manipulation, and even players new to VR should find a level of comfort.

The ability to move around the object, and have it feel close to real-life scale, is infinitely more immersive than on PC. Thanks to the Quest 3’s additional power and more refined hardware, graphics were sharp and battery life was decent. There aren’t a ton of audio effects in PowerWash Simulator…mostly, you know, the sound of a power washer. I did think the audio was a bit understated and didn’t make quite enough use of the virtual 3D space.

I’ve played a few recent Quest 3 games that technically weren’t quite ready for prime time. I had only a few small issues with bugs and no crashes. It was all smooth sailing.

Make it Shine

My actual car is covered in grime and road dirt, but I’m happy to ignore the laborious task of washing it in favor of doing the same task in virtual reality. PowerWash Simulator has always been an addictive, relaxing, and satisfying game. PowerWash Simulator VR feels like a game that has found its true home and the most convincing version of itself possible. It’s a great addition to the growing library for the Quest 3.

***Meta Quest code provided by the publisher for review***

The post PowerWash Simulator VR Review – Squeaky Clean Fun appeared first on COGconnected.

I don’t think there’s a person alive who doesn’t dream of being part of the Ghostbusters. Since the 80s, the fab four has had a strong presence in the media with iconic movies and charming cartoons. Due to this, people from around the world have fantasised about tracking spectres with the PKE Meter and blasting spirits with the Proton Pack. While there have been virtual renditions of the group, the new VR adventure, Rise of the Ghost Lord, aims to fulfil that childhood wish with a level of immersion and interactivity never before experienced.

Tasked to collect the iconic kit from a spooky mansion, things quickly go from bad to worse. After accidentally unleashing the Ghost Lord upon the city of San Francisco, you must join an all new team of Ghostbusters to maintain order. The story itself is merely a premise for the multiplayer missions that will have you track down and capture spirits. Snippets of the narrative do occur from time to time, however, they are firmly in the background. Although I understand the focus on online gameplay, I would have liked a dedicated story mode that would allow you to play out that Ghostbusting dream.

We Got One

As you step into a mission, you have your PKE Meter, trap and Proton Pack to protect you from ghouls that roam the environment. Each of these is accessible from your waist and back which adds a nice sense of immersion. You will need to quickly jump between tools in order to find and capture entities.

Smaller ghosts will vaporize with a blast from your gun whereas larger ones require a bit more work. Your stream will weaken them, eventually allowing you to wrap your beam around the ghost. Similar to Luigi’s Mansion, you must now fight against the momentum of the creature and then guide it towards the trap to vanquish the foe. When against particularly large enemies, you can send a blast through your beam after you have built up heat in your Proton Pack from wrestling with a spirit. This can also result in your gun overheating and shutting down if you are not careful which adds a nice layer of strategy and creates an addictive loop that truly captures the feeling of busting ghosts.

There are a variety of spirits that feature unique attacks to keep you on your toes. The options available to traverse the area allow anyone to engage in the game. With smooth and click turning, full movement and teleportation, the game adds a ton of accessibility options to make this a comfortable experience. You’ll need to avoid being slimed in order to stay conscious, otherwise you’ll need a pal to give you a high five to get back in the fight. There doesn’t seem to be any penalty for getting knocked out as your team can keep reviving you without issue. While this ensures that all remain in the game, it removes tension from battles.

He Slimed Me

There are four different mission types that you can select from the HQ. Exorcism involves you and your team attempting to close a portal. You must scour the environment for three particular items, attach them to specific generators which will then unleash a huge demon for you to slay. On the Clock is a fast and hectic mode where you must fight against waves of  enemies to ensure that you can clear the area in the time permitted. In Giga Trap Retrieval you must find the correct location of the trap and try to carefully extract it. This can have a variety of effects which make the mode intense and an absolute thrill. Finally, there is Harvester which involves you repairing a machine and capturing ghosts. Each mode is enjoyable and distinct with friends but a little lonely when on your own. 

After the completion of a mission, you’ll earn money which allows you to upgrade your equipment. This adds a steady progression to proceedings allowing you to improve your abilities for each subsequent mission. Unfortunately, the lack of story content means you’ll simply cycle through missions without feeling like you’re closing in on the Ghost Lord. Having more structure would have made it feel like you’re closing in on the antagonist rather than just completing random missions.

Who Ya Gonna Call?

The overall presentation is fantastic. Each map is impressive in scale and the cartoon aesthetic allows nDreams to make each ghost a vibrant treat. The visual style means that they can substitute detail with personality which works perfectly in VR. Characters are stylized and so are the environments which helps to transport you into the boots of the Ghostbusters. Musical cues further embed the franchise into the world and sound effects feel authentic.

Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord nails aspects of the experience but its lack of structure hinders the overall package. Using the famous tools from the franchise has never felt better and faithfully captures the feeling of being a Ghostbuster, however, the lack of focus on the narrative gives no context to missions. Fighting against spirits is a blast with friends but doesn’t hold up in single player. Although busting feels good, more attention to the story and its progression is needed.

***A PlayStation 5 key was provided by the publisher***

The post Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord Review – Short of a Full Containment appeared first on COGconnected.

Journey to Foundation from Archiact Interactive is a galaxy spanning virtual experience. Its roots come from the Foundation series of books written by SF Giant, Isaac Asimov. This gives the game an enormous advantage because it gives them the entire Milky Galaxy as an immense creative sandbox to play in.

You play the game as Agent Ward, an agent of the Commission of Public Safety. This is a branch of the Galactic Empire that maintains order and the authority to do so by any means necessary. The Commission sends you to the edge of the galactic empire to investigate reports of deserters.

As with all good stories, the initial event escalates into a kidnapping and then into a big conspiracy. A conspiracy that could end the Galactic Empire. The game takes you on a journey that involves visiting several locales and eventually ending up at the titular location.

