Games like Goat Simulatorfill a certain type of niche. A player gets to be an animal, with different objectives and purposes beyond the understanding of a human, and often engage with the world in unexpected ways. This is especially true when a title in these sim genres also offers an open environment to explore and physics-based gameplay that can result in exaggerated reactions to your limited input options. I am Cat is that same sort of VR game, as New Folder Games offers the option of structure, but also an opportunity to do what we want and play around within the simulation. This means your enjoyment can vary based on your tolerance for such things.

In I am Cat, you are a cat who lives in Granny’s house. Your goal in this VR game is to basically be a cat with human-level intelligence without the guaranteed opposable thumbs and perhaps dexterity. Hijinks ensue. Especially depending on whether you choose to go along with the missions or do your own thing as an agent of chaos in the world.

Now, just because you are a cat in I am Cat doesn’t mean you need to be a jerk in this VR game. As I’ve mentioned repeatedly, this is an open-ended sort of experience. Once you get settled, you can follow along with the missions that come up. You could attack Granny, destroy her home, and ruin her day. However, it is also possible (and I feel preferred) to exist alongside her and see everything you are capable of in this experience. Accomplish goals. Get to do new things. Though of course, I often found I had more fun when I wasn’t attempting to do exactly what New Folder Games expected, as that made it easier to deal with learning to deal with the controls and from them.

The different tasks and objectives feel like they balance between common sense and watching a cat accomplish silly things. If you head to the piano upstairs, there will be notes carved into it as a clue to play a song. Getting a certain score in the whack-a-mole cat toy completes a task. But then, you might also find yourself working out how to have a cat cook as you play or carry a vase while scaling a wall. Since my issues involved I am Cat sometimes not ing properly when I was performing certain grabbing motions, it made those types of tasks involving moving, breaking, or grabbing items quite difficult at times. Sometimes even actually running and jumping forward could be difficult, which means Granny would catch me get in the way of my current progress, and force me to recenter myself.

I’m also disappointed at the degree of unlocking in I am Cat. There are some spots gated beyond accomplishments. So you’ll always be able to see the street and outdoor area while in Granny’s house, but you need to actually unlock access to that area. (There is an “unlock” DLC you can buy for $19.99 that immediately lets you into those places and gives you extra costumes and weapons like a taser.) I also had a bug that caused the garage key to not spawn where expected, forcing me to exit, perform a hard reset, and then fortunately be able to go back and find it where it was supposed to be in a safe.

The one thing I will note is that I am Cat is one of the VR games that left me quite motion sick. I couldn't play for more than 15-20 minutes before feeling queasy or developing a headache. There can be a lot of running, climbing, and jumping involved, depending on if the player is performing evasive maneuvers or just trying to scramble to the top of a wall or platform. Again, the actions you're performing and pace at which you're playing could affect how you feel, and it could just be I ended up being especially sensitive to it.

Basically, I feel like you need to go into I am Cat expecting it to be a silly VR experience due to the way all physics-based games work. Will you be able to accomplish your goals? Maybe, if you figure out the controls and move just right. Will you find yourself in funky and potentially funny situations due to the reactions between objects, elements, and your avatar? Definitely. As such, I almost wish there was a demo to help people figure things out. But if you’re willing to take the risk and understand things might not go to plan, it could be a fun way to spend a a few days or weeks.

I am Cat is available on the Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest Pro, and PC VR headsets. 

The post I am Cat Is as Silly a VR Physics Game as You’d Expect appeared first on Siliconera.

There are times when I hope that a final version of an early access game will turn out better than what I experienced, but have a sneaking suspicion nothing will really change. It happens, even if we do see minor patches along the way to help. This is the case with Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable, the Meta Quest game based on one of earliest fights against the Titans in the series. The concept and idea is sound. Some gameplay elements are good! But the innate experience means it couldn’t really change some of the fundamental issues present even in the initial releases.

Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable kicks things off right at the very beginning, so people coming to the game don’t need to have watched much or the anime or even finished the first volume of the manga. It is set during the Battle of Trost District arc, which is right as Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman, Armin Alert, and other new 104th Training Corps the higher ranking of the Survey Corps to face the Colossus Titan and other invading titans that breached the gate and attacked the wall. We’re a member of Survey Corps also fighting to protect the city and drive the Titans back alongside notable characters from the series. 

This quest is broken down into briefer missions, as well as co-op and survival modes. In each one we wear Omni-Directional Mobility (ODM) gear and use it to parkour through the streets of a bleak city that, honestly, looks like something plucked from a PS2 game with rudimentary textures. When we see smoke or Titans, our goal is to head toward it to defeat our foes, get needed resources, and help protect the town.

There are times when I really enjoyed and appreciated Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable. I really like how Univrs handles the ODM gear. Back when I previewed the first part, I mentioned that it made this feel like a Spider-Man game. Getting to swing through the town and zip around from place to place is absolutely great. I don’t get tired of it. Even better, I don’t get motion-sick from it! It is just smooth, enjoyable, and involves common sense controls. 

Also, as disturbing and weird as the Titans look in-game, I don’t hate it! I mean, I do, but I feel like it is fitting for the situation we’re placed in this title. We’re supposed to be disgusted and horrified by them and their exaggerated proportions. Being around them should make me uneasy. At the same time, some of the smaller ones should absolutely look a bit goofy. It makes sense. There were a few times when it seemed textures weren’t quite right, and the rest of the world isn’t as detailed as the Titans themselves, but I was typically so busy moving around to deal with extermination missions and resource gathering that I only noticed when a task had me defend a position against waves for a certain amount of time.

