Firewall Zero Hour |OT| Tactical Table-Tripping Shooter

flyinj · Aug 30, 2018

get2sammyb said:
Well the first thing I'd say is that a 6/10 is not bad on our scale at all. I know that other sites have completely ruined the review scale and there's nothing I can do about that, but for us a 6/10 is 'Not Bad'. This is what our review scale states:

"An above average experience with some flaws, you may still enjoy these titles. A release awarded this score may have evident ambitions which aren't properly realised, or obvious shortcomings which detract from the overall experience."

I must admit I've been quite taken aback by the overwhelming enthusiasm for this game. I think it's great that people are enjoying it enough to treat it like an 8/10 or a 9/10, but I can't see it.

I think when you're playing, aside from some minor PSVR Aim Controller drift, it's really fun; I like what the virtual reality adds to the experience, both in terms of letting you intuitively lean out of cover and naturally survey your surroundings, but I spent most of yesterday playing and I just didn't get anywhere near as much game time as I'd hoped I would. The single player stuff is token, and I'm not a fan of the co-op either, so it leaves the 8-player mode. But I spent so much time sitting in lobbies it was insane.

I think, for me, when you're designing a multiplayer-only game and you're not Call of Duty or Battlefield, you've got to think about how you're going to make the experience fun for a potentially small pool of players. Why not put a shooting gallery in the lobby, for example, so I can do something while I wait? Or, and I know it potentially goes against the tactical gameplay, but why not fill out missing player slots with a bot? I dunno, the whole issue is exacerbated by the single round format and the host connection issues.

I could have waited for a patch and to see how things developed over the coming weeks, but it's never been our prerogative to wait to review a game that's for sale now. I'll definitely be revisiting it over the coming weeks, though, and if it develops a steady community or gets some updates that dramatically improve things, there's always scope for an update or (potentially) a re-review.

But I've been shocked by the reaction to that review to be honest. I thought it was really fair.

Those are definitely valid criticisms.

The fact that you summarized your thoughts at the end of the review citing the biggest issue you had with the game is that it may have less people playing in the future influencing your overall score of it was just bizarre.

That is what everyone here and in the comments on the review are taking issue with.

get2sammyb · Aug 30, 2018

Kalentan said:
I think the problem is that, "not bad" is pretty vague and will probably turn away more people who might see the review since if the best that can be said is that it's "not bad", it must not mean it's "good" either.

Edit: I think discussing the population size also hurts more than it helps. It's a legit fear we've all expressed but might turn off prospective buyers if they feel it's not worth trying to get in.

Yeah, maybe we should look at altering wording attached to a 6/10 -- definitely food for thought. I'd hope that people would read the full review (or at least the conclusion) for the full picture, but we all know that's so often not the case.

With regards to the player population, it's definitely something we've raised in reviews before. I just think... Like your viewpoint is valid, but my job is not to sell copies of Firewall for First Contact. My job is to help people spend their money, and I just think if you're going to put £25 into this you have to be made aware that at best you're going to need some patience to find matches, and at worst you outright might not be able to.

Like I said, if it had some ways of mitigating this issue -- multi-round matches, bots to fill up slots, even a more interactive lobby -- I personally would have appreciated that and it would have been reflected in the review.

This is a problem that sadly affects so many games now, it's not just VR. Stuff like Laser League has run into similar issues, but that at least has local play.

flyinj said:
Those are definitely valid criticisms.

The fact that you summarized your thoughts at the end of the review citing the biggest issue you had with the game is that it may have less people playing in the future influencing your overall score of it was just bizarre.

That is what everyone here and in the comments on the review are taking issue with.

Fair enough, perhaps my conclusion could have been worded better, which is definitely feedback I'll take on board.

Kalentan · Aug 30, 2018

get2sammyb said:
Yeah, maybe we should look at altering wording attached to a 6/10 -- definitely food for thought. I'd hope that people would read the full review (or at least the conclusion) for the full picture, but we all know that's so often not the case.

With regards to the player population, it's definitely something we've raised in reviews before. I just think... Like your viewpoint is valid, but my job is not to sell copies of Firewall for First Contact. My job is to help people spend their money, and I just think if you're going to put £25 into this you have to be made aware that at best you're going to need some patience to find matches, and at worst you outright might not be able to.

Like I said, if it had some ways of mitigating this issue -- multi-round matches, bots to fill up slots, even a more interactive lobby -- I personally would have appreciated that and it would have been reflected in the review.

This is a problem that sadly affects so many games now, it's not just VR. Stuff like Laser League has run into similar issues, but that at least has local play.

