Space Channel 5 makes a funky return in VR
0Reported today on The Verge
For the full article visit: https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/25/21152374/space-channel-5-vr-review-psvr-ps4-release-date
Reported today in The Verge.
Space Channel 5 makes a funky return in VR
Back in the heady days of 2016, when VR hype was at its peak amid hardware launches from Oculus, HTC, and Sony, it felt entirely natural for the killer app to be the transformative PlayStation VR conversion of Tetsuya Mizuguchi's Rez. Here was a cult classic that just so happened to be about delving into the very depths of technology itself, with graphics perfectly suited to the high-contrast, low-resolution panels of early VR headsets, and propulsive game design that didn't have to deal with the tricky problem of how to move your avatar around.
In 2020, the VR landscape has changed. Motion controls are the norm, and expectations are high for next month's launch of what has to be the most anticipated VR title of all time, Valve's Half-Life: Alyx. That's the background for today's launch of another PSVR version of another Dreamcast-era Mizuguchi release, Space Channel 5. In some ways, it's a perfect fit; in others, it feels like the tech isn't quite there.
Space Channel 5 is one of those games that came out in the early 2000s and developed a devoted following, despite bombing in terms of sales. It's a basic post-PaRappa the Rapper rhythm-action title that sees you take control of Ulala, an intrepid intergalactic reporter who is tasked with defeating a malevolent alien invasion through the medium of dance.
The original game was very simple, requiring players to do little more than repeat D-pad directions and push the occasional action button in time to the music, Simon Says-style. The new version, Space Channel 5 VR: Kinda Funky News Flash, is essentially the same idea, except this time, your dance moves come through PlayStation Move controller swings instead of button presses.
Grounding, the develop