The problem is that some issues I experienced in the early access release of the game and initial part remain in the full version of Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable. Characters can be incredibly flat, both in of the writing in the story and how they are actually depicted in-game. Sometimes, we don’t get 3D models for folks and we instead get what look like 2D standees in a scene! The quests are very surface level and superficial, so it isn’t really getting into the Survey Corps’ quest or doing an even adequate job of retelling the Battle of Trost District storyline. The character models in-mission also look pretty simple, so your fellow Survey Corps look unmemorable and rudimentary.

Another issue is that while using the ODM and taking down Titans actually feels pretty good, it stops being challenging or interesting by the time you’ve gone through a few missions. Univrs designed the missions to be replayable, so you can return and try to get a five-star grade for your proficiency and efficiency. However, the only thing that made facing these foes challenging was when there would be a whole horde of them or when I’d be pitted against one that had more health than usual. This usually made it more likely I’d encounter bugs, such as the game not ing that I’d accurately hit the back of a Titan’s neck or a limb at a point to remove it. I almost wondered if this was tied to the increased number of enemies on the field, because it seemed like that and instances where I’d be caught and killed even though I should have been safe happened more often at those moments.

I also can’t speak to how the multiplayer works in Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable, as there apparently weren’t enough people playing the game to try it out. (It was honestly why I waited so long to write this review.) There is a cooperative option, however. Maybe you’ll have more luck than I did? Though given the issues I experienced with hits or dodges sometimes not ing properly when lots of enemies were around, I can’t imagine adding another human player to the mix to tax the title will help much.

There are ideas and elements I appreciated in Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable, but the overall execution is clumsy and in need of patches. In certain missions, gliding through the city with ODM can feel so realistic. Taking down a Titan in certain situations works well. It’s just the repetitive nature of things and issues that can pop up when you face hordes that show how clumsy, awkward, and buggy it really is. Perhaps with some patches, it will eventually get stronger.

Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable is available on the Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3, and Meta Quest Pro. 

The post Review: Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable Feels Clumsy appeared first on Siliconera.

The full Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable experience is heading to the Meta Quest line of headsets in this month, as it leaves early access on December 17, 2024. How it handles this approach works differently depending on whether or not you purchased the Part 1 early access build or not. Regardless of which path you take, you end up with a full game that gives you Omni-Directional Mobility (ODM) gear and sends you against titans with the Survey Corps. 

Here’s how it works. If you are completely new to Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable, you buy the Complete Edition. That costs $19.99. It gives you both parts of the experience. The Part 1 early access release is $4.99, and it is available now. However, after the full build launches, that price jumps to $7.99. The Part 2 portion, which will be sold for those who bought Part 1, costs $12. If someone has Part 1 and 2, then they get everything in the full Complete Edition.

Since the full version is about to release, we also know what Univrs will make available right away and after launch. Part 2 adds two more chapters and multiplayer co-op. After launch, there will be limited Global Challenge events to tackle and an eventual Survival Mode where you take on titans and stay alive as long as possible. We should also see and expect improvements to both the base experience available now alongside other updates for the full game.

There’s a new trailer that shows what to expect now that the full version of the game is upon us. It features many, many titans breaching the walls of the city and attacking.

Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable Complete Edition and Part 2 will launch for the Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro on December 17, 2024. The Part 1 early access release is available now. The anime is streaming on Crunchyroll, and Kodansha handles the manga.

The post Attack on Titan VR Leaves Early Access This Month appeared first on Siliconera.

Pinball is a tricky thing to capture and recreate. I mean, there are traditional video game adaptations that might not feel like they get the cabinet experience right. Bounce Arcade attempts to offer the same sort of feel, only from a different type of perspective. While it does manage it for a few of its tables, I also often felt like it was more of a Breakout sort of game than a VR pinball experience due to its execution. 

Rather than being played like a traditional pinball game with the perspective of looking down on the field from above, Bounce Arcade essentially places people in the position where the paddles lie. You know that open, empty gap where the balls can slip through? That’s your home for the game! Your left hand is the left paddle and right is the right, as you’d expect. However, you aren’t limited to only swinging them back and forth, and you can move either hand in the space above, below, to the left, and to the right of that unguarded expanse. So right away, it feels more like Breakout because of that additional freedom in of positioning. You’re moving more to meet the ball, rather than being locked in place and limited.

The other element that keeps Bounce Arcade from feeling like pinball and instead like a Breakout or Alleyway variant is the additional degree of control over the ball. You can sort of guide it to certain positions on the field, to a degree, with a press of a controller button. In cases like the Monster Manor map, it’s actually a necessary mechanic for lighting up the space around you. But it feels more targeted than you’d expect otherwise. Likewise, a gauge can fill that offers something of a homing function to pull the ball toward you. They’re the sort of abilities that you’d expect from other games. 

Now, there are tables in Bounce Arcade that do feel like ones you’d see in a more traditional pinball games. Gunpowder Gulch, a wild west themed space, is one. There are plenty of visible bumpers and ramps. The forced perspective is right. It has the characterizations you’d expect from a table. The same goes for Monster Manor. It features objectives like you’d see in some pinball games, given you need to light the ball on fire and hit designated markers to brighten up the space. And again, there are the obvious ramps and bumpers around the area. Pirate’s Plunder does to a lesser degree, as it starts to feel more like it deviates from the pinball formula, while Asteroid Outpost’s perspective and execution 100% made me feel like it was a Breakout background.

Now, all of this isn’t to say that Bounce Arcade somehow doesn’t succeed. It’s quite a fun experience! Chasing high scores is entertaining, and there are enough bumpers and possible objectives to help with racking up points. It just doesn’t always feel like what it is billed as. When you do get a map that is more akin to an actual pinball table, it’s quite fun! I’d even say Monster Manor feels a bit innovative, since it’s the one that best uses the unique features and VR elements while still feeling like a more traditional pinball experience.

