Kick back with other players in the Ozo Lounge social den, duke it out in the new Scrapper’s Lounge arena, and more in this latest update.
Today marks the launch of the next major update for developer Resolution Games’ (Demeo, Angry Birds VR, ACRON: Attack of the Squirrels) VR dueler Blaston that introduces a wide variety of single-player and multiplayer content to the competitive PvP shooter.
Available now as a free download to existing owners on Oculus Quest and SteamVR, the ‘Crackdown’ update adds a brand new single-player campaign to the game, one that expands upon the lore of the Blaston universe while, simultaneously, injecting the already unique VR shooter with even more personality. In this brief single-player game mode, you’ll take on the role of a NeoTexx contender and battle a handful of Octopresence ModOps henchmen who’ve been cracking down on underground Blaston duels conducted in The Warehouse arena.
After battling your way through four corporate stooges, you’ll have the opportunity to go toe-to-toe with the boss herself, Argentina, in the brand new Scrapper’s Market arena located in the heart of the city. Once completed, you’ll be granted full access to the environment for future duels.
“Our players have been keen to learn more about the world of Blaston, and in crafting a new single player campaign, not only are we able to tell a compelling story, but we’re also able to help new players get more comfortable with the game’s super-cool, kinetic combat before going 1-on-1 against real competitors,” said Tom Hall, senior creative director at Resolution Games, in an official release. “The Crackdown update brings a lot of enhancements for our hardcore veteran players, too, with new social features helping competitors to connect.”
Inbetween duels, you can check out the new Ozo Lounge social lounge. Here, you can hang out with fellow contenders, challenge one another to friendly duels, take in-game pictures to post on Discord, or just grab a drink at the bar. You can also use the new token system to cue up tracks on the jukebox in Disco 99. or play a few rounds of the updated in-game arcade experience, Super Alien Blast.
“We’ve seen more than 4 million online matches of Blaston played to date, and we’re just getting started,” added Tommy Palm, founder and CEO of Resolution Games. “With new players discovering Blaston every day, we’re committed to building out our virtual world of underground combat for a long time to come. Crackdown is just one of several significant updates that are already on our roadmap — with a big focus on giving competitors everything they need to feel like a virtual champion.”
While I’ve only had about an hour of hands-on time with Crackdown, the new social hub definitely feels like an improvement to the core game experience. In the first twenty minutes of my visit to the new Ozo Lounge, I managed to befriend numerous players, compete in several humbling rounds of darts, and partake in an impromptu dance party that ended with one of the wealthier players showering the lobby with free tokens.
I’ve also been enjoying the new single-player campaign. While short, the introduction of warring factions and the Scrapper’s Market arena have done a lot to expand the in-game universe. After today’s update, the game feels much more fleshed out than it did at launch. Personally, I’m more excited than ever to jump back into the action.
Along with the aforementioned improvements, Crackdown introduces several new player’s skins which can be unlocked by finishing the single-player campaign and completing new mission challenges. The update also features support for bHaptics TactSuit, allowing you to feel every hit with immersive haptic feedback.
Blaston is available now for $6.99 (currently 30% off) on Oculus Quest and for $9.99 on SteamVR. As previously stated, the Crackdown update is available as a free download to all existing owners.
Feature Image Credit: Resolution Games