I first heard about Neptune Flux from Zoxide Games last year and have been waiting for it to finally come home to PlayStation VR and I can say that Zoxide Games did not disappoint. So what is Neptune Flux? It is an underwater story where you play as Sarah, as you start to dive down to the depths of the sea in your one-person sub as you try to escape the above that is pretty much not worth living in, with no other escape, except the ocean.
When I first started Neptune Flux and selected the PlayStation VR option (VR is optional, but trust me, you will want to play this in VR), I couldn’t help but notice how cramped I felt. This is in no way a bad thing, but it is how you would expect to feel in a one-person submarine. Your vision is as you would expect deep down in the ocean with a standard light from your submarine: cloudy and dark otherwise. I really applaud Zoxide Games and how immersive and almost a lifelike feel to what is really an undiscovered world. If you ever have seen where the Titanic was revisited in the movie Ghost of the Abyss with James Cameron and Bill Paxton, it felt like that as I was exploring and I couldn’t be happier.
You take on the role of Sarah, who is an employee of A.Q.U.A., who is the worldwide market leader in underwater colonization. Your job is to scavage and find the source of really strange sources of energy that are interfering with the operations of A.Q.U.A. As you carry out your missions, you will start to discover the secrets that are hidden. When you are in the A.Q.U.A. base vicinity, you will be within the W.A.V.E. grid and once you leave the grid, you are then on battery power. You will want to pay attention to the battery as you do not want to run out.
Equipped with sonar, flares, boosts, and laser diodes, that depending on how much you make by scavenging, you will be able to upgrade these items. The sonar when out of the grid will cause the battery to drain faster than when inside the grid. As I mentioned, you will learn about the secrets that I am not going to give away, but you will notice that there are more grids then the one you started out in. Using the R2 and L2 you can go up or down, using X will allow when you come to a crate to scavenge it for money. Just make sure that you move your ship where the words, for example, “crate” show and then press X, otherwise, you will not collect it.
Overall I really enjoyed Neptune Flux. Just like horror and VR go together, so does underwater exploration adventures in a submarine. The sounds are good with the beep of the sonar, the music and even the sense of being alone is all here and well represented. The whole experience will last you about 2 hours if you did the straight play through or take your time, explore and enjoy the unknown. It really can be an escape from reality. What really is amazing is that Zoxide Games is only a one-person company created by one Nick Pettit. It truly shows you if you dream it and work hard at it, anything is possible.
Neptune Flux is out now and is also available on Steam. A review code was provided.
Also, check out the interview with Nick Pettit of Zoxide Games.
To learn more about Neptune Flux make sure to visit the site. To learn more about Zoxide Games, please visit the site, follow them on Twitter and subscribe to their YouTube channel. To learn more about Nick Pettit, please visit his site and follow him on Twitter.
In case you missed the trailer, please enjoy.
Mr. PSVR, July 28, 2017, theplaystationbrahs.com