With Bounce Arcade, Velan Studios tried to recreate a type of moment and feeling. Sometimes, it accomplishes that. Other times, it feels like an entertaining take on VR Breakout. It’s never a bad time. It just won’t always feel like VR pinball. As long as you’re okay with that, you’ll get along fine.  

Bounce Arcade is available on the Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3, and Meta Quest Pro VR headsets. 

The post Bounce Arcade Feels More like VR Breakout Than Pinball appeared first on Siliconera.

I love the Meta Quest 3, but sometimes I wish that there were more games from genres I turn to most often on my consoles or PC there. Of course, when you have a VR headset, titles that take advantage of those features and the ability to use your body as a controller will take precedence. But it’s nice when there are other options. Square Enix taking a chance and releasing a VR version of Triangle Strategy is exactly what I wanted, as the mixed reality Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro game takes advantage of the headset while delivering a more traditional tactical experience. 

To start, Triangle Strategy looks like a combination of the recent HD-2D games like Octopath Traveler and traditional strategy games like Final Fantasy Tactics, and that is preserved in this Meta Quest VR adaptation. In fact, I’d even say the HD-2D element is even easier to appreciate, given the 3D perspective of the VR headset. You can really see how the character sprites stand out among the backgrounds, and rotating the field allows you to take in the effort put into environments and maps. It also looks as strong as it did in its Switch release, so we’re getting a chance to appreciate the art and design. The story segments are only in 2D and presented as though we’re watching a movie, compared to fights taking place in a three dimensional space on a table.

Which is another way in which Triangle Strategy feels a little extra special on the Meta Quest 3. Or at least, it did to me. The nature of it made me feel like I was an actual tactician. The optional mixed reality approach makes it work as Lego Bricktalesdoes. The table is in front of you. You can turn it around and look down on it from different angles. When you’re moving your characters around and attacking, it feels like positioning pieces on a game board or map. It’s a small touch that made it all feel a little more immersive.

Of course, I’m also a big fan in general of how some MR games are handled on the Meta Quest 3. While I do appreciate the more active titles in my collection, especially ones that give me a workout like Beat Saber, I like these types of titles for downtime. Like if I need to charge the headset, but still want to play a thing. I’ve found Triangle Strategy is good for those moments. I plug it in. I sit near the outlet. Maybe I put a show or music on in the background for white noise. Then, I play through a few maps. 

Nothing too distracting, of course, because Triangle Strategy remains a fascinating game with an engaging, political tale to tell. Serenoa Wolffort ends up caught up in political machinations as Gustadolph Aesfrost begins a campaign to take over the Kingdom of Glenbrook. As the campaign continues, you’ll be able to decide what Serenoa’s goals will be, leading to building up an army with different allies and reaching different endings.

I know most people might associate VR games with active ones that have you exercising or moving in time with your characters’ actions, but Triangle Strategy on the Meta Quest is a welcome sort of solace. You can sit back and relax a bit, playing through a challenging and satisfying strategy game from a new perspective. The approach is handled well, and I really loved how much I felt like an actual tactician at a table, planning for an approaching battle, as I played.

Triangle Strategy is available in VR on the Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro. The original version of the game can be found on the Nintendo Switch and PC. 

The post Triangle Strategy Works Surprisingly Well in VR on Meta Quest appeared first on Siliconera.

Batman: Arkham Shadow, the latest Meta Quest 3 pack-in and a follow-up to the much-respected Arkham console games, seeks to put you in the role of the caped crusader more directly than before. And though this isn’t quite the first VR Batman game, it’s certainly the first larger-scale attempt. So how is it? And is it worth buying a headset to play?

Developer Camouflaj, perhaps best known these days for its work on Iron Man VR, has been focusing its efforts on virtual reality, and it shows in Batman: Arkham Shadow through its well-considered (if conventional) setups. It’s also a bit slow to get going? Lots of early-game tutorials make sure you know what to do, as if it’s your first VR game. Which, for some, may be the case, as it becomes the Quest’s latest system seller.

Shadow follows the events of Batman: Arkham Origins and is most inspired by the confined gameplay of Arkham Asylum. There’s a ton of well-known voice talent, including a lot from the old Arkham cast! And that’s a good investment for this game, which is so much about those voices. You’re set off to take down the Rat King, a newly-created villain for the game, but along the way you see a lot of characters you might know.

Fundamentally, this game is about punching. Which, hey, VR does well! You complete a series of quick-time events to fight, throwing specific punches and countering through various means. This isn’t a “think about your opponents’ weaknesses” game; it’s decided for you. Which is fine? There are so many enemies to fight in this game, and it would rather see you push through them quickly.

It's in larger room encounters that Batman: Arkham Shadow is at its best. In these, you use perches, vents and such to help pick off enemies one by one, studying movements and bringing in some of your gadgets to help when needed. It's during these fights that Shadow truly opens up and lets you be creative. When we started watching guard patterns and scouting out just the right vantage points for unseen takedowns, that felt really nice. This is, fundamentally, an accurate recreation of the Arkham scheme, and just how enjoyable that was to people is a lot of why this game exists! But the perspective does change a lot about how it feels.

Taking out foes and finding hidden collectibles contributes to an experience meter, allowing you to upgrade various abilities. It’s also a game that likes giving you new abilities from time to time, as you find a need in the mission, climb to the roof for a delivery and then head back down to use it. A lot more time is spent in the process in this game, physically moving from place to place. We suppose it’s a good way to break up combat sequences and keep you immersed in the identity, but do be prepared for the time investment.

There’s still something of a theme park-like ethos to “big-budget” VR game design. Environments are more set dressing than places to spend lots of time. You get a lot of exposition through audio between encounters. It’s also more than happy to use that audio to not-so-subtly nudge you to your next objective. Rarely does Batman: Arkham Shadow want you to stop and smell the roses, and doing so will result in increasingly direct reminders of the thing to do next.