Given the immense amount of available source material, Archiact has put the game’s focus on the narrative. Each character you encounter opens up a dialog UI that is a tad clunky. You navigate through the options with eye tracking, which is pretty cool. However, once you make a selection, you must touch it to complete the selection.

Illusion of Choice

That all sounds slick, but what makes the dialog clunky is three fold. On the technical side, sometimes the choice made is not the one you selected. On the gameplaying side, sometimes the gameplay will not advance unless you make the proper choices. This means reloading a checkpoint and doing the conversation over again.

Another gameplaying element which hinders dialogs is Ward’s Mentalist talent. As a mentalist, you can detect the emotions of NPCs, a la Deanna Troi from Star Trek: The Next Generation. The drawback with the talent is the game shows it as an alternative to handling NPC interactions. However, its use is mandatory. You won’t be able to advance the story line in the situations where it is available.

Other abilities include a firearm, a hacking probe, a welding tool, and chameleon technology that allows you to mimic other NPCs. They all work satisfactorily, but again, their use at specific events is mandatory. The game does not have the depth to allow for multiple ways to address a situation.

Hacking is very reminiscent of the 3D puzzles found in Half Life: Alyx. You manipulate 3D cubes to trace out connections to override locks. It’s not bad, but not as clean as Alyx’s implementation. Occasionally you will also have to transverse some climbing sections. These sections are short and work with no issues.

Hail Haptics!

Something unique to the game is the use of physical gestures. Often when meeting with NPCs, they greet you with a salute of some type. You must respond in kind. The same issue happens here too. If you don’t return the gesture, you can’t progress. Also, it’s very easy to miss the gesture if your attention is elsewhere.

Hats off to Archiact for making full use of the PSVR 2 haptics. When you use the Mentalist abilities, the headset haptics rumble in accordance with you how close you are when reading or manipulating an NPC’s emotions. Each weapon has its own feedback. You’ll also get haptics when hit by gunfire or your health gets low.

Visually, the game uses a stylized approach to characters and the environments. It strongly echoes the visual style used in the Saints and Sinners games. Textures vary in quality with the environment and objects immediately around you are of higher quality. However far away vistas and outer space scenes are of a noticeably lower quality.

Another noticeable aspect of the environments is how constrictive they are. There is little to no room to explore. The feeling of being herded down a cattle chute is very strong. The game makes use of eye tracking. Not only is it used to navigate menus but also with NPCs. Their gaze tracks realistically as you move around them. It’s a small thing but adds to the immersion.

Excellent Narrative

Much of what I have described won’t entice one to play the game. However, the aforementioned narrative is excellent. The story takes a while to get going, but once it does, it totally engaged me. The twists and turns are great and present you with some tough choices.

One of my favorite sections of the game come with the Encyclopedia Galactica. This is accessible between game levels. Here the menu navigation with eye tracking is fantastic. You can learn much about the Empire, the characters, planets, and history. All of which adds to one’s investment.

Another strong feature of the game is the audio. This starts with the voice acting. All the dialog is voiced and is excellent. This is vital for a game which is so heavily story focused. 3D audio is well implemented and adds to the immersion. To top it all off is the soundtrack, which soars epically during the appropriate moments.

Journey to Foundation attempts to marry a narrative-heavy story together with the more traditional aspects of game play. The net effect is a game that offers a variety of game play elements but is not a master of any of them. Everything works, but they could all use some refinement to make them more user-friendly. You’ll find other games that do them better than this game.

Great Story, Acceptable Gameplay

However, if you are into good storytelling, with a detailed back story, good voice acting, and are patient with the story to kick in; Journey to Foundation is the ticket. The game should take between six to eight hours to complete if you focus on pushing through the story. However, if you stop to peruse the encyclopedia it will extend your play through time.

Journey to Foundation is available on all the major VR platforms: PSVR 2, Quest 2, Quest 3, and PCVR.

***Journey to Foundation PSVR 2 code provided by the publisher***

The post Journey to Foundation Review – Galaxy Spanning Story appeared first on COGconnected.

It’s spooky season, which means all manner of ghosts, ghouls, and monsters come out of the shadows in search of…well…candy. But even if it wasn’t Halloween, I’d be interested in playing Vampire: The Masquerade-Justice. I’m a big fan of the World of Darkness/Vampire: The Masquerade. While licensed tie-in videogames have been variable in quality, there’s always hope. Besides, I just got the Meta Quest 3 and I’m hungry to sink my teeth (as it were) into something other than Beat Saber.

In Vampire: The Masquerade-Justice you play as a vampire from the clan Banu Hakim. Your sire has met the True Death (i.e. murdered), so you travel from New York to Venice, Italy. Of course, this is not the Venice of daytime tourists and romantic rides through the canals. It’s Venice draped in darkness and danger, shadows and shadowy people, living and undead.

Blink and You’ll Miss It

Justice is primarily a stealth-action game, with some puzzle and RPG elements as well. You blink/teleport around the environment, hiding in the shadows and listening to conversations, looking for clues to the murder and speaking to a variety of characters. There’s a good use of environmental storytelling, as you’re always on the lookout for notes, photos, and items that give you direction and information. Your investigation leads you on a tour of Venice’s stately old mansions, underground catacombs, and labyrinthine canals. 

Players can elect to play Justice as a stealth game, avoiding violence as much as possible, or play a bit more aggressively, using your vampiric powers to decimate a wide swath of enemies and NPCs as you search for your sire’s killer. As Justice, you have a pretty useful selection of tools. Justice can use a mini-crossbow and a selection of arrows, some with status-effects like sleep. Naturally, Justice’s main weapons are vampiric, though, like the ability to teleport right behind a victim for a surprise kill. You can also cloak yourself, and set several types of traps.

You can’t be a total pacifist, however. You need to eat. All that teleportation and other activity drives up your hunger. You can snack on rats but your primary food source are people. Attacking a victim and sucking their blood is extra grisly fun in VR.

