Arizona Sunshine is one among VR’s oldest zombie shooters, and Vertigo Video games makes a compelling case for its upcoming remake. This is what we thought.
The unique Arizona Sunshine is admittedly feeling fairly dated nowadays, although it is nonetheless broadly obtainable on most main VR platforms. And after taking part in the remake’s first two chapters at Gamescom on PlayStation VR2, adopted by replaying the unique Arizona Sunshine on Steam to check, I absolutely perceive Vertigo’s determination to remake it.
As soon as once more, we’re again in post-apocalyptic southwestern America killing hordes of “Freds,” and Remake’s opening performs out nearly identically to the unique recreation with small adjustments. Whereas co-op help is confirmed, my demo was single-player solely.
Arizona Sunshine Remake makes use of the identical engine as Arizona Sunshine 2, and it appears like a pure extension of final yr’s sequel. Vertigo Video games has modernized its VR gameplay design with improved physicality, and the variations are instantly clear past a shiny new coat of paint. Guide reloading is now an choice, grabbing objects feels significantly extra responsive, and ladders can now be bodily climbed with out teleporting to the highest.
My greatest concern throughout this preview was that my proper Sense Controller would persistently lose monitoring, leaving me at a big drawback when hordes started coming in direction of me. Hardly superb to be caught with a floating hand mid-battle when the gunplay in any other case feels good. This may increasingly have been a {hardware} drawback although, and I am hoping this concern does not return come full launch.
I can not understate how far more visually interesting Arizona Sunshine Remake seems in comparison with the unique recreation – the desert seems higher than ever. These preliminary chapters have been precisely recreated, and Remake nonetheless affords some entertaining motion. Capturing up zombies is nothing notably particular at this level; we have all seen repeated makes an attempt throughout the years, but the remake’s adjustments are reinvigorating it for a brand new viewers.
It is a totally different case to Wanderer: The Fragments Of Destiny, which is remaking a far more current recreation from 2022. By comparability, Arizona Sunshine first appeared in 2016 again when trendy VR was discovering its footing. Frequent VR recreation design ideas weren’t universally agreed upon in the best way they’re now, which makes this remake much more intriguing.
In that sense, Arizona Sunshine Remake showcases simply how far VR video games have developed in just below a decade. I nonetheless can not consider we have reached some extent the place studios are actively remaking earlier VR video games. Returning to the unique afterward confirmed me what number of greatest practices we regularly take as a right nowadays, lots of which merely did not exist again then. The previous recreation nonetheless affords some enjoyable, however this remake seems extremely promising.
Arizona Sunshine Remake arrives on October 17 for Quest, PSVR 2, and Steam. Homeowners of the unique Arizona Sunshine on the identical platform can buy the “Remake Improve” at a lower cost.