And maybe that’s for the best! Batman: Arkham Shadow is full of dark environments with similar sorts of dingy decoration. It’s true to the source material, and the low lighting does help mitigate the inevitable visual downgrades you get when rendering the resolution and double display of VR. It’s an action game through and through, and other Quest titles are happy to provide different pacing for those who want it.

That said, Batman: Arkham Shadows is not a bad looking VR game, and Camouflaj has clearly been pulling out tricks to get the most out of the hardware. For example, there’s some pre-rendered lighting in spots, putting your focus on particular corners. You can see the seams, sometimes. For example, we moved a grate from a green-tinged vent, and it stayed bright and green. But it’s likely worth those exceptions.

Batman: Arkham Shadow feels comfortable to play in a small room or even seated, with some creative use of the crouch button to reach lower objects. Conversely, the game doesn’t do a heck of a lot for room-scale players, but it’s likely a compromise worth making for the game. Other titles will make you want to walk around; this is extremely a stick-to-move experience.

We've encountered some bugs along the way, getting stuck on craggy rocks or having doors fall down and leave invisible barriers instead of opening. These are the sorts of things we expect will be patched up relatively quickly, but still thought it worth noting for early players. Generally, reloading the checkpoint has solved the issue, but sometimes that means losing a few minutes of progress. We also had a bit of difficulty with the cape controls, as the activation wasn’t as reliable as we wanted. Hopefully that can be tuned a bit!

While it may not have the immersive mechanics to be a great VR introduction, Batman: Arkham Shadow is fun to play and faithful to its Arkham predecessors. And yeah, picking off enemies one-by-one feels great.

Batman: Arkham Shadow, developed by Camouflaj and published by Meta, is available now for Meta Quest 3 and 3S. It’s included with new headsets, and costs $49.99 for other buyers.

The post Review: Batman: Arkham Shadow Lets You Wear the Cowl appeared first on Siliconera.

Square Enix announced it will release Triangle Strategy, a game originally released on consoles and PCs, in VR on the Meta Quest. It will launch on October 31, 2024. 

While the game normally costs $59.99 on other platforms, the Meta Quest VR version of Triangle Strategy will be $29.99. However, there is a pre-order promotion that discounts that price further. It is $25.99 ahead of launch. That sale ends at launch on October 31, 2024. The product page is live and confirms that the Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3, and Meta Quest Pro will all the game.

Square Enix’s first trailer for the game also shows what to expect when playing Triangle Strategy in VR.  You will essentially have an overhead view of the battlefield. You will use the Meta Quest controllers to place them on the map. It also seems you’ll be able to rotate the map to get a better 3D view of the space. As for story scenes, it seems as those will play out in a viewer that appears ahead of you.

Here’s the announcement video for the title.

Triangle Strategy first launched as a Nintendo Switch game in March 2022. A few months after that, a PC version appeared on Steam in October 2022. It is a traditional, turn-based strategy game with an isometric perspective on both platforms, but also uses the HD-2D sort of art direction involved in other Square Enix and Team Asano. 

Triangle Strategy will come to the Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3, and Meta Quest Pro on October 31, 2024.

The post Triangle Strategy Becoming a Meta Quest VR Game appeared first on Siliconera.

Attack on Titan follows these soldiers who use their equipment to go soaring through the skies to take down colossal enemies. Seems like a good game premise, right? It’s happened before, and they can be fun! When it comes to an Attack on Titan VR game, it seems like the sort of thing to go into more cautiously due to all the movement and the concerns about VR sickness or handling it right, but the execution Univrs used almost makes it feel like a Spider-Man sort of game.

I just really wish the titans' models weren’t so hideous and weird-looking.

Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable is an early access game, so it isn’t all there yet. The concept is that titans are again attacking the cities and getting inside the walls, just like they did in the iconic opening parts of the manga and anime. In the two chapters you have access to, you can see what it’s like to fight back against them.

I was incredibly worried going into Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable. All of the early details and videos made it seem like a very active game. After all, it focuses on the Omni-Directional Mobility (ODM) gear and zipping around the map. You’re even, ideally, supposed to be attacking while swinging too. The funny thing is while walking on the ground sometimes did feel a little uncomfortable, I didn’t feel uneasy or ill at all while actually using the ODM to fly around. It is really accommodating! It’s always the main reason why Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable felt like a Spider-Man game.

See, Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable actually gets really in-depth about movement, and the actions used to soar seemed like ones Peter Parker or Miles Morales would use. If you want to quickly scale in one set, defined direction, you aim both the left and right controllers in such a way that their reticles line up together and look like a diamond. Then, you pull back on them. (Like how Parker or Morales would probably pull back on webbing.) After that, you then sort of pull and swing toward areas. Even the nature of swinging the blades that you can pick up, replace with new blades, and use to swipe at the back of titans’ necks or appendages feel like maybe a certain friendly, neighborhood superhero might with a weapon. It’s really neat and feels good.

So the gameplay is strong. But, in some cases, the depictions of characters isn’t? It’s weird. As part of the introduction and tutorial, Levi saves you as you’re being eaten by a titan. (Like as in you actually see yourself going over the lips, past the gums, look out stomach…) It looked like a 3D model, from what I saw, and it was great! But then when story segments with Armin came up, he very clearly looked like an unmoving, 2D figure. Like instead of animated segments setting things up, you’d see him static and flat in one position, the game would cut to black, you’d see him static in another position, things would cut to black again, and so on. I’d have preferred static images like the used for the introductory and expository segments instead. 

But I would take the Paper Mario version of Armin any day over the ugly titans. They look so bad in Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable that they aren’t even scary. They’re just disgusting. It made me appreciate the Koei Tecmo Attack on Titan games more, as at least there these fearsome foes actually seem scary and menacing. In the VR adaptation, they’re too dopey and goofy to feel like a threat. I mean, yes, you will die in only two hits if one manages to actually swat at you before you get in the right position to attack them. But the enemy models and designs just look bad. 