Everything’s Better in VR…

All this is a description of a pretty standard RPG, and it comes complete with XP and upgrade systems. Where Justice stands apart is the implementation of VR. As so often is the case with virtual reality games, the core mechanics are nothing new or special. It’s the immersion features that sell the experience.

In this regard, Justice does a good job of using what are now pretty standard VR tricks and moves. You can free-walk and run through parts of the world, or simply blink travel (which, given the vampiric nature of the character, actually makes sense for once). There’s a fair amount of shimmying up drainpipes, climbing to ledges, and going hand-over-hand across high spaces. Those players with a fear of heights, be warned. Happily, Justice can be played in both seated and room-scale standing modes.

Justice doesn’t support hand-tracking, unfortunately, so you’ll be using virtual vampire hands to manipulate objects, open doors, and use your weapons. It works relatively well, but there’s some reality-breaking awkwardness now and then when trying to reach for objects or examine them. 

…Mostly Better, Anyway

Vampire: The Masquerade-Justice shines in the area of lighting and environmental art direction. They’re moody and evocative of mystery and danger. Up close, there’s not a huge amount of detail to textures or objects. Standing on a moonlit balcony in Venice is immersive and a convincing use of VR. On the Quest 3, everything is sharp and clear, with excellent color separation and rich contrasts.

Figure models — human or undead vampires — don’t fare as well. They ragdoll unconvincingly, and overall look like an artifact from a much earlier generation of game. This is especially unfortunate in those up-close bloodsucking encounters. Many enemies and NPCs are masked. Probably a good thing. Overall, the character models just reminded me that, while it’s a much better platform than the previous model, Quest 3’s GPU still lags pretty far behind the power of desktop PCs and current consoles. Performance was a little spotty, with the game crashing to the Quest’s home screen on several occasions.

Vampire: The Masquerade-Justice is a stealth-action RPG that’s a convincing fit for VR. The core gameplay is pretty standard, and character models are a bit disappointing, but its implementation in VR, coupled with excellent environmental design and lighting, help sell the experience. New Meta Quest 3 or PS VR2 owners with a taste for virtual blood will enjoy spending time in Venice’s virtual world of shadows.

***Meta Quest 3 code provided by the publisher for review***

The post Vampire: The Masquerade – Justice Review – Bloodsucking in VR appeared first on COGconnected.

VR and rhythm games go together like salsa and tortilla chips. There’s been some greats on the Meta Quest 2 — Ragnarock and Beat Saber are two that stand out. So can a new rhythm title like Samba de Amigo: Virtual Party stand out from the pack? While the gameplay is nothing revolutionary, it certainly brings some fresh visuals, fun themes and of course, cool music to the party.

Mucho Color

One of the first things you’ll notice when you load up Samba de Amigo: Virtual Party is the colorful and eye-catching presentation. You’re given big, flashy maracas to “hold,” and lots of color and music abounds all around you, including cute cartoon characters such as dancing monkeys. Although this is a title that would probably work just fine as a 2D game on any other platform, the 3D element does enhance the fun with more 360-degree immersion.

Soon you’re shown how to play by hitting all the flying orbs that come at you. Hit all the orbs, and time it right, and you get more points. It’s something we’ve played before many times, going all the way back to Guitar Hero, and right up to Beat Saber today. Samba de Amigo: Virtual Party challenges you with multiple levels — low, middle and high — requiring you to work quickly to keep up at times. It’s a physically-demanding game that will have you on your toes to get all the orbs.

Except for a few small twists, I didn’t see anything in my playthrough that told me Samba de Amigo: Virtual Party is a radically different departure from the tried and true rhythm formula. One way that Samba de Amigo: Virtual Party adds a little jalapeno spiciness to the mix is by getting you to do more than just hit orbs. You also get points for doing extra poses, or even short dance movements during sessions. These moments offer some nice breaks from simply waving your arms up and down. I wished that there was even more of this type of variation. Maybe it’s because I’ve played so many of these games before, but the usual rhythm game experience is just starting to get a bit old at this point.

Dance to the Top

To address this, Samba de Amigo: Virtual Party does offer more than one mode. These extra modes include kind of a campaign, where you have “missions” that are really just challenges to complete, such as a string of successful moves. All of the modes are variations on the basic rhythm gameplay. But they do help to keep your interest for a while. My personal favorite was the online World Party, in which you compete against other humans from around the world. When it works, it’s great. You go through three stages, and the lowest scorers are eliminated, Battle Royale-style.

It was fun to take on other people and see my avatar dance its way to the top of the heap. The only issue with this mode was, it sometimes took a while to get the requisite 20 competitors in order to start the match. I will give credit where credit is due and say that Samba de Amigo: Virtual Party does have a healthy number of online players. That’s not always the case with new games, especially in VR. But the need for 20 to start a match means you’ll sometimes be waiting a while. I’m not sure I’d be willing to do that consistently.

And while Samba de Amigo: Virtual Party presents itself as a Latin-themed game, I was surprised that the songs weren’t more in keeping with that aesthetic. Sure, there’s some I recognized, like “Azukita,” but the game’s soundtrack is quite… eclectic. It runs the gamut from Ricky Martin to J. Geils Band to Bon Jovi. I suppose that does help broaden Samba de Amigo: Virtual Party’s appeal to a wide audience, but I did find it odd given the style of the game’s presentation.

A Short Party

Another gripe I have is one that I have with many musical games. The song list of around 40 songs feels inadequate. At 3-4 minutes per song, you’re going to pretty much play through the entirety of the musical offerings within a few hours. Add to that the time you’d spend tinkering with the various modes, and you maybe have a few hours more. It just doesn’t feel like enough content for the price you pay.

