An engaging racing game that pulls ahead of the rest, thanks to its game modes.
Racing games have always been one of the lighter genres in virtual reality (VR).
You’ve got games releasing here (VRider SBK) and there (EXOcars), but compared to a genre like shooters, the ratio of releases heavily favours the latter.
If you think back to a time when there was only flatscreen racing games, there has always been a variety from which to choose. Whether you want a classic driving sim, street racing with nitrous, or karting with powerups, every console has something.
While it’s unfortunate that EA will probably never bring Need for Speed to VR, the likes of Gran Turismo on the PlayStation VR2 or Galaxy Kart being a cross-platform game, means that there are developers who see the market’s yearning for content.
Within the racing genre, you’ll find the even more niche market of racing motorcycles. It’s here in this small genre that we will find the recently released VRacer Hoverbike.
Developed by VertexBreakers and released June. 26, VRacer is a futuristic motorcycle-styled game which has you racing around courses at breakneck speeds. Instead of a regular bike, however, you’re racing around on a hoverbike as you aim for the top place finish.
Featuring dozens of tracks and five game modes, it seems the developers aimed to provide a wealth of content at launch, to ensure the player base would remain.
Of course, if you’re not an avid racing fan, you may not get the most out of this title.
Let’s start by talking about the game modes and go from there.
Whether you want to place first after racing a few laps against the competition or blast them away with weapons as you cruise to victory, there’s a few different ways to play here. And honestly, this is the one place where the game shines.
Theres the generic solo campaign of race after race, as you work to be the best; then of course you have the time trials which just have you race against “ghosts” for the best time. With the less exciting modes out of the way, we get into things like survival where you need to fight to stay out of last place – or be eliminated; neon runner puts you on a track with obstacles that need to be avoided; and then there’s combat mode where your races become a lot more dangerous as you avoid enemy fire while trying to shoot the competition down.
Each of these has their merits, with combat mode taking inspiration from games like Mario Kart to be the most fun way to play the game.
But one can’t stress this enough: you really do need to love racing games to get the most out of this.
Graphically the game manages to land itself squarely in the camp of alright. The bike itself looks pretty nice, and the tracks you’ll race around aren’t too shabby looking in-headset either. Sure, the tracks have a lot less detail in them – and are blockier with flat textures compared to a high-quality racing sim like Gran Turismo on the PSVR2 – but things aren’t ugly.
One’s own opinions matter more when it comes to graphics, mostly because unless you’re a stickler, there’s no reason to let the looks of the game be what makes your decision to play.
Finally let’s touch on the movement system before we call it a day.
VRacer tries to give you all the immersive thrills of racing at high speeds on a bike, this includes a default system that relies heavily on leaning your body to turn. It’s an interesting but not very accurate way to play the game, as you’ll find that you need to get the leaning down to a science in order to be successful.
Basically leaning in just a smidge too much, will end with your bike going off the preferred path.
If you’re not one of the users who enjoys playing like this, then there are options to add in virtual handle bars that allow you to turn using your arms – in the default mode the only thing your arms do is hold onto the handlebars when you accelerate – or there’s the much less immersive steering via thumbsticks. The latter is definitely the least fun – but probably most accurate way to play.
The game encourages players to try all the movement options available and if you are intent on playing, it’s best to find your playstyle.
There’s not much to the remaining controls except that when playing in combat mode you’ll need to push a button to launch your weapons.
Overall, VRacer Hoverbike is a good experience for those who really enjoy racing games. If you’re just a casual racing game fan, then this title may be hit or miss – it really depends on your preferences.
There’s a wealth of content that can keep the right gamer entertained for hours, without ever even having to play multiplayer; but again, you really need to be a dedicated racer to get the most out of this title.
It’s nice to see that developers are taking chances and putting out titles that offer even the most veteran of VR gamers the chance to try something new. While this certainly won’t be for everyone, it is a game that anyone can enjoy for even a single race.
VRacer Hoverbike, was reviewed on the Quest 3 after receiving pre-release access.
