Mint Virtual Reality

Gamedust released a new trailer for Yupitergrad 2: The Lost Station this week, alongside confirmation that the game will release first on Pico headsets.

The studio first announced the sequel to its 2021 swinging platformer almost a year ago, confirming a release on Quest and PC VR platforms. This week, Gamedust confirmed that the sequel will actually release first on Pico headsets, within the first half of this year. A Quest release will follow and then other platforms, including PC VR and Vive XR Elite, will arrive after that.

The update on release platforms also came alongside a new trailer, embedded above. Gamedust also provided UploadVR with some extra details on development progress, stating that the game is “near completion.” The team is “in the middle of upgrading the experience,” which includes “polishing a shooting system, adding more puzzles, more passages, improving the operation of the map, and adding a few surprises that we want to keep for those who will pick up the game after the release.”

We enjoyed the original Yupitergrad in our review on release, stating that the mechanics offered a “clean and thrilling sensation” but the course could “frustrate as much as they entertain” at times.

Keep an eye out for more news on Yupitergrad 2: The Lost Station in the coming months.

Rhythm shooter Gun Jam VR launched this week.

Available now on Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro, Gun Jam VR is made by Jaw Drop Games and published by Raw Fury. It tasks players to shoot to the rhythm like Pistol Whip, but from a stationary spot rather than streaming down corridors.

“It features a unique beat-pattern shooting mechanic and firefights synced to the original soundtrack in a vibrant world,” it says on the game’s description on the Quest store. ”

The soundtrack covers a range of genres from EDM to Metal with several weapons available as well as both arcade and freeplay game modes.

Check out Gun Jam VR in the launch trailer below:

Developers are working on a flatscreen PC version of the game as well. Jaw Drop Games Community Manager Sarah Carter-Evans offered some background on the game’s development process in a post on Meta’s blog:

We started concepting the visual style of GUN JAM when we had our PC prototype back in 2018. Our art and lore were naturally drawn to a world where everything was amplified to the extreme and painted with dystopian undertones. In GUN JAM, everything revolves around “The Beat” and being a rhythm-FPS game, we started with having music references and metaphors everywhere. So entire buildings might double up as a speaker where the walls might shake to the pulse of the bass, lights may strobe in rhythm with each track, and signage around the City Streets levels would flash in time with the tune.

I played Gun Jam very briefly and it looks like it could be an interesting take on the rhythm shooting genre. I’m curious to see how progression flows when we can dive more deeply into it.

Gun Jam VR is available on the Quest store now, priced $14.99 for launch, with the flatscreen PC version of the game planned for release this year.

First Contact Entertainment, the studio known for Firewall Zero Hour and Solaris: Offworld Combat, confirmed that Firewall Ultra will release this year for PSVR 2, alongside some new looks at the game and details of a new contractor called Havok.

The confirmation of a 2023 release date is hardly a surprise, but it’s nonetheless nice to have it locked down. First Contact Entertainment also revealed new key art for the game, pictured below, which includes re-designs for existing contractors and a first look at the game’s new contractor, Havok.

Here’s a description of what to expect from Havok, straight from First Contact:

Havoc joins the fray in Firewall Ultra as a brand-new Contractor. With a background as a decorated former elite military operative, he is well-trained, well-conditioned, and well-equipped to get the job done—despite his cocky attitude. He was kicked out of the program after a big disagreement with a superior and is now looking to make a name for himself in the world of private contracting.

In Firewall Ultra, his Conditioned skill increases his resistance to bullet damage and deploys a mine once he’s eliminated from battle.

Here's a look at our latest Firewall Ultra gameplay clip from the #PSVR2 trailer that went live today!

We've been having a BLAST using the eye tracking features!

Of all the immersive new features announced, what are you looking forward to most? #VR #Immersive #PS5 pic.twitter.com/YtDRGA1Uib

— First Contact Entertainment | Firewall Ultra PSVR2 (@firstcontactent) February 8, 2023

That’s a pretty awesome and unique use of the technology – we can’t wait to try it out ourselves later this year. The studio is also working on a sequel to Solaris: Offworld Combat, which was first revealed seemingly by accident in a Sony blog post and then later confirmed in a tweet by First Contact, stating “more details coming soon.”