Alvo (Virtual Reality)
Official GBAtemp Review
Product Information:
- Release Date (NA): April 13, 2021
- Release Date (EU): May 13, 2021
- Publisher: OUTSIDEIN
- Developer: Mardonpol
- Genres: First Person Shooter
- Official Store: http://alvogame.com/
Game Features:
When I got the review code through for Alvo I have to admit that I was excited. The premise of a PSVR version of what appeared to be the OG Counter-Strike style gameplay really appealed to me; and with the additional use of the Aim controller - which is one of my favourite console peripherals to date - it could take this VR experience to the next level. Firing up the title you are tasked with selecting a base character, selecting a game mode, and creating a loadout you're happy with. There isn't much to choose from at the beginning, but that's because you can unlock more as your progress and accrue Alvo coins to spend on gear.
Alvo supports Dualshock, Move controllers, and the Aim controller, so there is a loadout for everyone regardless of which peripherals you prefer. With 5v5 matches that include Free for all, team deathmatch and capture the flag comprised of bots until it's filled up with real players, Alvo serves up an easy to configure experience with greyed-out options for modes that the developers plan to add in future updates. Choosing your character is a quick affair with just a handful of types to select from, including fully armoured guards and the typical terrorist/counter-terrorist classes. There are a couple of more garishly coloured versions of those skins for those who wish to stand out a little more, and aren't afraid to contrast against the scenery in a way the army would despise.
Matchmaking didn't take long at all and within seconds I was thrown into the thick of it with 9 other players all vying for the top spot in a free-for-all. I opted for free for all first as a test to how complicated the controls and gameplay would be to a complete newcomer to the game. I was absolutely destroyed in my first match, being picked off at every chance and quickly realizing that people were spawn camping to build up big streaks quickly to unlock perks. While this was frustrating, it just spurred me on to get revenge and hammer out a few hours getting good at the insanely rapid close combat of the monastery level. The gameplay took me back to that of Goldeneye 007 on the N64, so quick and reliant on knowing the nooks and crannies of each stage's layout. Show me a vintage player who claims they didn't memorize the spawn locations and I will show you a liar; that game was intense and rapid as it came in four-player, so ten-player matches easily increase the adrenaline by a factor of at least 250%.
Core gameplay relies on you keeping your wits about you and thinking strategically as to which direction anyone else may lurk. This involves regularly checking your corners, consulting the mini-map, and getting to know the choke points in each of the stages. If I'm honest, the map design is outstandingly crafted to negate any possibility of camping in any one area for too long as most areas have two or more entrances and exits; meaning that you could try to hide in an alleyway only to be besieged from above, below or from any of the adjoining streets at any second. It's exhilaration at its finest taking down attacker after attacker, running out of ammo, throwing a flashbang, then switching to your side-arm and making one last stand to at least incapacitate another enemy before lobbing your grenade in one last hurrah.
The basic movement comprises of a typical FPS controller layout with climb, crouch, jump, and prone on the buttons you would expect. Combining these actions creates alternate motions which mean combining running and crouching allows you to do an action-packed slide, and crouching and jumping can get you slightly higher or more precise jumps over obstacles or through windows or vantage points. The use of PSVR is integral to the game's cover mechanic, whereby you can physically peer around corners, pop your head up over a barricade or look down your rifle sights to line up a headshot. The granular dexterity of these actions really infuses you in the immersive quality of this game. You feel like you're there, backed into a corner, or seeking and destroying, putting up the best fight you can in an effort for the survival of your KD Ratio. Quite often I found myself throwing a grenade instead of jumping, which not only gave away my position but sometimes caused me to frag myself. The inclusion of mappable buttons would be pretty cool in enhancing your experience, but this is a very minor quibble/request as the default configuration is pretty much perfect already.
Graphically it's not overly pretty but everything you need is there, kept simple, built solidly, and thoroughly well thought out. Playing on the PS5 through PSVR offers the greatest experience in terms of load speed and framerate, however, the graphics are still certainly deeply PS4 rooted with no attempt at this new-fandangled ray-tracing or any other fancy-schmancy real-time effects when played on Sony's latest Unicorn of a console. The levels are fully fleshed out and believable enough that you really get rooted into each match. The game is a simulation of a variety of battlegrounds, however, there is no fine detail such as shadows, reflections, bullet holes and no bump-mapping to add texture to walls or floors. These details, though entirely unnecessary, would serve to increase the gnarled battle-scarred environments after a long slog in a high-scoring match. I can see why this would be left out, it's tiny details that would undoubtedly add to any memory strain, and everything wants to flow smoothly, so I understand why this sort of detail has been stylistically cut in order to maintain solid core gameplay.
