You can see enemy outlines (to a point) as they’re shuffling around, which I dig from a playability standpoint. I won’t go on and on about the combat other than to say I like the way it encourages you to move around as much as possible, whether it’s to pick up enemy-dropped ammo, get the jump on a foe, or avoid being flanked by reinforcements. The AI gets to a point where it doesn’t miss all that much, and to regenerate health, you’ll need to find a safe spot and not take any more hits for a bit. Why would you ever slink down into cover? Reloading your gun is a two-step physical action, and until you’re proficient with it, it’s better to do it in cover. This isn’t necessarily the best way to play, and if you’re surrounded, you’ll likely get taken out, but I appreciate that Fracked let me be risky if and when I wanted to be. There are several comfort settings, too.Īdmittedly, midway through, I was sprinting around like a madman, popping off shots before the corrupted miners could fully retaliate. If you’re not entirely convinced or are worried about nausea, I’d recommend the demo for Fracked. In short, one Move is for your gun and quick turns, and the other Move is used for walking/running and grabbing surfaces to pop in and out of cover. The player movement feels effortless, which is particularly impressive given that nDreams pulled it off with two PlayStation Move controllers in a seated setup. I can’t believe I didn’t have any issues with my arms going out of bounds or my hands glitching.
This flows super well, and once you’ve gotten used to the controls, you’ll be able to zip around and pop a squat without thinking. (Aside from some limited-use power weapons like a grenade launcher and revolver, that’s really it.) You’ll sometimes want to grab onto the corner of a wall, or a box, or whatever’s lying around to take a breather you’ll physically pull yourself down with one hand while the other still has your gun ready to go. When I think of “cover,” I tend to think “slow.” In Fracked, there’s more of a frantic arcade-shooter vibe - almost like TimeSplitters, albeit with a limited pistol and SMG arsenal. While you could sum it up as a cover-based FPS, and there is a big emphasis on a pretty novel cover system, that’s not the whole picture.
It’s not too important to know the story setup, which involves infiltrating a mountain mining base, and putting a stop to an otherworldly invasion - the important bit is that it’s overrun with bad dudes who don’t bleed red, and they’re a whole lot of fun to fight.įracked never sits still, whether you’re hanging onto the side of your buddy’s helicopter, zipping in between trees and dodging snowmobile goons while skiing, or ziplining over a chasm with a gun in your free hand.
I didn’t encounter a single control-related issue or hiccup, which must be a first.įracked (PlayStation VR ) Aside from the action-movie-esque premise, which in gameplay terms boils down to fast-shooting fun without longwinded expository fluff, my favorite part of Fracked is that it just works. This is a game that feels expertly tailored to the platform, and when we’re talking about tech like PSVR that’s hanging in there as best it can, it’s no small feat. It feels like ages since I’ve toyed with my PlayStation VR setup, much less tried out something new for it, but long story short - after finally charging my Move controllers (like I always seem to need to) and getting cozy - I’m glad I made the effort for Fracked. One of the smoothest PlayStation VR games I’ve ever played, and that’s saying something