Hands-On with PlayStation VR Games at E3 2018!

**Exploring Virtual Realms: A Deep Dive into E3 2018 PlayStation VR Demos**

At the heart of every great video game event lies the excitement of discovering new titles, and E3 2018 was no exception. Among the many demos showcased at the PlayStation booth, a few stood out for their innovative use of virtual reality (VR) technology. This article delves into three standout experiences: *Blood and Truth*, *Tetris Effect: Connected*, and *Astro Bots Rescue*. Each demo offered a unique glimpse into how VR can enhance storytelling, gameplay mechanics, and user interaction.

### **1. Blood and Truth: A Rail-Shooter with a Narrative Edge**

*Jeremy from Testim and Michael from London Studio Discuss Blood and Truth*

One of the most anticipated demos at E3 was *Blood and Truth*, a triple-A VR game developed by the team behind *PSVR Worlds*. The game is set in a vibrant, action-packed world where players take on the role of an action hero tasked with rescuing their mom from a series of high-stakes situations.

The demo showcased a linear rail-shooter style, where players progress through a series of nodes, taking cover and engaging in fast-paced gunfights. The game offers both stealth-based infiltration missions and chaotic shoot-'em-up sequences, allowing players to choose their playstyle. For instance, one level involves sneaking into a casino, while another sees the player barreling down a hallway, shooting enemies on the move.

The developers emphasized that *Blood and Truth* is designed to reward players who immerse themselves in the action hero experience. Whether it's spinning guns for dramatic headshots or slowing time to dodge bullets, every over-the-top move is celebrated by the game. The AI also reacts dynamically to player actions, making the combat feel more intense and personal.

One of the standout features is the use of bullet-time mechanics, where pressing both move buttons slows down the action, allowing players to take precise shots or avoid incoming fire. The game's visuals are top-notch, with realistic environments and special effects that enhance the immersive experience. While it’s unclear if *Blood and Truth* will support PlayStation Aim, the developers hinted at the possibility of additional modes in the future.

### **2. Tetris Effect: Connected – A VR Experience That Blends Play and Imagination**

*Tetris Effect: Connected at E3 2018*

Another highlight was *Tetris Effect: Connected*, a VR adaptation of the classic puzzle game that brings the iconic Tetris experience into a new dimension. The game leverages synesthesia, combining visual and audio elements to create an immersive atmosphere. As players drop blocks, the game responds with dynamic music and particle effects, making each move feel like part of a larger symphony.

The demo revealed that while the core gameplay remains familiar, the VR twist adds depth to the experience. The visuals are stunning, with vibrant colors and effects that follow the player's movements. For instance, completing lines results in explosive, visually dazzling sequences that leave players awe-inspired.

Despite its VR roots, *Tetris Effect: Connected* is designed to be accessible. It can theoretically run on a mobile headset, making it a potential hit for casual players. However, the current setup requires PlayStation VR hardware, which may limit its appeal for those seeking a more relaxed gaming experience. Nonetheless, the game's innovative use of audio and visuals sets it apart from traditional Tetris adaptations.

### **3. Astro Bots Rescue: Innovative Controller Use in Platforming**

*Astro Bots Rescue at E3 2018*

For fans of platformers, *Astro Bots Rescue* was a revelation. This VR title puts players in control of a small robot navigating treacherous environments. The game uses the PlayStation gamepad as both a controller and an interactive tool within the world. For example, players can use the touchpad to deploy a grappling hook, allowing their robot companion to traverse gaps or defeat enemies.

The demo highlighted the game's creative use of space and mechanics. Players must jump, pounce, and collect coins while avoiding hazards. The inclusion of secret robots hidden throughout levels adds an extra layer of challenge and reward, encouraging exploration. One particularly memorable feature is the end-of-level mechanic where players slingshot objects using their controller to hit targets, earning bonus points for accuracy.

The game's success has led its developers, Japan Studio, to expand it into a standalone title with an 8-10 hour campaign. The use of the tracked gamepad is a stroke of genius, making *Astro Bots Rescue* a standout example of how VR can enhance traditional platforming mechanics.

