If you've played real-time strategy games on console, you'll know that most of them aren't very intuitive to control on a pad — which is where PSVR2 may come into its own with the upcoming Grit and Valor: 1949.
Previously announced for PS5, the alternate history roguelite RTS has now confirmed full PSVR2 support with its latest trailer:
Grit and Valor: 1949 takes place in a reality where World War 2 is still raging, with Axis forces dominating. It's up to you, a general in the resistance effort, to turn the tides by commanding a company of mechs and soldiers.
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It's a roguelite, meaning it's a run-based experience with random elements, but persistent upgrades that mean you'll grow more powerful as you progress. You'll be able to upgrade your mechs and pilots to give them a better chance of victory in real-time tactical battles.
The game is developed by Milky Tea, but its sister studio, virtual reality specialist nDreams, joined the effort to port it to PSVR2.
While you'll be able to play the full game with a DualSense controller and your telly, it's the VR version that may be of most interest, circumventing what could be awkward pad controls by embracing PSVR2. Senior Producer Kevin Campbell explains the benefits on PS Blog:
The game’s visuals and perspective were originally inspired by tabletop wargames, even down to the painterly art style where miniature mech units almost feel like they’ve been painted by hand. When matched with VR, this unique perspective gives the feeling of playing with a battlefield diorama, but with the magic of your units animating – lean in and watch them instantly come to life or pick up your units to examine them up close.
Going further, combining this perspective with the immediacy of the PS VR2 Sense Controllers allows the precision that a mouse offers but with the addition of tactility that you would experience in real life. From headsets to head rumble, the game fully utilizes the power of PlayStation VR2 to deliver a visually stunning, immersive experience.
Those who purchase Grit and Valor: 1949 will have access to the flat and VR versions when the game launches on 21st August 2025.
This may be a game that plays best with PSVR2, but either way, it looks like a fun time, and it's not everyday you see an RTS with roguelite elements.
It's not too far away, then, but are you interested in this one? Enlist in the comments section below.
[source blog.playstation.com]
Comments 6
This look really cool. I might end up getting this. Definitely put it on my wishlist.
How come so many PSVR2 announcements today? Is it cause of the amazing xbox vr headset?
All over this! Strategy and tower defence type game are amazing in VR!
I got Townsmen with my headset and I would never normally play a sim / strategy game on console with a controller as its just to fiddly. But I was surprised at how well they work in VR as you can treat it like a phone with pinch zoom, spinning and panning the camera, selecting units by hand etc.
Also the games just feel way differnent as you are a god figure hovering over everything, rather than just observing it on a screen.
Will certainly keep an eye on this one.
@Ilyn Really even as someone into motion and has worked out other games fairly well better then others into VR around me that didn't understand but I had through my time with motion games or just guessing reality or other gestures in particular ways, I found the controls terrible and was put off by it. Not retied since as just not felt the need to.
The game itself may be good but the controls were not worth my time to learn. PSVR1 games like Tethered I remember playing way better then Townsmen VR did even if simpler by comparison not really what I'm getting at for that.
I may need to consider mobile type controls but even then I hate how bad modern smartphone touch screen sensitivity is or other nonsense of settings I want to turn off and throw the phones out the window, let alone how bad desktops can be. I enjoy technology but after years, many still feel like they haven't learnt anything.
For some first time devs sure or from light tracking to PSVR2/other modern headsets tracking but even still I find many have even worse the 2006 Wii motion controls, are back steps from PSVR1's BETTER developed games and that's saying something as I know how bad those were and bad VR like they were before better button/motion uses were introduced when they took the time to execute them.
Let alone better VR and no over complicating, or over realism focusing or just too many actions and gestures that it is impossible to work with the controllers, camera, animations or otherwise.
Then again I haven't even played or bought C Smash and I hated how Cosmic Smash on Dreamcast (never played the arcade version) felt to play with the stick or button input options you were limited to to respond, due to the animation times, which for a futuristic breakout clone as a person then a moving paddle is pretty bad. So I 'hope' with motion it is better but still.
An exciting release but not that interested if it controls badly not just good presentation.
To me the controls need to be good or else it won't save a great game. That be VR, d-pad, sticks, buttons, whatever, how the animations and context are need to be programmed well, VR won't save it if it already sucks to control.
Just because no one remembers how right sticks used for controls not always camera were, doesn't mean there wasn't some really good ones and many terrible ones with early camera or other use cases for the right stick, buttons and more and the animations/use cases weren't in need of more time, not just because oh publisher approved camera/tank controls either that wasn't the studio's fault.
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