‘Serious Sam VR’ brings first-person shooter action to HTC Vive, Oculus

By Danny Cowan June 14, 2016

Indie developer Croteam and publisher Devolver Digital are teaming up to produce Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope, a frantically paced first-person shooter that channels the genre’s arcade-inspired roots.

Croteam also revealed that it turned down “a [ton] of money” in exchange for Oculus Rift exclusivity, indicating that Serious Sam will be compatible with multiple VR devices.

The Serious Sam series dates back to 2001, with the launch of Serious Sam: The First Encounter. Multiple sequels, remakes, and spinoffs have premiered in the years since. Series creator Croteam produced a prequel, Serious Sam 3: BFE, in 2011 before shifting its development efforts toward 2014’s The Talos Principle.

E3 2016: 7 ways Breath of the Wild is reimagining The Legend of Zelda series

Serious Sam VR’s mission-based structure is similar to that of its series predecessors, giving players the ability to “explore multiple levels on multiple planets.” In addition to squaring off against enemy swarms, protagonist Sam “Serious” Stone will also face massive bosses that challenge the size and scope of traditional VR experiences.

While the trailer above reveals only tiny snippets of Serious Sam VR‘s gameplay, the concept apparently impressed social media company and Oculus Rift owner Facebook. Facebook reportedly attempted to secure Serious Sam VR as an exclusive release for the Oculus Rift VR headset — an offer that Croteam later rejected.

“They tried to buy Serious Sam VR,” Reddit user “Eagleshadow” commented with regard to Facebook and Oculus. “It wasn’t easy, but we turned down a [ton] of money, as we believe that truly good games will sell by themselves and make profit in the long run regardless. And also because we hate exclusives as much as you do.”

Eagleshadow later confirmed their identity as a Croteam employee in a follow-up post. Facebook’s exclusivity offer will apparently not affect Croteam’s release plans, as this week’s trailer features Oculus and Vive logos, suggesting that Serious Sam VR will be compatible with both headsets.

Serious Sam VR will make its PC debut via Steam Early Access this summer.

Topics

Contributor

Danny’s passion for video games was ignited upon his first encounter with Nintendo’s Duck Hunt, and years later, he still…

Gaming

Ubisoft confirms Assassin’s Creed remakes are in the works

Basim perched on a ledge overlooking Baghdad

In a company interview with CEO Yves Guillemot posted on the Ubisoft website Thursday, the executive reveals that there are remakes of Assassin's Creed games in the works, although he doesn't specify which ones.

"Players can be excited about some remakes, which will allow us to revisit some of the games we've created in the past and modernize them," he says, implying that it could pertain to games made before Odyssey. "There are worlds in some of our older Assassin's Creed games that are still extremely rich."

Gaming

Surfaced patent shows what an Xbox streaming console would’ve looked like

An Xbox Series X sits next to both Series S models.

There have been a few Xbox devices that have never come to fruition, one of which was Keystone, a prototype for an affordable game streaming device you could hook up to your TV or monitor. Thanks to a surfaced patent, we've gotten an even closer look at what it would've potentially looked like.

The patent, first spotted by Windows Central, gives us a more complete view of the device. We've previously seen the Keystone in the flesh. Microsoft Gaming head Phil Spencer is known for hiding teases and interesting collectibles on the shelf in his office. In a 2022 X (formerly Twitter) post congratulating Bethesda on Fallout's 25th anniversary, you can see a small white device on the top shelf that's actually a Keystone prototype. Xbox told Digital Trends that it was a version of the device made before it decided to "refocus our efforts on a new approach.”

Gaming

Wordle Today: Wordle answer and hints for June 28

Someone playing Wordle on a smartphone.

We have the solution to Wordle on June 28, as well as some helpful hints to help you figure out the answer yourself, right here. We've placed the answer at the bottom of the page, so we don't ruin the surprise before you've had a chance to work through the clues. So let's dive in, starting with a reminder of yesterday's answer.
Yesterday's Wordle answer
Let's start by first reminding ourselves of yesterday's Wordle answer for those new to the game or who don't play it daily, which was "ORDER." So we can say that the Wordle answer today definitely isn't that. Now, with that in mind, perhaps take another stab at it using one of these Wordle starting words and circle back if you have no luck.
Hints for today's Wordle
Still can't figure it out? We have today's Wordle answer right here, below. But first, one more thing: Let's take a look at three hints that could help you find the solution, without giving it away, so there's no need to feel guilty about keeping your streak alive -- you put in some work, after all! Or just keep scrolling for the answer.

Today’s Wordle includes the letter D.
Today’s Wordle uses two vowels.
Today's Wordle can refer to a large number of animals, particularly livestock like cattle or sheep, that are moving together in a group.