### **Conclusion: The Future of VR Gaming**

E3 2018 demonstrated that VR gaming is evolving rapidly, with developers pushing boundaries in storytelling, gameplay, and hardware integration. Titles like *Blood and Truth*, *Tetris Effect: Connected*, and *Astro Bots Rescue* showcase the diversity of experiences possible within the VR medium.

As we look forward to more announcements later in 2018 and beyond, one thing is clear: VR has the potential to redefine gaming, offering experiences that are immersive, engaging, and innovative. Whether you're sneaking through a casino, battling Tetris blocks in VR, or rescuing robots with a grappling hook, these demos remind us of the endless possibilities virtual reality holds.

If you’re working on a VR project or have any thoughts on the future of VR gaming, feel free to share your ideas and experiences. Who knows? The next big thing in virtual reality could be just around the corner!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhey everyone a storm from Testim and it's Jeremy from Testim welcome back to projections our virtual reality and augmented reality show when a couple more demos and experiences from e3 that's right a couple weeks ago they want to relay one of which is a big-budget PlayStation VR game all three of these experiences we're gonna talk about are for PlayStation VR so you people that say we don't cover it enough well here you go yes the game that I got to play was one of the levels from the upcoming blood and oh cool so I didn't get a chance to play this demo but I did play the demo they had at the PlayStation event last year this is a rails style first-person shooters that fare I would say a very linear first-first most air another you basically clip to progress along not node based teleportation but nodes is that where you move between them you take cover you lean out to fire that kind of thing yeah the developer of this London studio they did psvr worlds so anyone who bought psvr and got this sampler pack of this these different PS VR experiences one of which was London heists and so they found that the London heist experience was so popular that they decided to make a full triple-a game out of it and we played one level when they first announced blood and truth which was set more in a casino the RAI stealth operation wise and yeah you're right at the end of that one very on Rails you're just going from hallway to hallway pressing the move button jump from node to node people are jumping out and you're shooting them right it's a lot of accuracy required in your aiming and I remember it couldn't you shoot fire extinguishers couldn't hold it go into a slow-motion for a moment yeah but it was fun yeah and the slow motion is a new feature that they added for this new level or they revealed for this new level you can at some point you can press both of the move buttons and you do enter a bullet time so the bullet time element perfect for shoot them up in feel so are you dodging bullets in bullet time dodging bullets you reload you can do dual wield in you know you have a big gun a shotgun or machine gun you put in your back very standard VR shooter tricks right but as opposed to a game like you know Robo recall on the oculus rift where you're running around the world freely as an arcade shooter this feels more akin to like like a time crisis right a very linear you know area 51 classic arcade shooter right we're going from seeing the scene enemies are popping up but your body is getting into it you're leaning around you're hiding behind the barrels you're you pressing the buttons to shift to the left of the cover or the right of the cover you know it's a little more physical and using the cop you're right it feels just like that police 9-1-1 or some kind of game like that where you die and you're feeding in more quarters in order to progress through the game and I would feed more cores for this it's not you know it's not it's not uncharted right it's not a free world exploring rain yeah there's a little bit of physicality in terms of climbing you know you're you're hiding around you traverse the level you have to find a way to traverse the level we've been jumping into vehicles that could see but I assume there will be vehicles in this this one but this was a construction site you're rescuing your mom and picking locks they're embracing the things that VR is good for well with that kind of budget they're expecting there to be a full full totally maybe $60 for this I mean I would expect you to have really high production quality and it does the voice acting is great the enemies there's a lot of great special effects from the firepower you know can shoot through barriers and what I played was the end of the first act at e3 just part of a level yeah so if the acts have multiple levels then this is gonna be a pretty big game you know it's not one of the things I asked the developer and is is this a James Bond game or is this a like fast and furious game okay and you can play it either way what's the difference well you could even change Bonnie it's more stealth approach you're using a silencer you're writing off enemies when they're not looking lots of toys lots of Oh with gadgets you know or is it a shoot him up you know running gun yeah get into her face using machine gun and I think they designed something that where you can you can play it either way will this be a PSP or exclusive it is a PS New York's Lewis F so to answer some of the questions about the game I did get a chance to chat with someone on the London studio team about blood and truth so that's