Enter the Battlezone!
We were recently invited by the wonderful people at Rebellion studios to visit their studio and get our hands (and heads) on their upcoming VR game Battlezone! After playing it, we’re comfortable saying that Battlezone has the potential to change video games forever.
The name Battlezone may ring a bell for some people. The original Battlezone was released back in 1980 for arcades, later being ported to home consoles. This new reboot of the franchise stays true to its roots, but makes some big changes that make it wildly different. The first one being the obvious, it’s VR!
The game sees you seated inside the cockpit of a lumbering tank, and setting out on a variety of missions to destroy shield generators that guard an evil volcano. You move along a board, with each tile being a mission you must undertake. Each completed mission rewards you with money (called data) that you can spend on upgrading your tank, making it even stronger.
As you play, enemies gain levels and become even tougher, and then at one point a nemesis drops in and tries to ruin your day by blowing you to bits. This all sounds incredibly overwhelming i’m sure, but that’s the point, you’re meant to feel overpowered and lost, it makes each victory feel like you earned it by the skin of your teeth.
But sometimes you won’t make it, and that’s ok too. Rebellion want you to fail, to learn from your mistakes and try again. The game’s randomly generated nature means that you’ll make a mistake, die, learn from it, and then proceed to decimate everyone next time you play in a new and exciting environment.
Marcus in the middle of battle
Speaking of environments, Battlezone is the first VR game that actually feels like a game. The massive open maps are filled with detail and look incredibly alive. Everything has an incredible feel about it, and it gives the sense that everything you do in your tank feels genuine. At times I forgot I was playing a game and thought I was piloting a futuristic tank! It’s one one of those fancy “experience” simulators, Battlezone is a full on interactive game.
Battlezone is out really, really soon! Coming the same day as PSVR, October 13th! So for all your VR needs, keep it here at How To Kill An Hour
More about Battlezone: http://www.rebellion.co.uk/games/battlezone
Don’t forget to check out this weeks episode of How To Kill An Hour, where we got the chance to interview the head of Rebellion (and real life knight!) Jason Kingley
Marcus interviewing head of Rebellion Studios, Jason Kingley
Of course get your hands on Battlezone by clicking here
