Arizona Sunshine II Review – A FREDDY’S FASCINATING ADVENTURE!

Have you ever wanted to be dropped into a barren wasteland to fight off a tonne of zombies called Fred? Well, Arizona Sunshine II lets you do just that! As the unnamed protagonist, along with his companion, Buddy, you explore through Arizona to seek out an individual known as Patient Zero. But is this journey worthwhile?

The Stunning Design of Arizona Sunshine II

Vertigo Games made some big promises about where they would take this sequel to make it bigger, better and prettier than its well received predecessor. But did they succeed? The short answer is, mostly! For one, the game is a bit lengthier, clocking in at about six hours for the main story as compared to the original’s four.

Arizona Sunshine II also looks absolutely stunning, especially when compared side by side to the first in the series. There is no denying that this really does look like a next-gen sequel. Honestly, footage on a screen does not do it justice. You need to put the headset on to appreciate just how gorgeous this world truly is.

Is This a Story Worth Seeing Through?

Arizona Sunshine II presents you with a simple, but heartfelt narrative. On a quest to find the reason behind the zombie outbreak, you come across Buddy, your new best friend who is a very good boy. There is much to be learned throughout your journey, but honestly, some truths are better left hidden! Arizona Sunshine II’s narrative is fantastic, opting to do most of its storytelling through the unnamed protagonist’s dialogue with Buddy. As it is a VR title, most of the game feels like it runs in real time. It genuinely feels like you are living these events yourself. Simply put, it’s a story about friendship and revenge, with a few bends in the road, and a whole lot of zombie killing. 

Brutal Combat

The gameplay is very well designed, with most of the action feeling fluid and very natural with the vr controllers. Taking down Freddies with headshots is satisfying, and honestly, I felt like a badass every time I reloaded my handgun. Add to this the slicing and dicing with melee weapons, and I realised that I couldn’t have asked any more from the general combat.

However, the gameplay isn’t perfect. For one, most two handed weapons are a little clunky to use and can be annoying to aim. Though the pump action shotgun is an exception to this, because that gun was awesome. Also, having to rapidly reload a weapon can lead to accidentally grabbing another side arm rather than the ammunition as intended. This was more of an issue when rushing against horde’s however, and didn’t impact the game too much as a whole. 

Arizona Sunshine II Can’t Escape Some Annoying Bugs…

The biggest issue I had with the game was the bugs! From attempting to climb and grabbing out a weapon instead of the next rung, to clipping through certain barriers into a black screen or unplayable area, there were plenty of moments that slowed down my progress. On the PSVR 2, I even had a number of crashes which set me back to earlier checkpoints that were just prior to particularly difficult sections of the game.

I do understand that we are far from VR being the ideal way of playing games. So, I would say that most of these bugs are excusable. However, they do break the immersion which can make things a little exasperating. Still, the majority of my playtime was fairly smooth and very enjoyable. Also, being particularly susceptible to motion sickness in VR, I was surprised to find that it did not occur whilst playing Arizona Sunshine II, even with the sliding option used for walking. So that was a big plus for me. 

Decision

Overall, Arizona Sunshine II is an impressive VR experience. With excellent gunplay, stunning visuals and a heart-warming story to boot, it is definitely worth checking out. Just be prepared for the occasional bug to get in the way.

By Samuel Incze – Reviewed on PlayStation VR2

Great

Arizona Sunshine II is a great VR experience with a simple but heartfelt narrative and fluid gunplay that feels very natural with the VR controllers. The game does feature a variety of bugs, but this doesn’t stop it from being an enjoyable thrill ride!

This game was reviewed using a download code provided by Vertigo Games and PLAION PR. The Beta Network uses affiliate partnerships, however, this does not influence reviews or any other content published. The Beta Network may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links that are on the website.

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