First demonstrated for HTC’s Vive before hitting the Oculus Rift and Windows Mixed Reality platforms, I-Illusions’ arcade-style VR game Space Pirate Trainer lets you suit up as a Peter Quill/Star-Lord-alike to fight off waves of futuristic drones. Today, Sony announced that it’s coming to PSVR in 2018.
The concept is fairly straightforward, but the visuals are spectacular. You stand on a circular platform, equipped with multiple weapons and a forcefield, blocking and dodging drone attacks while returning fire. A laser whip can grab drones, while single- and dual-handed blasters knock them from the sky. You’re attempting to protect the spaceship behind you through level after level of attacks, and can engage turrets near the ship to help fend off enemies.
Part of the game’s appeal is the workout you’ll get while playing: You use separate left- and right-handed controllers to target drones, and turn your head and body to see everything around you. And the aesthetics are strong, too — synth tunes, 1980’s sci-fi sound effects, robot voices, and neon-styled score indicators all evoke a classic arcade feel.
While the game isn’t an official Guardians of the Galaxy VR experience, the trailer doesn’t discourage the comparisons. “Pick up your blasters, put on your sneakers, and dance your way into the Space Pirate Trainer hall of fame,” the trailer suggests, without mentioning that the Walkman-toting Star-Lord is perhaps the galaxy’s only dancing space pirate.
Perhaps you’ll be next when the game hits PlayStation VR later this year. While the virtual reality platform was not featured at the company’s pre-E3 press briefing, Sony did announce new PSVR titles spanning a wide range of genres for release in 2018. The titles range from the visual novel Déraciné to rhythm game Beat Saber, world creator Dreams, and shooters such as Firewall: Zero Hour and Evasion.
