Everything announced in Sony's March 2021 PSVR spotlight

While gamers are eagerly anticipating the release of PSVR 2 sometime in the future, Sony is hoping to quench your thirst for new PSVR games this year with a smattering of announcements. A total of six new games have been announced — only two of which we knew about previously — and these, combined with previous announcements from Sony, are proving that 2021 is going to be a busy year for PSVR. Some of these games will even work with the best PSVR accessories llike the PS Aim controller, which is always a thrill to use.

While all of these games are, of course, PlayStation 4 games, they will work perfectly on the PS5 so long as you've gotten that PSVR adapter for PS5. Each game will look and play better on PS5, thanks to a higher framerate, higher resolution rendering, and better-looking in-game models and textures.

Doom 3: VR Edition

Doom 3 needs no introduction. As the most horror-like game in the entire decades-long series, Doom 3 holds a special place in the hearts of many. While modern Doom games like Doom Eternal focus on lightning-fast reflexes and twitch gameplay, Doom 3 is a far slower, more methodical game. Considering the pace — and the fear factor — Doom 3 ought to make an incredibly good appearance as the first official VR adaptation of one of the classic entries in the series.

The game even supports the PS Aim controller, which should feel amazing to use when moving through those dark corridors while dodging fireballs from Imps. Doom 3 for PSVR is set to launch on March 29, so there's not much time to wait. In the meantime, get brushed up on your aiming skills with Doom VFR for PSVR.

Fracked

You'd be forgiven for thinking this might be a Battlestar Galactica-inspired title, but nDreams Ltd's latest game Fracked is actually a hyper-fast action game that gives players a whole new perspective on ski slope adventures. As a follow-up to the Oculus-exclusive Phantom: Covert Ops — a game where you play a spy sitting in a kayak the entire time — it's pretty surprising to see Fracked focus on such a fluid range of motion and movement. The trailer sees players skiiing through the snow only to climb up a building, run, dash, duck, and pull all sorts of parkour-style movements while they steadily dispatch bad guys.

Combat and movement are all 1:1 with your PS Move controllers, with full-range of movement and freedom seldom seen on PSVR. You can grab surfaces, enemies, weapons, and all sorts of things on your way to eliminating all of the Fracked in the land. Even skiing in the game requires players to lean and push with their hands in order to move, much like you would in real life. It's a freeing experience that's sure to excite plenty of VR players later this year.

After the Fall

After the Fall comes from Arizona Sunshine developer Vertigo Games and, appropriately, takes place in a zombie-filled apocalypse. You and up to three other friends can join in the 4-player co-op gameplay, set in an alternate universe where the apocalypse happened in the 1980's and the world is a frozen mess. Unlike Arizona Sunshine, which took place in the scorching deserts of Arizona, After the Fall's zombies are known as the Snowbreed; a particularly ferocious breed of zombie that travels of hordes, making them even deadlier than your average undead monster.

While the trailer shown today was unfortunately a cinematic one, it reinforces the fact that Vertigo Games is going for an all-out fast-paced action-packed experience. Best yet, After the Fall has full cross-platform multiplayer support, so you'll be able to survive the frozen zombie apocalypse with your friends, no matter what their VR platform of choice is! Vertigo Games will be unveiling a new gameplay trailer in the coming weeks, complete with a beta sign-up that you can enter to get a chance to play early.

I Expect You to Die 2

While it was officially unveiled just over a month ago, I Expect You to Die 2 received an extended version of the announcement trailer with a peek at some additional details and puzzles you'll see in the full game when it releases later this year. As in the original, you'll play the role of a secret agent looking to stop the evil Dr. Zor and the Zoraxis organization's new scheme of world dominance.

Unlike many other spy games, however, I Expect You to Die is all about puzzle solving and escaping harrowing situations, all without having to leave the comfort of your couch. This time around, developer Schell Games has built in even more detailed environments that sport more realistic interactions than ever. That bottle of wine can be uncorked, poured, drank, and even smashed if you so wish, but watch out for those lasers and deadly arrows; Zoraxis might think you're dead, but there are other spies in the midst.

Song in the Smoke

There's something infinitely-intriguing in a game about survival, isn't there? Developer 17-BIT is certainly counting on that in its new game Song in the Smoke, a VR-exclusive survival game full of lions, tigers, bears, and...dinosaurs? The trailer above reveals an intricate world full of survival mechanics that'll make Valheim blush, as players will need to make sure they hunt and scavenge for food regularly to stave off hunger, concoct antidotes and tonics for healing and, of course, make a glorious campsite to survive the night.

Song in the Smoke looks to differentiate itself by more than just the addition of dinosaurs, though. The game looks to rely on an intense physics simulation engine that gives players, enemies, and weapons real weight that'll come into play during the many encounters you'll have while playing the game. You'll need to think about how to make a fire, how to roast the meat, and how to survive the wilderness alone. Song in the Smoke aims to make virtual survival more personal in a way that only VR can offer, giving gamers the chance to make the most of their days before the night comes.

Zenith: The Last City

MMOs — massively multiplayer games — aren't typical fare for VR gamers. Not that there aren't any choices on the market, it's just that these types of games aren't all that common in VR. Zenith: The Last City aims to fill that missing hole in PSVR gamers' libraries with a JRPG-inspired action-adventure title filled to the brim with things to do. Zenith is full of massive cities, gorgeous shorelines, and towering cliffs, all of which you can climb and scale thanks to a unique locomotion system that encourages players to explore every nook and cranny available.

Zenith: The Last City is set generations after The Fracture, a cataclysmic event that forever changed civilization. You'll be going head to head with man, beasts, and gods alike in this adventure, all with friends and acquaintances at your side. Zenith isn't like your typical MMO though; there are no quick-action bars or rows of buttons to press when the move is finally available for use again. Instead, players will take part in a tactile battle system that has them swinging swords, firing bows, and casting magic spells with your completely customizable character at the helm.