I mean, look! Gross.

I will say that even though these are goofy and abominable, at least it is easy to see the neck for attacks. Also, the arms and legs are easy to swipe at and attack, so there are no hitbox issues when striking at them. 

I am genuinely curious about how the final version of Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable is going to turn out, as the ODM mechanics are surprisingly fun! Like it really offered a sense of freedom, without making me feel queasy. Well, unless I was looking at a titan. Or needing to really quick spin and maneuver in circles to get around a titan to attack it. You know what I mean. There are some rough spots, which honestly could be due to it being an early access title. But it may prove to be an interesting Attack on Titan game, or at least a fun not-Spider-Man game with Spider-Man-like mechanics.

Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable Early Access is live now on the  Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro. 

The post Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable Feels Like a Spider-Man Game appeared first on Siliconera.

After a few delays, there’s finally an early access release window for the next Attack on Titan game. Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable will appear on the Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro on July 23, 2024. 

As this is an early access version of the Attack on Titan game, the price and content will reflect the in-progress nature of it. It will only cost $4.99 at launch. However, the build people will be getting only consists of the first two chapters of the game. Those will apparently only last up to six hours. 

The point of the Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable game will be to give people a chance to be a Survey Corps member and fight titans. The initial trailer shows these sorts of fights happening inside the walls of the city on Paradis Island. It also showcases how Omni-Directional Mobility Gear will work in the game. It doesn’t highlight any voice acting, but that will be available in both English and Japanese.

Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable early access will begin for the Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro on July 23, 2024. There is no release window yet for the full version of the game.

The post Attack on Titan VR Early Access Begins This Month appeared first on Siliconera.

When we get a traditional game being prepared for a VR adaptation, I always wonder if it is the right decision. Would it work in VR? Does it need to make that leap? Umurangi Generation is a captivating experience about gradually getting involved in a country and its situation, which means Umurangi Generation VR on the Meta Quest headsets feels like a greater opportunity to witness life in this version of Tauranga Aotearoa. 

You’re a photographer for Tauranga Express. Rather than delivering packages, you take pictures of certain situations for the company. New Zealand, and the world, is going through some things while you do. As a result, your assignments and purpose gradually change. While initial stages might feel like you’re gathering photos for perhaps promotional materials or to accompany more lighthearted scenes, you’ll gradually reach a point where who you are and what you are doing may feel like it carries a greater weight.

This means that Umurangi Generation VR handled storytelling and exploration in a very immersive way. You aren’t talking with certain figures to learn about tasks. Nobody is holding your hands on your assignments. You happen to live in a world that is gradually going to hell, and your role in chronicling that changes the longer you play. It’s a brilliant way of handling things. You’re left to your own conclusions and devices. As a result, I felt like I was able to judge what was going on, have my own feelings about them, and really live through the experience.

Of course, the way Umurangi Generation VR plays is also part of the reason why this photography sim feels so at home on the Meta Quest line of headsets. I appreciated how many of the actual actions in the game are tied to the same motions you’d make in real life. Lifting the camera to your face, for example. Checking things on lists. Spray painting to leave your mark on the world. There are some very common sense motions here, with help with the immersion.

I was also a little concerned when I came to the VR adaptation, since some light platforming is required to reach certain objectives in the original Umurangi Generation. While there were some bounties in certain stages that felt more challenging in the VR version, with that starting in Stage 5, it generally works pretty well. I was especially impressed that I never felt motion sick while going through areas as well.

While Umurangi Generation VR is good about handling the VR experience, there is some awkwardness involved. I found it impossible to take screenshots on a Meta Quest 3, which is sad considering it is a photography game. Some of the controls aren’t as intuitive as you may expect. Taking a photo is incredibly easy. Others really require you to learn how to play, and the tutorial should really be mandatory instead of optional. 

There were a handful of odd situations in which Umurangi Generation VR didn’t I’d gotten the shot correctly. This required me to repeatedly rearrange and attempt to get the image for the quest. It happened in one stage involving feathers. In another it wouldn’t recognize the word “mix” on a tape. Given some stages only have one instance of a particular request occurring, it was a little frustrating. Especially since I didn’t encounter those sorts of issues in the original release.

Umurangi Generation is a game that was never subtle about its message and always conveyed information via the experience well, but playing it in VR on a Meta Quest 3 makes everything more effective. Firsthand exploring the world and encountering both its beauty and horrors is incredible. Especially since the transition from the original game to VR worked so well and came without downsides like motion sickness. I loved the approach and feel like it’s a necessary Meta Quest experience.

Umurangi Generation VR is available on the Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro and PlayStation VR 2 headsets. 

The post Umurangi Generation Feels More Poignant in VR appeared first on Siliconera.

Tennis games are a natural fit for VR, due to the perspective, opportunity for multiplayer elements, and the way that you’ll see the ball heading right for you, and C-Smash VRS takes advantage of that and its Cosmic Smash roots to impress. The result is a game that, while it might take a little time to get accustomed to your range in-game, is a delight.

C-Smash VRS transport you to an ultra-mod space station, one which allows you to see the stars and planets outside the windows. In Single Player, you can go through a tutorial, explore Journey Mode to go through stages involving the busting of virtual blocks in the space ahead of you, or go through specific stages. Infinity Mode lets you go alone or with another and just… endlessly bust up blocks. You choose the speed, how many blocks appear, and the music that plays, then enjoy. As for Versus, you can face an AI Bot, arrange a match, or head into a Quickplay match with someone else. Entering this menu also allows you to see the option to check your win and loss record. 