Overall, Samba de Amigo: Virtual Party is a fun VR rhythm game that gets you dancing and listening to some good songs. I welcome the fresh style and colorful, cartoony characters. The gameplay is solid rhythm fare, and while it doesn’t really add much new to the genre, it does deliver a solid and polished experience. I just wish the song list was longer and had more of a Latin flavor.

** A Meta Quest 2 code was provided by the publisher **

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Let’s be honest. If you’re a fan of VR, you’re probably a little used to disappointment. For one thing, while there are some fantastic games and applications built for VR, it still doesn’t feel quite essential. Speaking for myself, each time I’ve purchased a new VR headset, I’ve thought “OK, this time it will fulfill its potential.” I guess what I really mean is that the cost and comfort of the gear finally balance with the experiences it provides. Happily, the Meta Quest 3 comes very close to doing just that.

My history with VR has included the original Oculus/Meta Quest, Quest 2, and first-gen PlayStation VR. The Quest Pro was far too expensive, and I passed on the PS VR2 because I just can’t go back to the tethered experience. It’s awkward, claustrophobic, and impractical for where my gear and play space are located. With Quest’s ability to wirelessly link to Steam VR games, there are few games that I can’t enjoy. There’s no doubt that the Quest 2 suffered from underwhelming resolution, an unimpressive pass through system and tepid processing power. But the freedom to play Beat Saber untangled in cables was worth it.

Specs Tell Part of the Story

Arriving only three years after the 2020 Meta Quest 2, the Quest 3 feels like a significant upgrade. I emphasize feels because so much of the VR experience is about comfort and perception, more than raw power and stats. The Quest 3 is still powered by a single chip CPU/GPU processor, the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip with 8GB RAM. But it’s a big step forward for sure.

Although maybe not as vibrant as the PS VR 2’s OLED screens, Quest 3’s per-eye resolution has been upped to 2064×2208 on lighter, pancake LCD screens. Overall, Meta is claiming a 30% performance improvement. The spatial audio has been improved in clarity and bass response by 40%. I can absolutely hear the difference. The Quest 3’s field of view is 110º horizontal; 96º vertical. Those are moderate but noticeable increases from the previous model. 

Along with impressively improved specs, the Quest 3 has undergone several design changes. These include a new configuration for the color pass through cameras and depth sensors on the faceplate. Overall, the device is thinner, if just a little bit heavier at 530 grams (the Quest two weighed in a 515). The added heft pretty much imperceptible. The USB charging port has been moved to one of the head strap arms and IPD (inter pupillary distance) adjustments are now done via a wheel under the device. The padded foam facial interface is adjustable between four distances to accommodate eyeglass wearers.

Strap It On

Meta Quest 3’s stats are encouraging, but how it feels and the experience of gaming and augmented reality are what counts. If all the numbers don’t add up to a more comfortable and exciting experience, they’re just numbers.

The good news is that Meta Quest 3 is as comfortable as it probably can be, given the necessity of having the battery and processing on the headset itself. That sounds like faint praise, but no wireless headset can be as light as a tethered one. The Quest 3’s standard head straps are a major upgrade from the Quest 2 and adjust in an entirely new way. Importantly, the Quest 3 feels extremely well balanced, and not uncomfortable for extended periods. The Quest 2’s aftermarket or branded pro straps are unfortunately incompatible with the new device.

If you’re an eyeglass wearer like myself, you’ve come to accept that glasses and VR headsets are an imperfect match. Thanks to the adjustable facial interface, the Quest 3 probably comes the closest to comfort in this regard. I’m farsighted, but I can read text with relative sharpness without glasses with the headset on. There are aftermarket custom lenses that are also available. Bottom line, depending on your glasses’ frame size and style, you can probably wear them relatively comfortably with the Quest 3.

When Reality Gets Mixed

Thanks to an outstanding pass-through color camera system, I’m sold on the potential of augmented reality. Quest 3 includes a short AR demo, but there are plenty of applications making use of the technology. It’s one-button-press easy to access the pass-through cameras to attend to the real world. The view isn’t perfectly sharp, but clear enough to read a text on your phone.

In addition to working with Steam VR, Quest 3 is backward compatible with all Quest 2 games and applications. Many of your favorites have upgrades or additions that make use of the new headset’s power and enhanced graphics. It’s disappointing, however, that the Quest 3 didn’t release with at least one or two exclusive games or killer apps. December’s Asgard’s Wrath 2 is included, just in time for Christmas. But what about now?

At $499 for the 128 GB version and $649 for the 512 GB model, Quest 3 comes in cheaper than the PS VR2, much less than the Quest Pro, and not even close to the upcoming Apple Vision Pro at $3500. Not that there are a huge number of choices, but Meta Quest 3 is the clear winner in the wireless VR headset space. The Quest Pro has slightly better specs, but only in some categories.

I’m Sold

Whether wired or wireless, made by Apple or Meta, it doesn’t matter. VR headsets are still slabs of plastic strapped to your face. When it comes to build quality, visual clarity, sound, and comfort, the Meta Quest 3 is a standout product. Although it lags in new and exclusive games, it does support your existing Quest library and a huge number of games and apps from the Steam VR store. Whether you use it for gaming, using a virtual desktop or working out with a number of excellent fitness apps, the Meta Quest 3 is much more than a cosmetic upgrade from the Quest 2.

The post Meta Quest 3 Review – I’m Finally Not Disappointed appeared first on COGconnected.

Sometimes, a game gets released before it’s ready and is forever judged a failure. Now and then — as is the case with Cyberpunk 2077 — developers and their games find eventual redemption. Arashi: Castles of Sin was not at all a poorly received game. It was, however, released for an older generation of VR headsets. Developer Skydance has given Arashi a spit shine and made some needed tweaks to gameplay and mechanics. It brings a standout ninja stealth game to PC, PSVR2, and the upcoming Meta Quest 3.

