- Game: Sprint Vector
- Developer: Survios
- Publisher: Survios
- Reviewed: Oculus Rift
Arcades, at least where I’m from, are more of ancient relics. However, there are a few games to release each year that feel like an arcade game hit. This seems to be the case for quite a few VR video game titles and that’s exactly how I feel about the latest big VR title release, Sprint Vector.
If you enjoy arcade titles and are competitive then Sprint Vector may be the next title well worth picking up. This is a racing style video game but instead of vehicles, players will be skating through intense courses.
If you were to mash together Jet Set Radio, SSX Tricky, and lastly, Mario Kart, then I feel like you would successfully craft Sprint Vector.
As mentioned, the game has players skating through courses while facing against a number of AI opponents or other players around the world. Of course, depending on the mode will determine just who you’ll be racing against.
Right off the bat, you’ll find that the game will introduce players to the motion controls, a necessity to enjoy this title. Racing is all based on timing and moving your arms.
There is a lot of motion controls to keep in mind while playing the game. If you’re like me, learning the controls will take a bit of time and you’ll likely ready to set down the headset down after just a couple of races.
Within the game, players will need to swing their arms while releasing the trigger buttons at the right time in order to gain momentum. Picture yourself on a swing set, you’ll kick your legs at the right moment to help gain momentum, building up speed with each pump of your legs. However, instead of your legs, Sprint Vector has you pumping your arms.
Making turns is as simple as turning your head to better guide your character in a slight drift, although, players can use the joysticks to help snap your picture, altering where your character is speeding towards. I found that using the snapping technique was a bit harder to time out then just drifting my character towards the desired location.
Outside of running, the game also unleashes a jump mechanic to help make leaps across gaps or to gain access on a higher platform. Either way, jumping will still require the swinging arm motion while tapping a face button on your motion controls.
Because you’re constantly moving, it’s easy to get heated and need a break after a short while of gaming. With so many VR gamers already taking breaks to avoid fatigue, I can only imagine the amount of players enjoying the game without frequent breaks will be few and far between. Likewise, this is not the game of choice for those who don’t enjoy being very active within VR itself.
While the game doesn’t boast a ton of different maps to race through, there’s enough to be enjoyed for quite some time. With just over ten maps, the game doesn’t focus on going through tracks multiple times and that’s for the best. I’m not sure how well someone would take to constantly moving their arms and turning their bodies in order to complete a race that requires a few runs before ending.
Likewise, being a brand new IP, the characters within the game to choose from are rather bland. There’s nothing that really sets them apart from each other which is either a good or bad thing. Unlike other racers where selecting a particular vehicle or character will have varying stats, every character within Sprint Vector seems to be on the same level playing field.
As mentioned, there are a few different maps to choose from and all are thrilled to race through. There are some hazards to avoid and pathways to take. Similar to the Mario Kart franchise, there are power-ups to collect during a race. These will help speed your character along or used to slow down your opponents.
If you have a few friends that also sport VR headsets then you’ll be delighted to know that Sprint Vector does offer multiplayer races with up to eight players. Although, you can enjoy the full game by yourself through AI bots, as mentioned before.
Most of the interaction you’ll have against bots or other online players will be through the power-ups collected. This actually seems fine to me as the levels are rather opened up and the likelihood of being right next to another opponent will be rather slim.
Visually the game looks rather nice with a bright neon colorful gameplay while the audio soundtrack ties in with the fast-paced races.
All-in-all, Sprint Vector is a unique take to the racing genre for VR. While you’re likely going to need a few breaks between playing the title, the video game is something worth picking up if you enjoy the fast-paced arcade style racing titles. Currently, Sprint Vector is available for purchase right now on the Oculus store for $29.99 or on the Steam platform.
Full Disclosure: A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for purposes of this review.
