There is something about being able to battle someone in VR that still puts a smile on my face. From the actions and movements that are performed to the ability to be in the moment of it all. It’s almost as if you were part of a stunt show or even an action movie. And when you can make the movement as seamless as possible, that’s when, at least for me, I become even more engaged to see what is possible. So do developers Cortopia and Free Lives, along with publisher Devolver Digital, bring back the fun in new ways? Let’s find out more with GORN 2 for PlayStation VR2.
GORN 2 is the sequel to the hit VR gladiator simulator, GORN. It’s bigger, wilder, and stronger than ever before, with mighty new weapons to wield, treacherous new traps to avoid, and new power-ups to imbue you with supernatural strength.
So before jumping in and swinging your weapon at whatever is in your way, there are a few things that you should know. First, make sure both of your Sense controllers are charged. Second, decide if you want to play standing or sitting. And lastly, enjoy your time, as you never know who will show up and how bloody things can become. With all that said, let’s continue…
Once the game starts, make sure you go into Settings and adjust things to your liking. The great thing is that you can adjust the settings at any time. Depending on your VR legs, you may want to have smooth turning, as it adds to the flow of the game. And also, decide if you want your movement to be led by your hand or head. And if you don’t like all the violence, there is an option for even a low-violence mode.
The object of the game is to battle the five sons of the God of the Afterlife across different realms in various rounds. But this time, it’s not just other people you have to watch out for, but you will need to watch out for traps and the ability to have power-ups (such as the one that will make you grow) and even the boss fights.
Before and after each round, you will receive some input from one of the sons, which, I will say, I do appreciate the humor that it is given, as I couldn’t help but laugh at what was being said. In between rounds, you will be in a hub-type area where not every entrance is going to be opened up at the beginning. There will be stakes in the ground, and you will need to collect skulls in order to be able to enter the other realms.
And if you are one that likes objectives, you are presented with the round’s rules and objectives to try to complete. Now, you are in no way having to stick to trying to complete them, but again, they are there. For example, in one of the earlier rounds, there was a bonus objective of killing an enemy by ripping of his head.
Now, part of GORN 2‘s charm is the physics and gore. From the variety of weapons, from swords to even a bow and arrow, which feels very satisfying as you can just shoot arrows into the bodies and watch them still try to come for you. But don’t worry, you can easily reuse the same arrows even if you shoot an enemy in the head, cut off the head, and then decide to have the head in one hand and a shield in the other to use as your weapons; you can do that. Because we all know, sometimes, using what you find on the ground as you are trying to avoid enemies can save your life, no matter whose head or arm you may be using.
One thing I really enjoy about GORN 2 is the enemies’ reactions. For example, if you cut off a leg, they will still try to attack, hopping on the remaining good leg. If you cut that leg off as well, they haven’t died yet and will crawl to try and get you. This can lead to some fantastic chaos to enjoy.
Also, the added traps are a welcome addition to the series. From fire to swinging blades to pits. You can also use these to your advantage to try to get the enemies to come for you and lead them into those traps, or better yet, hit them with them, just adding some satisfaction to it all.
Let’s talk about the graphics and sound. With the graphics, each realm has its own feel to it due to each of the sons’ personalities. As you walk into each realm for the first time, take time to admire the detail that was put in and see what you can interact with and what you can see. Colors are bright, the weapons are detailed, and even the blood is splattered beautifully. With the sound, hearing the weapons hit the other weapons and armor sounds good. When shooting the arrows and hearing them shoot off and hit flesh, it sounded good, even with the crowd booing or cheering.
There are a few things that I would love to see. First, a longer story, as it left me wanting more. Second, more modes. Yes, there is the campaign, hardcore mode that is unforgiving, as you cannot heal unless you can kill an enemy before everything fades to black, and even endless mode, where you just have nonstop enemies to try and defeat. But it would be a blast if real players were added to the mix. Imagine the chaos while playing with your friends or others as you all strive to be the one with most of your limbs still intact, or at the very least, alive. And finally, GORN 3. We need this. The developers listened to their fans and made the improvements, and gave us GORN 2. I mean, you can’t just end with 2.
GORN 2 gives us what we loved about GORN, shakes it up, and slices its way into our space. It allows us to release all our frustrations from our own personal lives or even from what’s happening in the world and provides us with a therapeutic outlet where we can feel a little better in life.
GORN 2 is out now for PlayStation VR2, or if you have not played GORN, there is the GORN Collection that contains both GORN and GORN 2 on the PlayStation Store and is also out for the Quest 2, 3, 3S, and Quest Pro on the Meta Store and Steam VR. A review code was provided.
To learn more about Cortopia Studios, please visit their site, like them on Facebook, follow them on X, follow them on Instagram, and subscribe to their YouTube channel.
To learn more about Free Lives, please visit their site, like them on Facebook, follow them on X, and subscribe to their YouTube channel
To learn more about Devolver Digital, please visit their site, like them on Facebook, follow them on X, and subscribe to their YouTube channel.
In case you missed the trailer, please enjoy. Until next time, I have some objectives I need to complete.
