Arizona Sunshine Remake

About

"Arizona Sunshine® Remake is an upgraded version of the original VR game with improved graphics and combat. Set in a post-apocalyptic Arizona, you play as a survivor fighting through hordes of zombies in a quest for human contact. The remake includes new weapons, the Federal Containment Agency Pack, and is available at a discounted price for owners of the original game."

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Play Modes

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 639 reviews

graphics59 positive mentions

stability19 negative mentions

The remake significantly improves graphics and gameplay mechanics compared to the original, making it a more enjoyable experience.
The addition of melee weapons and advanced reloading mechanics enhances the combat, providing a satisfying zombie-slaying experience.
The game includes all DLCs for free, offering great value for players who owned the original.

The game suffers from various bugs, including issues with weapon handling and character controls, which can disrupt gameplay.
The campaign is relatively short, with some players completing it in under 5 hours, leading to concerns about replayability.
Multiplayer co-op has significant issues, including desynchronization and freezing zombies, making it frustrating for players.

graphics
164 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
62%
2%
The graphics in the remake of Arizona Sunshine have received widespread praise for their significant improvement over the original, showcasing impressive visuals, varied environments, and enhanced gore effects. While some players noted occasional bugs and performance issues, the overall graphical fidelity and immersive atmosphere elevate the gameplay experience, making it a strong contender in the VR space, though it may not quite reach the heights of titles like Half-Life: Alyx. The remake successfully revitalizes the original's aesthetic while introducing new mechanics and features that enhance player engagement.
- “The graphics are stunning, and while the gameplay doesn’t quite reach the level of Half-Life: Alyx, something I hold as a benchmark for first-party games, it’s still immensely enjoyable in its own right.”
- “The remake completely improves on everything from the classic, the graphics, the sound effects, the gameplay, etc. Everything is better here.”
- “Gorgeous graphics and gore-geous fun!”
- “In spite of my many gripes with this game, including the buggy graphics, physics, AI (I ain't ever seen a zombie get so confused by a door), missing crafting system (which admittedly wasn't in the original, but was in AS2) and its map design feeling like a huge letdown even by the first game's standards (like seriously? why is it that the maps look like you're trapped in a box? Every time I look at the vistas of the map I feel like no effort went into making sure it looked natural).”
- “Even on the lowest graphical settings, it played like it was stuck in slow motion, with character movements feeling delayed and out of sync with the rest of the action.”
- “You guys are tripping because the graphics, especially textures in this game, are passable at best.”
story
141 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
69%
4%
The story of the game is generally viewed as simple and predictable, with some players appreciating its lighthearted tone and humor, particularly from the main protagonist. However, many critiques highlight its short length and lack of depth, with some missions feeling repetitive and uninspired. While the remake retains the original's narrative, it has been noted that the gameplay improvements and graphics enhance the overall experience, making it enjoyable despite its narrative shortcomings.
- “I actually love the story; the main protagonist is genuinely funny and it really adds to the experience.”
- “It proves that a story doesn't need to be 100 layers deep but easy to follow with laughs along the way.”
- “This remake stuck true to the story and improved on the graphics and gameplay mechanics.”
- “Unfortunately, the game's biggest problems are remnants from the original, those being the story's short length and simplistic levels, although it's included with 2 DLC campaigns, which helps with the length problem somewhat, and the wave mode gives you something else to do after the campaign.”
- “The story is terribly predictable, the protagonist is bearable at the best of times, there is little enemy variation, and the game direction is confused.”
- “Arizona Sunshine is a simple and linear VR shooter; there is no engaging story, there are no interesting characters, there is no crafting, no upgrade and progression systems.”
gameplay
120 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
60%
9%
The gameplay of the Arizona Sunshine remake has received mixed reviews, with many praising its improved graphics, immersive gunplay mechanics, and enhanced interactions with the environment. However, some players criticize the janky reload mechanics and repetitive gameplay, noting that while the remake offers a more polished experience than the original, it still falls short of the standards set by its sequel. Overall, the game is considered enjoyable, especially for fans of VR shooters, but it retains some archaic elements that can detract from the experience.
- “The remake completely improves on everything from the classic, the graphics, the sound effects, the gameplay, etc. Everything is better here.”
- “The graphics are stunning, and while the gameplay doesn’t quite reach the level of Half-Life: Alyx, something I hold as a benchmark for first-party games, it’s still immensely enjoyable in its own right.”
- “I absolutely love that the modern quality of life mechanics of Arizona Sunshine 2 are adapted to the original now - the advanced reload mechanics make horde mode a lot more fun.”
- “I found AZ2 to have ridiculously difficult reload mechanics.”
- “Still archaic mechanics like rudimentary reloading; you can't rack the bolt on a bolt-action rifle properly, for example.”
