Vertigo 2 Review

thesixthaxis.com:

VR gamers have been crying out for big gaming experiences for years, and Vertigo 2 is a game that promises exactly that. Originally released for PC in early 2023, this shooter takes inspiration from Half-Life’s structure and style, and was quickly called one of the best VR games out there. Now it’s out for PlayStation VR 2, so it’s time to see what all the fuss it about.

This is a direct sequel to Vertigo, but you don’t need to have played that game as everything is explained in a neat recap at the start before you, an unnamed female character, set off on missions to help Brian. He’s a Dr Emmett Brown type character – a scientist who may or may not have good intentions – and you’ll be delving into this underground facility in the middle of a multiverse calamity at his behest.

What follows is an 8-10 hour adventure through continually changing landscapes, with ten big boss fights and plenty of cannon fodder for you to shoot. There are fourteen weapons, all of which can be upgraded, along with puzzles that range from the usual collect the thingummy and pull switch types, to humanity tests that are essentially a Captcha identification lock: pick the pictures that show modes of transport.

As varied as the environments and enemies are, a VR shooter lives and dies on how the weapons handle, and unfortunately I found them rather lacking. The basic pistol you start with is difficult to be accurate with, even if you are aiming down the sights, and many of the other weapons have you spraying in the general direction of a bad guy until a bullet or ten will hit them. Unlike Arizona Sunshine 2, for example, the guns don’t have any weight, there’s little to no kick back when you fire them, and they feel floaty and inaccurate. There’s strangely no haptic feedback at all and if you’ve played any other PSVR 2 shooters you will notice the difference immediately.

You’ll also have to learn the loading mechanic for each weapon. Ammo is generated automatically over time so you rarely run