Playing C-Smash VRS isn’t too challenging, and anyone familiar with a tennis standard or VR video game will pick it up quickly. Your dominant hand holds your racket, and the other is used to pull the ball toward yourself for serves. Depending on the angle you hit the ball and your approach, you may pull off curveballs or power shots. In modes where blocks are present, your goal is typically to eliminate all of them as quickly as possible. If you’re playing competitively against an AI bot or person, you’re trying to get the ball past them and earn points. Think of it as one of those games that is easy to pick up and learn, but could be difficult to master as you learn the nuances and motions for certain sorts of shots.

It helps that the presentation in C-Smash VRS is impeccable, resulting in a tennis VR game with a memorable look. There are very stark, poppy colors used throughout, offering clear distinction between blocks and the background. This lends itself to the futuristic nature of both this game and Cosmic Smash. We also have this fantastic soundtrack that completes the ambiance and atmosphere. 

I really only encountered one issue when playing C-Smash VRS on the Meta Quest 3, and it had to do with range and reach. There would be times when it looked like, based on my perspective, I would have managed to hit the ball above me. However, in reality, the hitboxes didn’t align and I would end up missing the ball. Now, I also encountered a little of this during my first half hour of play with balls that would bounce just outside my range to the left or right. However, I definitely think those instances involved errors on my part and overestimating.

Regardless, C-Smash VRS is a really irable take on Cosmic Smash that is so much fun on the Meta Quest 3, due to it being a really enjoyable VR tennis that also combines Breakout elements to make more of an arcade experience if you’re playing alone. Likewise, it’s quite enjoyable with others or an opponent. Just make sure you get used to your limits and boundaries before trying to get competitive. 

C-Smash VRS is available on the Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3, and Meta Quest Pro, as well as the PSVR 2. C-Smash VRS: New Dimension will come to the PS5 and not require VR. 

The post Review: C-Smash VRS Offers Another Take on VR Tennis appeared first on Siliconera.

Meta announced that people will have more time to claim a free copy of the game Asgard’s Wrath 2 for buying a Meta Quest 3. The offer was originally only covering up through headsets purchased in January 2024 and activated by February 2024, but now the offer lasts until June 30, 2024.

Here’s how it works. Someone first must buy a Meta Quest 3. That applies to the 128GB model that is $499 or the 512GB one that is $649. After that, go to the product page for it on the company’s storefront. Instead of showing the normal $59.99 price, you will be able to see an “install” option. Do that, and you’ll “purchase” and get the free game.

While thisis a sequel to Asgard’s Wrath, you don’t need to have played the original. The introduction catches people up with what’s going on. After a brief summary, you’re sent after Loki and deal with different other gods along the way. There are even open world elements and you can bolster your relationships with certain allies.

Asgard’s Wrath 2 is available for the Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro, and it is free with Meta Quest 3 headset purchases until June 30, 2024.

The post Asgard’s Wrath 2 Will Be Free With Meta Quest 3 for Longer appeared first on Siliconera.

Daft Punk is the latest music group to get a Beat Saber Music Pack, and the full list of songs for the DLC appeared. It features 10 tracks from the duo. 

The new Music Pack costs $12.99 on various storefronts. The DLC covers the performers’ careerfrom the early days. For example, the 1997 track “Around the World” appears, as does the 2013 track “Lose Yourself to Dance” with Pharrell Williams. Three of the songs are live versions from performances in 2007. Songs can be bought piecemeal for $1.99 each.

Here’s the full list of songs in the Beat Saber Daft Punk Music Pack:

• “Around the World”
• “Around the World / Harder Better Faster Strong” (Live 2007)
• “Da Funk / Daftendirekt” (Live 2007)
• “Get Lucky” 
• “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger”
• “Lose Yourself to Dance”
• “One More Time”
• “The Prime Time of Your Life” (Live 2007)
• “Technologic”
• “Veridis Quo”

There’s also a teaser trailer for the Daft Punk Music Pack. However, it doesn’t offer an idea of how all 10 songs will look in the game. Instead, it only highlights part of “Get Lucky” with Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers.

The last music drop for Beat Saber involved some free songs being added. Original Soundtrack 6 appeared back in December 2023. 

Beat Saber is out on the PSVR and PSVR2, Meta Quest 2 and 3, and other VR headsets via Steam, and the Daft Punk Music Pack is available now.

The post Beat Saber Daft Punk Music Pack Songs Revealed appeared first on Siliconera.

In CookieRun: The Darkest Night Chapter 1, you take control of an adorable cookie hero named GingerBrave. The freshly-baked protagonist begins a journey to fulfill a prophecy to take down the Darkest Lord Cookie, who is trying to enslave cookiekind. Although it's a simple concept on the surface, the charming fairy tale is a fun action-adventure VR title with a surprising amount of depth to its gameplay and progression system.

As I prepared to dive into CookieRun, I was initially apprehensive due to having a sensitive stomach regarding virtual reality. However, to my delight, I found CookieRun an overall smooth experience. The game has pretty standard controls, where you move with the Meta Quest's left joystick while panning the camera with your right hand. If there was ever a moment where I felt disoriented, the game allowed me to re-center myself by teleporting to the location where I wanted to go with a click of a button. For those who struggle with heavy motion in VR titles, I would recommend using the teleport feature if you don't want to move around too quickly. The mechanic also works if you are afraid of heights, as you can warp down a ladder or mountain when descending them without having to look down.

One thing I really appreciate about this game is the clever design decisions they implemented to ensure the game's motion doesn't become too much for players. For instance, during certain platform sections, CookieRun transitions from its first-person view to a side camera angle, where players can control GingerBrave through a quick-time event to jump. Think of it as a child looking down while moving his toys around the room. These gameplay sections are still fun and charming for adults while also perfect for younger audiences. But it's also just a clever solution to avoid motion sickness, as the game could have quickly turned into Mirror's Edge for the worst.

