Arizona Sunshine 2 VR Meta Quest 2 Review
Summary: Just like their namesakes, Zombie games don't seem to die. Gear up for more evil dead slaying with a side of dark humour.
4.3
Sunshine Screaming
I’ll admit, I’ve been over the whole zombie trend for some time now, but I was still willing to give Arizona Sunshine 2 VR a try and I’m glad I did.
For those who played the first in the series (I did not), I suspect this is going to be familiar territory and hopefully eagerly received… for those new to the game it’s essentially a Zombie survival game with a touch of humour.
Horror games tend to be quite popular in VR, for the obvious reason that it feels far more personal, the threat feels all the more tangible when it’s right in front of your face. Arizona Sunshine 2 may not strictly be as fright inducing as hard core horror games (I mean it does get pretty scary when you have a horde of zombies and you are part way through your last clip)… but it certainly does benefit from VR.
Movement is easy and enjoyable, from simple things such as picking up food and eating it (thankfully not requiring you to smack your headset with the controller for it to register you are trying to eat like some games seem to), to climbing over chasms in hand over hand fashion. I will say that despite the fact the game does support seated play… it does make some actions a bit harder, namely putting things on and taking things from your belt… not insurmountably tricky… but a bit more fiddly.
The game is a great example of how far we’ve come in VR when you consider the fact that the little targeting dot for your weapon is so small it would have been impossible to see in previous headsets… but with the high resolution we enjoy these days you can much more easily pick off your target (though when they are moving and colours are similar to your targeting dot… it can still be tricky). Speaking of weapons… there are many options for how you want to tackle the Zombie masses. You start with your trusty hand gun (well you soon pick it up and have a few practice shots at least)… you will then encounter a second gun, giving you the option of dual wielding. Or you might prefer to have an axe in one hand and pistol in the other… or a baseball bat… etc etc. I found that whilst the option of dual wielding pistols seems appealing… the reality of having to eject a spent magazine, grab and load a fresh one and cock your gun means it can be more trouble trying to use two guns at once than it is to simply use one and have your spare hand ready with the new clip… but everyone, fortunately, has the option to tackle the challenge their own way.
It doesn’t take much time to realise that Arizona Sunshine 2 follows more of the Evil Dead 3 approach to Zombie situations… ie “this is just an ordinary day… I kill zombies for breakfast” drop a zombie make a humourous quip rather than the Night of the Living Dead relentless attacks that spell your inevitable doom approach. It certainly makes the game more enjoyable as you follow the story, having your character chime in with a few chuckles from time to time (in between potentially going mad that is).
Overall, Arizona Sunshine 2 VR is a decent game… you don’t have to be a fan of Zombie movies, games etc to enjoy it… you can just think of it as a first person shooter set in a scorching hot location with some very unhealthy looking enemies. Good controls and nice graphics make it a fun game to play… the price tag might be a bit high, so perhaps wait for a sale… but you should find a decent bit of fun here.
About the Author
Chris O'Connor Father of four, husband of one and all round oddity. Gaming at home since about 1982 with a Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Moving on to the more traditional PC genre in the years that followed with the classic Jump Joe and Alley Cat. CGA, EGA, VGA and beyond PC's have been central to my gaming but I've also enjoyed consoles and hand helds along the way (who remembers the Atari Lynx?). Would have been actor/film maker, jack of many trades master of none.
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