hey everybody norm from tested here at e3 2018 chatting with Michael from London studio you guys have been working on blood and truth for hallo now well we've you know where we've been development since really you know finishing vr worlds you know we had our great success the london heist we learned so much making that built our own engine from the ground up for VR and now you know we're trying to put it all together and make what we think is the world's first and best triple a VR game so the type of VR game you guys won for is entirely narrative and action driven you are in like a big action movie and the demo I played here you're basically going through a lot of guys it's just a runnin and gunnin through scenes is that how you're thinking of designing levels that like you're going through mowing down enemies and and it's making way through this London world so it every level is gonna have its own unique flavor you know we've got an incredible level design team these guys are super experienced they all have their own personalities a little bit different you can actually see it come through in the levels so this level in particular that you played today was focused around these guys are basically kidnapped your mom you're now really really angry and you're just gonna mow through everybody and and basically save your mom so that's really the focus on this level but if you remember from the last time you play that was much more of a sort of sneaking in infiltrating there was a bit of that so all of them are a little bit different and I think you know we do that way just so that every everything constantly feels fresh and everything feels a little bit different as you play through the game yeah that the pacing of the the first time I played when he first announced it was an infiltration and then almost like a little bit on Rails barreling down a hallway and really ramped up but still make use of VR their puzzles I was manipulating whether I was picking locks or or running a computer security system so how do you think about balancing VR action because it's incredibly immersive when I'm holding two guns and then also VR puzzles well I think there's just there's just something really wonderful about when you when you play a game and you try something and and the thing does what you think it's gonna do because that's kind of what would happen in real life and so that's kind of you know the approach that we take with our all of our puzzles and stuff you try and unscrew something or for example you push an elevator got elevator button you can do that with your book with your finger or you can just but the end of your gun up to the button and it'll also work so little things like that just seem to add so much and and when you're in VR all those small little details just seem to add up and just make the experience feel that much more rich and immersive the most fun I had was with those running guns segments I really fully I could have done it a couple ways I could have used the the pistol and taken my time and just went for those precise shots or I could have taken out the submachine gun and just sprayed and prayed how you designing those encounters because their outdoor encounters and inner encounters to encourage different types of play well we want the player to to sort of have their fantasy of being an action hero fulfilled right and so some players want to be that really careful deliberate precision aiming action hero like I noticed you were taking a lot of time to like aim and get headshots and stuff on people but other people want to play the game and they just want to do completely crazy stuff so you can throw two clips up in the air and slow down time and then sorry go into precision mode so you're like hyper focused everything slows down and you can basically like catch the clips in your guns you could just do all this crazy crazy stuff and you know it's it's we take a lot of inspiration from films like John wick and stuff like that that that just have this almost like gun foo kind of poetic gameplay gunplay I should say and yeah it's on display in blood truth the players bring a lot of their history with watching those films to it and it's like the difference between being Pierce Brosnan and James Bond or Jason Statham in like a fast and furious movie yeah I mean basically the way that blood and truth works is the more that you play act the more that you act and move like an action hero the more the game will recognize that and reward you for that so we actually track when you do crazy stuff like spin the gun around and then get a headshot and those things will actually be tracked for you and sort of celebrated when you do them in the game I played sitting down and it's comfortable and you never have the player actively turn around and least not 360 I noticed level design wise you do things like in the climbing modes you do go around corners that's how you make us at the level isn't just one progression how else are you designing levels to make it feel like you're you're actually traversing the world actually requiring the player to turn well you know we've been doing VR for a few years now right like obviously we had the London heist we built this engine from the ground up just for VR and so we've learned a lot of things and there's a lot of people that say oh you can't do rotation and VR and stuff like that so but you know you've played it with the climbing sections we also have vents and stuff that you can kind of crawl through around corners and we found that if the if the corridors are sort of narrow we can actually