BLUE ESTATE is a “darkly funny on-rail shooter,” based on the graphic novel from Viktor Kalvachev, developed by He-Saw, and published by Focus Home Interactive. It looked interesting so I played the free demo this week on PlayStation 4.
The full game offers story and arcade modes, a two-player local cooperative option, and “normal,” “abnormal” or “crazytrain” difficulty settings. BLUE ESTATE uses the gyroscopic features of the PlayStation 4 controller and Kinect sensor on Xbox One. On PC, it’s played with the keyboard / mouse, traditional USB gamepads, Leap Motion or light guns.
“On rails” means I couldn’t control my path through the environment. Like riding a roller coaster or train, I could look around and sometimes grab things — like ammo or health packs — but couldn’t back up, explore or choose my own path as the game moved me forward. The main elements here are story, shooting, and occasional quick-time-events where I swiped the touchpad on the PS4 controller.
BLUE ESTATE earns its “M” for mature rating, with lots of blood, violence, drug references, crude humor, sexual themes and partial nudity.
~ J.L. Hilton
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