Sound-wise this game is fantastic. I kind of love the fact that there is no BGM pumping through at any point during gameplay, and that everything is kept to a bare minimum. Gun sounds are perhaps a little flat and not as punchy as I would have liked, but in the heat of battle, they come across rugged and raw when layered atop one another, footsteps and metal clanging are realistic and spatial, and explosions are booming and indicative of where a fray is going down on the map. The only thing obviously missing is breakable glass and ricochet sounds, but again they're probably memory hogs that would slow everything down.
I was fortunate enough, during my time reviewing Alvo, to get to play with a slew of the beta testers for the game, and asked them for their best tips and tricks to advance myself quickly to the upper echelon of Avlo elite players. The best tips they could give me were to use cover, stick to the walls, avoid open spaces and upgrade that first gun to almost ANYTHING else you possibly can as it is horrendous. I have to agree that whist the Annihilator (or AK-47 clone) isn't that bad, when you finally unlock those next few weapons with your Alvo points, you really do gain an advantage. Another top tip was to equip a bayonet as soon as possible and add a scope to your gun for increased ranged accuracy, and they weren't wrong. Adding a simple red dot or holographic scope really helped me nail shots I was struggling with looking through the iron sights, and overall I definitely felt a personal improvement throughout the proceeding matches. The most important tip I was given time and time again was to simply enjoy the game. This may seem like a situational sensation, but when being killed you can take a moment to appreciate other players skill in taking you down, what a fantastic shot they made to clip you on a roof, how a quick CQB moment can fluctuate into a frantic melee-fest and back to a ranged gunfight. The game has so many of these incredible, heart-palpitating, do-or-die fluke of timing moments that are so entirely unique that they need to be experienced by you, the player, individually, to appreciate the level of finesse this game allows for.
More often than not, I simply forgot to raise my aim controller to my face. Now, this sounds obvious to most, but in the thick of it, I seemed to default back into using the analogue sticks and buttons as if I were using a standard controller. I noticed after a couple of matches that I was effectively shooting from the hip and in ultra-close-quarters I was spraying rather wildly, then it occurred to me that I simply had relapsed into 2D controller mode and could have been making far better use of my bullets by aiming down the scope with my holo sight. Once I regained my senses and started re-using this obvious technique I noticed my game coming back to me. I started racking up decent kills, a far better KD ratio and a more consistent feeling of fairness in the game.
One thing I thought wasn't fair is that as of the latest patch available as of this writing, 1.09 (0.2.035), you cannot bayonet bots. If you're in a one-on-one with a bot and it comes down to the melee, you will lose. This is something the developers know about though, and through listening to the testers and in turn, giving them feedback too, I'm sure this title will come on leaps and bounds further than it already is. It really is an astoundingly good game to partake in casually or if you can stomach PSVR for longer periods and don't have work the next day: pulling all-nighters!
Alvo has so much potential as a rewarding title, that I am certainly going to stick with it through its various patches and upgrades. With patch 1.09 fixing a slew of issues such as your Aim controller gun wandering away from you, gun stats not displaying properly, ragdoll twisting and distortion fixes, and gun sound effects have been increased by 10%; it is incredible to see that the devs are definitely listening. Though they are all minor things that needed addressing, Mardonpol is slowly working through them, tuning every aspect, to add more coherency to the game. With the developers basically constructively using feedback to enhance this title at each juncture; the sky really is the limit in terms of additional modes and weapons to extend the longevity of this game. I am at odds to really find anything to grumble about with this one, which I am more than happy to declare. With such a fantastically welcoming community, fun-packed matches, and those microcosm-like once-in-a-game moments that you have to experience to believe; Alvo has stolen my attention and my free time and I absolutely love it; just keep an eye out for those hidden purple ducks and keep your wits about you!
Verdict
- Intense and enjoyable gameplay from the start
- Incredible community to converse with
- A great selection of guns and attachments to choose from
- Nice level variation in general
- Can be tough but rewarding
- New stages will be welcome additions