allow you to sort of walk and move around corners as well or or run like and we show that at the casino mission as well so we do a variety of different tricks debate to basically allow us to rotate your sort of forward direction without making people feel unwell or anything like that so it's it's just kind of a combination interview mechanics we use to sort of break it up and make it feel different for some of the sequences are the best if you're standing up we're actually crouching in front of your couch and and more physically part of the game well you definitely should stay in the play space of the of the PlayStation camera and stuff like that if you're trying to crawl around on the floor it's probably not going to work that well depending on your setup but it will it definitely allows for a lot of movement while you're seated so you can basically you know do sort of a what we call the gun lean sort of lean around the the corner or sort of pop out you can sort of up or sort of duck down in certain cases so there's a lot of again the more you act and move like a super an action hero the more the game will reward you for that and AI is reactive to that knows when you're peeking out knows when they can see the pixels of your character model yeah yeah yeah the AI definitely responds if you stay in one place for too long they're gonna throw a grenade but I'm like in a traditional game you you could you could move or you can just grab the grenade in the air and chuck it right back now this uses PS Move controllers but PlayStation VR also has a PS aim which is a very satisfying accessory to hold will you plan on supporting that so we've got nothing to announce today with that but I will say that our lead experience is definitely the dual moves you know we want you to have two hands and basically have all the freedom and cool stuff that comes along with that but you know I wouldn't rule those things out at this point we're just not talking yet about alternative modes how far is the game along development and when can we see it so we're still in full production I guess I wish I could tell you a date today but we're just not talking dates just yet but you know we're busy hard at work over London and teams doing a great job so hopefully we'll have it to you in the very near future awesome well thank you for having here and letting us play some of it it's very nice to chat with you guys well another game that we got to try at e3 in the PlayStation room was Tetris why the Tetris effect which is based on a book and it's it's an idea that people who play Tetris end up seeing the shapes after they stop playing the game perhaps when they're closing their eyes and drifting off to sleep they can still see the pieces falling and they continue to play it in their mind well they're trying to amp that up and they want to make you get in that zone even faster and make you even more obsessed with Tetris you know when I played Tetris on the original Gameboy one of the things that stuck with it was the music right everyone knows the tetris songs a classic of Russian song it's all the song great song so with this didn't hear a version of that song but they had new songs and the creator of Tetris effect you know did luminous and res and so synesthesia is a huge part of the experience to find synesthesia for the feeling of combining of the senses and in here it's the visual and the audio so they play a soundtrack as you're playing the game but the different moves you do whether it's changing the orientation right of your of your blocks or slamming a block down or using a powerup yeah to slow time and like that all changes how the soundtrack plays adding beats to it adding extra tunes amplifying it yeah all kind of algorithmically I'm glad you mentioned this sound because that is a very big part of this game I think most people who see this game in trailer form or maybe even play it for the first time they're gonna think of the visuals because they're equally tied into the movements as you slam things down they swarm out all these particle effects there's these whales that are flying around the space you're constantly going through what appears to be some kind of particle tunnel and when you get tetris 'as they explode and do these amazing shapes and when you eventually complete a level of course it gets even more intense and you whoosh through them and into another aesthetic each level seems to have its own visual and different song right well but it's not an essentially VR game as far as you can tell right you know being in the headset yeah you are locked into this world maybe it focuses you on the tetris game play and obviously having the stereo headset makes the the visuals pop out at right but the actual game itself is still pretty much in 2d that's off in the distance and it's the classic Tetris game and it doesn't require VR not by any sense it actually is a playable game on a flat screen monitor mm-hmm so I asked them why can you play this on a mobile headset I want this like if this is a pick-up-and-play dive into experience the last thing I want to do is have to go to the living room plug in the controller's charge the move controller the DualShock and right and and they don't even represent the DualShock don't need to in the world load up the psvr I just want to sit in bed and play this on the go or something exactly yeah I was suggesting this would be great on mobile yeah just to play it on my phone I could see this being a big hit on that I'm not sure that we'll ever see that given that there are licenses involved yeah yeah but you