I guess that's fair.

This is just my first real MP VR game I can get into for long periods of time so I want as many playing as possible so I'm going to be a bit more critical of some reviews.

Multiverse Moo · Aug 30, 2018

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts behind the review process get2sammyb !

Also, hi gameovergreggy - lets play a few rounds with other best friends while we wait for Spider-Man, aye? I'll even go to SF and hangout with ya shirtless and in my Spidey mask :P

JustTom · Aug 30, 2018

In October 2016 I got my hands on PSVR and was super thrilled when it arrived. However, after 3 weeks I gave it back due to the lack of games.
I just ordered V2 yesterday (which hopefully will arrive tomorrow in time for the weekend!) and I am super excited to play this. Also bought Doom VFR for 13€ on the PSN and I am still looking for other games (still got some from back then and I have all the PS+ titles) Any recommendations? Thinking about Superhot VR and Skyrim VR is on its way...
If you are looking for players, just add me, name is the same as here; PSN: JustTom. Cheers!

GuitarGuruu · Aug 30, 2018

JustTom said:
In October 2016 I got my hands on PSVR and was super thrilled when it arrived. However, after 3 weeks I gave it back due to the lack of games.
I just ordered V2 yesterday (which hopefully will arrive tomorrow in time for the weekend!) and I am super excited to play this. Also bought Doom VFR for 13€ on the PSN and I am still looking for other games (still got some from back then and I have all the PS+ titles) Any recommendations? Thinking about Superhot VR and Skyrim VR is on its way...
If you are looking for players, just add me, name is the same as here; PSN: JustTom. Cheers!

Definitely Superhot, and Beat Saber if that's out on PSVR already.

Mr.Deadshot · Aug 30, 2018

Okay I found three nice guys and was the host. We played almost 2h and holy damn was that great. VR can really be gaming on the next level. I hope this game attracts a lot of users and stays alive for some time. Sony should have put this out as a PS+ title to push VR sales. Can't wait to play more but for today I am exhausted.

Deleted member 13250 · Aug 30, 2018

heck yea this game is pretty fun. Just upgraded to a PSVR 2.0 headset and man it's such a nice upgrade. Smaller wires and hdr really made me happy I traded in my old one.... BUT my supposedly new headset already has some scratches and marks on the lenses... gonna have to take it back and grab a replacement soon

Kalentan · Aug 30, 2018

They added a launch trailer.

Posted it on /r/games but I guess no one cares for PSVR on there. :(

Violater · Aug 30, 2018

Ok couple questions,
1. Is there no aim crosshair?
2. Is the gun always set to one side of the screen and not the middle?
3. Does the slow speed get annoying or is it better for avoiding motion sickness?
4. Is there a single player practice mode?
5. How well does it work with a DS4 controller

AlphaMale · Aug 30, 2018

Kalentan said:
i just read that... What are they thinking?
I've never seen a game's score go down because of the prospect that the playerbase might go down?
And how does giving it a 6/10 help out with that? People might see that and get turned off because they assume it's bad.

Yeah, that's pretty stupid of them. (I'm not gonna bother giving them a click)

Dashful · Aug 30, 2018

Violater said:
Ok couple questions,
1. Is there no aim crosshair?
2. Is the gun always set to one side of the screen and not the middle?
3. Does the slow speed get annoying or is it better for avoiding motion sickness?
4. Is there a single player practice mode?
5. How well does it work with a DS4 controller

1) youreyin vr you don't need a crosshair. There is ADS scopes on some guns.
2) the gun is where you hold it? Going by this and #1 have you ever tried vr?
3) the speed is kept low mostly to keep things tactical by design. Nothing to do with motion sickness.
4) there's a solo mode but it's not really all that fun imo.
5) did not try it

Evan8192 · Aug 30, 2018

Violater said:
Ok couple questions,
1. Is there no aim crosshair?
2. Is the gun always set to one side of the screen and not the middle?
3. Does the slow speed get annoying or is it better for avoiding motion sickness?
4. Is there a single player practice mode?
5. How well does it work with a DS4 controller

Not trying to be mean but your first 2 questions made me lol. I feel that you dont grasp the concept that this is not just a normal FPS - as previous post has answered, the gun will be however you are actually holding it. You can point the gun at yourself if you really want to, spin it around, stick it over cover, etc. There is no normal crosshair, you have to use the gun's sights (which can be ironsights, holographic, acog, etc)

Planet · Aug 30, 2018

Also you can purchase a laser pointer attachment, which you then activate on pressing dpad left (default off because your enemy can see it too).

