Vertigo Games, the developer, presents a comprehensive display of gameplay footage from Arizona Sunshine 2, offering a glimpse into the game’s features. They also engage in a Q&A session, addressing inquiries about the content. Get it on Steam Store
Seven years ago, Vertigo Games released the zombie survival shooter Arizona Sunshine, one of the most popular VR hits of all time. In May of this year, a sequel was finally announced for PC VR, Playstation VR 2 and Meta Quest. After an extensive showcase video and a Reddit Q&A with the developers, we now know what to expect in the second part. We have compiled the most important information and statements from the developers for you.
What is the premise of Arizona Sunshine 2?
The plot of the game is described by the game designers on Reddit in the following way: “Our main character embarks on a humorous journey during the apocalypse to locate another human being. During this adventure, he forms a new bond with Buddy. Together, they embark on a mission to find Patient Zero, whom he holds responsible for all the negative events that occurred since the plague outbreak. Throughout this quest, our main character learns that friendship can be found in unexpected places.”
Arizona Sunshine 2 is considerably bigger than its previous version.
The Arizona Sunshine campaign managed to captivate players for approximately four hours. The developers of the second installment expect a significantly longer gameplay experience: “We anticipate that players will enjoy roughly two to three times the amount of playtime compared to the first Arizona Sunshine,” state the developers. Therefore, it is recommended to allocate approximately eight to twelve hours for completing one playthrough.
Additionally, there will be numerous additional activities and opportunities to explore. The game offers an abundance of thrilling cinematic scenes, intense battles against large groups of zombies, and the entire campaign is packed with enjoyable interactions to experiment with. These include smoking a cigar, playing beer pong, dunking Fred’s head through a basketball hoop, or running over zombies with a shopping cart.
Arizona Sunshine 2 also strives to offer opportunities for replayability. The game offers various unique hats and masks to collect, four different difficulty levels to conquer, exciting achievements to unlock, and numerous secrets to uncover. Furthermore, players can expect free Horde mode maps and additional content when the game is released.
Huge arsenal of weapons
The developers have made significant changes to both the gunplay and the assortment of weapons in comparison to Arizona Sunshine. Over 40 weapons will be available, which encompass melee weapons, explosives, and flamethrowers. According to the developers, most weapons have a regular version as well as an enhanced version that may be more challenging to locate but deliver a greater impact.
You must reload all weapons manually. This involves taking a magazine from your pouch, pulling back the slide to load a round, and removing the empty magazine. We have also made various adjustments to enhance the sensation of using the guns. For instance, we have included micro-animations and haptics for each inserted magazine and pulled slide, creating a realistic experience of engaging springs and placing metal components.
Planned features include cooperative gameplay and the ability to play across different platforms.
In recent years, Vertigo has amassed considerable expertise in the VR online multiplayer category through their coop-zombie-shooter, After The Fall. Arizona Sunshine 2 is expected to capitalize on this experience. Players will have the opportunity to engage in cooperative gameplay throughout the entire campaign. Additionally, a horde mode will be available for up to four players, enabling them to join forces and combat waves of enemies together.
“The co-op mode in the campaign of the original game is enhanced in Arizona Sunshine 2. When playing with a friend, the story stays the same, but the gameplay becomes more dynamic. It transforms into a freestyle and enjoyable experience of surviving the apocalypse together. Arizona Sunshine 2 fully embraces this concept by incorporating numerous interactive items throughout the game world. Additionally, players can give orders to their companion, Buddy,” explain the developers.
All multiplayer modes support cross-play. So it doesn’t matter which platform you play Arizona Sunshine 2 on. For example, you can easily play on PSVR 2 together with friends on Quest 3 or PC VR.
Meta Quest 3 upgrade coming later
Arizona Sunshine 2 will be available on various VR platforms, including PC VR, PSVR 2, Meta Quest 3, Quest 2, and Quest Pro. The game aims to maintain a consistent frame rate of 72 FPS across all Quest headsets. With improved hardware capabilities, the Quest 3 edition is anticipated to offer superior visual clarity compared to the initial Quest 2 version.
At the time of release, the most significant change will be the increased rendering quality. We are targeting a remarkable 1.5 to 1.7 times improvement compared to the Quest 2. Furthermore, an additional enhancement for Quest 3 is scheduled to be released before Christmas, which will introduce real-time shadows and other features to the game. Additionally, Vertigo is currently developing a gameplay trailer specifically for the Quest version.
Extensive comfort options and subtitles
Arizona Sunshine 2 offers various comfort options to help reduce unpleasant gameplay or motion sickness. “We support two movement modes: Teleport and Sliding/Smooth locomotion, whilst also offering a plethora of other comfort options like vignetting and snap turning.”
Only the free assignment of the buttons will not be possible, at least for the time being. Subtitles will be available in the following languages: French, German, Spanish (Latin America), Italian, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Korean, and Japanese.
Arizona Sunshine 2 on PSVR 2: Reprojection and Fixed Foveated Rendering
PSVR 2’s reprojection technology, which artificially boosts frame rates, can cause jittery images and discomfort when players rotate. Arizona Sunshine 2 uses this technology as well as fixed foveated rendering.
The developers state that they are operating at a consistent 60 frames per second, which is then projected to 120 frames per second. They are also utilizing Fixed Foveated Rendering. The developers acknowledge that not everyone in the PSVR 2 community is fond of reprojection, but they are placing significant focus on minimizing ghosting, artifacts, and ensuring high image quality.
What is the expected release date for Arizona Sunshine 2?
Arizona Sunshine 2 will be released on December 7, 2023 for Meta Quest, Playstation VR 2 and PC VR-compatible headsets on Steam. In addition to the standard version, there is also a Deluxe Edition including cosmetic items.
