First-person shooters would seem to be a natural fit for virtual reality (VR) as the camera already provides the characters view point. But this hasn’t really been the case as some developers have found trying to replicate the intense FPS action of shooters such as Call of Duty or Doom, doesn’t necessarily translate into VR, mainly due to simulator sickness. But heading to the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive head-mounted displays (HMDs) is a new arena style combat shooter called Protonwar.
Developed by Outer Planet Studios Protonwar is a multiplayer focused title that places an emphasis on quick and flowing movement around the arenas, so players can jump strafe, wall run, wall jump, double jump and slide to out wit their opponents.
Launched through Steam Early Access, the current build will feature four maps, along with four gameplay modes (Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Parkour Mode and Project Holo). Both Deathmatch and Project Holo have been designed to be used with positional-tracked controllers in mind. Deathmatch can also be played with bots rather than online, while Project Holo is a horde mode that can be played solo or with a friend.
This early version includes five gameplay mutators (low gravity, instagib, big head mode, all weapons mode and grapple hooks), and one power-up (double damage). Ten weapons will be available, 8 standard and 2 specials. These include: Tomahawk Axe, Assault Rifle, Shotgun, Grenade Launcher, Rocket Launcher, Proton Gun, Reaper, Sniper Rifle and Stapler. The Stapler fires three nails at once but can only be used by VR characters, no other weapons mentioned are currently VR specific.
Protonwar will be in Early Access for around a year and can be downloaded through Steam for £10.99 GBP. This is an introductory price and will likely increase when fully launched. VRFocus will continue bringing you the latest VR releases on Steam as details are released.