Edge · Aug 30, 2018

Amazon UK still hasn't dispatched my game. :(

flyinj · Aug 30, 2018

Evan8192 said:
Not trying to be mean but your first 2 questions made me lol. I feel that you dont grasp the concept that this is not just a normal FPS - as previous post has answered, the gun will be however you are actually holding it. You can point the gun at yourself if you really want to, spin it around, stick it over cover, etc. There is no normal crosshair, you have to use the gun's sights (which can be ironsights, holographic, acog, etc)

Some VR games do have fixed gun positions, especially the earlier ones before motion control. Even Doom VFR has a fixed gun position for the grenade launcher.

Plumpman · Aug 30, 2018

Alright if I go all in, what's the best bundle to buy?
Do I just grab the Doom VFR Bundle with PSVR 2.0 ($300) + Firewall Aim Controller Bundle ($80)?

Is there a cheaper headset only option without Doom?
I did some research but didn't see much.

Kalentan · Aug 30, 2018

Plumpman said:
Alright if I go all in, what's the best bundle to buy?
Do I just grab the Doom VFR Bundle with PSVR 2.0 ($300) + Firewall Aim Controller Bundle ($80)?

Is there a cheaper headset only option without Doom?
I did some research but didn't see much.

Without any sales, yeah that's the cheapest route.

Electro · Aug 30, 2018

That 6/10 Push Square review makes me a bit sad when I read the summary.

Sounds like the game is getting a bad score because the user base might not be the biggest....

blackMamba1187 · Aug 30, 2018

I just picked this up because of the praise in this here thread. I was hesitant beforehand because I got burned so hard with Bravo Team.

Edge · Aug 30, 2018

Electro said:
That 6/10 Push Square review makes me a bit sad when I read the summary.

Sounds like the game is getting a bad score because the user base might not be the biggest....

It makes me sad too, seems to be such a well rounded perfect PSVR game, a killer app even for this system with also a lot of content to unlock on top, something that's very rare these days and then it gets critique points like "too much waiting time in lobbies", something that made me roll my eyes a bit, the same with the user base argument. Now it's one of only two reviews on metacritic because nobody else gives a damn about PSVR games and it could possibly turn thousands of potential buyers down.

It's just sad, because that's not what this game deserves.

flyinj · Aug 30, 2018

Electro said:
That 6/10 Push Square review makes me a bit sad when I read the summary.

Sounds like the game is getting a bad score because the user base might not be the biggest....

It's got a great userbase now. The reviewer knocked the score down because they stipulated that it might or might not have a great user base in the future.

Virtual Reality · Aug 30, 2018

Violater said:
Ok couple questions,
1. Is there no aim crosshair?
2. Is the gun always set to one side of the screen and not the middle?
3. Does the slow speed get annoying or is it better for avoiding motion sickness?
4. Is there a single player practice mode?
5. How well does it work with a DS4 controller

DS4 is great. I'm using it more than the aim. Sitting close to camera seems to make it work really well.

Sh0k · Aug 30, 2018

Plumpman said:
Alright if I go all in, what's the best bundle to buy?
Do I just grab the Doom VFR Bundle with PSVR 2.0 ($300) + Firewall Aim Controller Bundle ($80)?

Is there a cheaper headset only option without Doom?
I did some research but didn't see much.

Target has a cartwheel coupon for the PSVR Doom bundle that knocks 25% of the price, I think is good until Sept 1st. Online price at Target shows the bundle for $261.99 but the cartwheel coupon only works in store, so it takes the 25% of the full $299.99 price. Still not a bad deal.

Glassboy · Aug 30, 2018

blackMamba1187 said:
I just picked this up because of the praise in this here thread. I was hesitant beforehand because I got burned so hard with Bravo Team.

Yeah if anything Bravo Team didnt do this game any favors coming out before.

Edge · Aug 30, 2018

flyinj said:
It's got a great userbase now. The reviewer knocked the score down because they stipulated that it might or might not have a great user base in the future.

Which is such a stupid point/argument, in my opinion.
"Hey, you're not a AAA game, so your servers will probably be dead in 3 months, but thanks for trying, -1 point."

What I mean is this. This is by far the biggest, most serious and most dedicated mp game for PSVR so far, if this gets minus points for a "maybe dead community in a couple of months", what should every other VR game with multiplayer focus get then?
Everything else is far under this in terms of hype, dedication, positive feedback and social media and if this gets such an critique point, pewwww, I don't know, then this means everyone else should better cancel their games, I guess? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I just don't see a chance for every other future mp VR title to not get this critique point from now on, by that logic.

