Gunjack 2: End of Shift
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| Gunjack 2: End of Shift | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| VR/AR | Virtual Reality |
| Developer | CCP Games (Shanghai studio) |
| Platform | Daydream, Samsung Gear VR |
| Device | Daydream View, Samsung Gear VR |
| Operating System | Android |
| Type | Game |
| Genre | Shooter, Action |
| Input Device | Daydream Controller, Gear VR Controller |
| Release Date | December 2016 (Daydream); 11 December 2017 (Gear VR) |
| Price | US$12.99 (Daydream, launch); US$8.99 (Gear VR, launch; Daydream from 11 December 2017) |
| App Store | Google Play, Oculus Store |
Gunjack 2: End of Shift is a mobile virtual reality space shooter developed by the Shanghai studio of CCP Games and set in the science fiction universe of EVE Online. It is the sequel to Gunjack. The player is a turret operator on the Kubera, a heavy-duty mining rig in the Outer Ring of the EVE universe, and defends it against bandits. Unlike the first game, which was aimed by looking around the cockpit, the sequel is aimed with a handheld motion controller.[1][2]
The game was first shown under the codename Gunjack Next at Google I/O in May 2016 and was released in December 2016 as an exclusive for Google's Daydream platform, priced at US$12.99.[3][4] A version for the Samsung Gear VR followed on 11 December 2017.[5] Google nominated the game for Best VR Experience at the 2017 Google Play Awards.[6]
Gameplay
The game takes place on the Kubera, which CCP describes as a heavy-duty mining rig in the Outer Ring of the EVE universe, "part ship and part station". As a turret operator, the player protects the rig, its cargo and its crew from bandits.[1] On Daydream, the player uses the Daydream Controller to aim and fire at swarms of enemies, deploy special weapons and raise an energy shield; the Gear VR version uses the Gear VR motion controller in the same way.[4][5] UploadVR noted that controller aiming separates the aim from head movement, while the original Gunjack was a gallery shooter aimed with the head.[2]
The sequel puts more weight on story than the first game. CCP said it would use cinematic cut-scenes and voice acting, and the cut-scenes feature the crew of the mining rig.[1][4] In its review, UploadVR described the crew as a group of Gunjacks who swap stories between levels, "not all of which are entirely factual".[7]
The game has a story campaign and a score-based mode. According to UploadVR, the campaign has nine levels lasting about an hour in total, with missions that range from fending off swarms to blasting asteroids, gathering resources and fighting bosses.[7] At launch the game also offered a Daily Shift with new missions every day.[4][8] Three power-ups are triggered by swiping the controller's touchpad and the shield by tapping it.[7]
February 2017 update
A free update released on 6 February 2017 replaced the Daily Shift with a Weekly Shift of seven procedurally generated missions each week, each with its own high-score leaderboard. It also added Challenges, in which players compete for high scores on missions changed by "mutators", and a progression system in which experience from Challenges and the Weekly Shift unlocks special weapon upgrades, such as the Maelstrom Autocannon and the Carnage Flak Cannon, and a new weapon called the Pyro Slicer. A loadout system let players choose their special weapons for both modes.[8]
Development
Gunjack 2 was made by CCP's Shanghai studio, the team behind the first Gunjack, and was built in Unreal Engine 4 for mobile VR.[4][9] It first appeared as a logo in the Daydream Home section of Google's Daydream presentation at Google I/O on 18 May 2016. CCP then confirmed that "Gunjack Next" was the codename for a full sequel that would be exclusive to Daydream and was planned for release in the fall alongside the platform.[3][10] CCP CEO Hilmar Veigar Pétursson said at the time: "When we heard the details about Google's Daydream platform, we knew immediately that we wanted to be involved."[9]
CCP announced the final title on 4 October 2016, the day Google announced the Daydream View headset, and said the game would be released in November 2016.[1][11] Executive producer Jean-Charles Gaudechon said that the Daydream controller made the core gameplay of "destroying masses of enemies" more "natural and fun".[1] When the game was released, Pétursson said CCP had "designed Gunjack 2 to be a showcase for Daydream".[4]
Release
Google listed Gunjack 2 among the games coming to Daydream when it announced the platform's first headset, and on 1 November 2016 it included the game in a list of experiences coming "over the next few weeks".[11][12] The game missed the November target. UploadVR reported it among the titles launching on Daydream on 7 December 2016, and CCP's release announcement is datelined 8 December 2016.[13][4]
The Gear VR version launched on the Oculus Store on 11 December 2017 for US$8.99. On the same day CCP cut the Daydream price on Google Play from US$12.99 to US$8.99, released a Gear VR bundle with the first Gunjack at a discount, and lowered the price of the original game from US$9.99 to US$4.99 on all its platforms. The Gear VR release made both Gunjack games available on a single platform for the first time.[5][14] UploadVR reported that the Gear VR release came as CCP was moving away from VR until the install base grew. In October 2017 Road to VR, citing the Icelandic newspaper MBL, had reported that CCP was shelving VR, closing its Atlanta studio and selling its Newcastle studio.[15][16]
| Platform | Store | Release date | Launch price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daydream | Google Play | December 2016 | US$12.99[4][13] |
| Samsung Gear VR | Oculus Store | 11 December 2017 | US$8.99[5] |
Google stopped selling the Daydream View headset in October 2019 and said it would no longer support Daydream on the Pixel 4, while keeping the Daydream app and store available to existing users.[17] In October 2020 Google's support pages stated that the Daydream VR app was no longer supported and might not work properly on some devices running Android 11 or later.[18]
