Superliminal

Superliminal encourages players to reconsider how they perceive reality, effectively rewiring their brains to make sense of its gluttony of optical illusions and forced perspective puzzles. Except, each scenario in Superliminal doesn’t have to make sense; in combining 2D shapes to make 3D objects, and in twisting perspective to manipulate the size of said objects, Superliminal is a more dreamlike affair, and, just like dreams, leaves a surreal lasting impression.

The most notable of these is the widely acclaimed Tetris Effect: Connected, which will be available on PS VR2 at launch on February 22, with owners of the original Tetris Effect on PS4/PS VR being able to upgade for $9.99. Meanwhile, Rez Infinite, which was a launch title for the original PS VR, will be included in its successor’s launch lineup as well, and will also offer a $9.99 upgrade to existing owners.

Other notable new announcements include interactive afterlife title Before Your Eyes, fully-licensed first person title NFL Pro Era, comedy golfing game What the Bat?, and puzzle title The Last Clockwinder. 

A number of the new announcements are PS VR2 ports of existing titles, including the likes of Kayak VR: Mirage, Pavlov VR, Song in the Smoke: Rekindled, Puzzling Places, Synth Riders: Remastered Edition, Thumper, and Creed Rise to Glory: Championship Edition.

You can check out the announcement trailers for a number of the aforementioned titles below.

Half-Life: Alyx

Half-Life: Alyx was a dream come true for legions of fans, but when Valve announced that it was a VR-only game – there was an element of skepticism associated with anticipation. But when Half-Life: Alyx was finally released, fans were elated with joy and all those skepticism washed away. In so many ways, Half-Life: Alyx is the perfect example of how to craft a AAA game for the VR platform – thanks to a potent combination of a meaningful story and well-designed gameplay ideas that leverage the capabilities of the platform to the fullest.

Earlier in the year, Sony announced they would be bringing back their Play at Home initiative. This month saw the company giving out 2016’s Ratchet and Clank, the latest game in the franchise ahead of the new Rift Apart releasing this June. But they are clearly just getting started, as for the remainder of this month and into April they will give out a whooping 10 titles free of charge.

As announced on the official Twitter and blog, there will be a total of 10 different titles given out over the course of the next month. It’s a mix of big titles, indies and VR games. Probably the big headliner of the bunch is Horizon: Zero Dawn Complete Edition next month. After that the next high profile game is the VR hit Astro Bot: Rescue Mission. Then you have Rez Infinite, Abzu, Enter the Gungeon, Subnautica, and The Witness. Then the next group is PS VR exclusive titles Moss, Paper Beast and Thumper.

Horizon: Zero Dawn will be available starting April 19th up until May 14th. All the other titles will be free starting March 25th and running to April 22nd. They will redeemable free of charge, even without PS Plus, on PS5 and PS4. Those marked with VR below will require a PS VR to play.

#PlayAtHome update! PlayStation is offering 10 free games to download this spring, including PS4 indie gems, PS VR games, and Horizon Zero Dawn.
Full details and timeline: https://t.co/dF694JqWcs pic.twitter.com/mTAP9dKhmc

— PlayStation Europe (@PlayStationEU) March 17, 2021

The launch of Stadia has been…something. It doesn’t seem to have gone particularly great (though that’s hard to say without knowing exactly what Google’s goals were, of course), and it showed the many challenges a streaming based service still has to overcome. Regardless, it is also yet another avenue for free games, so there’s that.

For January, those who are subscribed to Stadia Pro will get two new free titles in their rotation. First up is Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration. The game is the second in the rebooted Tomb Raider series, and this edition includes all the post-launch content. The second title is the wild and dynamic rhythm-based Thumper. The game sees you controlling a beetle-like creature as you speed through horrifying worlds of light and sound as you must bump to the music.

Both games will be available to all Stadia Pro users starting on January 1st. If you’re a Founder, don’t forget you’ll get an extra buddy pass to give away for the holidays.

BLOOD AND TRUTH

SIE London Studio’s Blood and Truth was an unexpected surprise earlier this years. Promising and delivering on the allure of high-octane action and a story you could actually invest in, it was a better game than most expected. Another area where it impressed quite a bit was the visuals, with crisp technical work across the board, excellent animations, and truly impressive facial and performance capture.

