Psytec Video games introduced its swinging franchise sequel Windlands 2 to PC VR headsets in 2018 and it was an awesome videogame. Whereas intense, that capability to swing by extremely stylised worlds and battle harmful bosses was a welcome one, highlighting that superior movement in VR may very well be achieved with out making most gamers endure. However that was three years in the past and the world of digital actuality (VR) gaming has superior, so can Windlands 2 nonetheless sustain, and extra importantly can PlayStation VR?
Windlands 2 is all about freedom of motion, having the ability to navigate its environments principally within the air with some ground-based accessibility so that you’re not at all times having to search for the subsequent hook level. You’ve received a grappling hook in every hand so there’s no want to fret about proper or left-handed mechanics, and the identical goes for its latest inclusion, the bow.
Gameplay is all about being gentle in your ft and really conscious of your environment. If you get a really feel for it and discover that circulate Windlands 2 has a fantastic vitality to it, evoking an actual buzz once you swing by chunks of the setting completely. Miss a grappling level and also you’ll shortly realise how distant the bottom can get – and that there isn’t a great deal of it.
This isn’t a calming, non-violent expertise like the unique although, that bow is there for a cause. Titans are the primary enemy within the recreation, mechanical beasts that successfully work as mini-bosses more often than not, with some segments dropping within the occasional weaker opponents to maintain you busy. That additionally means there’s a storyline this time, the place you’re making an attempt to avoid wasting a peaceable society from this evil menace.
The issue with the PlayStation VR model of Windlands 2 isn’t concerning the high quality of the port, because it seems to be similar to the PC VR version. No, the problem comes right down to mechanics, or extra precisely, the dearth of fluidity in the course of the fights. Hovering by the calm environments is simple – as long as you don’t miss a hook – making it top-of-the-line elements of Windlands 2. Many of the important battles are in 360 areas the place you possibly can navigate across the boss taking pictures the purple highlighted targets on its physique. On PlayStation VR this turns into irritating and a take a look at of endurance since you don’t have full freedom to twist and switch.
Now, this can be a limitation of the {hardware} reasonably than the videogame being damaged, it’s price declaring. Making an attempt to take down the primary boss/machine is an efficient instance of this, it’s not too laborious however swinging round behind the enemy you wish to immediately twist round to shoot, which you’ll be able to’t due to the monitoring. In truth, leaping onto the PC model to check this idea proved appropriate, dispatching the identical opponent in underneath half the time purely because of that additional flexibility.
And it’s such a core a part of the entire Windlands 2 expertise that you simply’ll virtually dread the subsequent encounter. No quantity of fidgeting with the snap flip or clean flip settings solves what is basically an instinctive response, having the ability to gracefully glide by the air to fireplace off a well-placed arrow into the guts of the beast.
Really, with regards to “well-placed” arrows, PlayStation Transfer doesn’t make this a easy course of. In case you’ve owned the controllers lengthy sufficient you already know they could be a bit erratic at instances and that’s actually the case right here. And it’s all to do with pace. Grappling by the bushes you are inclined to hold your arms regular, planning a route while fastidiously aiming on the subsequent piece of inexperienced foliage. This was tremendous and by no means actually introduced an issue. As quickly because it’s time to unleash a volley of arrows, that’s the place the difficulty begins and would very often result in demise whereas combating with the reticule.
Co-op mode confirmed this additional as a colleague swore making an attempt to shoot the final goal on a boss. This doesn’t imply Windlands 2 is unplayable however what was clear was the realisation that due to these points, Windlands 2 is rather more pleasant performed with buddies.
By yourself, the environments generally is a bit devoid of life, lonely even, but with not less than one different participant – it’ll assist as much as 4 gamers without delay – there’s an added vibrancy to the expertise. Enjoyable little issues like competing to get to the subsequent marker or recognizing an illuminated quest merchandise for them to seize, the crew dynamic helps make Windlands 2 shine. Additionally, these fights are a lot extra easy and strategic reasonably than a grind. Swinging in for various angles of assault and if one in every of you does encounter an aiming problem the others can again you up, rather more satisfying. The one downside with multiplayer was the dearth of identification, with no map or markers you don’t know the place your mates are. Saying “over right here” or “I’m by this rock” doesn’t assist when the vegetation is dense otherwise you’re nowhere close to one another. Voice communication is spot on but every participant’s identify seems off to the facet with a speech image showing once they speak, not precisely helpful should you don’t know the place they’re.
It’s nice to lastly see Windlands 2 on PlayStation VR and keep in mind what made this VR expertise so pleasant within the first place. Alas, with a heavy sigh this simply doesn’t match its PC brethren when evaluating your complete bundle. What this launch actually does is show PlayStation VR’s ageing know-how and the way it was good for some however not all VR videogames. Nonetheless, Psytec Video games has confirmed it’ll patch PlayStation VR 2 assist into Windlands 2 when out there, which might actually assist to unshackle the gameplay. In the mean time, Windlands 2 solely actually soars half the time.