Reception
Jamie Feltham of UploadVR called Gunjack 2 a "worthy follow-up" to the original and a solid shooter that had been "polished until it shines", but wrote that it was far from the most exciting use of Daydream and offered little that other mobile VR shooters had not already done. He praised the varied campaign missions, the "soberingly isolating" atmosphere and the cut-scenes, which he called "an amusing tour of the EVE universe". He recommended the weekly shifts to fans of the first game's score chasing. His main complaint was the shield control: tapping the touchpad for the shield conflicted with clicking it to fire, and he often switched by accident during fights. He also found the campaign shorter than the original and wrote that repairs "become a crutch in most levels".[7]
Gunjack 2: End of Shift was one of five nominees for Best VR Experience at the 2017 Google Play Awards, alongside Virtual Virtual Reality, The Arcslinger, Mekorama VR and The Turning Forest.[6] The award went to Virtual Virtual Reality by Tender Claws.[19]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "CCP Games Announces Gunjack 2: End of Shift exclusively for Google's Daydream Platform". CCP Games news (Fenris Creations). CCP Games. 2016-10-04. https://fenris.com/news/2016/ccp-games-announces-gunjack-2-end-of-shift-exclusively-for-googles-daydream-platform. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 David Jagneaux (2016-10-04). "Gunjack 2: End of Shift from CCP Launches Exclusively on Google Daydream This November". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/gunjack-2-daydream-november/. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Jamie Feltham (2016-05-18). "Gunjack Next is a Full Sequel to CCP's Shooter Exclusively for Google Daydream". UploadVR. https://uploadvr.com/gunjack-next-full-sequel-ccps-shooter-exclusively-google-daydream/. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 "Gunjack 2: End of Shift Available Now on Daydream". CCP Games news (Fenris Creations). CCP Games. 2016-12-08. https://fenris.com/news/2016/gunjack-2-end-of-shift-available-now-on-daydream. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "CCP Games' Gunjack 2: End of Shift Blasts onto Samsung Gear VR". CCP Games news (Fenris Creations). CCP Games. 2017-12-11. https://fenris.com/news/2017/ccp-games-gunjack-2-end-of-shift-blasts-onto-samsung-gear-vr. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Ben Lang (2017-04-24). "Google Nominates Top AR/VR Apps for 2017 Play Awards". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/google-nominates-top-arvr-apps-2017-play-awards/. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Jamie Feltham (2017-02-12). "Gunjack 2 Review: A Cinematic, Varied Shooter Sequel". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/gunjack-2-review-cinematic-varied-shooter-sequel/. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "CCP Games Expands Gunjack 2: End of Shift with Challenges, Leaderboards, Weapon Upgrades and More". Cosmocover newsroom. CCP Games. 2017-02-06. https://cosmocover.com/newsroom/ccp-games-expands-gunjack-2-end-of-shift-with-challenges-leaderboards-weapon-upgrades-and-more. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "CCP Games Developing Gunjack Sequel Exclusively for Google's Daydream Platform". Cosmocover newsroom. CCP Games. 2016-05-19. https://www.cosmocover.com/newsroom/ccp-games-developing-gunjack-sequel-exclusively-for-googles-daydream-platform/. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ Paul James (2016-05-18). "CCP Announce 'Gunjack Next' for Google's New Daydream Android VR Platform". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/ccp-announce-gunjack-next-for-googles-new-daydream-android-vr-platform/. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Clay Bavor (2016-10-04). "Daydream: Bringing high-quality VR to everyone". The Keyword (Google blog). Google. https://blog.google/products/daydream/daydream-bringing-high-quality-vr-everyone/. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ Mike Jazayeri (2016-11-01). "Daydream View coming to stores November 10th". The Keyword (Google blog). Google. https://blog.google/products/daydream/daydream-view-coming-stores-november-10th/. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Jamie Feltham (2016-12-07). "VR LEGO, 'Gunjack 2', 'Layers of Fear' And More Hit Daydream Today". UploadVR. https://uploadvr.com/vr-lego-gunjack-2-layers-fear-hit-daydream-today/. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ "'Gunjack 2: End of Shift' Finally Comes to Gear VR". Road to VR. 2017-12-14. https://www.roadtovr.com/gunjack-2-end-shift-finally-comes-gear-vr/. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ Ian Hamilton (2017-12-11). "Gunjack 2 Comes To Gear VR As CCP Winds Down Efforts". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/gunjack-2-comes-gear-vr-ccp-winds-efforts/. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ Scott Hayden (2017-10-30). "CCP to Shelve VR as It Shutters Atlanta Office, Sells Branch Behind 'EVE: Valkryie' in Newcastle". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/ccp-shelve-vr-shutters-atlanta-office-sells-branch-behind-eve-valkryie-new-castle/. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ Ben Lang (2019-10-15). "Google Discontinues Daydream View Headset, the Final Nail in the Coffin for its Android VR Ambitions". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/google-puts-final-nail-daydream-coffin-discontinues-view-headset/. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ Jamie Feltham (2020-10-04). "Still Use Google Daydream? Don't Get Android 11". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/google-daydream-android-11/. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
- ↑ Purnima Kochikar (2017-05-19). "The winners of the 2017 Google Play Awards are ...". The Keyword (Google blog). Google. https://www.blog.google/products/google-play/winners-2017-google-play-awards-are. Retrieved 2026-10-15.