Seven Years On, Blood & Truth Still Delivers the Best Story-Driven Action of Its Era

Blood & Truth drops players into a war zone and asks them to survive it. The 2019 PSVR shooter from PlayStation Studios is a mission-based action game built around stealth, shooting and quick escapes. It is also one of the best examples of what VR can do when developers treat it as a proper platform, not a gimmick.

Trailer, via PlayStation.

The Setup

Players take on the role of Alex Hunter, a British ex-soldier who gets pulled back into service after a terrorist attack in London. The plot sends him across Europe, from the streets of Athens to the hills of Albania, as he hunts down the masterminds behind the bombing. The story is pulpy and thin, but it moves fast and gives the action a reason to exist.

The Mission Structure

Blood & Truth breaks its campaign into a series of missions, each one a self-contained set of objectives. Players might start a mission by sneaking through a crowded market, then switch to open combat against enemy forces. The structure keeps the pace high and prevents any single stretch from dragging.

Here is how the missions generally progress through the campaign:

1. Athens Market — the opening mission sets players in a crowded urban setting.
2. Greek Highway — a mission that moves players through open terrain.
3. Albanian Hills — a mountain mission with narrow, exposed positions.
4. London Chase — the closing mission brings the story full circle back to the city.

VR Performance

The game runs at a solid frame rate on PSVR, with few moments of stutter during movement. Aim assist works well in close quarters, though it can feel restrictive in wide-open spaces. Haptic feedback on the PSVR controller adds weight to gunshots and impacts, making combat feel more physical than it looks on screen.

Gunplay

The weapons in Blood & Truth handle with a satisfying weight. Recoil pushes players back slightly after each shot, and the sound design sells the impact of gunfire. Cover systems are generous, letting players move from one safe spot to another without dying instantly. The game rewards patience and punishes reckless charging.

Stealth

Not every mission is about shooting. Some stretches ask players to avoid detection by blending into crowds or staying out of sight. These sections are less polished than the combat, but they break up the pace and add tension to the middle chapters.

Technical Issues

Blood & Truth is not perfect. Loading times between missions can be long, and some transitions feel clunky. The game also suffers from a few visual glitches, including occasional texture pop-in and minor frame drops during busy scenes. None of these issues derail the experience entirely, but they are noticeable enough to remember.

Replay Value

The campaign is short by modern standards, clocking in at roughly six to seven hours depending on skill level. There is no New Game Plus or additional difficulty setting to encourage a second playthrough. Players looking for more content will find the main story ends quickly.

What Works Best

The best parts of Blood & Truth are the sequences where the world feels alive around the player. A chase through a busy street, a firefight in a narrow alley, a rooftop escape — these moments capture why VR is a natural fit for this kind of game. The sense of presence is strong, even if the technical rough edges keep it from being flawless.

Final Verdict

Blood & Truth succeeds as a showcase for what PSVR can deliver when developers commit to the hardware. It is a competent, occasionally thrilling shooter that stumbles in the details. The core loop of sneaking, shooting and escaping holds up better than the polish around it.

The game earns a 7.2 out of 10.

The score reflects a shooter that delivers a strong core experience but falls short in execution.

action shooter · game review · PlayStation · PSVR · VR gaming