Hyper Issue 264

There’s been a lot of chatter about the accessibility of virtual reality, given the requisite entry-level price point. After all, on PC at least, you’re not just forking out for an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive headset; you also need the requisite high-end PC to run the newfangled tech. PlayStation VR is a little more forgiving in this respect, even if you still need to purchase a PlayStation 4 Camera and Move controllers atop the VR headset (and, obviously, the console). But if you want to play Star Trek Bridge Crew, you’ll want four lots of VR to get the most out of it. Sure, there’s the option for solo play in this multiplatform VR experience, but the real fun is found in four-player cooperative multiplayer. There’s no word on cross-platform…

PLATFORM PSVR CATEGORY ACTION DEVELOPER ROCKSTEADY STUDIOS PUBLISHER WARNER BROS INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT DUE OCTOBER Like Batman, I won’t pull any punches when it comes to the launch of PlayStation VR. The reason so many VR launch titles have such low RRPs is because they’re short experiences that are designed to introduce a mainstream market to the wonders of virtual reality. This doesn’t have to be a disappointment, especially when it gives players the chance to shit themselves in haunted-house rides, soar in the cockpit of an X-wing or, in this particular instance, be the Batman. That last bit was the oft-repeated catchphrase of Batman: Arkham Knight, and it seems like a wasted opportunity in that it should have been saved for Batman: Arkham VR. With bat-eared headset covering my ears and a PlayStation VR unit offering me…

“THE PITCH IS PART ROCKET LEAGUE AND PART CALL OF DUTY: ADVANCED WARFARE, AS TWO SMALL TEAMS BATTLE ACROSS TIGHT ARENAS” PLATFORM PSVR CATEGORY ACTION DEVELOPER GUERRILLA CAMBRIDGE PUBLISHER SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT DUE OCTOBER 13 With so many of the PlayStation VR’s launch titles dedicated to limited experiences designed to guide the uninitiated in what to expect from this latest tech zeitgeist, it’s refreshing that Guerrilla Cambridge hasn’t forgotten that it won’t just be stereotypical mums and dads who are playing with the tech. There are also legions of hardcore gamers looking for extended and competitive gaming experiences. From the dozen PlayStation VR titles I’ve tried, RIGS Mechanized Combat League is the one that’s most targeted at, for lack of a better phrase, “real” gamers. The pitch is part Rocket League and part Call of Duty: Advanced…

PLATFORM PC, XBOX ONE, PLAYSTATION 4 CATEGORY SURVIVAL HORROR DEVELOPER CAPCOM PUBLISHER CAPCOM DUE JANUARY 24, 2017 After the action-driven and mostly underwhelming Resident Evil 6, Capcom look to be taking the series back to its roots. Much like the original game released back in 1996, the seventh instalment takes place in one location, the pace is often slow and deliberate, and the emphasis is on horror rather than havoc. There will of course be quite a few new ideas thrown in the mix, but the most drastic one is the perspective. For the first time, Resident Evil has been designed to be played entirely in first-person. This makes it a perfect fit for virtual reality, though the game can be played with or without it. In fact, the game began development before VR was even considered…

“A BODY HARNESS HOLDS YOU AT 30 DEGREES AND MODIFIED QUADCOPTER ROTORS BLOW AIR AT YOU AS YOU FLING YOURSELF AROUND THE WORLD” PLATFORM VIVE, OCULUS CATEGORY EXPLORATORY PLATFORMING DEVELOPER VR NERDS PUBLISHER VR NERDS DUE Q1 2017 The challenge for many VR teams is in creating opportunities for the player to move without negatively impacting the 'presence' which is so important to the experience. Most solve this by having the player fixed in one place, or teleport from spot to spot around the game world. It's slightly jarring, but less immersion breaking than using a thumbstick on a controller to move around the world. Lucid Trips, made by VR Nerds out of Germany, is taking a different approach. The HTC Vive Controllers (or the Oculus Rift Touch Remotes when they launch) allow a player's hands to…

PLATFORM PLAYSTATION VR CATEGORY ADVENTURE DEVELOPER HIGHWIRE GAMES PUBLISHER TBA DUE TBA Virtual reality has the potential to provide players with an escape from mundane reality. In the case of Highwire Games’ Golem, it offers one not only to the player, but also to the character they inhabit. The protagonist is a small child who, after being injured in an accident, has lost the ability to walk. The only way for her to leave the confines of her bed is to take control of entities known as golems: gigantic, mystical stone creatures. Oh, and they can also wield massive swords. Of course, one has to work their way up the chain of power. When players first begin, all they’ll be able to inhabit is a tiny doll and use it to explore the girl’s bedroom, but it’s…