Oh yeah, it’s time for another Mini Review Roundup. There are so many unique new games coming out, and plenty of accessories for our favorite hobbies, that it’s hard to write about everything that’s happening in the gaming world. That’s what Mini Review Roundup is all about. Taking some time to give some love to games, accessories, and everything in between, that we may not be able to write a full piece about. From VR trackers to Gotta Go Fasters, see what we’ve been diving into, and what we think of some of the latest new games.
She Vive’ing On my VR Trackers Until I ‘VR Chat’ or Something – Mini Review
Right after HTC Vive announced its May tariff deal — the company would eat the cost on any tariff-based price raises, but only until the end of May — I decided to spring for the HTC Vive Ultimate Tracker 3+1 Kit. The package offers three high-end trackers that rely on “AI-powered self-tracker” technology to provide full-body tracking in VR games. Translation for the less technologically inclined? Well, each Ultimate Tracker is a small (but somewhat heavy) device that uses two cameras with a wide field of view to follow movement within a pre-recorded spatial map of one’s surroundings.
This allows each tracker to collect data on the user’s movements in real-time, sending this data back to one’s computer to be interpreted in VR. The kit comes with three wireless trackers, cables to charge each one, along with a dongle to plug into your PC. I picked up Vive’s Ultimate Trackers for one obvious reason, something that should be completely unsurprising to long-time readers of mine: VRChat. Yes, I wanted to move around with smooth, fluid motion in VRChat, all with minimal drift (or tracker inaccuracy) as I wiggled my legs and hips around.
Wigglin’ And Gigglin’
The end result? Honestly, quite good. I previously used Uni-Motion’s trackers for full-body tracking in VRChat, and I found them quite decent as a starter set. But the HTC Vive Ultimate Trackers really stepped up my full-body tracking game. As soon as I received the straps for my trackers, I opened up the 3+1 kit, grabbed a tracker, and took a spatial recording of my bedroom. Then I calibrated my trackers to my VR controllers, confirmed my full-body tracking in VRChat, and I was done.
The AI, camera-based tracking does all the work for you, all with hardly any drift. The trackers do a fantastic job of actually converting my real-life movements into my VR character’s, down to hip wiggles, raising my feet, and even quick movements like air cycling (i.e., lying down and cycling my legs, like I’m on a bicycle). I find the experience overall much smoother, sleeker, and more natural-looking than using something like SlimeVR, especially given, again, drift simply isn’t an issue. As long as each tracker’s cameras aren’t obscured, that is.
Moving, Schmoovin’, And Everything Else ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
This is where some of the Ultimate Tracker’s cons come in. Yes, everything with the Vive Ultimate Tracker is camera-based. No base stations are required. Personally, I think real-time, camera-based tracking with AI guidance is a fantastic approach to VR full-body tracking. But it’s only as good as the camera’s functionality. If a hand or a limb obscures the cameras on a tracker, you’ll lose tracking. This can prove a bit of an issue when moving from standing to lying down, as my thighs and clothing would shroud my hip tracker in darkness, requiring some awkward resetting. Not the end of the world, but if you want to lie down in bed with a blanket over your trackers?
Uh, yeah, not happening. Yes, VRChat users who prefer sleeping in VRC with FBT, these won’t be a good fit for you. Also, you’ll need a bright space for optimal tracking, so if you prefer to play VRChat with dark lighting? These trackers may give you trouble as well. Doubly so if you tend to do VR in a big, open room with very few posters, art, and furniture for the trackers to record during their spatial setup. But if you’re like me — in a New York apartment with a ton of posters and books, along with very bright lights on your ceiling that let the cameras work with ease — then the Vive Ultimate Trackers are a fantastic investment if you’re looking to get started with full-body tracking.
But Ana, How Much Do These Cost?
Just be aware of the cost. The official HTC Vive site retails the Vive Ultimate Tracker 3+1 Kit for $659. And that’s not including straps, which, to my surprise, do not come with the kit. I ended up snagging the EOZ VR hip strap for the Ultimate Tracker, as well as the company’s utility straps for shin placement. The whole order cost $84.40 in total, meaning my Ultimate Tracker purchase at the time was a whopping $758.34. Worth it? Absolutely, especially thanks to my credit card’s financing deal (no need to pay for half a year, woo!).
But yeah, the Ultimate Trackers will cost you a pretty penny. Keep that in mind before you pull the trigger. They’re worth it, but shouldn’t be grabbed without comparing and contrasting with your other options, such as SlimeVR (which remains the gold standard in beginner FBT) as well as the classic base station-based Vive trackers. – Ana Valens
Verdict: Highly Recommended
The HTC VIVE Ultimate Tracker 3+1 Kit is available for purchase and use on PC. A sample was not provided by the publisher for the sake of review. Reviewed on PC.
