STACK July 2017 Issue 153

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056 JULY 2017
visit GAMES FEATURE
arrives this August.
My VR experience on the Sony booth (after
doing the Kitchen demo two years ago, there
was no way I was going near horror again, so
first-timer Alesha was given the honours) was
with cover shooter Bravo Team, utilising the Aim
gun-shaped motion controller.
The demo kicked off with a squad member
to the right of me copping a bullet to the head
with such striking realism, it caused the ole
ticker to skip a beat. Playing cooperatively with
another player, we had to negotiate a path across
a bridge littered with burning cars and
balaclava-clad enemies.
In true cooperative fashion, we didn’t
say a word to each other throughout the
entire demo. Movement was dictated by
‘option icons’ positioned on the map –
see a cover position and sprint towards
it. At times I would get ahead of the
enemy, resulting in a frantic shootout
to clear them out. While the aiming
took a little time to adjust to, and it will
be totally dependent on level length,
I could see myself playing through it;
considering I have had to veto many VR
experiences due to nausea, not for the
first time at E3 I walked away feeling
fine. A cooperative shooter like Bravo Team is a
good fit for VR, built from the ground up with the
format in mind.
I also did a 'forgiving' circuit with Gran Turismo
Sport in VR, too. Sat in a racing pod with a wheel
in my hands and a headset clamped to my lugs,
there probably isn't a better way to sell the VR
concept to a non-user. It's immersive, engaging
and looks incredible to boot. I want to play all my
racing games like
this going forward,
despite being hopeless
at them.
Alesha: There was only
one word (two words?) on
everyone’s lips as they left
the Sony Press Briefing at this
year’s E3 – Spider-Man.
Though it was originally
announced last year, a lengthy
new bit of Insomniac's Spider-Man
gameplay was revealed at Sony’s conference,
and we’d be lying if we said it wasn’t shaping
up to be huge. From what we were told at our
behind-closed-doors session at the
show, Spider-Man throws us into the mix
with a Peter Parker who’s pretty familiar
with his powers, and knows his way
around a skyscraper or two. The team
has crafted a new story, so don’t expect
to see a rehashing of any of the old
movies, but there will be characters and
villains you recognise.
The combat was arguably the best
part of the presentation. We’ve been
describing it as a mix between Prototype and
the Batman Arkham games, as it involves a lot
of countering and use of the environment and
objects around you. Spidey’s still got his off-
handed wit and humour, and there are even a
few QTE sequences thrown in, too. Keep an eye
out for this one in the early half of next year.
The Inpatient is a PS VR experience that is,
strangely enough, a prequel to Supermassive
Games’ Until Dawn. You are a patient in a
psychiatric ward, and the VR mechanics make
great use of people in your environment getting
all up in your grill. Similar to Until Dawn, it’s
choice-based, so prepare to regret all your life
decisions and dread the consequences of your
actions. It’s terrifying, and we’d advise against
playing with anyone nearby that you think might
poke you for a bit of a laugh – not funny at all.
For me, one of E3 2017’s biggest surprises
was a game I’d never heard of – Matterfall .
Developed by Housemarque, it’s a 2D
sidescroller, and it’s actuallyreally hard. There are
a few control mechanics, and you’ve got to try
and coordinate dodging, shooting, and collecting
health and super charge all at the same time.
Maybe I just found it hard because I’m bad at
juggling.
When we had a crack at the Sony booth, the
dev attendant threw us straight into the boss
level, promising that learning the hard way was
the best way to approach it. Sure enough, it
took approximately four seconds for me to die. I
persisted, but only managed to conquer the boss
at a different station about 45 minutes later. I’m
nothing if not persistent. Though challenging,
Matterfall undoubtedly proved to be one of my
favourite games of the show.
One of the standouts of the West Hall was Sony's booth. Though at
times difficult to navigate, the facade was impressive, no section
moreso than the setup for Insomniac's Spider-Man. Peter Parker
on a helicopter suspended above the city? We've suddenly found
ourselves in distress...
Booth Bits
SONY
...prepare to regret all your
life choices and dread
the consequences of your
actions
BravoTeam
The Inpatient
Matterfall