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0 Originally released on the Meta Quest 2 on the 13th of April 2023, Breachers is a tactical multiplayer shooter that has now found its way onto the PSVR2. It is available now on Quest platforms and PlayStation 5.
Breaching onto the PSVR2
The tactical “Rainbow Six Siege” style VR shooter has had a rough time on the PSVR2 with titles like Firewall: Ultra being incredibly disappointing, eventually leading to the closure of the development studio. Could this all change with developer Triangle Factory and their new title?
Gameplay
To start with the basics, rounds will start out in the buy menu, where on the attacking side you can choose your weapons, gadgets, and entrance point. for defense, you’ll also choose weapons, and gadgets to set traps for the attackers.
After that the round begins and you take part in 12 rounds of intense, tactical action. Either as an enforcer -the attackers, or revolters – the defending side. Halfway through, you will switch to the other side.
I hate to compare, but…
Breachers is a 5-v-5 objective-based multiplayer tactical shooter where two teams, the attackers and the defenders, are pitted against each other to play 12 rounds of an objective.
If you’ve ever played a multiplayer shooter such as CSGO or Rainbow Six Siege, you’ll feel right at home playing this title. It offers a familiar yet refined experience. Similarities to Rainbow Six Siege are especially apparent, with some map layouts looking extremely similar, the rappelling, the objectives themselves, and the gadgets to name a few.
The community also seems similar, with most opting to play the Bomb Defuse game mode over the other two, control point and team deathmatch. This is decided through a voting system.
If you’re like me and one of your biggest complaints about Rainbow Six Siege was the slow transition from tactical abilities to the extremely unbelievable ones we have today, Breachers should also grab you in that regard. The closest to an unrealistic ability is an invisibility device that slightly cloaks the user. If more are added I certainly hope the developers decide to stay this route.
Gunplay & Maps
Where this game separates itself is in its gun-play. Everything is different when it’s in VR. You will have to use your whole body to aim as well as perspective, rather than your arm or thumbs.
Gun-play isn’t the only thing I prefer though. It has tightened up some game mechanics, like being able to move during the buy phase, which makes the game overall more to the point and action-packed. Gun-play has an arcade-like feel to it, mainly due to the simple reload system.
You eject your ammo and place your new ammo into it. On the surface, this seems like a questionable choice, but as you play more you understand why it was necessary for balancing and keeping gun-play consistent.
Positioning is everything! Map knowledge will come the more you play and talk with people who know the game, and soon after, you’ll get a general idea as to where people usually come from, and the exact height you should aim for a headshot.
The Beginner Experience
As a beginner, it can be excruciating to start due to a seeming lack of Skill Based Match-Making (SBMM) in casual, a choice that personally I love. You’ll come across players who know the maps better than their own homes, players who drop shot every kill and snap to your head, but you’ll also encounter new players yourself.
There is a training range where you can hone your skills and aim, but this doesn’t particularly help you in combat. In Breachers, you’ll learn by doing.
Graphics And Audio
Graphically the presentation is quite modest, with the art style carrying it more than anything. I was positively surprised by how good it looked on Quest, but I’m not quite as surprised at how it looks on the PlayStation VR2. It looks almost exactly the same save for some lighting and environmental effects. I was a little let down at how small of a graphical update it was, which isn’t to say Breachers looks bad, just not as great as I was expecting.
Audio is also extremely useful here, you’ll need to hear distant explosions, doors breaking down, and most importantly, the subtle sound of enemy footsteps. All of this sounds accurate resulting in audio being incredibly immersive.
Longevity
How long is a piece of string? It’s extremely hard to put down this game, even when I did poorly during a match.The allure of wanting to enhance my skills, wanting to learn these maps trapped me in a captivating spell, a trance only improvement could break.
There’s a digestible 5 maps here, right now would be the perfect time to get in and learn. Most seasoned VR gamers won’t experience any sickness or dizziness here. There’s an array of options to tweak your experience just how you like it.
Depending on how much you like the premise of the game, you could spend hundreds even thousands of hours playing, and with new content being added regularly, I fully expect to.
Final thoughts
Not only a commendable VR tactical shooter, it is the current pinnacle of the genre and the most polished that I have played. Despite obvious influences from Rainbow Six Siege, it manages to stray away from that title and do its own thing, while still carrying the DNA that created the formula.
For all of these reasons, I am awarding Breachers the Thumb Culture Platinum Award. Expect to boot up this game every time you don the PSVR2 headset – I know I will.
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Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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