CookieRun: The Darkest Night Chapter 1 takes advantage of the Meta Quest 3's controllers in a few different ways. For instance, there are many sections in the game where you have to climb platforms, and squeezing the controller will result in your character gripping and holding on to things in the game's world. This actually went a long way to make the game feel immersive in spots, as even simple tasks, such as climbing a ladder, were a physical experience you wouldn't usually get in most console FPS games. Actions like this aren't automated either, as you have to physically grab onto each step or stone with your hand to ascend.

Most of the game's combat centers around your trusty candy cane weapon, which acts as a sword. The Meta Quest's excellent tracking makes fights seamless, as you feel each blade swing with little to no lag. Your Candy Cane and swords aren't just for whacking enemies on the head, though, as you can actually deflect enemies' attacks back at them. If combat ever feels overwhelming, the game also lets you take a defensive stance by holding your weapons in the air as a shield to block all incoming damage.

Although the combat is pretty simplified at first, I was actually surprised when the game introduced mechanics such as enemy weakness. After breaking a foe down enough, for example, you are given a visual cue to show you where to hit an enemy with your swords to land maximum damage. Instead of just flailing around to reduce each encounter to a hack n' slash fest, the game requires some strategy if you want to defeat enemies quickly. As you progress, you also get access to a slingshot for long-ranged combat, and you can even acquire different ammo with unique attack properties. So, despite the game's cartoony world on the surface, it does actually have some depth!

Speaking of depth, the CookieRun: The Darkest Night Chapter 1 also has crafting. After collecting enough materials from the overworld or defeating enemies, you can upgrade your weapons by crafting new swords. There are even five tiers to this system. So the higher your weapon power is, the more damage you will be dishing out. While this is an overall pretty simplistic system, I, again, really appreciate that Studio FreshDoh! added these features to flesh this out into a full action adventure experience. It could have easily been an on-the-rails hack and slash, but there is a decent-sized progression system here.

The only major complaint I have about CookieRun: The Darkest Night is that it's a pretty short experience. My save file was around three hours by the time I reached the end. And I usually play slower than most players! However, its length is pretty typical for most VR titles in this category, and the game is only priced at $24. So, given its low cost, I actually think it's a pretty great experience, especially if you have younger kids that you want to introduce to the FPS genre. It also should be pointed out that this is Chapter 1 of the story, with the second part scheduled to release in Summer 2024. So there is more to come.

I do wish that combat had a bit more variety. While you get magical properties such as higher-powered swords, I kept thinking that the game would really benefit from having a handful of spells as well. For example, it would have been awesome if gripping your Meta Quest controller built up a ball of fire in your hand that you could throw at enemies. Although the story is just at its beginning in Chapter 1, so perhaps the game can add more features as the plot progresses in its second part.

What Studio FreshDoh! has done to transform the mobile running game franchise into a fully fleshed-out adventure title is actually really impressive. While veteran RPG fans may find CookieRun: The Darkest Night Chapter 1 to be more on the easy side, I think the game's translation into virtual reality makes it worth the price of ission. As a VR experience, this is a fun three-hour campaign with just enough depth to its combat and gameplay systems that it will leave players wanting Chapter 2. If you are a fan of old-school N64 platformers such as Banjo Kazooie, CookieRun offers a charming world of characters worth hanging out in.

CookieRun: The Darkest Night Chapter 1 is available on the Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro.

The post Review: CookieRun: The Darkest Night Chapter 1 is a Charming VR Experience appeared first on Siliconera.

It can feel like a lot of VR adventures can sort of chop an experience up into sections, not really feeling on par with a title you’d play on a console or PC. With Asgard’s Wrath 2, I felt like I was going through a definitive action-RPG that had these open world experiences and would feel as home on a PS5 or Switch as it does in VR on the Quest 3. 

Asgard’s Wrath 2 picks up where the sequel left off. Betrayed by their “mentor” Loki, the player’s fledgling god is trapped. After a supernatural creature breaks into the otherworldly tavern where you’re locked away and a brief bout with it, the three Weavers pluck you out of danger and reveal that fledgling is really a Cosmic Guardian. Loki used the power gained in the first game to head to new realms, and now the player goes from Norse mythology to Egyptian mythology, working alongside Horus and his allies to face Set and new opponents. It’s a big game that sends you off through different worlds, with four heroes and five followers to rely on at your side.

I didn’t expect this sense of scale. Aegir's Hall and the Temple of Atum ease someone into the adventure. Explore one building. Go through rooms of a dungeon leading up to the exit. But once in Horus’ hideout and the more open world, it really felt like I was exploring any other action-RPG. While Horus’ home isn’t massive, you can look up and around to see the statues’ height, peek around corners on your way to speak to Bes, and are just in this larger space. But then in the open areas of the desert itself, it just feels like there are opportunities. 

For example, not long after taking my first steps into the desert, I was following a trail of destruction while searching for my first follower. I saw one of the larger Apex Predator enemies that someone encounter. However, it wasn’t coming after me. Rather, it was attacking some of the humanoid minions of Set, wiping them out. It really helped set the scene as I watched from afar. (Later, when I’d get to face the Deathstalker and similar foes, it almost felt like okay, this is starting to feel like maybe how I’d want to approach a VR Monster Hunter game.) As I continued, I found off-the-beaten path areas with enemies three or four levels higher than I was, guarding treasure and in spaces that encouraged me to explore on my way to objectives. With that, it helped that other players may have left Dark Souls-like Cosmic Projections as a ghost “alert” to a point of interest.