1upsuper · Aug 30, 2018

Edge said:
Which is stupid, in my opinion.
"Hey, you're not a AAA game, your servers will probably be dead in 3 months, but thanks for trying, -1 point."

This is by far the biggest, most serious and most dedicated mp game for PSVR so far, if this gets minus points for a "maybe dead community in a couple of months", what should every other VR game with multiplayer focus get then?
Everything else is far under this in terms of hype, dedication, positive feedback and social media and if this gets such an critique point, pewwww, I don't know, then this means everyone else should cancel their games, I guess? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Yeah, that's bizarre and perhaps almost negligent on the reviewer's part because it could end up a self-fulfilling prophesy: reviews move games for better or worse so lower scores could mean a smaller playerbase leading to a short life span.

Overflow · Aug 30, 2018

gameovergreggy said:
This game is so much fun.

Then why'd you leave my team seconds after joining? </3 heartbreaker, you

get2sammyb said:
With regards to the player population, it's definitely something we've raised in reviews before. I just think... Like your viewpoint is valid, but my job is not to sell copies of Firewall for First Contact. My job is to help people spend their money.

I respect that, and I can only hope that First Contact realise they have something really neat on their hands that still needs work done to fix some of the issues to ensure player population is retained. Perhaps a chance at an updated review down the track? :P

Kalentan · Aug 30, 2018

They do for sure need to buff EXP and Crypto.

Considering the AK is (as far as I heard, not level 15 year), 20k, that's roughly 33 games to unlock a single gun. There's so many unlocks but so expensive and it takes awhile without double exp to level up.

Games are quick, but it's still feels like it takes awhile.

Deleted member 27315 · Aug 30, 2018

The game is very addictive.

I am playing with DS.

Plumpman · Aug 30, 2018

Sh0k said:
Target has a cartwheel coupon for the PSVR Doom bundle that knocks 25% of the price, I think is good until Sept 1st. Online price at Target shows the bundle for $261.99 but the cartwheel coupon only works in store, so it takes the 25% of the full $299.99 price. Still not a bad deal.

Thank you! Checked out my local target, discount worked like a charm.
Only one firewall aim bundle near me, unfortunately at a gamestop, but I wanted it immediately so I grabbed it anyways.

Time for some games! My haul for tonight:

Violater · Aug 30, 2018

Virtual Reality said:
DS4 is great. I'm using it more than the aim. Sitting close to camera seems to make it work really well.

Thanks for the non condescending response.

Kurdel · Aug 31, 2018

Damn this game is legit, can't get over how awesome it is!

There is no exaggerating when people said it's up there with Super Hot as a watershed moment for VR.

flyinj · Aug 31, 2018

Kurdel said:
Damn this game is legit, can't get over how awesome it is!

There is exaggerating when people said it's up there with Super Hot as a watershed moment for VR.

You mean "no exaggerating" right?

Flandy · Aug 31, 2018

Finally got around to playing this today. This is so much more fun than Onward or Pavlov on PC were to me. This is a lot more polished than those two and it's so nice not having to hold an imaginary gun. Honestly this game should get bundled with PSVR it's so good

Noisepurge · Aug 31, 2018

Kyolux said:
3) the speed is kept low mostly to keep things tactical by design. Nothing to do with motion sickness.

And you can run, but that will reveal your location to the enemy...

Flandy · Aug 31, 2018

Noisepurge said:
And you can run, but that will reveal your location to the enemy...

Not like anyone looks at the map :P

Hopkins · Aug 31, 2018

the game itself is very enjoyable got some matchmaking and one general gameplay issue though:

- Matchmaking with a squad often puts the Squad Leader in a game with 3 strangers and your squadmates lose connection because the lobby is full
- if a host leaves the whole lobby is disbanded so host migration or dedicated servers please?
- make a game best of x instead just one game each it's a bit annoying to have so many loading screens with the matchmaking issues for 5 minute bursts of fun

All my points could adress the long waiting times especially when playing in a squad

Rosol · Aug 31, 2018

Really getting hooked on this, sort of like Rainbow six and a bit like Socom. Exceptional game. Only problem is the random times when aim controller drifts and the host migration problems. Having to defend a position feels different in vr than a normal shooter with your head looking all over, then your gun moving where you need it. Nice to have that additional immersion present, also gets a bit more intense at times.

Rosol · Aug 31, 2018

Flandy said:
Not like anyone looks at the map :P

With the 3D sound the footsteps when running give away position, at least I'm always listening for them. Walking is mostly silent.

