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Shooting games haven’t exactly taken off in the virtual reality space given the necessity for precision and accuracy in this genre. Vail VR hopes to be the first breakout star in this space and has lofty ambitions for immersive FPS experiences.

If you want even more gaming news, check out our entire TAG Roundup series! The last post gave a glimpse into the gameplay of a new Bloodborne-esque action-adventure, Thymesia!

Find Truth in Thymesia’s Memories – VR Scout

Vail VR pits two factions against each other in a battle for Earth’s last resources. What ensues is a gritty match-up between those trying to preserve human’s legacy on Earth, and those who staked a claim to everything that was left behind. 

In Vail VR, you can choose from one of two groups to play as: 

• Colonists – these beings live in a Colony that orbits the Earth. They often head back to the home planet to digitize cultural artifacts
• REYAB – the people who stayed back on Earth even after it was clear the planet was dying. They protect what remains and are likely portrayed as the bad guys based on their outfit outer 

Last year, I tried Frost Point VR – my first experience with trying to click heads in virtual reality. The idea of a virtual reality shooter is intriguing, but the execution in Frost Point left much to be desired, and made me slightly nauseous. I fear that Vail VR will run into many of the same issues.

The trailer shows smooth animations, precise shooting, and a beautiful level design. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think this was just a standard FPS for the standard platforms.

What stands out most about Vail VR is the promise of full-body animation. In all my prior virtual reality experiences, I’ve only been able to control my hands. Vail’s developers have created a system that replicates your body movements without any sophisticated tracking software. This opens the door to an array of movement actions, not to mention the ever-important emotes!

Vail VR setup for Success?

Scrolling through the list of “more like this” on Vail VR’s steam page, I found Paylov VR. The latter shooter has many similarities and has very positive reviews for the community, so it’s definitely possible to create a stellar virtual reality shooting simulator.

As with most indie games, Vail VR will need to build up a ton of hype leading up to launch and carry their moment through the full release of the game. You can already request access to the alpha to tryout the two available game modes: Team Deathmatch and Artifact. We don’t have too much info on Vail’s ranked mode, but there’s talk of an ELO system, automated tournaments, and ladder structure.

The CEO of AEXLAB describes the lofty goal that he’s set for Vail VR in an official press release:

We believe VAIL set the foundation for the next generation of first-person shooting games. It’s in virtual reality, multiplayer, incredibly fine-tuned, and realistic. While we’ve seen realistic VR shooters in the past, none bring them to a tactical, multiplayer experience with this level of combat. We believe VAIL moves the needle forward.

Jonathan Ovadia, CEO of AEXLAB

If you’re looking for what might be the next big thing in virtual reality combat, check out Vail VR’s website and stay tuned for future news about release dates!

Let me know your thoughts on VR shooters and what you think Vail VR needs to do to be successful in the comments section, below!

Honorable Mentions in Last Week’s Gaming World

• Gamespot – Brew beer virtually in Beer Brewing Simulator Game, because why not
• PC GamesN – Someone modded a Gamecube controller to add a built-in keyboard!
• Input Mag – Cyberpunk 2077 continues to struggle even after the latest patch
• Nintendo Life – Pixel adventure reminiscent of Mega Man with unique movement mechanics
• Vice – evade a fiery death and adapt to your surroundings in action survival game, The Eternal Cylinder
• Android Police – Rocket League on your phone, with touch screen, in 2D
• Polygon – No Man’s Sky’s latest update brings expeditions to the forefront where you can race across the galaxy against other teams

That’s All For Now

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What were some of the most interesting things you read last week? Leave us a message in the comments so we can check it out!

By Fred

Fred has been gaming since his dad brought home a recycled PC from work and installed Hugo's House of Horrors as a toddler. He continues to play games almost daily across PC, console and mobile and may have a slightly addictive personality.