Combat also is deeper than I expected. For example, your first hero Abraxas has a sword and a throwing axe, with the sword also being used for grappling in some situations and the axe for ranged attacks or hitting switches. Cyrene and Alvilda both have these ranged components, which mean you could use Cyrene’s harp or jellyfish to attack from a distance or hit multiple enemies, while Alvilda can shoot arrows with her bow, toss a mine. The different heroes’ movesets mean that you get to experiment with combat styles, then can prioritize ones you like when exploring or going into the Uncharted Rift roguelike dungeon in the Inbetween. It’s diverse, comfortable, and even feels like it’s good for accessibility considering the different melee, ranged, and control means for each type of moveset and weapon. Combine that with a skill tree for characters as they level up, the followers you can use as mounts to go around the world, and the skill trees for them, and it's all just very complex.

Even more so because these people can have some distinct personalities! When your Cosmic Guardian is riding shotgun in a hero's body, they'll banter and offer insight into the world with you. (Spoilers aside, Abraxas' initial conversations got me wondering about the differences between the Norse gods in Asgard's Wrath and Egyptian ones in Asgard's Wrath 2, as well as the relationships between the divine and mortals.) With your followers, it feels like they grow alongside you. I'd even say enemies become bigger "jerks" due to how they begin to learn and adapt to your go-to moves, unless you drop down to the easiest difficulty level that prioritizes the story.

The design of it also makes me feel like it’s skirting the line between accessible and showcasing VR game staples while doing so in an integrated way that doesn’t make them feel like a gimmick. Yes, there’s a fishing minigame, but you catches could be used as components when creating items or as a follower gift. You could go through minigames that involve using a slingshot to hit targets or sliding disks on a grid to land on certain spaces and appear on a leaderboard. Even the Uncharted Rifts roguelite dungeons can feel like a short combat experience more akin to other VR fantasy adventures focused on going through a few challenges and facing foes. The only time I felt like things were leaning into territories where it was a bit frustrating or unnecessary involved some context-sensitive actions for certain moves or actions. A good early example involved throwing Abraxas' axe, holding a trigger, then making a motion with your hand to alter its path to hit switches. Learning the proper and timing frustrated me a bit.

I also appreciate how it almost feels like Asgard’s Wrath 2 is breaking the fourth wall in its adventure. It acknowledges that when you’re using these human heroes, there are moments when you’ll hold Y to step back into your full, Cosmic Guardian god form. This larger being has a greater view of the world around them and can influence the environment in different ways, allowing for some really fun puzzles. Especially when they also involve realizing when to transfer your consciousness back into the hero you’re controlling for the next steps.

It also feels like it strives for the sort of interactions between characters that we’re seeing in games like God of War and Mass Effect. There is actually a relationship system with followers that allows you to become friends with them via interactions like gifts. Your characters gain new skills via a tree, and so do them. You have additional side quests you can take, though that could involve a fetch quest like grabbing some ingredients while you’re doing other things in the world. You’re able to go out of your way to hunt or fight these optional, stronger than usual enemies like Apex Predators, take those items to cook or craft equipment, and benefit from it. 

Also, given that Asgard’s Wrath 2 and Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR are the two big Quest games recently, I sort of feel like I can’t talk about one without touching on the other. It feels like Asgard’s Wrath 2 is, at times, a more cohesive game with experiences that lead one into the other. You aren’t going through scenarios, with the various acts from each part of the story tying in well to each other. However, Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR can sometimes feel technically impressive in another way. There are times when the textures here are noticeably weird or character models are taking a bit of a hit more, perhaps in part because Sanzaru Games is doing so much, while the environments and elements looked more realistic in Ubisoft’s latest. (For a great example, approach the telescope in the one room of Horus’ hideout.) While both games felt quite stable, I felt like that Asgard’s Wrath 2 seemed like it offered a more consistent frame rate and smoother experience overall. I did run across some bugs in my time playing, but the patches and updates appeared so frequently that any of the issues I had should be remedied by now.

I know I touched on accessibility earlier, but Sanzaru also included an array of options designed to help ensure anyone of any skill level or VR familiarity could play Asgard’s Wrath 2 on the Quest 2 or 3. You can set the difficulty, of course. But you can also do things like set up blinders on the sides during moving, set turn speeds, or choose to have a reticle to prevent motion sickness, with presets and customizable fine-tuning available. There were a few instances in Uncharted Rifts and boss fights with a lot of movement where I did still feel the effects of VR, especially when I used Alvilda, but it’s quite manageable. 

I’ve referenced the Asgard’s Wrath 2 Uncharted Rifts mode a lot by this point, and its inclusion almost made me feel like I was going through two Quest 3 VR games at once. This is an optional feature that lets you head into procedurally generated dungeons for roguelike runs in the Inbetween area. You’ll see enemies and sorts of situations like you would in the main game. The rooms could feature fights, an area you need to explore to reach the end, a chance to get items by finding or buying them, or a boss. You can also get modifiers to help with each playthrough and collect items you can use in the main game. Most of my focus was on the main campaign, so I only dabbled with a few runs, but it’s like a genuine, spin-off complement that lets you focus on the combat and exploration mechanics if you really enjoyed them in the main game.

As I went through Asgard’s Wrath 2, I started to feel like it’s the Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt VR equivalent for the Meta Quest 3. It’s basically a pack-in, since everyone with that headset gets it for free so long as they buy the headset before February 27, 2024. It’s a showcase of everything the device is capable of, much like Nintendo’s pack-in. It also offers a sense of versatility and variety, while still catering to any sort of audience. It’s a genuinely cool, well-crafted endeavor, and the fact that the only real flaws I encountered when playing had to do with its textures sometimes looking a bit outdated, some actions were a little frustrating, and some bugs that should already be fixed in the build everyone will get left me very impressed.

Asgard’s Wrath 2 will be available on the Meta Quest 2, Quest 3, and Quest Pro on December 15, 2023. 

The post Review: Asgard’s Wrath 2 Brings a Console Quality Action-RPG to VR  appeared first on Siliconera.