As the developers noted in a hands-off preview, they are applying “lessons learned” to the updated release, dubbed the “Final Cut.” They were a bit cagey about what, exactly, those lessons were. They did say that the game’s graphics have been upgraded and there have been improvements to movement and combat. However, they were also honest about the fact that Arashi is still not a “cutting-edge” game. It doesn’t make use of all the bells and whistles that are available in the new headsets, for example, foveated rendering.

Arashi: Castles of Sin is a first-person action game. It puts the player in the role of Kenshiro, an assassin samurai. Kenshiro is tasked with infiltrating six imposing castles overtaken by bandits, and defeating the end boss Oni at each location. The game emphasizes hand-to-hand swordplay as well as the use of special abilities and gear. For example, Kenshiro can teleport from place to place. But he can also use a grappling hook and throwable weapons to distract and dispatch enemies from the shadows. Other tools include arrows, bombs, smoke grenades, blowguns, and pistols. It sounds a bit like Call of Duty set in Medieval feudal Japan.

Who’s a Good Boy?

Who doesn’t love a game with a canine companion? In Arashi: Castles of Sin, the pup is Haru. Haru is both a pet and a partner. When Kenshiro is done playing fetch with Haru, he can send the dog into the den of thieves as a distraction.

While the original release of Arashi: Castles of Sin was praised for its atmosphere, natural movement in VR, and an array of tools, there were some minor issues, too. These included un-lifelike hands hanging from the character when not in combat and the tendency of swords to clip through each other. Although the team and Skydance didn’t mention these specific items, there’s a pretty good chance the Final Cut will address them.

There aren’t a huge number of samurai games in VR, so Arashi: Castles of Sin-Final Cut definitely helps fill a genre niche. The game releases in November for Meta Quest 2 and 3, PlayStation VR2 and PC.

Thank you for keeping it locked on COGconnected.

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When you’re railroaded into battle, you better be accurate. Especially when taking out the right enemy is essential to your victory. Today, Filotimo Innovations LLC is happy to announce the release of their fantasy shooter, Elysium Trials. Out now on Steam and Meta Quest 2, the game invites players to fight their way through a fantasy world using lightning magic. A press release provides more details on the game and its core gameplay loop. Additionally, a launch trailer gives players a look at the game and its art style. 

Elysium Trials invites players to a fantasy world where they will be put into battle against hordes of monsters. Importantly, players do have lightning magic. Using these magical powers, players will need to eliminate the threats thrown at them. However, there is a catch. Players gain more scores and points by eliminating enemies by exploiting their weaknesses as well as killing the right enemies first. Killing the wrong enemies or not killing them fast enough could land you in a world of trouble. 

Importantly the game allows players to battle through different difficulty modes, competing on leaderboards for a higher score. The highest of these difficulties is known as champion mode where only the best players can survive. Of course, there are varying enemy types that each pose a different threat, including dragons. Players can check out the game’s launch trailer below for a better glimpse of what they can expect. 

Elysium Trials is out now on Steam and Meta Quest 2. 

SOURCE

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In 2021 I had the pleasure of reviewing Schell Games’ I Expect You to Die 2. As I noted then, it set a new standard for VR games. It had a level of polish and depth rarely seen on the platform. Now, Schell Games is back with I Expect You to Die 3: Cog in the Machine. I’ve had a chance to preview its first few chapters, and what I see so far is another solid entry. While some of the previous game’s irritations remain, it looks like Schell Games have upped the complexity and production values to deliver more spy-spoofing fun.

Like its predecessors, I Expect You to Die 3: Cog in the Machine will be an escape-room puzzle game. You’re once again in the role of Agent Phoenix. Your old enemies, the evil Zoraxis Corp., are back at it, joining with the brilliant Dr. Roxana Prism to develop an army of killer robots. Placed in a number of seated scenes, you’ve got to solve puzzles and stop their evil plans before it’s too late.

Brain Busting Puzzles

This series is known for tough brain-teasing puzzles, and the third instalment appears to be no exception. After a short and easy starting sequence, I found myself investigating Roxana Prism’s lair. Schell Games has clearly added even more complexity to puzzles this time around, as I experienced first hand. All the parts and clues are there for you to put together. But figuring them out and moving on will require all your wits and ingenuity. If you liked the challenge of I Expect You to Die 1 and 2, be prepared to be right in your element with lots of challenge in this next title.

From what I experienced, scenes are really well done, with quality and polish. Visuals are beautiful, and you’ll love the game’s trademark James Bond-style opening sequence — a series trademark. It even features an Adele soundalike singing the main theme this time around. Voice acting is excellent as always, and little visual touches will be a delight for any fan of spy thrillers like the Bond movies or Mission Impossible.

Some things I didn’t like about the last games, though, are still disappointingly present. While I Expect You to Die 3: Cog in the Machine is a seated VR game, there’s a lot of awkward twisting, reaching and stretching for you to get items. Many drawers, buttons and other required objects were placed far off to my right or left, or even a bit behind me. It felt cumbersome and a bit tedious after a while. I really wanted the ability to turn my point of view, but it wasn’t available.

A Few Nitpicks

Manipulating objects is also still a bit finicky. Pointing your Touch controller and reeling in works fine, but highlighting the right object can be hard. This is something I noticed about the last game as well. I even encountered the odd bug where items were placed behind other objects. I had to stand up or reach out to target them. This happened in the first level when I had to pick up a martini glass. It started off on the floor and behind a table, requiring me to stretch forward to pick it up.

At its best, the I Expect You to Die series is tough but entertaining. And that’s still the case from what I’ve seen of I Expect You to Die 3: Cog in the Machine so far. In the three levels I tried, the trademark humour, polish and clever puzzling is back and better than ever. I just wish the physical part of being a spy wasn’t quite so awkward. But overall, this third instalment has lots more of what made the first two titles great, and is shaping up to be another VR hit.

