I still remember the thrill I felt when I played Unreal tournament for the first time. The fast-paced multiplayer action almost felt too real. Fast forward about 20 years later and Ubisoft Montreal tries to one-up that experience with Space Junkies VR.
Space shooter
My personal experience with online shooters is one of many trial and error sessions. It always takes me time and much perseverance to adjust to such frantic action that is customary with online shooters. Space Junkies VR puts you in a space suit which you can navigate in all possible directions. As if strafing left and right and jumping at the right time wasn’t enough, now I have to worry about my altitude with this one. Luckily, Ubisoft provided a nice tutorial to explain the ways to navigate in this game.
The basics movement is done by watching in the direction you want to go. Easy enough but bigger movement can only be achieved by using the joysticks. The turning happens in 45-degree increments which felt really awkward. This odd choice breaks the VR experience a bit for me. Changing your altitude and strafing all works fluently which makes the choice for turning in small degree increments even more odd. Maybe Ubisoft wanted to prevent motion sickness this way…
Dual wielding
Space Junkies VR is all about fragging your enemies as many times as possible while keeping your own deaths to a minimum. While the game offers dual wielding gun slinging action, the people at Ubisoft decided to only allow PSVR users to use the DualShock 4. Yep, you read that right, there is no move controller (or aim controller) support… You aim by holding the controller at a certain angle. There are rumors, move controller support will be added with a future update but until then you’re stuck with this awkward control scheme.
Great looking futuristic environments
The Unreal Engine really shines in the environments. The available arena’s all look stunningly, and the vibrant colors really burst of the screen. The “out of this world”-look really implements the space part of Space Junkies VR. Each level has its own distinguished flavor to it. Some arenas are more open while others have more nooks and crannies to hide yourself. Each type of player will find something they like.
Cross-platform
Space Junkies VR takes a bold step by trying to be an online only multiplayer shooter in VR. The VR market on the Playstation is, although growing, still a niche market. A game like Space Junkies VR needs an active pool of players to be successful. Ubisoft decided to make Space Junkies VR a cross-platform title to make sure enough people are found to battle with. A much-needed choice because when I enabled the “only PSVR players” option in the settings, I had to wait a really long time for the lobby to fill up. Waiting in VR is as dull as waiting in real-life.
Reward system
When the lobby is filled you can vote which map and which game mode you want to play. The game modes offered are the ones you need in an online multiplayer. There’s a maximum of 4 players so team deathmatch is actually a 2vs2 thing. After each match is finished you earn experience. Leveling up grants you rewards which are solely cosmetic. These can be used to change your appearance.
Conclusion
Space Junkies VR was originally only intended for PCVR. The PSVR version feels rushed and unfinished. The look of the game is fine but in the end it all comes down to the experience. If Ubisoft decides to add the move controller support I would potentially recommend it but for now I just think the price isn’t justifiable yet.
