• Sniper Elite VR
• Wonderer
• Fracked
• After the Fall
• Winds & Leaves
• Puzzle Bobble 3D: Vacation Odyssey
• Arashi: Castles of Sin
Even though Sony has already started to tease PSVR 2 for PS5, the company is still committed to its aging VR headset released back in 2016. To that end, Sony has unveiled seven new PSVR titles, some of which will see a release later this year.
Sony’s PSVR Spotlight, held yesterday (June 3), shared details about a wide variety of games. While some were announced prior to the show — such as Rebellion’s stealth-based FPS Sniper Elite VR and M-Theory’s adventure game Wanderer — Sony made sure to offer up new details and trailers for these multiplatform titles.
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Fans got to see an interesting new Wanderer trailer, for instance, that briefly depicted the time-jumping exploits of the game’s protagonist, Asher Neumann. Asher is on a quest to change the future using a special wrist watch he inherited from his grandfather. Players will need to solve puzzles, take part in unique action sequences and basically guide our hero through this narrative driven VR experience.
Currently, M-Theory’s Wanderer doesn’t have a release date; it’ll hopefully land on PSVR, Oculus, and Steam VR later this year. Sony did share when Sniper Elite VR would be available for purchase though. As of right now, the WW2 shooter is scheduled to be released for PSVR (and other platforms) on July 8, 2021.
The PSVR Spotlight also revealed Trebuchet’s Winds & Leaves release date. Coming July 27, this charming survivor game will task players with restoring life to a barren world by planting a variety of trees and maintaining foliage by using special tools and abilities — including a device that speeds up time, rapidly aging whatever is planted nearby.
One of the show’s highlights featured the extended gameplay footage of Fracked, the action-packed FPS being developed exclusively for PSVR by nDreams (Phantom: Covert Ops, Far Cry VR). In it, we see a nameless hero take down a number of enemies with a machine gun/shotgun combo while traversing a construction yard in a snowy mountain region. We didn’t see much in terms of plot, and there’s no release date beyond “this summer.” Still, what was shown was rather entertaining to watch.
Another highlight was Vertigo Games’ After the Fall. This four-player cooperative survival horror game, also coming this summer, featured a creepy atmosphere, fast paced action and legions of undead monsters. Vertigo is known for delivering exciting zombie filled fun — Arizona Sunshine is worth buying a PSVR for — and After the Fall seems to be an evolution of the company’s previous work. It’ll even feature cross-platform multiplayer support. Survival horror fans should definitely keep After the Fall on their radar.
Sony made sure to announce some new games during the PSVR Spotlight. Survios, the developers of Creed: Rise to Glory and The Walking Dead Onslaught, in collaboration with Taito, revealed a 3D version of the classic Puzzle Bobble games. Called Puzzle Bobble 3D: Vacation Odyssey, this new entry will maintain the series’ cuteness — yes, Bub and Bob are making their return — and puzzling gameplay. The difference here is that the bubbles now float in three-dimensional clusters that can be rotated in real time. The idea is to fire matching bubbles onto these clusters in order to pop them (like before) while keeping in mind that you’re playing in a 3D space with its own physics; certain solutions will require a keen eye and accurate shots.
Arashi: Castles of Sin also appeared for the first time during the show. Currently being developed by Endeavor One, this upcoming stealth-based game is set in feudal Japan. Players will don the shoes of Kenshiro, the last surviving member of House Arashi, who is seeking revenge for his murdered clan. Players will sneak through various environments while using swords, bows, traps and their trusty wolf companion to take down foes when the game releases later this summer exclusively on PSVR
The only downside from the presentation was that Sony didn’t mention anything about PSVR 2. And while the company’s blog did explain that the spotlight wouldn’t share any details about the PS5 headset, it still was a bit of a letdown. Hopefully PSVR 2 will be backward-compatible with all these new titles.