I Expect You to Die 3: Cog in the Machine is expected to release on Meta Quest 2 and Steam VR in Summer 2023.

** A Meta Quest 2 code was provided by the publisher **

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The Signifier, a first-person adventure blending crime scene investigation with puzzle elements, first arrived back in 2020 to solid reviews. Its unique game play mechanics and creative ideas were considered refreshing and fun. But is it able to maintain that magic in the move to VR? While I enjoyed the set-up, I’m not always sure The Signifier VR delivered on the promise.

You play as Frederick Russell, a foremost expert in AI and especially a new and experimental technology called the Dreamwalker. It is a machine that allows you to explore people’s memories, both conscious and subconscious. Even after they’re dead. It’s a perfect tool for you to investigate the recent murder of a tech executive, Johanna Kast.

Much of the gameplay in The Signifier involves exploring and analyzing crime scenes, such as Johanna’s swanky apartment. After accessing the victim’s memories, you use the Dreamwalker in an attempt to piece together her last moments in a first-person POV. But the catch is, the memories are fragmentary, fuzzy or even warped like glitches. Solving puzzles makes the memories clearer, until you eventually solve the case.

What a Mind Job

It’s undeniably a clever concept. The feeling of being inside someone’s psyche, seeing representations of their thoughts, their emotions even, is quite trippy. On a meta level, it’s doubly mind-bending, since you’re using VR inside a VR game. The visuals accentuate this weird feeling. Alongside glitching surfaces and fuzzy shapes are Dali-esque touches like melting objects and warped hallways. I also suspect it works as a nice cover for the game’s mediocre visuals.

Sound is mostly well done too. Strange, indecipherable noises haunt the crime scene. Their dissonant and Doppler-inspired cacophony is what many of us would imagine the soundscape of a dream to be like. Or a nightmare. As you’ve probably guessed by now, all this surreal atmosphere is kind of creepy.

While The Signifier’s concept and atmosphere are positives, I can’t say I enjoyed playing it all that much. One reason is that the puzzle solving is frustrating. You’re expected to do many different things, none of which are explained very well. You switch between two states – objective and subjective – but I was never totally clear what the difference was. I eventually figured out that I had to place objects to unlock checkpoints, no thanks to the game.

High Tech Walking Simulator

Those objects are glitches, and they “complete” the memory. Confusingly, they have a compass-like directional controller on them that seems to serve no purpose. Overall The Signifier’s game play is a bit too much like a point-and-click game, with random trial and error rather than logical “detective work.” You’ll spend a lot of time trying this object in that location, failing, then trying something else. I wanted to be a high-tech investigator but in The Signifier I was mostly just a slow guy shuffling around.

Thus, once you get beyond the initially-cool concept, The Signifier tends to be a bit of a slog. That’s made even more so by the inability to fast-walk. Going through the multi-floor crime scene at a slow walking pace is frustrating. The voice acting doesn’t help. Frederick is played in a very flat, wooden way which does nothing to liven up the game play. There might have been lots of opportunity here for cool sci-fi storytelling. But The Signifier offers little beyond basic, monotone statements of the obvious.

I was expecting to like The Signifier VR more than I did. On paper, it’s got a really cool premise that seemed to offer similarities to Heavy Rain or even the best aspects of Cyberpunk 2077. But the move to VR doesn’t seem to have added much other than slightly downgraded visuals. If you enjoy walking simulators and point and click adventures, then this might be your jam. But otherwise, wait for The Signifier VR to go on sale.

** A Meta Quest 2 code was provided by the publisher **

The post The Signifier VR Review – Cool Concept Can’t Quite Deliver appeared first on COGconnected.

Hey, it’s no secret that VR gaming can be uncomfortable after a while. I love my Meta Quest 2, but wearing it on my head for four-hour stretches of gaming takes a physical toll. I think a lot of us have come to accept this reality — you’ve got a big unit strapped to your head and pressing against your face; a mild headache and a pair of “raccoon eyes” are an unavoidable result.

Or are they? If Razer has their way, maybe not. Enter their Adjustable Head Strap System and Facial Interface, two accessories that aim to reduce the physical wear-and-tear brought by extended Meta Quest 2 sessions. I’ve had the chance to try these two pieces of gear out. And while I’m not sure I need both of these pieces of gear in my life, there’s no doubt that they do make a difference.

A Balanced Experience

First, let’s talk about the Razer Adjustable Head Strap System. It’s made of a nice, stretchy material that feels quality. It fits well on your head, snugly but never digging into your scalp like the Quest 2’s built-in band sometimes does. When it’s all set up and on your head, you notice a difference right away. It balances the headset much better. The original band makes the unit feel to me like it’s “holding on” to the back of my head, with most of the weight resting on the front. With the Razer Adjustable Head Strap System, the Quest 2’s weight is more evenly distributed, so it rests on your head.

At first, this actually feels odd. It is very light, much lighter than I’ve gotten accustomed to with the Quest 2 up until now. Without that pressure I was used to, I had a precarious feeling, like the headset maybe wouldn’t stay on, especially if I moved vigorously. But after a while, I got used to the new lighter feeling. I began to realize that the Razer head strap had an equally good grip; but now without my Quest 2 digging into the back if head to secure the front. And it seemed to stay on pretty well, despite my worries at first.

Razer Close

As for the Interface, it’s a replacement for the Quest 2’s own face padding. It’s made to conform to the shape of your face better and thus make for a more comfortable feeling. It means less light will supposedly leak in from the sides as well. As for the latter aspect, the Facial Interface does indeed deliver. I noticed no light coming in from the sides of the Interface, so the Quest 2’s screen was thus brighter and I had less visual distraction when playing. With that reduced gap, there was also a clearer, closer view of the lenses, since the Facial Interface is a bit thinner than the native headset padding.

