Virtual reality (VR) in gaming has been on a steady rise for some time. In fact, one in four developers believe that VR will eventually become the most dominant ‘immersive tech’ in five years. After all, along with PCB antenna design software, haptic vibration motors are incorporated into its wireless systems for optimal bandwidth and radiation efficiency. This ensures that VR technology stays responsive, providing users with a more realistic gaming experience by the update.
Of course, VR’s increasingly better hardware is attracting more than just consumers—it’s catching the eye of several AAA game developers as well. True enough, we’ve previously written an article about some of the most hyped VR games of the year, specifically those from big names, such as Skydance Interactive’s The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners and Valve’s Half-Life: Alyx.
Today, another company joins the fray: First Contact Entertainment. You might have heard of them as the developer of one of the top VR titles on the market: a first-person shooter called Firewall: Zero Hour.
This year, First Contact is launching its newest VR game: SOLARIS OFFWORLD COMBAT, and from the teasers that we’ve been shown, it certainly doesn’t look to disappoint.
SOLARIS OFFWORLD COMBAT
If you’re a big fan of Quake, then you’re going to love SOLARIS OFFWORLD COMBAT. This game is a sci-fi multiplayer VR shooter story set in the year 2150. Players take on the role of a robotic athlete (called an ‘Athlon’) as they compete in a series of eSports games in the Offworld Arenas. As a team of four, your goal is to take control of the arena before the time runs out. The battlefield contains a lot of weapons, cover points, and other equipment (like mines and shields) you can use to bring your team to victory.
Speaking of weapons, it’s one aspect that players are really looking forward to. After all, First Contact did weapon handling in Firewall so well. Indeed, game director Damoun Shabestari confirms in an interview that Solaris’ guns will give players ‘visual feedback’ when they’re ready to fire. In short, rather than the game telling you to fire, you’ll ‘see’ when your weapon is loaded.
Additionally, he emphasised that while Solaris is tactical in nature, it’s also something that can be casually enjoyed among groups of friends.
What to expect at launch?
The only game mode available at launch will be ‘Control Point’. Similar to King of the Hill, your team collects points by controlling a spot on the map. Except, said spot moves to a different location every few minutes to keep everyone on their toes. First Contact also confirms that there will be dedicated servers at launch, along with a steady stream of content including ‘squads’, character skins, and more in the following weeks.
Solaris Offworld Combat is going to be released on August 27th, 2020 for the Oculus Quest and Oculus Rift S. It’s a timed exclusive and will be made available on Steam sometime next year. For more reviews and gaming news you can keep up to date at Informed Pixel. Want to speak to the team and interact with other gamers? You can do so over on the Informed Pixel Facebook page or on the Informed Pixel Twitter account.
