PlayStation VR launch title ‘Battlezone’ boasts online co-op, procedural campaigns

By Danny Cowan September 15, 2016

Oxford-based Rebellion Developments announced on Thursday that its upcoming PlayStation VR launch title Battlezone will feature online co-op that lets up to four players team up to tackle a series of neon-tinted first-person shooter arenas.

Rebellion additionally revealed new details regarding Battlezone‘s core campaign, noting that the game’s procedural approach to gameplay progression ensures that “no two campaigns will ever be the same.”

A virtual reality remake of Atari’s 1980 vector graphics arcade game of the same name, Battlezone puts players in control of virtual tanks equipped with high-caliber weaponry. Players observe their surroundings using the PlayStation VR’s head-tracking technology before heading into first-person combat against swarms of AI drones.

You will not have to take on Battlezone‘s challenges alone, however, as co-op partners can drop in or out of a campaign in progress at any time. Players will need to spend in-game currency to join a friend’s campaign and individual levels can support up to four co-op partners at a time.

Rebellion teases a lengthy campaign for Battlezone and a procedurally generated progression system revealed in the trailer ensures players will see little repetition in terms of objectives. Each campaign takes place across a series of interconnected levels and players who lose all of their reserve tanks in battle will need to restart from scratch. Online co-op will be a welcome addition for players who encounter tough objectives scattered throughout any given Battlezone campaign.

Battlezone is one of several games launching alongside the PlayStation VR headset in October. Other launch standouts for Sony’s VR platform include the music-driven shooter Rez Infinite, DC Comics superhero sim Batman: Arkham VR, and the horror-themed virtual rollercoaster Until Dawn: Rush of Blood.

Battlezone and Sony’s PlayStation VR headset will hit retail in North America on October 13.

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