The rubber padding of the Interface does improve comfort. The Quest 2 was not pressing against my face nearly so much. Pressure is more evenly distributed, especially on my cheek bones. But mind you, that close, soft fit is a double-edged sword. With the lack of a gap around the Facial Interface, I got hotter and sweatier a bit faster than usual. I had almost come to like the gap in my original headset. It was a kind of “vent” to allow air flow inside the viewing area. The Razer Facial Interface seals the gaps but also seems to seal in the heat and moisture. I found myself having to quit or take breaks more often as a result.

Final Verdict

Overall, my verdict is mixed on the Adjustable Head Strap System and Facial Interface. The head strap is an improvement on the Quest 2’s own strap. It’s lighter and more balanced, and it feels better to wear (after a period of getting used to it). The Facial Interface, though, is something that might not be for everyone. If you want a much closer, more snug seal on your face when using your Quest 2, then you’ll like it. But if you’re like me, you might find it a bit too effective.

We’ve got to also consider the price here. Both together can be bought for $139.98 US, or you can get them individually for $69.99 US each. That’s a bit pricey if you’re not really feeling a need to upgrade your Quest 2 already. No matter what though, I can say this about these two Razer accessories: they both indeed make a noticeable difference. And If you are among those looking for an upgrade to your Meta Quest 2’s ergonomics, they might be what you’re looking for.

** Accessories provided for review by the manufacturer **

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Stranger Things is one of the biggest series in the world, and the season finale on Netflix was critically acclaimed. In late 2022, Netflix along with developer Tender Claws announced that they were working on a Stranger Things VR game. Today, the companies have announced that they plan to release the game on the Oculus Quest 2 and Quest Pro in Fall 2023. Furthermore, game will be priced at $29.99USD, but fans that pre-order the game on the Oculus Store will pay only $26.99USD.

In the game, players will be able to experience the mysterious occurrences from the perspective of Vecna, as he uncovers unknown realities and enacts his plan for revenge against Eleven and Hawkins. Moreover, players will be able to invade the dreams and memories of several main characters as the consequences of Vecna’s actions in the previous seasons are revealed. Additionally, players will be able to utilize Vecna’s powers of telekinesis while opening and closing portals.

Furthermore, in the gameplay trailer, viewers get an in-depth look at the intense scenarios, weird constructs and much more. Stranger Things VR promises to offer a new perspective on a storied franchise, that will give fans more details and different versions of historic events.

Also, Virtual Reality games have seen a significant growth in popularity over the years, and with PlayStation’s continued investment, fans can expect a ton more titles.

What are your thoughts on Stranger Things? Do you enjoy virtual reality games? Are you interested in a Stranger Things VR game? What do you think about the Oculus Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro? What aspect of the game are you most excited for? What do you think about the gameplay trailer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or on Twitter and Facebook.

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The post Stranger Things VR Launches On Quest 2 In Fall 2023 appeared first on COGconnected.

Crimen – Mercenary Tales, from developers Carbon Studio, is exactly the kind of game the Meta Quest 2 needs right now. It’s got decent visuals, solid writing and fun, sword fighting gameplay. Those are all things lacking in some VR titles of late, and they make Crimen a game you should check out.

I like my Meta Quest 2 but lately, the mediocre visuals have sometimes left me wanting more. So Crimen comes as a breath of fresh air. It’s got a beautiful cel-shaded aesthetic, akin to Borderlands. Character designs are whimsical and well-rendered. And they’re animated with care, unlike some of the uncanny-valley VR experiences I’ve seen lately. There’s also lots of detail in the environments, making Crimen’s medieval environments fun to be immersed in.

I was impressed with the depth of the visual detail as well. Travelling up winding stairs in a vast mountainside castle, I stopped often to admire the moon-lit valley below. While many VR games of late seem to offer simplistic or block Minecraft-inspired graphics, Crimen had me actually looking forward to seeing what came next.

Fun Combat

A first-person adventure game, Crimen – Mercenary Tales has you playing through eight linear stories. Gameplay is almost exclusively sword combat. And it’s swashbuckling fun, especially at first. It employs a nice parry mechanic, whereby you anticipate enemy attacks and block them. Then, you counter-attack in an unguarded spot. It’s intuitive and takes good advantage of physicality as you swing your arms to defeat bad guys.

Voice acting and writing are a strength in Crimen. Characters, each of whom you meet in a hub-like tavern, are a bit flat and stereotyped, to be sure. But they are a colourful and engaging motley crew who help you feel immersed. Body animations are also well done and accompany the spoken lines well.

Needs More Variety

Crimen – Mercenary Tales has its downsides, though. For one thing, the combat, while initially enjoyable, gets quite repetitive and too easy after a while. Enemies change in superficial ways – humans, then werewolves, and zombie humans with red eyes, and so on. But beneath those swapped-out skins are essentially the same opponent over and over. They all use the same moves and despite varying hit points, they are defeated the same way. The one exception are archers. To defeat them, I had to awkwardly hit their arrows out of the air and back at them.

There’s also a disappointing lack of variety of gameplay in the various stories. The settings and main character change, but in each one you’re doing the same thing. You’re moving through a linear path, slashing enemies and sometimes climbing walls (a welcome and well done aspect). Crimen does have a feature where you can “catch” a gun or other weapon from a falling enemy. But even when you’re able to pull it off, their ammo runs out fast. Then it’s back to running sword fights.

Dumb AI

In combats, enemy AI could be better. Their attack moves take some getting used to at first, and you need to pay attention and learn to parry them. But once you do figure it out, you’re set for the rest of the game. And that’s not really a good thing. You realize that enemies telegraph their attacks a mile away, so you’ve got ages to react. After a while, I was frankly bored of the combat, casually blocking and counter-attacking to an almost mathematical pattern.

