When PlayStation VR initially released all the way back in 2016, gamers were a little skeptical about it. VR in general has a bit of a divisive reputation, and PlayStation throwing so much money and effort into a VR headset seemed like a bit of an odd choice back then. Thankfully, over the years, PlayStation VR has received some phenomenal experiences, and thanks to titles like Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, it became quite a success for Sony, so much so that it's getting a new model early next year, along with a successor to Rush of Blood titled The Dark Pictures: Switchback.
Announced at the start of November, The Dark Pictures: Switchback is an on-rails horror shooter set in the Dark Pictures Anthology universe. For those who invested in the first PSVR model, that experience might sound a little familiar. Back in 2016, releasing as a launch title for the original PSVR, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood released, offering a very similar experience. Based on the footage released so far, it seems as though Supermassive Games has taken the general formula of Rush of Blood, and has improved on it in a few distinct ways to create The Dark Pictures: Switchback.
The Dark Pictures: Switchback Seems Like a Spiritual Successor to Until Dawn: Rush of Blood
Based on the announcement trailer, it seems as though The Dark Pictures: Switchback is taking a great deal of groundwork from Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, leading the two to have some striking similarities. The general premise of both games seems to be pretty identical, with players boarding a rollercoaster and embarking on one of the spookiest journeys of a lifetime. Along the way, players will need to use various firearms to hold back hordes of terrifying foes.
While the general premise and gameplay loop of both games seems identical, there are some key differences that appear to set the two apart. For a start, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood used characters and settings based on Until Dawn, such as the horrifying clown, The Psycho, and the monstrous Wendigos. The Dark Pictures: Switchback, however, seems to be taking players on a rollercoaster journey through all four of the games in the Dark Pictures Anthology series.
In The Dark Pictures: Switchback's announcement trailer, fans can spot a plethora of locations, characters, and monsters from the Dark Pictures Anthology series. For example, players can spot Man of Medan's ghosts, Little Hope's demon-possessed witches, House of Ashes' desert monsters, and The Devil in Me's main serial killer antagonist. Some of the locations used include Man of Medan's eerie ghost ship, Little Hope's titular town of Little Hope, and The Devil in Me's Murder Castle replica.
The biggest differences between Until Dawn: Rush of Blood and The Dark Pictures: Switchback, however, will be all of the technical improvements the successor will likely make. Though none of these technical improvements have been officially confirmed yet, it seems like a safe bet to assume that Switchback will be used to showcase the PSVR2's new tech, since it's one of the headset's launch titles. This likely means that players will get to experience everything the new Sense controllers have to offer, including adaptive triggers and haptic feedback, which should make Switchback's guns feel more weighty and satisfying to use than Rush of Blood's. On top of that, the PSVR2 headset has some unique features as well, such as eye-tracking, which is apparently being used in the game to detect where the player is looking, and where it needs to place enemies to surprise the player.
The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR is coming out on February 22, 2023 exclusively for PSVR2.