Blood and Truth does not mess around. Inspired by movies like the Bourne trilogy, John Wick, and Die Hard, if you’ve always wondered what it’s like to be an action hero Blood and Truth is the VR game for you… and your bloodthirst. Mind you, you’re not exactly a hero – instead, in Blood and Truth you play gangster and SAS-trained soldier Ryan Marks, who returns home for his father’s funeral only to be surprised with an attempted takeover of the ‘family business’ (i.e. your cosy, wholesome mom-and-pop criminal syndicate) by a rival gang. You know what that means: shoot-outs, slo-mo, and interrogation scenes that might feel just a little too realistic for your liking. But there’s plenty hiding under the hood of Blood and Truth that might end up influencing first person shooters for a while to come.
John Wick, John McClane, and you
Blood and Truth is a full-size version of London Heist, one of the titles that came with Playstation VR Worlds and it is – unsurprisingly – about a London heist (duh), full of gangsters, and cockney accents. For Blood and Truth, however, a bunch of things have been added to make you feel like Jason Bourne or John McClane: you can dual-wield SMGs, shoot in slo-mo, hear enemies coming from either side of you thanks to the game’s special 360-degree sound, plus the heart-thumping mixture of grime and orchestral music has a badass-meter programmed into it. Get enough headshots quickly, and the soundtrack will swell to match, making you feel every bloodsoaked inch the action anti-hero. You are a gangster, after all. At points, it feels like you’re the main character in an action movie, and that subtle music change will have you reaching for the capture button to show everyone just how badass you are.
To get that runnin’ and gunnin’ feel just right, Sony Interactive Entertainment London hired a real-life SAS consultant named Kevin (they wouldn’t even tell us his second name for security reasons) to advise them on how to make the weaponry feel authentic. Authentic, but not realistic – apparently soldiers don’t generally dual-wield SMGs in combat. I know, I find that surprising too. Kevin was also there to make sure Ryan Marks had the tactical know-how of an ex-SAS operative, so small tweaks like strafing to either side of the doorframe to scope out the room were added to make Ryan feel like he has some military-grade expertise. Small details like that all add up to make Blood and Truth feel different from other FPSs, but I haven’t even got to the good part yet. Because the guns are absolutely exquisite to shoot in a way that feels unmatched in other PSVR games.
Give me this game, like, now
When it comes to what it feels like to play Blood and Truth, all I have to say is this: Oh my. During interrogations you can pick up whatever’s in front of you and toy with a range of hand gestures, and yes, you can flip people off. That might sound like just small details, but they made me feel like I was part of the scene and not just passively watching it play out. When you’re not insulting them, interacting with other characters feels surprisingly emotive, as during cutscenes they’ll make eye contact with you as often as possible, so no matter where you’re looking, a quick glance at them ensures you feel like part of the story. Other quiet-ish moments have you picking locks, but there’s much more to it than just wiggling around some pliers and hoping for the best. One hand turns the pick to just the right position while the other jerks the second tool upwards to unlock doors, but each different type of lock requires different tools: pliers, electric fuses, and screwdrivers are all in your toolkit, giving you even more things to play with in VR.
But the guns. Oh dear lord, the guns. Precise, and with minute vibrations when you reload and holster them, they feel fantastic to shoot. Although dual-wielding is chaotic, manic fun, if you bring one of the move controllers under the hand holding a pistol, for example, you can steady your aim and look down the sights. Pick up a SMG, and hold one of the move controllers to your shoulder to steady the gun against your body, making your aim more precise. Or you can dual-wield combat shotguns and just obliterate anything standing in front of you. Simple, but effective.
Those details give Blood and Truth a completely new sensation I’ve rarely felt while playing FPSs, one that makes me feel like I’ve earned every headshot. Plus if you’ve been on the internet you might have seen those videos of Keanu Reeves demolishing cut-outs at a shooting range at devastating speed. Well, if you didn’t feel quite like John Wick in Blood and Truth’s story, you can practise your aim and speed by completing challenges in the game’s training area and compete with your friends in the challenge leaderboard. After having seen it in action the challenges already feel dangerously addictive, as you need to be on high alert to spot friendlies and get those sweet, sweet headshots.
Blood and Truth is releasing on PSVR on May 28, so you won’t have to wait long to see what all the fuss is about. Who knows: with a FPS like that in VR, it might only be a matter of time before its tactile, heart-thumping gunplay will be available for you to try out for yourself.
If reading this has got you itching to play a FPS, here’s the best FPS games you can play right now, or look below to see what’s going on this week in the world of movies, tv, and games!
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