Strap on your VR headsets that’s either the Rift or Vive and take to the skies as you take out a massive mothership which threatens your homeworld in The Collider 2 which is available now via Steam for just £6.99. It’s a simple game that’s quite addictive, and can be played with a controller on a normal 2D monitor, but ultimately is it worth it? Take a look at our The Collider 2 review for the full picture.
The Collider 2 Review:
Today we’re taking a look at Shortbreak Studios action packed The Collider 2 which is available now via Steam for £6.99 and can be used with or without an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive VR headset. The game premise is simple. Cue massive mothership orbiting your home planet, cue fighter craft intercepting said mothership and taking down anything that gets in the way. Well kind of. It’s not your typical space shooter, in fact shooting is perhaps less of a focus here as fancy flying is more the meat of the game. If you can imagine the iconic scenes of the original Star Wars movie and the Death Star trench run then you’ll have a firm grasp of what’s on offer here.
In a nutshell, you fly your craft and enter the tunnels of the mothership in a race against the clock whilst avoiding the constantly shifting hazards. Hitting the sides or smashing into anything reduces your shield, and a further hit before it recharges finishes you off completely. So there’s a balance between keeping the shields topped up, and not bumping into things. You can boost for extra speed when needed, pick up power ups and even shoot at objects and sub bosses during specific missions. Using a controller in 2D you’re simply moving the craft in multiple directions which feels a bit tame but still quite challenging considering the speed at which your craft flies. However, in VR the game becomes far more engrossing and uses the player’s head movements to move the craft. There are options to play with a third person view of the craft or for the full experience in first person which is something else as you sit and bob around like a nutter.
There are two game modes on offer here with one being a series of objective based missions which relate to collecting items, shooting objects, racing against the clock in time trial and so on. The other mode is a more free-form survival run where it’s just you moving forwards as the environment becomes increasingly more difficult to navigate.
In both modes you’ll collect coins and the aforementioned powerups which can be used to purchase new craft and upgrades which help greatly when playing the survival mode for example. There’s a leaderboard here too so you can compare with the wider community and there are weekly credit prizes available too if you rank highly on the boards.
In terms of presentation the game looks reasonable enough for a VR title although feels quite boxed in throughout due to the tunnel nature of the locations. The shifting environment is quite impressive and when the areas open out there’s a decent sense of scale. The speed at which the craft moves is also impressive and keeps you on the edge of your seat as the intensity increases. The game’s menus are functional although sadly you have to use a controller to navigate which is a bit of pain for those using the Vive. Interestingly, you can’t use a controller to move when playing in VR though which seems like an unusual choice although admittedly the game feels much easier when using one’s head to move compared to the controller for some reason.
Aside from the game’s visuals the audio is fitting complete with radio chatter and an orchestral soundtrack which adds to the tension. The sound of the craft is the prominent effect alongside boosting and overheating the engines which result in a game over if pushed too far.
There are several zones to conquer in the mission mode and as mentioned the survival is endless which means you can play as far as your skills allow. That said, the game is very simple and not really presenting any depth to the gameplay which resides it to a quick fix arcade experience which isn’t such a bad thing considering the relatively low price of entry.
The Collider 2 is an interesting game that does well to put you in the moment when playing in VR. It’s simple yet effective and whilst it doesn’t take full advantage of the Vive headset it does offer an easy to pick up and play experience. If you’re after a game that will challenge you and is suitable for anyone who’s into arcade like experiences (or likes Star Wars) then this is worth checking out. If you’re after a more relaxing VR outing then the intensity here might be too much, plus you’re not really able to look around which makes the game feel more like 3d than VR.
Score 6.5/10
