HUMANITY, the crowd simulation puzzler from Enhance and THA, is here, bringing all of its Lemmings-inspired glory to PSVR 2 and PC VR headsets today.

Update (May 16th, 2023)

HUMANITY is available on PSVR, PSVR 2 and PC VR headsets starting today. As a PlayStation Plus title for May, it will also be free to PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members during the month of May. You can find it here on the PlayStation Store and on Steam, priced at $30.

At the time of this writing, HUMANITY is already available in Europe on the PS Store and is soon to unlock on the platform in North America in the coming hours. We’ve included the new launch trailer ahead of the original article below:

Update (April 20th, 2023)

Japan-based studio Enhance and developers THA LTD announced HUMANITY is coming to PSVR, PSVR 2 and PC VR headsets on May 16th, which also includes flatscreen support.

The game is set to launch on PS5/PS4 as a PlayStation Plus title for May, which means it will be free to PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members throughout the month.

The studio also released a new trailer showing off some of the infectiously weird (and patently Japanese) marketing spliced in with gameplay which may pique your interest, embedded below the update.

Note: The previously mentioned demo is no longer available.

Original Article (February 28th, 2023): It was pretty vague what the hell HUMANITY was all about when it was first announced in 2019, however now the studio reveals its upcoming game is a “unique blend of puzzle-solving and action-platforming,” giving you control over an ethereal Shiba Inu dog who commands a massive crowd.

Like Lemmings, you control the crowd as they jump, turn, push, float, shoot, and climb their way to the end goal. Move past obstacles, enemies, puzzles, and gain unlockable skills in the main game, and upload and try out user-built levels with the in-game Stage Creator.

Image courtesy Tha LTD, Enhance

To create its stark and unique environments, developer Tha LTD is working with creative studio Enhance—founded by Tetsuya Mizuguchi, known as the mind behind Rez and Tetris Effect: Connected—and director and visual designer Yugo Nakamura.

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Tha game is considered a VR-optional experience, offering up a fairly straightforward implementation that lets you turn the game’s puzzle-filled levels around and control your Shiba Inu buddy and direct the human horde. While nothing ground-breaking, it’s nice to see VR support from the get-go.

The game is slated to release on PSVR, PSVR 2, and SteamVR headsets sometime in May (see update). What’s more, you can now play a free demo on those platforms from now until March 6th. The demo contains 10 levels, while the full game has “90 plus”, the studio says.

In the meantime, check out the demo gameplay video overview below to learn more:

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Scott Hayden
Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 4,000 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.
  • Nevets

    Looks quite eye-catching, but I suspect – with its 10 free demo levels out of 90 in the paid game – that this would be one of those demos that provide sufficient satiety to discourage the full purchase.

  • Till Eulenspiegel

    This game is a metaphor of our woke society.

    • scottosaur

      “Woke” means recognizing that racism and other harmful prejudices exist.

      • Till Eulenspiegel

        That’s why you are a lemming.

        • kool

          So your the originator of the term woke?

          • Till Eulenspiegel

            The original meaning has no relevance today. It has evolved but you have not.

          • kool

            The meaning hasn’t changed just it’s use and you use the term like the rest of the herd.

          • Till Eulenspiegel

            Politics is the voice of the majority, that’s why there’s election. People’s usage of the word ‘woke’ then becomes the norm.

  • Tommy

    Just played the demo. It’s basically Lemmings.

  • ViRGiN

    Ah, coming to PCVR. The sidequest of steamvr.

    • Sven Viking

      What’s the other part of SteamVR?

      • ViRGiN

        Development environment for making Quest games.
        I catch myself using SteamVR + Quest Virtual Desktop + SteamVR for that remote access in dev builds.

    • LMAO

      Ignorant troll alert!

    • LMAO

      Ignorant troll alert.

      • ViRGiN

        you’ve had to say that twice in the same thread in space of just 2 months? you really got triggered, troll.

  • Visually is very original, but the gameplay is quite standard

  • Jonathan Winters III

    In the game, you’re killing children en masse…amazing the devs have done this.

  • Runesr2

    The demo uses 2 x 60 fps on the PSVR2, in this game that looks beyond bad, severe ghosting even affects reading text. The game felt like a 2D port, not sure you gain much from VR apart from a bigger screen.
    I uninstalled the demo after 10 minutes – but might be better with the Index in high res and 90+ fps.

    • ViRGiN

      ah, yes, the mythical index makes every shit better, cause it’s made by valve

  • disqus_o4N8KCTF90

    Not tried it yet but it’s good good reviews so far.

  • Till Eulenspiegel

    I just played it, it’s fun – just like Lumines, Rez and Tetris Effect, Enhance games are very interesting. I feel like Elon Musk leading his Twitter followers down the cliff with his Dogecoin.