Before Airranger was officially released back in August of this year, we were certain that it was going to be the next big thing inside of VR and that it would be bringing thousands to the virtual platform. Although the game hasn’t quite lived up to the hype we were holding this game to, it is still a fun play and we are more than excited to be reviewing this one for you today.
This game nailed the title perfectly. You are going to be in the air a fair amount, and you could very well be considered a ranger in your line of work. This game will give you more than your fair share of bow and arrow action, but not in the typical uses that you saw Katniss use to destroy and reassemble all of Panam. This game, like most great VR games, puts a fun twist on an original gaming idea.
Getting Up and Running
This game recommends having at 8 GB of free storage on your PC gaming rig before you download. There isn’t going to be much more you are downloading inside the game, so that number likely won’t change for the time being. If you are connected to a speedy internet connection, you could be looking at a download that lasts a simple 5-10 minutes. If you are connected to the internet through what feels like a snail, you won’t be getting this game downloaded and installed for almost an hour.
This game is going to set you back only $11, and that price is going to stay constant across all of the platforms you can buy this game on. The Steam store, the Oculus store, and even Viveport have this game. PSVR users are going to feel left out, and this game isn’t going to be making an appearance on the lone console headset anytime soon. The tutorial is incredibly important in this game and you won’t want to skip it. Although it may be tedious, we are certain it will help you all throughout the game and with your battles.
Type of Game
This game has plenty of tags on the Steam and Oculus storefronts, but they are a bit misleading unless you have played this game. If you are playing this game right, you will be at a constant state of movement and you will have no time for relaxation. The game has plenty of game modes to show potent of a killer you are with a bow and melee weapons, so toss the headset and get ready for battle.
There are seven game modes, with one of them being a custom creation mode where you also can play LTM’s that are made by the gaming community. The other six are solo battle royal, duo battle royal, war mode, bomb mode, guardian mode, and the brand new team deathmatch. This game is perfect for anyone inside of VR, as each game mode is going to be home for players of different skill sets and different levels of experience.
Player Perspective
Airranger is played from the typical first-person perspective and will be giving you a perfect view of everything you need to see in this game. You won’t be seeing your arms or legs or even body in this game, but you will see where your hands are located on your weapons. Although this isn’t included in this game, it felt very needed and it was appreciated throughout gameplay. Knowing what your hands were doing was essential to choosing your next control.
Theme and Story – Score: 5/10
The VR game Airranger is getting a middle of road score here. We understand that this game is a PvP game, but adding a little context to how you got there would’ve been nice to see from the developers. The theme was futuristic, but it wasn’t prominent throughout the game. It was here and there, but not enough to make you think that you were doing something with lasting purpose.
Controls – Score: 7/10
The controls when dealing with your weapons are perfectly done in this game. They give you options and give you the sense of really engaging and interacting with your virtual world. With that being said, the controls when moving could use a serious update. When moving lost distances, the controls would often be inconsistent. When moving short-range, you would have a hard time finding what worked best. It wasn’t impossible, but if you are new to the moving mechanics in virtual reality, this game is going to give you a hard time.
Music and Sound – Score: 6/10
With the sounds in this game, you were often left with leftover sounds that were used 10 seconds earlier. This isn’t ideal, but it doesn’t break the game. Having a somewhat lackluster score here doesn’t kill the game, but it does play a factor. The music could use a facelift if they are looking for a perfect score here, but the music will suffice if the sounds can get some new updates here and there.
Player Movement – Score: 6/10
There were plenty of ways to get around a level in this game, but none of them were perfect. We aren’t expecting perfection, but we are expecting something a little better than what we got. Rotating in this game was a real issue. Close movements when you didn’t need to teleport was a problem. It felt like the developers took a few shortcuts in this department, and it showed. If there is one area you don’t want to cut your customers short, its in the player movement. This type was setup for nausea.
Kinetosis – Score: 2/10
Had it not been for our iron stomachs that are adept to virtual reality, this game would be likely looking at a score of 1 out of ten. Unless you sit still and shot your bow and arrow or swung your sword throughout the game, you are going to get some sort of motion sickness. It isn’t a matter of how or what causes it, but it is a simple matter of time. Hopefully, they can slow the game down slightly to discourage such upset stomachs.
Environment and Immersion – Score: 5/10
This game wasn’t too polished when it came to the environment and the avatars, it didn’t immerse you like we’d hope because the motion sickness was so bad. With all of the negatives, the fast-paced game often made you forget about what went wrong in the production and development of this game. An overhauling update could save this score, but it is looking unlikely to happen right now.
Overall – Score: 5.2/10
This game was fun to play, but there are some glaring issues that need to be taken care of if they are going to take this game to the heights we thought it was capable of back in July before it was released. $11 isn’t a terrible price for this game, but when you have the Viveport Infinity subscription, we don’t think this would be a waste of space. It is worth the play and to test out, but a 5.2 properly represents what we felt playing this game.