- “The skill aspect of shooting flies out the window when the game decides to throw 30 zombies at you at once, and the entire gameplay becomes 'walk backwards while just spamming bullets into the crowd because headshots don't even do anything half the time.'”
optimization
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
63%
11%
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players noting solid performance on medium settings and improved optimization compared to previous titles, while others report significant performance issues, particularly in darker areas and with game-breaking bugs. Many users expressed hope for future patches to address these concerns, as performance can vary widely depending on hardware specifications. Despite these issues, some players found the game enjoyable and well-optimized for their setups, highlighting a balance between immersion and playability.
- “This game is just optimized better.”
- “Fun game to play and well optimized, perfect to play before Metro comes out :D”
- “The performance is super smooth and I didn’t experience any bugs.”
- “All that is beside the absolutely terrible performance even on my 4070 ti and game-breaking bugs.”
- “I was eager to experience the campaign with my friends, but compared to the first game, this one feels like there’s a real lack of optimization, and it prevents players from properly enjoying the story or even completing a session without crashes.”
- “This wasn’t a hardware problem either—while my friends and I may have older machines, our PC specs are all within the recommended minimum for the game, so these performance issues were unexpected and disappointing.”
humor
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its cheesy and lighthearted humor, with many players enjoying the funny voice lines and comedic moments, especially when playing with friends. While some find the humor a bit overwhelming, it generally enhances the overall experience, contributing to the game's charm and immersive atmosphere. However, there are mixed opinions on the quality of voice acting, with some finding it amusing while others feel it falls flat.
- “I actually love the story, the main protagonist is genuinely funny and it really adds to the experience.”
- “It has a nice amount of funny moments with the game humor, and the game is hilarious when you play through it with a friend.”
- “Good use of humor throughout, never taking itself too seriously.”
stability
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
83%
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with many users reporting persistent bugs, graphical glitches, and issues with AI behavior, such as zombies getting stuck. While some players note improvements in graphics and gameplay balance, the overall experience is marred by technical problems that can disrupt gameplay, leading to a mixed reception regarding stability. Despite these issues, some players find the game playable, suggesting that experiences may vary.
- “+ runs great”
- “+ runs great”
- “It has some nice graphics, but the game is so buggy, your hands go everywhere and I spawned in the wall, so I had to start a new game instantly.”
- “Game's a buggy mess.”
- “On top of that, there were plenty of problems with game elements not syncing properly, graphical glitches, and sluggish performance.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
38%
38%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it charming and fun with great replay value, others note a limited selection of only four maps, which restricts long-term engagement.
- “Definitely some great replay value here and a super fun game overall.”
- “Not much replayability value, but wow it has so much charm.”
- “My only complaint is the very small pool of maps; unless I missed something, there appears to only be four maps total, which kind of limits replayability.”
- “Complete replayability for years!”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its impressive graphics and immersive gun-play mechanics, which enhance player interaction with the world. The remake of Arizona Sunshine notably elevates the original's visuals and atmosphere while maintaining its core challenges, resulting in a compelling and engaging experience. Additionally, the game's balance of difficulty and elements of gore contribute to its intense ambiance.
- “It has great graphics and atmosphere, immersive gun-play mechanics, great interactions with the world, a good balance in the difficulties, and awesome gore and dismemberment.”
- “Arizona Sunshine Remake is well, the remake of the original Arizona Sunshine from 2016 that elevates the game's visuals, atmosphere, and overhauls the combat system and the interactivity of the world while retaining the same challenges the player faced in the original game.”
- “They copied this storing style from Half-Life Alyx, I get it, but it's a different game with a different atmosphere.”
- “They copied this storytelling style from Half-Life: Alyx; I get it, but it's a different game with a different atmosphere.”
- “Arizona Sunshine Remake is, well, the remake of the original Arizona Sunshine from 2016 that elevates the game's visuals, atmosphere, and overhauls the combat system and the interactivity of the world while retaining the same challenges the player faced in the original game.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively time-consuming, often requiring a significant investment of effort to progress. While the voice chat quality is praised, the overall experience is marred by the tediousness of joining games.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews; while one user praised the soundtrack of the DLC featuring the bridge, likening it to the engaging music of "Dying Light," another found the overall soundtrack to be unremarkable.
- “The DLC with the bridge was my favorite part, mostly because of the soundtrack. It felt like I was playing Dying Light.”
- “The soundtrack is nothing special.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is not clearly conveyed in the provided text, which focuses on a gameplay mechanic rather than emotional engagement or narrative depth. Further context is needed to assess the emotional impact of the game.