Arizona Sunshine 2

80%
Game Brain Score Based on 793 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Arizona Sunshine 2 Game Cover
An absolute blast from start to finish, Arizona Sunshine 2 outdoes its predecessor in every way, and that’s high praise indeed.
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Buy Arizona Sunshine 2 on PlayStation Store. Chop, whack and blast your way through a brutal zombie apocalypse.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

80%
Audience ScoreBased on 793 reviews
story92 positive mentions
stability26 negative mentions
  • The game features an engaging story with humorous dialogue and a lovable dog companion, Buddy.
  • The gunplay and reloading mechanics are satisfying, providing a fun and immersive experience.
  • The graphics are improved over the first game, creating a visually appealing environment.
  • The game is relatively short, with many players completing the campaign in around 5-10 hours, leading to concerns about its value at full price.
  • There are numerous bugs and glitches, including issues with weapon handling, item pickups, and multiplayer connectivity.
  • The game can feel repetitive, with some levels being overly similar and a lack of variety in enemy types.
  • story234 mentions

    The story of Arizona Sunshine 2 has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its emotional depth and character development, particularly the bond with the dog companion, Buddy. While some found the narrative engaging and fun, others criticized it for being predictable and lacking in originality, often describing it as a typical zombie shooter plot. Overall, the game is seen as an improvement over its predecessor, offering a polished experience with memorable moments, though some players felt it fell short in terms of length and complexity.

    • “Amazing story, graphics, and mechanics. Definitely a must-buy if you like other VR story games like Half-Life: Alyx. The main character might be my favorite character in any VR story game, with a perfect balance between funny and serious moments.”
    • “The emotional value: this game went from really funny to really sad with the story. Seeing 'Fred' is us and Buddy being Patient 0 was really sad, and seeing Buddy flatline only to come back as a super dog was so satisfying.”
    • “The story flowed smoothly and the ending, which I won't spoil, set up room for DLC and potentially a third game.”
    • “The story is non-existent; it's a corridor-based, linear shooter, but you have a dog buddy, which is cool at first but eventually you yearn for another human character to accompany you, or to talk with.”
    • “The only complaint I have is that the game just kind of ends, and the story just slams to a halt with no real conclusion.”
    • “Unfortunately, the story falls apart into a predictable finale that unwinds all the potential this zombie shooter had.”
  • gameplay128 mentions

    The gameplay of Arizona Sunshine 2 has received mixed reviews, with many praising its fun mechanics, engaging story, and immersive graphics, while others criticize the clunky weapon handling, frustrating reloading mechanics, and occasional bugs. The addition of a dog companion is seen as a positive feature, enhancing the gameplay experience, but some players feel the game lacks depth and polish compared to other VR titles. Overall, while the game offers enjoyable moments, it struggles with inconsistencies in mechanics and a relatively short campaign length.

    • “Amazing story, graphics, and mechanics; definitely a must-buy if you like other VR story games like Half-Life: Alyx. The main character might be my favorite in any VR story game, with a perfect balance between funny and serious moments.”
    • “This game has really fun and polished mechanics, a huge variety of weapons, and a great story and dog companion system. The graphics are also really great, and the story is pretty long too; so far, I'm about 6-7 hours in and I am still not finished with the story.”
    • “Great gameplay, super immersive, fun, and funny.”
    • “The worst aspects of the game are the reloading mechanics...with manual reloading, many weapons (including hand grenades) have a completely wrong grip point...and in stress situations good luck running around while trying to arm a grenade or reload the Desert Eagle.”
    • “The reload mechanic is a tedious nightmare and the checkpoint system is far too sparse (sucks, needs fixing, someone needs to be fired over it).”
    • “The gameplay is a bit rough and sometimes immersion-breaking: it's often impossible to get close to the environment and grab items, and it takes time to get used to the inventory management.”
  • graphics102 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the improvements over its predecessor and highlighting the detailed environments and character models. While some players consider the visuals to be among the best in VR, others feel that they do not significantly advance the genre or match the quality of top-tier titles like Half-Life: Alyx. Overall, the graphics are generally described as good to great, but with some criticism regarding optimization and a lack of groundbreaking features.

    • “The graphics are the best VR graphics I have ever seen, and the story is really good featuring a dog who is very chill.”
    • “The visuals are probably the second best I've seen in native VR thus far (behind Half-Life: Alyx).”
    • “The graphics were a big step ahead of the last game, being 7 years apart helps with that, but they were still great to look at.”
    • “There are no gorgeous vistas, and the graphics are not amazing.”
    • “The graphics and everything are the same; they make it look so much better in the screenshots and video trailer.”
    • “Graphics suck, gameplay sucks, everything shown in the trailer is a lie.”
  • humor51 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mix of crude, silly, and well-written jokes that often land, particularly through the quirky main character and his interactions with a pet dog. While some players find the humor hit-or-miss or overly campy, many appreciate the lighthearted moments that balance the action and emotional depth of the story. Overall, the game is recognized for its funny dialogue and engaging comedic elements, making it a standout in the VR genre.

    • “The humor is quite crude and silly, but it is actually well written, the jokes land, and it's not overbearing.”
    • “The character interactions between the player and buddy are hilarious, and are genuinely great at filling downtime.”
    • “An insanely funny and action-packed VR zombie-slaying adventure made all the better with the addition of your new fuzzy four-legged friend!”
    • “The constantly annoying, tear-your-hair-out unfunny moron alcoholic, yet fake, personality of the protagonist trying to be funny all the time.”
    • “Let me rephrase: what kind of constantly annoying, tear-your-hair-out unfunny moron alcoholic trying to be funny all the time, do you have to be to come up with a story like that?”
  • stability27 mentions

    The game's stability is frequently criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs and glitches that disrupt gameplay, particularly in climbing mechanics and multiplayer functionality. Issues such as inconsistent object interactions, softlocks, and animation errors detract from the overall experience, leading many to feel the game is unpolished and in need of significant fixes. While some players find enjoyment despite these problems, the prevalence of bugs suggests that the game may require further development before it can be fully recommended.