Crimen – Mercenary Tales seems to sense this one-dimensional shortcoming and tries to add challenge by having AI crowd up close to you in combat. Groups of enemies like to surround you and move out of your field of vision. Yes, it does add some challenge but it mostly just feels annoying. I would have preferred to see more multifaceted challenges like enemies with different move sets.

But despite all of these irritations, I still enjoyed Crimen a lot. It is repetitive, yes, but it’s pretty fun most of the way through. It gets a lot of things right, and it’s a great example of how a VR game can be much more immersive than a 2D game. Carbon Studio have put love into Crimen, and it shows. Fun, action-packed and immersive, Crimen – Mercenary Tales is a VR adventure that should be in your Meta Quest 2 library.

** A Meta Quest 2 code was provided by the publisher **

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Call of the Sea, released in 2020, was a game that stood out for its stunning visual design, captivating storyline, and engaging puzzles. Developed by Out of the Blue and published by Raw Fury, this puzzle-adventure game took players on a journey to an uncharted island in the South Pacific during the 1930s. Now we’ve been given the chance to revisit this great title on VR, and it’s just as impressive … almost. Despite some trade-offs in the move to the Oculus Quest 2, Call of the Sea VR is a solid title and worth the purchase.

The game’s story is centered around Norah, a woman searching for her missing husband, Harry. Norah’s journey begins when she receives a letter from him, after he has been missing for several months. The letter leads her to an uncharted and mysterious island in the South Pacific. There she discovers that Harry was searching for a location that might hold the cure for her own illness. As Norah begins to explore the island, she discovers clues. These help her piece together what happened to Harry and uncover the island’s secrets.

The original game’s visual design was breathtaking, as our reviewer at the time pointed out enthusiastically. Vibrant colors and detailed environments transported players to a lush, tropical paradise. Beautiful use of color and shadow made for a visually delightful playthrough. The game’s art style was also a strength, inspired by the Art Deco movement of the 1930s, and reflected in the game’s fashion and overall aesthetic.

Visually a Bit Flat

Unfortunately, in the move to the Quest 2, I’m sad to say that some of that visual appeal has been lost. It might be due to the technical limitations of the headset, but that lushness is somewhat lacking in VR. Shadows have been sacrificed in favor of a flatter, low-res look. Resolution is PS2-era level of quality, as is most evident when you get close-up to objects. Trees, leaves, crates, and other objects are best viewed from a distance in Call of the Sea VR. In fairness, the original was not a photo-realistic experience. But even with the stylized visuals, depth was achieved with detail, and it’s disappointing to not have that this time around.

I was impressed, though, by the game’s use of space in VR. Looking off in the distance, towering mountains loom over your head, and waterfalls plunge from unimaginable heights. Looking down from the top of cliffs or ladders, you’ll often get that rush (or nausea) of vertigo. It’s something only VR can really convey, and this game nails it. So in Call of the Sea VR, you do get the feeling that you are immersed in a vast and imposing environment. Just don’t look at anything too close.

Intricate puzzles and hidden secrets fill the island, all of which are well-crafted to keep players engaged and challenged. The game’s puzzles are challenging but never too difficult. There’s a good mix of logic and creativity required to solve them. Players must use their wits and exploration skills to uncover the island’s secrets and progress through the game. The puzzles range from decoding messages to manipulating objects to unlock hidden pathways. And each one is unique and satisfying to solve.

Challenging Puzzles

The difficulty can be a bit uneven. An earlier puzzle I solved with ease. But others had me pretty frustrated. There’s a helpful Hint feature that thankfully, can get you past many of the hardest parts if you’re stumped. But in a few cases, I spent an hour or more going back and forth, re-evaluating the scene to get the solution. In VR, this is much more grating than in a “normal” 2D title. Swiveling your head back and forth so many times can get on your nerves and give you a headache.

The actual implementation of VR is solid. But there were a few awkward moments related to reaching and manipulating objects. One big example is when I dropped something on the floor or ground. Even in the game’s “Seated” VR mode, I had a lot of trouble reaching down to pick something up. And this did happen a few times, as Call of the Sea VR requires you to pick up, move and examine objects quite often. Luckily, crucial quest-related objects automatically get added to your inventory when you hold them. So this technical issue was an annoyance but not game-breaking.

However, I’m glad to say that one of the original game’s most impressive features, its use of audio, is here in VR and better than ever. The voice acting and writing are excellent, bringing the characters to life and adding depth to the game’s world. Norah’s story, told mostly by her as you progress, is compelling and emotionally engaging, with twists and turns that keep players hooked until the very end. The game’s soundtrack is also noteworthy, with a hauntingly beautiful score that perfectly complements the game’s atmosphere.

Surround Sound

In the 3D environment of VR, all of this works as well as before, and even better. Sounds of insects, birds, waterfalls and other island elements are all around you. This enhances immersion and makes you feel like you are really on an island in the South Pacific. Norah’s dialogue can get repetitive but mostly it’s enjoyable and is a great way to unfold the narrative. Wearing headphones is highly recommended when playing Call of the Sea VR.

As for the game’s pacing, it is mostly good, gradually introducing new elements and mechanics as the player progresses through the game. Each new puzzle and discovery contributes to Norah’s story and character development. The only downside with the pacing is that, again, it can vary quite a bit over the course of your 6-8 hour play-through. Some parts move fast, but in many other parts, there’s a slow pace — maybe too slow sometimes. This of course depends on how quickly you’re able to solve puzzles and move the story forward.

Overall, Call of the Sea VR is a good port of a great game, that delivers a memorable and immersive experience. While it loses some of the stunning visuals of its progenitor, its engaging story and satisfying puzzles make it a game you’ll enjoy. Its use of VR is pretty good and it’s worth a replay if you’ve already finished the original. Despite its flaws, Call of the Sea VR is a well-crafted and enjoyable game that is sure to be a solid addition to your VR library.

** An Oculus Quest 2 game code was provided by the publisher **

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