Dame Don’t Look Over ‘Yakuza 0’ on the Nintendo Switch 2 – Mini Review
Yakuza 0 is the perfect starting point for people like me who haven’t played the series. And it’s yet another Switch 2 port that the console handles well. The combat took some time for me to get used to, mainly because I went in expecting something a little less loose. But once it clicks, it’s everything you’ve heard and more.
The game’s story is incredible, and I highly recommend using the Japanese voice-over track. It heightens the experience and just makes the overall package feel better. In my time with the game, I experienced little to no issues visually or technically. Between this and Cyberpunk, the Switch 2 is doing well in terms of open-world gaming. – Anthony Franklin II
Verdict: Highly Recommended
Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut is available exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2. A code was not provided for this release. Reviewed on Nintendo Switch 2.
‘DUNE AWAKENING’ ADDS A MUCH NEEDED SPICE TO THE SURVIVAL FORMULA – Mini Review
Open-world survival/crafting games are a dime a dozen these days, with Steam hosting troves of early access titles that are often hard to tell apart. Many of these games end up like an amateurish testing project without any sense of direction to differentiate them from others. Even Conan Exiles, one of Funcom’s previous releases, wasn’t much to write home about, with its clunky animations, uninspired gameplay loops, and tedious grinds. So, when I heard they were the studio behind Dune Awakening, another survival game set in a pre-established cinematic universe, I remained cautiously optimistic.
To my surprise, I was dead wrong. Dune Awakening not only improves on the typical survival game formula in unique and engaging ways, but its production quality mirrors that of a AA or even AAA studio. From its stunning visual clarity, lighting effects, and hi-res textures, down to the smallest grain of sand that flakes off of your armor after a sandstorm. Funcom has nailed the atmospheric tones of the Dune universe, and that’s not even taking into account the fully-voiced dialogue, numerous cutscenes, and countless side quests that add more to its lore. Wait – side quests?
THE SPICE IS RIGHT
Yes, side quests! Because Dune Awakening isn’t just a survival game, but more like a survival sandbox MMO. As you venture through the world of Arrakis, completing quests and progressing through the main story, you’ll eventually run into the two competing factions: Harkonnen and Atreides. Much like the rivalry between Horde and Alliance, these two Houses compete for dominance across the planet. And, if you want to progress into the later stages of the game, you’ll need to swear allegiance to one.
While most of Dune Awakening is a PvE experience, small pockets of the map are PvP zones. Naturally, these zones contain sought-after materials. Once you have access to a flying vehicle, you can even leave the main world and travel to the Deep Desert, an enormous, fully PvP zone with the best resources in the game. And also, where much of the faction-versus-faction endgame missions will take place.
Sandworm Supremacy, To Be Quite Honest
In many ways, Dune Awakening gives me that social sense of an MMO more than many actual MMOs do. While each server hosts fewer than 100 players, you’ll naturally encounter them near trading posts and out in the wild. With both proximity voice chat and global text chat available, servers immediately develop unique identities, and it’s not uncommon for players to engage in trade, assist each other in missions, or just yell out drive-by compliments toward each other’s bases.
In just one week of playing, I haven’t been able to put Dune Awakening down. I’m fully enveloped in its mysterious world, rich atmosphere, and flying my buddies across the desert on top of my Ornithopter. And yeah, you can do that, and it rules. – Matt Vatankhah
VERDICT: Highly Recommended
Dune Awakening is available now on PC, with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions releasing at an undisclosed date. A code was not provided by the publisher for the sake of review. Reviewed on PC.
‘Sonic x Shadow Generations’ on the Nintendo Switch 2 Is My Favorite Way to Play a Classic – Mini Review
Sonic Generations may be the best that the blue blur has ever been, but add Shadow to the mix? You’ve got one of the best packages that SEGA has put out in years. While Sonic x Shadow Generations isn’t exactly the newest game, it’s one of the best on the Switch 2, barring games like Mario Kart World. Having the ability to play through one of my favorite Sonic titles on the go? Amazing. Anyone who hasn’t played Generations owes it to themselves to pick this up on any platform they possibly can. But if you’ve got a Switch 2 hanging around and it’s not being used as much as you’d like? Give this one a spin.
If you already bought the game on Xbox or PS5? You may not need to jump in again. But I was holding out, hoping for a chance to jump into this one on the newest Nintendo handheld, and it was so worth it. Crispy graphics, paired with a solid 60FPS, make this a joy to behold in both docked and handheld mode. Plus, getting the chance to try and perfect the Green Hill Zone speedrun that I’ve been practicing since my PS3 days makes this another reason to take it on the go. – Shaun Cichacki
Verdict: Highly Recommended
Sonic x Shadow Generations is available now on Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. A code was provided by the publisher for the sake of this review. Reviewed on Nintendo Switch 2.
The post Waypoint Mini Review Roundup Episode 6: Hardware, Software, Everything Else Here and There appeared first on VICE.
