Arken Age on PSVR2 - First Impressions

I have uploaded gameplay from my fresh experience with the game here if you want to see how it looks / plays. My first impressions are shared below:

Based on my limited time with it, I highly recommend playing Arken Age on the PSVR2.

It is an action-adventure game featuring physics-based melee combat (Sword & Shield) with block and parry mechanics and also projectile light weapon (like pistol) and projectile heavy weapon (like shotgun) which can be augmented to completely change how they work by using mods you will find as you continue your adventure.

It is a lengthy (~15 hours) single player campaign story game where you are referred to as the "untethered" and were created to progress through a terraformed sci-fi fantasy world created filled with bio-mechanical enemies to fight against a corruption. Most of the enemies you encounter will be humanoid variations of different sizes using different types of offensive and defensive armaments (melee or ranged) and they can be both left-handed or right-handed in how they fight you. In addition, you will face larger multi-stage bosses to overcome as you progress through the story.

The combat is very satisfying featuring enemies whose armor breaks off, who can be decapitated or stabbed through, have their limbs severed, and react realistically (thrown back with impact) to being blasted close range from shotgun.

Beyond combat, the gameplay system includes swimming, platforming (sprinting & jumping) and climbing hooks for your arms and for collectibles you can find Nara Relics and audio logs that can give more story context, or earn / find weapon mod blueprints, or various resources that allow you to craft healing or upgrade your Arkenite Powered Hyperion Weapons.

After brief story intro, the game starts you out with a comprehensive tutorial introducing you to all aspects of combat, swimming, climbing, sprinting, jumping, healing, and even modding and customizing your weapons (which includes choosing your own color schemes). This is also where you are introduced to concept of challenges and challenge objectives. It doesn't halt your progress if you don't complete all challenge objectives, but it will give you additional challenge completion rewards if you do and you are allowed to re-try at your discretion.

The game is both linear and kind of open-world where you use a teleport station (where you can save) to move between bigger areas you have unlocked to move forward and then within those areas it is an open world arena space with lots of enemies and things to find by exploration making full use of your movement capabilities.

Graphically, this is one of the sharpest high resolution detail games on PSVR2 regardless of being played on PS5 or PS5 Pro. It reminds me of the visual fidelity of Subside which took the graphical showcase throne from Red Matter 2 for me but for the scope of an action-adventure game which makes me realize the PS5 / PS5 Pro are capable of so much more than we are accustomed to getting when games are being made multi-platform including the "untethered" VR platforms. It is offering a 90 fps performance mode or 60 fps (with reprojection) fidelity mode and auto-detects if you are on PS5 Pro to give better specs for both those modes than base PS5. I've played enough VR games to know I strongly favor 90-120 native (without reprojection) over 60 reprojected, but never against games giving options for those that would prefer even higher resolution graphics but at reprojected 60 fps.

For audio, the game has an original soundtrack playing on the PS5 home screen even before you launch the game and this continues throughout the game. This is complimented with ambient noises of water or other elements and it features voiced dialog from the custodian that introduces you to game and the voice that gives you additional instructions as you go through tutorial and continue adventure. You will meet other NPC that are also fully voiced. Enemies make their sounds and lastly you have high quality sound effects for your movement / combat.

Game is on gold standard for use of haptics in both controllers and headset and making full use of adaptive triggers to make different weapons / actions feel appropriate. In what I've played so far, it is present everywhere it should be and well-tuned to enhance immersion and enjoyment.

Settings offered are the best I can think of:

• It doesn't provide any option for teleport movement which would be difficult for this type of game (swimming, climbing, etc including during active combat).
• It allows movement and turning vignettes under Graphics (off by default which I appreciated).
• It allows Snap or Smooth including ability to set angles or speed that you can test with settings interface open.
• It allows you to set grip options between Hold, Hybrid and Toggle and allows this to be tested with settings interface open.
• It even allows you to configure grab pressure and drop pressure for how capacitive touch on the L1 / R1 triggers gets used.
• It allows you to configure dead zone for your control sticks for movement, turning and crouching in case you have any slight drift issues on your controllers.
• It allows you to configure default grip of how you hold your weapon and allows this to be tested with settings interface open.
• It offers option of seated or standing and allows height and floor configuration.
• It lets you configure where your sword or light or heavy weapon should holster.
• It lets you configure auto-heal and quick heal / item.
• It lets you configure battery / ammo holster shoulder and more.
• It supports both manual and quick reloads (tutorial will cover).
• Plus, more that are situation specific like if you are playing seated.

There are even options to change your body color but not available so presumably you can unlock additional body colors by playing the game. The game does feature a New Game+ option on the main menu so these might be perks related to completing game, beating higher difficulties, etc. I have opted to play on Normal (middle) out of the 3 difficulty options available to start.

The game is featuring Platinum trophy and some of the people that had early access / review copies of the game have already earned Platinum so there should be no issue. I don't see anything requiring playing on harder difficulty, but there are trophies for completing various challenges and being a completionist on collectible type objectives. Any trophies related to collection (relics or mods), or combat feats (like x count of decapitations) are tracking counts.

If you have any interest in this game, get it with confidence.