    • “The game looks great, sounds great, runs great.”
    • “I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs, which is impressive.”
    • “The performance is smooth, even during intense gameplay moments.”
    • “Multiplayer is a buggy mess that frequently softlocks on you and lacks basic features such as saving the inventory of the second player.”
    • “It is quite buggy even now, the whole game feels very unpolished.”
    • “Bugs such as the second player losing all of their ammo and materials between loading screens and when dying, some areas are not able to be completed unless the host is alive, a ton of animation glitches, almost all of the cosmetics are not placed correctly on the other player, there are way more bugs than this.”
  • optimization26 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization received mixed reviews. While some players praised the smooth frame rates and improved graphics, others reported significant performance issues, including stuttering, FPS drops, and problems with specific VR mechanics. Additionally, there were complaints about aggressive performance optimization leading to overly dark environments and inconsistent experiences across different hardware setups.

    • “Graphics are good, optimization is well done.”
    • “In my opinion at launch, it's a very clean and well-optimized game with great graphics.”
    • “For performance, I'm getting close to solid 80 fps in 80 Hz with no motion smoothing, index res 350% (about 32 million pixels per frame) with 4x MSAA and all other graphics settings maxed.”
    • “Opening doors has a random chance to send you into a clipping stuttering state that requires a restart.”
    • “During my game, I was constantly getting stuttering and FPS drops.”
    • “Also noticed the optimization is terrible on this game.”
  • emotional13 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to blend humor with poignant moments, particularly through the bond with the dog character, Buddy. Players report feeling deeply engaged with the story, experiencing a range of emotions from joy to sadness, especially during critical plot points involving Buddy's fate. The voice acting and narrative depth contribute to these emotional highs, making it a memorable experience for those who connect with the characters.

    • “The happy ending was very emotional to me because I liked the dog the most, but after all, very good gameplay. I 100% recommend this if you like zombies.”
    • “The emotional value: this game went from really funny to really sad with the story. Seeing 'Fred' as us and Buddy being patient zero, and Fred wanting us to kill Buddy was really sad. Seeing Buddy flatline and then come back as a super dog was so satisfying.”
    • “The voice acting is amazing, and there are a couple of really hard-hitting emotional moments, which I honestly didn't expect from the game.”
  • replayability7 mentions

    Overall, the game has limited replayability, with players noting a lack of diverse content and routes to explore. While some enjoy the co-op experience, technical issues and repetitive environments detract from the potential for replay value, leading to mixed ratings for both solo and co-op play. Many reviewers suggest that the game feels overpriced given its current replayability, recommending a lower price point or waiting for additional content.

    • “Tldr: overall a pretty good game with some technical issues and questions about replayability and overall length.”
    • “To many sewers, weapon mods would be nice, more open areas, some co-op specific events or areas, some choices on routes to make for some replay value perhaps, a bit more polish on the co-op (we found a fair few bugs).”
    • “Although I will admit it's a bit overpriced, maybe a $40 price tag would be better since there really isn't any replay value.”
    • “Based on the price of the game... I would wait for that DLC or you will spend $50 on a game that I personally don't see it having much replay value at the moment, and horde mode just isn't for me.”
    • “Too many sewers, weapon mods would be nice, more open areas, some co-op specific events or areas, some choices on routes to make for some replay value perhaps, a bit more polish on the co-op (we found a fair few bugs).”
  • grinding6 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly due to cumbersome mechanics like the grip required to hold weapons and a challenging reload system. The repetitive nature of enemy waves and sparse checkpoints contribute to a sense of monotony, making the grinding experience feel excessive and unenjoyable for many.

    • “It depends on how much you enjoy grinding.”
    • “The waves can become tedious, particularly when they spawn from multiple directions, leading to unavoidable deaths.”
    • “The reload mechanic is a tedious nightmare and the checkpoint system is far too sparse (sucks, needs fixing, someone needs to be fired over it).”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
  • music3 mentions

    The music in the game received a positive note, with a score of 7/10, standing out as one of the few polished elements amidst a generally disappointing experience. However, the overall gameplay mechanics, such as weapon handling and gun swapping, detracted from the enjoyment of the audio.

    • “The lack of polish on just about everything except music and audio just adds to the letdown.”
    • “It has strange weapon handling, finicky grabbing mechanics, and idiotic 'musical chair' gun swapping that just felt really cumbersome.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, maintaining the charm and humor of the original while enhancing the experience with a phenomenal setting. Players appreciate the supportive role of the canine companion, which adds to the overall enjoyment.

    • “The atmosphere is phenomenal; if you liked the first game, you'll love this one.”
    • “That same great atmosphere and humor from the original is present, and your trusty canine is very helpful.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the monetization strategy for the game is perceived as a blatant cash grab, drawing unfavorable comparisons to other franchises that have similarly exploited their names for profit. The marketing approach has also been criticized as distasteful, further fueling the sentiment of opportunism.

    • “I was convinced that it was a clear cash grab based on the name of the first game, like Walking Dead 2.”
    • “The marketing was very distasteful, similar to Ghostbusters, which felt like another cheap cash grab.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development is generally well-received, with users noting that it is strong and effectively enhances the overall narrative experience.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
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Critic Reviews

79% average critic score

Buy Arizona Sunshine 2

Play time

5hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
4-9hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 9 analyzed playthroughs

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