Space Trainer is not a really new game, its first appearance dates back to almost six years ago: it was used as a demo to show the most advanced VR towards the end of 2015, it officially debuted together with HTC Vive in 2016, the same year arrived on Oculus and after quite a few updates, in 2017, it also took a ride on PlayStation VR. Let's talk about it again today because for a few weeks it has been updated to the DX version, a free upgrade for those who already owned the game and now the only version that can be purchased at 24,99 euros, six more than was asked for the old Space Pirate Trainer.
The news we will focus on along this one Space Pirate Trainer DX review there are three, three new modes that revolve around the same brave idea: to offer arenas to be faced in "room scale", thus literally moving from one place to another, in an area of 100 square meters.
We will immediately remove the doubt: it is an extraordinary stuff.
We will also immediately remove another one: organizing a match is not easy.
High Score
Before delving into the contents of the DX version, a very quick summary for those who do not know Space Pirates Trainer and maybe have just purchased a VR viewer. The game of I-Illusion is a little wonder if you want to feel surrounded by a 80s arcade. When you start a game it's as if someone miniaturized you and then threw you inside in a futuristic version of the most infamous classics of the golden age of arcades. Space Pirates Trainer DX is the nightmare you used to have after 20.000 Lire of tokens spent in a day, but here you have full control and fun is guaranteed.
The game puts you at the center of aarena, in which it is possible to move freely, surrounded by enemies that will present themselves and attack in increasingly difficult waves. Over the years of games like this, many have come out for virtual reality, some very beautiful, but Space Pirate Trainer has always remained among the most loved for the graphic rendering, the precision of the system, the charm of its weapons and the defensive tools offered. Then, since she got rid of the thread, thanks to the version for Oculus Quest, this iridescent battle has become even more visceral: you throw yourself to one side to avoid the blows, you lean out, you roll up, you bend over, you stretch out.
An effort, of course, and that's the beauty too because you feel like in Tron, damn it; it's cyberspace, man. In short, this is why some copies have managed to sell it and just as many will still sell for a long time.
As agile as a gamer
This thing that people have a lot of fun moving around like real pirates of the stars (Alan Sorrenti Intensifies) has also understood the development team, and for the biggest update ever they have chosen to raise the bar of this feature to the maximum allowed volume. Space Pirate Trainer thus evolves into Space Pirate Trainer DX, the same game as before, but now with a new portion all about big arenas in which to run, jump and crawl against drones and other humans, across the net or in a sci-fi versus local, where everyone will naturally wear an Oculus Quest to find yourself in the same virtual playing field.
To take advantage of this function, however space, of the prohibitive ten by ten meters, but given the exceptionality of the thing, organizing specifically is not as stupid as one might think. Faced with this small problem, everyone is forced to think about the most obvious solution: going to a park. The problem is that for how the tracking of the device works it is extremely important, in this specific case, to also have a ceiling available to avoid technical problems. A garage? The entrance hall of a building? An indoor tennis court? There are several options, it will be up to you to understand which is the most suitable and accessible in your personal case (we have opted for the parking of a shopping center at night).
Laser Tag
The reward for finding a right place to play the new modes of Space Pirate Trainer DX is a truly extraordinary gaming experience. If in the classic game it was possible to do everything in a space that can be defined as small, also given the simplicity of the single circular map, here we are obliged to move physically for the level which is composed of different elements such as obstacles, walls, windows. There is no way to move in the game other than to move in reality as well. As a good Spaniard you will immediately be thinking about how to cheat, perhaps overcoming obstacles, they don't really exist ... but we do not recommend it since going beyond the virtual consistency of the level you lose energy or even one of the three lives you have available.
The arenas can be faced through three different modes: in single we will have to face drones even while remaining offline, while in multiplayer we will have the opportunity to challenge other users online or a friend with another Oculus Quest available.
Here Space Pirate Trainer DX gives absolutely the best: after syncing the positions while remaining in the center of the arena, the distances between the two players will remain perfectly aligned during the game, so we can give each other high five by touching each other at the end of a battle. instant in the game and in reality. The experience is galvanizing, it's like those 90's laser tags, but made virtual and portable. And finally, here is an editor that allows you to create three new maps to add to the five present ones: the system is as simple as it is powerful, it supports the coop so you can create your next battlefield in company, but it does not allow you to reach the complexity of the maps built by developers, at least for the moment.
At the point of a duel
In any Arena mode, the rules will essentially remain the same: armed with a blaster, which also allows you to charge powerful shots that can bounce off the walls, and a shield to be activated with the left trigger to protect yourself from the enemy lasers, we will have to try to eliminate threats without losing our three available lives. The difficulty will vary according to the player you are in front of, but as in the base game even in the arenas it is not smart to underestimate the normal drones managed by the AI.
The rules are simple, they are understood on the fly, and not having to manage cameras and more, there is no one who does not know how to play Space Pirates Trainer DX in no time at all. During the evening, and as long as we ran out of battery, we had several friends, even non-gamers, wear the Quests, and no one had any problems. The beauty is that even when it's not your turn to play, you can still enjoy the scene from two fools who pretend to shoot each other with a viewer on their head, and who also risk crashing to the ground at any moment.
Really beautiful, but when will we be able to do it again? Fortunately it is possible to challenge random people via the Internet and luck that this Space Pirate Trainer DX also includes a third new mode always focused on multiplayer, but which does not need so much free space to play: in versus, we will return to playing the classic Space Pirate, but with a particular twist: all the drones that we destroy will instantly appear in the field of our opponent, a bit like it happens with the gems of Super Puzzle Fighter.
Comment
Resources4Gaming.com8.0
Readers (2)6.7
Your voteSpace Pirate Trainer has always been a good game, and with these new modes it is bound to be remembered for a long time. It's not easy to access the new content, but when you do, all the power of VR explodes in front of you and gives you hours and hours of unbridled, shocking and childish amazement fun. As always when it comes to VR, let alone when it is totally wireless, there are limits, but however immature this is still the future, or at least one of those possible. The vote may seem a bit high, but new technical gimmicks are used here and this must always be rewarded.
PRO
- The new ways are portentous
- Simple yet addicting gameplay
- You learn in a second
- Finding the space you need may not be easy
- No additional content for the classic game