know it would be great on this yeah and so it's not like super hyper cube where a game that was designed with VR and mind that's almost Tetris but you're at the top of it and you're leaning around trying to fit the puzzle shapes into the parts where they're they're holes down there yeah positional movement lateral movement really doesn't do anything right for Tesla's effect I'm so excited to play it I just wish they were on a platform that was more convenient to use I mean I'm excited to play it but I would play this game for a long period of time I'm not sure it justifies the headset discomfort factor you know I mean it I'm happy to play certain games for at length but if I'm not getting terribly more out of it then I would on a flat-screen TV I'm not sure that the balance weighs out for me I just as happily played this on in too deep another genre that had its origins on the flatscreen and has made its way into VR is platforming ah yes I mean we've seen Lucky's tale from oculus another couple attempt this well one group that did it on the PlayStation VR that I thought did it quite well is Japan studio they had this idea of making these little robots and they put them in different circumstances and they made a really interesting title where there was two screens like the person in VR didn't see what the person on the couch saw so he had these inching multiplayer experience a metric hole exactly it was one of the few titles that did that well well one of the games that they that they made was this platformer where this robot runs around the world and you basically do exactly what you think you do you jump and you pounce and you make through the make it through the level and it was more successful I think for them than they expected and courting you know compared to the other titles in that game so they spun it off and now it's just its own discrete title and they're saying that it's actually quite large it's like an 8 to 10 hour experience whoa and it's just Japan studio they had previously partnered with London with a London studio to make the games before now it's just a pan studio it's actually a lot of fun it's called Astro BOTS rescue and you're this once again with the gamepad which is represented in VR and fully tracked which I think it's super smart because it's the control or everybody's gonna have you are with your analog stick controlling the little robot robot and running him around making him jump and now he's got this cool double jump mechanic where he has these lasers that come out of his feet so if there's these spiky characters you jump and you laser them from above and you're jumping you're getting coins you're trying to find all the secret robots that are all hidden and you're trying you kick them and everyone you kick jumps into your controller and then at the end of the level yet this is cool mechanic where all these rings start to fly around and you sling shot something from your touchpad on your controller through it and of course you have to aim in real space if you get them through them all you these bonus points and it's just there's a lot of fun like the music is really good the the platforming mechanics are solid and it uses the controller an interesting way the controller seems to be the secret sauce here yeah the track controller be in the game not only with the analog sticks and the buttons and triggers but you even be able to use that as a device to help your care yeah exactly right it's represented like your controller is a gameplay device yeah it's part of the world you have this at one point you find this tool chest and a developer told me they're going to be multiple tool chests throughout the world each time you find when you unlock a new ability the one in the demo gives you this basically a grappling hook so it puts a little winch on the front of your controller that you can use the touchpad and shoot it out and attach it to X in the world and now you have this to this rope attached to your controller that your little guy can jump onto and walk across the Rope or in a boss fight that I was as much a I wasn't as much combating the boss as my little guy was yeah cuz I had to shoot he had to hit the his teeth apart and they're not used my little grappling hook to grab on to his tooth and yank it out right and I love that you can have visual additions to the controller right the controller has a certain form factor that's all the buttons you're gonna be pressing right but because it knows where your fingers are it can add on a grappling hook you can add on things that you would never grab and touch that aren't in the real world but are still physically tracked and it makes the thing you're holding like a you know any tool right and in the game yeah I love the fact that using the controller as I said before I mean it's it's it's colorful it doesn't look like a game like a gamepad it's all cartoony right but it just works and the fact that it's tracked they're using that one thing that no one else has no one else has attracted gamepad PlayStation has that and for them to use that I think it's a super smart move very very cool so that does it for our coverage of the games we saw at e3 this year there are a bunch more events toward the end of the year where we hope to see a lot more game somewhere announced this past year but we haven't seen anything yet if you have other games that you like to check out or if you're working on a VR game yourself feel free to get in touch you can find out our contact info on test comm and we'd love to hear about it but until next time we'll see ya bye you\n"