Side by side with giants

Transformers fans with a PlayStation VR can immerse themselves in the world of transformable battle robots starting Thursday. In Transformers Beyond Reality, however, you deliberately do not slip into the role of a giant yourself. Instead, as a human, you fight side by side with the friendly “Autobots”.

Developer Meta4 Interactive also experimented with direct control of the steel giants during development. But that view just wouldn’t have conveyed the right proportions. Instead, it was much more impressive to stand next to the gigantic metal colossuses as a small human.

Transformers Beyond Reality: Exclusive to PlayStation VR

Therefore, as a human fighter, you automatically drive behind the Autobots in a small car to support them in the fight against the sneaky Decepticons. The Move controllers are a must here. You’ll use them to operate various turrets, bounce projectiles at hovering drones, and duck under laser barriers. Tactical gestures to control the Autobots can also be seen in the trailer.

Some familiar names from the films appear in the game, including Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Starscream, Soundwave, and Megatron. At first glance, however, the gameplay seems a bit outdated: you only move forward on fixed paths, almost like on rails.

In VR, the arcade concept of the “rail shooter” can still be surprisingly entertaining. The best examples of this are Rez: Infinite or Yuki. There, the attack waves are designed so beautifully and motivating that the linear action becomes a real rush. This is especially true when using the VR glasses, which put you right in the middle of the colorful fireworks.

Canadian VR studio with tradition

With “Transformers VR Battle Arena” the studio was already able to collect some VR practice. She wants to apply the learnings from the arcade title to the new Transformers VR game, which will be released exclusively for Sony’s VR headset.

Some may know the Montréal-based studio by its old name Minority Media. Founder Vander Caballero left his former employer Electronic Arts in 2010 to pursue creative ideas in the indie area and distribute games as downloads. In 2012, the surreal adventure game Papo & Yo sensitively dealt with alcohol addiction and its consequences in a family.

Admittedly, Transformers Beyond Reality will be very different, with a focus on action and nostalgia. The new VR game also fits into the history of the studio: Minority Media tried virtual reality early on, including the prehistoric time travel experience Time Machine VR from 2016.

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