With the release of PlayStation VR exclusive Blood & Truth, developer London Studio has created an immersive interaction action spectacle where you get the chance to become an action hero. As you take on the role of elite Special Forces soldier Ryan Marks in modern day London (and other locations), you’ll be infiltrating a building full of armed bad guys one minute and chasing down a plane on a busy tarmac the next.



It’s the stuff of action hero legend, and thanks to being designed and built specifically PlayStation VR Blood & Truth puts you right there amid all the fireballs, bouncing bullet casings, and fast cars. And speaking of legends, to celebrate the launch of what will no doubt become an instant genre classic, we’ve decided to look at some of the most iconic action heroes found throughout video game history. And rediscover some of the their most memorable moments.

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Nathan Drake (Uncharted Series)

Sony and developer Naughty Dog’s Uncharted is very much the video game equivalent of a series of Indiana Jones adventures. Not in the sense that it’s a simple copy or homage, but that series star, action hero, and all-round dashing rogue Nathan Drake is one of the most well-known video game protagonists of all time. As the lead in four Uncharted titles, the globe-trotting adventurer and finder or rare antiquities has done everything from mounting a daring rescue inside a train car - one that just so happens to be dangling off of the side of a mountain - as well as run from a helicopter whilst fending off a series of armed attackers. Perhaps the most memorable comes in Uncharted 4 as Nathan races through a falling tower, breaking windows, dodging debris, and taking out bad guys to reach safety.

Dante (Devil May Cry Series)

When we think about some of the most memorable action heroes across television, film, and video games, simply saving the day or overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds armed with a single pistol and a few bullets isn’t enough. The best action heroes also kind of know that there’s an audience watching. And by that we mean, if you’re going to narrowly escape an explosion, stop a terrorist threat, or fire a gun - do it with style. When it comes to stylish action in the world of video games, they don’t come more over-the-top and gloriously choreographed than Capcom’s Devil May Cry series. Where you’re judged by just how cool you look when dispatching waves of enemies as the silver haired, blood-red jacket wearing Dante. An approach that was established in the very first game as on-screen prompts that begin with ‘Dull’ before going all the way up to ‘Cool’ and ‘Stylish’ - rank your performance in real-time.

Lara Croft (Tomb Raider Series)

When Tomb Raider first broke onto the scene in 1996 for the original Sony PlayStation it immediately took the world by storm. Series star Lara Croft simply oozes cool, packing twin pistols in a fashion that made here an instant action icon. This translated directly into the game too with players being able to fire off both weapons and dive around to dodge attacks. Since the release of the iconic first adventure we’ve seen no less than ten sequels and reboots. But no matter the version, one constant remains - Lara Croft. In 2015’s Rise of the Tomb Raider the action begins atop an icy mountain where Lara narrowly avoids an avalanche, then has her survive the Siberian wilderness before fighting for her life against a shadowy group of mercenaries in the midst of an abandoned Soviet installation.

Duke Nukem (Duke Nukem 3D)

Looking stylish is one thing, but being able to say something cool, funny, or pun-centric before blowing someone away is an action hero hallmark. One that dates back to the 1980s and the careers of some of the most iconic action movie stars of the big screen, like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis. In many ways the ‘one-liner’ is a relic of a bygone-era, but there’s still a place for the modern action hero to say something like “Stick Around” after impaling a baddie onto a wall with a large hunting knife. Even though the original Duke Nukem 3D helped define the first-person shooter genre in the 1990s, thanks to its arsenal of great weapons and excellent set pieces, it’s also a game where a steady stream of one-liners makes Duke a true action hero. “Come get some!”

Solid Snake (Metal Gear Solid Series)

Every hero needs a villain, someone pulling the strings on the other side of the good guy/bad guy divide making life difficult for the star of the show to do their thing and save the day. Across five titles spanning a few decades of video game history, Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid series has seen its hero, Solid Snake, go head-to-head against several memorable villains. From Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater’s fascinating The Boss character to the epic showdown between Snake and Liquid Ocelot in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, it’s a series that knows the strengths of Solid Snake as a soldier, hero, and man able to do the impossible. Which means a formidable opponent needs to be just that.

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As part of Sony’s PlayStation VR Worlds compilation, The London Heist from the aptly named London Studio stood out as a memorable experience. It told a short but visceral crime tale where you got to experience action, car chases and more, first-hand. Literally, as thanks to it being designed for PSVR you were able to pick up guns, reload them and duck and interact with the environment -- essentially living out an interactive Guy Richie crime drama in the vein of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels or Snatch.



Blood & Truth marries interactive action and storytelling, where alongside various gritty British crime dramas there are also shades of some of both movie and videogames’ greatest action heroes. Jumping through a high story window to make a narrow escape takes on a new meaning in VR as glass, rain droplets and the sensation of falling present moments worthy of a Nathan Drake or Lara Croft adventure. Catching a grenade in mid-air and throwing it back at an unsuspecting enemy is equal parts Arnie and Duke.

Blood & Truth is available now, exclusive to PlayStation VR.

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