Following an App Lab and AspectQuest launch final yr, Xlab Digital’s Iron Guard VR is now out there on the official Quest retailer. Read on for our hands-on impressions of this tower protection recreation impressed by traditional technique titles.
Set within the twenty third century and spanning a 30-mission story mode, Iron Guard VR tells a narrative that wouldn’t really feel misplaced in traditional sci-fi fare. After crash touchdown on one other world, your group finds themselves threatened by rogue terraforming robots who’ve begun self-replicating. Your job is defending the surviving crew members, and you’ll see a little bit of this in motion by way of the flatscreen PC trailer embedded beneath. We’ve additionally acquired the official story description beneath, courtesy of Xlab Digital:
The yr is 2232 A.D and the crew of “Avalon” has crash-landed on the planet “Akris”, whereas attempting to research why the sooner drone ship carrying the AI terraformer bots misplaced contact. Fortunately, the planet is liveable as a result of the terraformer ship and it’s AI bots had completed their job to make “Akris” liveable and sustainable for all times. You are 1st Officer Graves. It is as much as you to guard the lives of the surviving crew.
Commanding forces from an overhead view, your objective is maintaining enemy robots in all their varied kinds away out of your base. For instance, scout items are weak however counter this with quick motion and bigger teams, whereas fighters are gradual, however pack stronger regenerating armor. Each stage has a number of routes for waves to advance throughout, so focusing your efforts on a singular choke level gained’t reduce it right here.
Dispatching these foes is reassuringly easy, although. As commander, you’ll be able to take direct motion by way of a controllable drone, firing photographs and aiming along with your proper controller. Holding the set off prices up your shot, but when that’s not sufficient, the drone can deploy a superweapon for a strong area-of-effect assault. Upgradeable turrets, barricades, and extra might be positioned in set areas with the left controller, which comes at a value. Earning cash requires killing enemies, and constructions can, fortuitously, be scrapped for further money. That’s additionally helpful if an present technique isn’t paying off.
What I’ve performed to date is enjoyable, if not terribly thrilling. Levels have good selection and problem feels balanced; the one instances I acquired ‘Game Over’ got here right down to poor planning. Aside from requiring a headset, nevertheless, Iron Guard doesn’t actually innovate past being a tower protection recreation in VR. It’s practical, by no means does something notably incorrect, however by no means excels at something both. I do benefit from the customization choices, although. Finishing a mission earns talent factors which can be spent on everlasting upgrades, together with drone enhancements, base sources, and elemental turrets. I wouldn’t name this particularly expansive however it does what’s wanted.
Where Iron Guard really excels is in its visuals. It seems nice on Quest {hardware}, due to the colourful environments and crisp textures, all of that are complemented by an lively soundtrack. My largest drawback is that I don’t perceive why Iron Guard wanted to be a VR recreation. Notably, there’s a separate flatscreen PC model on Steam. In the VR model, past pointing with movement controls and the gameplay that requires planning your base protection from threats in each route of the map, this isn’t a recreation that takes full benefit of digital actuality’s capabilities. You can play it comfortably sitting down, there are digicam turning choices, and that’s about it.
Still, few can deny that VR is significantly missing tower protection video games – Captain ToonHead and Defense Grid 2 apart. Iron Guard VR isn’t probably the most modern recreation going, however the fundamentals are all right here, making this a welcome sight. If you’ve missed these days taking part in Command & Conquer till 3am, this might doubtlessly fill that area of interest.
Iron Guard VR is on the market now on the Meta Quest platform, alongside PC VR by way of Steam and Viveport.
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