The second new Wolfenstein game this month features some of the best graphics on PSVR, but how much fun is it to play?
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Who knew that Wolfenstein games were like buses? You wait ages for a new one and then two come along on the same day. Weve given up being surprised at the logic publishers use when deciding release dates, but this is a new low; especially as Bethesda managed to send out review copies late for both games – thereby ensuring that many will probably never even be aware that Cyberpilot exists. Although to be honest, theyre not missing much.
Cyberpilot was not only released on the same day as Youngblood but both are co-productions between MachineGames and Dishonored developer Arkane Studios. Theyre both set in occupied Paris during an alternate history 1980, in which Germany won the Second World War, and while Cyberpilot doesnt have any cinematic cut scenes the simple plot is neatly communicated via the series typically high-quality voiceovers and a decent script. Theres little real comedy or satire though, just a little plot twist towards the end.
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Cyberpilot feels more like a tech demo than a game, which isnt uncommon with VR titles, but why Wolfenstein had to be dragged into this were not sure – other than it provided the developers with a bunch of existing graphics they could use. And in fairness, as a tech demo, Cyberpilot is very impressive. The level of detail and sense of immersion is excellent, but when it comes to gameplay and replayability its considerably less remarkable.
You begin the game by waking up in a Nazi garage, surrounded by deactivated robots and with a French resistance fighter whispering in your ear. You never get to see her, or her assistant who types out little help messages, but they quickly convince you to commandeer a sequence of different Nazi robots via an in-game VR system. You start off with the by now familiar Panzerhund, which you first have to help hack and prepare for your mission.
This involves a clever bit of VR showmanship as you use a virtual joystick to rotate it round so you can smash off a side panel with a crowbar and grab its circuit board. At the end of each mission you return to the same facility to engage in some similar pseudo-puzzles that require no real brainpower to solve but make great use of the controls and look fantastic – especially one sequence where the powers gone out and you have to use a torch to light the darkness.
Once your Panzerhund is working you ascend to the VR room and take direct control of it, which is… not terrible interesting. Everything looks great, and youve got some fun weapons, like a flamethrower and a pounce attack, but its all extremely easy and completely lacking in any sense of tension. Despite all the clever VR tricks it all feels strangely uninvolving, which is not helped by the empty Paris streets that make it seem like youre wandering around a vacant film set.
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Although the game allows for full freedom of movement we didnt feel any sense of nausea, but then all of the robots are quite slow and the default system for looking around moves in 30° steps. Cyberpilot is also one of a very few number of first person shooters to make use of the DualShock 4s motion sensors, which works very well and only makes us more upset that other games refuse to do the same.
After the Panzerhund you take control of one of the little drones that have been in all the previous games, which is extremely weak and has to rely on stealth and a hacking ability. Each robot has a recharging panic button that does something different and while on the Panzerhund its a shockwave attack with the drone its a limited period of invisibility. This makes things a little more interesting as you explore a Nazi laboratory, but again its all very straightforward and easy.
The final robot is a Zitadelle – one of the big giant mechs that series regulars will also be familiar with. This works very similarly to the Panzerhund, but with a machinegun on top, and while the size and weaponry is impressive it still takes damage surprisingly quickly. Each robot has the ability to repair itself though and as long as you can find a quiet spot to do so youre rarely in any real danger.
