It wasn’t supposed to be like this, was it? Arizona Sunshine – a game which has received a lot of buzz on PC-based headsets – was supposed to be the next big PlayStation VR release. Packing both PlayStation Move and PlayStation VR Aim Controller support, a three-to-four hour campaign (which can be played solo or in co-op), and a promising horde mode… Well, things were looking pretty good.

And to be fair, there’s things to like about the game: it looks decent in virtual reality, with interesting scenery to investigate and a neat cartoon-ish art direction. It’s also heavily interactive: objects can be picked up, inspected, and cast aside – or shot at if you’ve got the ammunition to waste. You probably won’t.

Arizona Sunshine PS4 PlayStation 4 VR 1

But sadly the title just doesn’t feel right. We’ve spent a few hours with the release thus far, and much of that time has been spent trying to find the optimal control solution. A re-tuned campaign has been built for the PSVR Aim Controller, focusing on two-handed weapons, but aiming down the sights is inaccurate – and the tracking can be described as wobbly at best.

Movement is even worse, though. By default the game uses a teleportation system, which is comfortable but slow and tedious – especially when you’re being mobbed by zombie hordes. You can toggle to a more classical free movement mechanic, and even disable incremental turning, but the motion sickness is strong here, where Farpoint felt sturdy in contrast.

To be fair, the game was originally built with two motion controllers in mind, and so the PlayStation Move fares better. Locomotion is still handled by teleportation (though you can opt for free control where the position of your hand determines your direction), and easy difficulty introduces red dot aim assists which make targeting that bit easier.

Arizona Sunshine PS4 PlayStation 4 VR 2

It’s still not quite right, though, and it’s telling that the developer has already pledged a patch on Twitter today. The alarming thing here is how highly recommended this game comes on other platforms: has the PlayStation 4 edition been phoned in – or has it had its lunch eaten by the vastly superior Farpoint?

We’re going to persevere in order to bring you a review, and hopefully the patch will be out before we attach a score, because right now things are very disappointing. First-person shooters can be sublime with PlayStation VR, and the PSVR Aim Controller is an outstanding peripheral – but right here and now, Arizona Sunshine doesn’t really reflect that at all.

Have you taken a punt on Arizona Sunshine? Are you disappointed with what you’ve played, or are we being way too negative? Try not to die from motion sickness in the comments section below.

[source bit.ly]