Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope
This page is a stub, please expand it if you have more information.| Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope | |
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| Information | |
| VR/AR | VR |
| Developer | Croteam VR |
| Publisher | Devolver Digital, Croteam |
| Platform | SteamVR, Oculus Rift (Platform) |
| Device | HTC Vive, Oculus Rift |
| Operating System | Windows |
| Type | Full Game |
| Genre | Action, Indie, Gore, VR, Violent, FPS, Shooter |
| Input Device | Tracked Motion Controllers |
| Play Area | Seated, Standing, Room-Scale |
| Game Mode | Single Player, Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer, Co-Op, Online Co-Op |
| Language | English |
| Review | N/A |
| Release Date | Sep 20, 2017 |
| Price | $39.99 |
| App Store | Steam |
| Website | http://www.croteam.com |
| Infobox Updated | 11/07/2017 |
Contents
Review
It has to be said, Serious Sam is a series that has truly stood the test of time; considering that this series has been in the shadows of the Duke Nukem franchise for a good while. Thankfully for Serious Sam, though, the Duke Nukem remake was pretty darn bad; whereas when Serious Sam 3 suddenly burst onto the scene it was met with praise and that was down to the simple fact that Serious Sam kept what made the series special and left it with its own particular style of FPS; as such the developers were rewarded for it. Whilst the IP did have a couple of indie spin-offs from the main franchise to keep things going; there hasn't been a real Serious Sam game in a while. Well, it appears that has all changed, thanks to Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope.
Deterring completely from the norm of the Serious Sam series, the developers have gone into the VR line of work for their latest game. With the amount of time I've spent on it already, it's definitely worked out for them, because this here is another VR FPS that does exactly what the VR is made for without making it too intrusive and forced; while keeping that great, FPS gameplay that you would normally expect from this genre.
Controls and gameplay are probably exactly how you can imagine: you look around with your headset to find out where your enemies are coming from. Technically, you can look in 360 degrees whilst wearing the headset, but for the most part a lot of the enemies tend to be coming at you from a 180 degree angle, meaning that you don't have to do all that turning most of the time. Enemies do in actual fact show up all around you, but it's that 180 degree arc that you'll be finding them most of the time.
When it comes to gameplay, you probably won't be surprised to find out it plays a lot like some of the old Serious Sam games, except with less focus on manoeuvring your character and more on pointing at what you want dead until it explodes all over the place. Gunplay in the game is quite enjoyable, and it only demonstrates why this franchise translates so well onto VR. There is a vast assortment of weapons you can choose from, each one a little different than the last you've acquired. If, however, for some reason you get bored of turning your enemies into Swiss cheese; you can instead pull out a chainsaw that's probably a little too big for you and see how many enemies you can turn into mulch!
In terms of story, Serious Sam never was a series that was known for its story and with this latest addition to the franchise it is absolutely no different this time around. If you're even considering getting this game for the story, I would definitely hold back, because this title is a game for those of you out there that want a true VR experience with their first person shooters.
Aesthetically, the game looks like it reuses assets from Serious Sam 3; the one that rebooted the franchise for the modern day. At the time of release the game looked good and even to today's standards it's not what I would call a negative, but it does feel as if the graphics are a little bit dated to some degree. When it all comes down to it, though there's nothing necessarily wrong with them and it definitely gets the job done, which is probably down to the fact that the developers have done what they can to upscale the resolution for the in-game models.
One factor that I'm not a big fan of is that the game has you play in a static position the entire time; similar to that of an on-rails shooter - minus the part where you're actually moving. Due to this focus, your enemies constantly come running at you wave after wave, until you can't handle the onslaught anymore. I will say the game is currently in Early Access on Steam, which means that there are going to be bugs and the content is currently a little bit barebones. There are only 2 worlds out of the planned 5 at the moment, but the developers are diligent on updating the game to get it to the standards that they wish it to be at and considering that the game is slowly but surely getting better; I'd say that's quite clearly ringing true.
Overall, Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope is an ambitious FPS game for the HTC Vive and while it may not have the most spectacular graphics compared to most modern day titles, it’s not too much of a detriment. The biggest detractor right now is probably going to be the fact that while the gunplay and general gameplay of it all is pretty darn fun with the HTC Vive; it’s a true shame that there isn’t much that can be done in terms of maneuvering, as you’re tethered to the one spot. Despite those couple of niggling issues, the core gameplay of it all is incredibly fun and makes Serious Sam VR a worthwhile title to be had in your collection.
Description
Have you ever wondered what it's really like to be Serious Sam? Have you ever wanted to fight Mental's alien hordes with your own two hands? Well, now you can! Step into the shoes of the Earth Defense Force's greatest hero in this unique VR simulation based on Sam Stone's own log files from his time as captain of the Battlecruiser Saratoga. Experience the missions that turned Captain Stone into the legend that he is today.
Key Features:
- Tons of enemies – Hordes of attacking enemies have always been a trademark of the Serious Sam series, and Serious Sam: The Last Hope continues to deliver countless terrors in just one scene, harnessing the serious power of the Serious Engine 2017.
- Tons of guns – Dual-wield miniguns, tommy guns, heavy lasers, shotguns, and an assortment of other guns. Oh, and chainsaws, too! Use 16 different weapons, including the rocket launcher, and Sam's trademark alien-killing toy - the minigun. Also, there's a sword and a shield, for good measure.
- Planet-hopping action – Visit five unique planets, and battle across treacherous Egyptian sands, in the pitch-dark under ancient ruins, or on the surface of Pladeon, the long-abandoned heart of a great industrial civilization.
- Dick's back, too! - Featuring the voice of Serious Sam, John. J. Dick, dropping one-liners almost as fast as you drop your enemies.
- Cry for Mummy – Defeat Mental's most powerful servants, starting with the Unholy Space Mummy of Gamma Pegasi, a huge undead monstrosity brought to life with dark magic - as dangerous as it is smelly! And that's just the first boss, and there are five of them - each one more deadly and terrifying than the last.
- Upgrade and improve - Evolve your arsenal and yourself, unlocking 36 powerups and 190 weapon upgrades during Sam's adventures.
- It takes two to tango - Play through any level with a partner, picking between Serious Sam or Serious Sammy as your character of choice.
- Randomly Generated Gameplay! - This new gameplay option is split to three different modes. Fight off random waves of enemies that ensure every playthrough is completely different, and challenge yourself in 8 arenas consisting of 4 waves and 20 difficulty settings in the chaotic Arena mode. Face endless waves of enemies, trying to stay alive as long as possible in the Endless Wave mode, or try your luck at the Daily Challenge mode, facing the same challenge as other players around the world on the arena map of the day.
- Global Leaderboards - Compare your score and get bragging rights over your friends and foes thanks to global leaderboards supported by each of the Arena modes.
- Hyper-immersive realism – Graphics so good that if you die in the simulation, you die in the real world!*
*Might or might not be entirely true. But we tested it and we're pretty sure it works the other way around.
Features
System Requirements
Windows
Minimum
- OS: Windows 7 64bit
- Processor: Intel Core i5 - 4590 equivalent
- Memory: 6 GB RAM
- Graphics: AMD R9 290 or NVIDIA GTX 970
- Storage: 10 GB available space
Recommended
- OS: Windows 10 64bit
- Processor: Intel Core i7-6800 equivalent
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: AMD Fury or NVIDIA GTX 1070
- Storage: 10 GB available space