Google has announced all of the titles that Stadia, its game streaming platform, will launch with. A total of 12 games will be available with 14 more titles coming by 2019 end. The list includes big names like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Destiny 2: Collection, Mortal Kombat 11 and Red Dead Redemption 2.

Check out the full launch line-up below:

• Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (Ubisoft)
• Destiny 2: The Collection (Bungie)
• GYLT (TequilaWorks)
• Just Dance 2020 (Ubisoft)
• Kine (Gwen Frey)
• Mortal Kombat 11 (Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
• Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)
• Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration (Square Enix)
• Samurai Shodown (SNK)
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (Square Enix)
• Thumper (Drool)
• Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (Square Enix)

Titles that are slated to arrive for the service before the year is out include:

• Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle (Koei Tecmo)
• Borderlands 3 (2K Games)
• Darksiders Genesis (THQ Nordic)
• Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 (Bandai Namco)
• Farming Simulator 19 (Focus Home Interactive)
• Final Fantasy 15 (Square Enix)
• Football Manager 2020 (Sega)
• Ghost Recon: Breakpoint (Ubisoft)
• GRID (Codemasters)
• Metro Exodus (Deep Silver)
• NBA 2K20 (2K Games)
• RAGE 2 (Bethesda Softworks)
• Trials Rising (Ubisoft)
• Wolfenstein: Youngblood (Bethesda Softworks)

It’s worth noting that those who purchased the Founder’s Edition of Google Stadia will receive a three month subscription to Stadia Pro. This enables playing Destiny 2: Collection, which includes the latest expansion Shadowkeep, at no additional cost. Though free games will be added to the service overtime, customers will still need to buy games to play them.

Releasing on November 19th, Stadia’s main selling point is the lack of any dedicated hardware and the ability to play games anywhere. Google also promises that games on Stadia will feel faster and more responsive than they would on local hardware in the coming years. Head here for 12 things you need to know about the service before picking it up at launch.

Rhythmic racer/horror Thumper is now available for Android devices. It first released in October 2016 for PC, PS4, and PlayStation VR, before arriving on Nintendo Switch and Xbox One in 2017. It subsequently released for iOS in 2018. The Android version was originally supposed to release in Fall 2018, but was seemingly delayed.

Thumper is a trippy experience. You play as a single metallic beetle cruising down a neon highway. Notes will appear on the track and must be hit in sync with the music. Eventually you’ll have to hit turns, vault over obstacles, and deal with other mechanics, along with different boss battles. Be careful though – take two hits and you’re dead.

The Android version touts 60 FPS in portrait and landscape modes. There’s also Play + Mode, which promises “increased challenge and speed”. Those playing with wireless headphones might want to switch them out, as they add “significant audio latency”. To learn more about the game and it’s development, check out GamingBolt’s interview with developer Drool from 2017.

Thumper: Pocket Edition is live on the Google Play Store. Get it here: https://t.co/T4aHePNWoF pic.twitter.com/P2aDyTAtGd

— THUMPER (@ThumperGame) February 21, 2019

Brace yourself – the rhythmic game Thumper is coming to Android devices this Fall. The announcement came via the game’s official Twitter account. Considering that Thumper: Pocket Edition is already a thing for iOS, it’s about time Android users got their fill of high-octane racing and industrial beats.

If you’ve never played Thumper before, the premise is simple. You’re a metal space beetle, racing down a sleek futuristic highway and hitting panels to the music’s beat. Over time, different turns and obstacles – like laser grids and spikes – will appear, making life all the more difficult. You’ll even face off against bosses who demand perfect timing across long stretches of obstacles to properly conquer them.

Despite how sleek Thumper looks and runs, it can be incredible hectic. Prepare yourself for its trials beforehand (and also check out our interview with Drool for insight into its development). Along with PC, Thumper is available for a wide range of platforms, including Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch. It can also be played in virtual reality thanks to Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR.

Thumper: Pocket Edition is coming to Android this fall. pic.twitter.com/TX8q7J8BJZ

— THUMPER (@ThumperGame) October 13, 2018

Guitar Hero

Guitar Hero was the first word in rhythm-based games when it first rolled around. Though mass appeal helped it to achieve great success, actually trying to get good at the game was a task. Mastering the basic controls? No problem. Trying to advance up the ladder and surpass some of the tougher songs, especially Through the Fire and The Flames? It’s definitely not for everyone. Regardless, Guitar Hero was a fun era in gaming.