Back in June of 2017 when I first heard about this action RPG game that would be cross-platform play with Rift and Vive and playable in Virtual Reality, I became very intrigued that a game like this would be hacking and slashing its way to PlayStation VR. This had me very excited. And I am happy to say that Preta: Vendetta Rising developed by Illion Corp and published by YJM Games for PlayStation VR is exactly what I was hoping for and more.
Preta: Vendetta Rising is a tale of a once and peaceful land named Akirion. This was the kind of place where you wanted to live. One where dreams would be made. But one day it happened the epidemic of death. Turning once peaceful of the living into the flesh-cravings Pretas. You are one of the few that survived, either by years of training or your hiding skills were very strong and you need to get rid of them by any means possible.
You know how sometimes when you start a game and just the welcome screen alone gives you good vibes and you cannot wait to jump in? This is how I felt when I put on the PlayStation VR headset and saw the glorious welcome screen. For a good five minutes, I just sat there, not because I did not want to jump right in and play, but sometimes if we stop and admire the things around us in Virtual Reality, you just might have some extra appreciation for the time that is about to come.
After I went ahead I was welcomed by a choice of three characters to select from. You have The Warrior who is all brute strength and an expert at close range combat, but yet willing to sacrifice himself to become the target to distract the enemies from attacking his other allies.
You have The Mage. The chosen one who can control energy. What she lacks in physical ability, she really makes up with her attacks from the distances.
And last and certainly not least, we have The Assassin. With her aerobic skills and melee, areal attacks along with her chain-sword of mid-range ability along with her light armor make her the truly one of the fastest you will be happy to have on your side.
Now make sure you grab your Dualshock 4 controller and get ready to go on one epic adventure. I am going to say this and say this now, you will die. I mean there is no way around this, you will die. Just don’t throw any controllers and get all angry, because for one, if you have your PlayStation VR headset on, do you really want that to get damaged? With that said, let’s continue.
Preta: Vendetta Rising is a story about a town being taken over by monsters called Pretas and it is your job to rid the town of them. Preta has over 50+ hours of gameplay. Sure, that’s a lot, but keep in mind that with there being this much gameplay, you will have to earn those upgrades, from crafting weapons to building up your skills. So there will be missions that you will have to keep playing and playing. Is this a bad thing? No. For the price being asked, you are going to work for this and have fun doing it. So anything you may earn no matter how big or small is going to feel rewarding in itself, no matter how long it may take.
But what I really appreciate is how great Preta: Vendetta Rising looks in VR. From the town to the adventure. Seeing the snowfall while out in the middle of the night. When playing, it almost felt like I was there. Walking in the cold to looking around and seeing the dread of that darkness. So I want to thank Illion Games for giving us this type of immersion.
As you go around the town, you will see the other people of the town. So go over, talk with them and see what kind of help they might need. You never know what you may unlock or gather to help you craft new weapons and potions to help you along your way. Because we all know the stronger the weapons and accessories one has, makes the harder missions hopefully seem somewhat easier. Until you die…and die…and die. No, I am not bitter. Dang, you Pretas…I will defeat you all…DEFEAT YOU ALL!!!
Combat wise your character will have your normal standard attack and if that wasn’t enough, you also have three different special attacks along with adding a dash and block and when you add the ability to unlock creatures to help you when times start getting touch and looking like it is the end again to the mix, you are good to go.
For the sound, it has that action RPG mix that I was hoping for. When your weapon is attacking the Pretas or hitting against metal, you can tell. When you are in the town and hear some of the locals talking, it makes me want to go over to them and just talk with them. But when you are just outside in the cold and in that silence of darkness, I could feel that wind piercing coldness. The kind that will take any soul just because it can and leave you to die.
Is Preta: Vendetta Rising going to be for everyone? That is the question that only you can really answer. If you don’t enjoy putting the time in and getting rewarded for doing so, then maybe not. But do you like a game that has 50+ hours of gameplay, multiple points of view, co-op multiplayer raids, and campaigns, along with cross-platform support for both VR and Non-VR platforms? If yes, then you will enjoy this one.
Sometimes when we first hear about a game and what it is about, we might get excited. But when that excitement and our expectations go above and beyond while allowing us to have fun and enjoy it all in Virtual Reality, then maybe a new standard has been set.
Preta: Vendetta Rising is out now for PlayStation VR and is also available on the Oculus Store and Steam. A review copy was provided.
To learn more about Illion Games, please visit their site and subscribe to their YouTube channel. To learn more about YJM Games, please visit their page and like them on Facebook.
In case you missed the trailer, please enjoy. Until next time, I’m going back to help save Akirion.
Mr. PSVR, April 5, 2018, theplaystationbrahs.com