Mr.Deadshot · Aug 31, 2018

Hopkins said:
the game itself is very enjoyable got some matchmaking and one general gameplay issue though:

- Matchmaking with a squad often puts the Squad Leader in a game with 3 strangers and your squadmates lose connection because the lobby is full
- if a host leaves the whole lobby is disbanded so host migration or dedicated servers please?
- make a game best of x instead just one game each it's a bit annoying to have so many loading screens with the matchmaking issues for 5 minute bursts of fun

All my points could adress the long waiting times especially when playing in a squad

Yes, very valid points. Attackers and Defenders should rotate at least once on each map to avoid waiting. Not hard to patch, IMO.

Rosol said:
With the 3D sound the footsteps when running give away position, at least I'm always listening for them. Walking is mostly silent.

You can even hit your gun on walls, handrails etc. to make sounds. It's amazingly immersive. I was litterally shaking while defending a corridor yesterday and I saw my gun shaking in the game, lol. It's a total different experience than just playing a game with a controller on a flat TV.

kriskrosbbk · Aug 31, 2018

Virtual Reality said:
DS4 is great. I'm using it more than the aim. Sitting close to camera seems to make it work really well.

I struggle with the fact that I should hold it very close to my chest in order to use the red dot properly.You?

AbandonedTrolley · Aug 31, 2018

Question for people with PSVR V2, are the main wires around the headband smaller too, mine get quite uncomfortable after prolonged gaming due to being pushed against my head.

DHC-Shannow · Aug 31, 2018

I've had 3 very different experiences on the 3 occasions I've played - last night was easily the worst when it comes to problems when joining lobbies, glitches (my head sat on the floor, can't see team mates etc) and host quitting mid game losing all your points. This was the first time I'd played with my mate which was probably the cause of some of our issues (they really need to sort and patch the party system) but it wasn't a great first impression for him after I'd talked him into buying the game. If the pushsquare reviewer had an experience like this then I can fully understand their lower than expected review. The previous 2 nights I'd logged on immediately, found a game quickly and stayed in that same lobby for over an hour playing game after game without issue and bloody loved it. It was soooo much easier on the first night when everyone was a n00b tho, I was racking up lots of easy kills, not so much now! :-)

AbandonedTrolley · Aug 31, 2018

DHC-Shannow said:
I've had 3 very different experiences on the 3 occasions I've played - last night was easily the worst when it comes to problems when joining lobbies, glitches (my head sat on the floor, can't see team mates etc) and host quitting mid game losing all your points. This was the first time I'd played with my mate which was probably the cause of some of our issues (they really need to sort and patch the party system) but it wasn't a great first impression for him after I'd talked him into buying the game. If the pushsquare reviewer had an experience like this then I can fully understand their lower than expected review. The previous 2 nights I'd logged on immediately, found a game quickly and stayed in that same lobby for over an hour playing game after game without issue and bloody loved it. It was soooo much easier on the first night when everyone was a n00b tho, I was racking up lots of easy kills, not so much now! :-)

I've not had any bad lobbies yet thankfully. Will have to team up at some point and get a few games in.

Mr.Deadshot · Aug 31, 2018

Head stuck in floor in lobby seems to be a common issue. I had that one time, too. All I could do was restart the game.

Captain_Cold · Aug 31, 2018

Welp, I've managed to keep going "one more round" up until 4am for the third night in a row. Work's been brutal this week on so little sleep lol. But this game is so fun it's hard to put down.

NotSmartEnough · Aug 31, 2018

Has anyone else had the problem where holding Options doesn't reset the headset position? For me it just brings up the grid no matter how long I hold it.

The only way I've found to reset the headset position is to power cycle it using the button on the cable.

Bennibop · Aug 31, 2018

I played R6 siege last night for an hour after I played Firewall, it made me feel sad that I could not peep or blind fire and I ended jumping back to Firewall.

Regards that Push Square review, I just cannot get behind it especially the conclusion. I don't think server population should be mentioned in all honesty as it has no affect on how good a game is. A 6 seems a little low but that's the reviewers opinion which seems to be very different to anyone playing the game.

foolishoptimist · Aug 31, 2018

Electro said:
That 6/10 Push Square review makes me a bit sad when I read the summary.

Sounds like the game is getting a bad score because the user base might not be the biggest....

It's the same guy who marked down the WipEout Omega Collection for being too familiar...

Firewall Zero Hour |OT| Tactical Table-Tripping Shooter

Editor at Push Square

User requested account closure

Community Resettler

A King's Landing

A King's Landing

A King's Landing

User requested account closure

Community Resettler

Community Resettler