System: Valve Index, HTC Vive & Oculus Rift
Price at Time Of Review: £19.49
Comfort Rating: Red (Extreme Movement)
Genre: Racing
Input: Gamepad, Keyboard & Mouse
Best Playing Position: Sitting
Multi-Player: Yes
Age Rating: 15+
Description: Vector 36 is Physics-Based Racer set on the terraformed surface of Mars. You pilot a Skimmer, a completely customizable, surface skimming vehicle. With total control over every component, you are responsible for how your Skimmer performs. Piloting skill and engineering make the difference between winning and losing.
Race other pilots through various tracks on Mars. Compete in Sprint, Circuit, or Tournament modes to win credits, parts, or new Skimmers. Race your friends through Vector 36’s amazing ghost replay system. Take on the world with Global Leaderboards. Push your machine to the limits until you are the fastest settler on Mars.
Review: Vector 36 is a Physics-Based Racer set on the terraformed surface of Mars somewhen in the distant future. You get to pilot a Skimmer, a completely customizable, surface skimming vehicle (much like the pod racers from StawWars) and you get given total control over every single component. This means it is you and only you who is responsible for how your Skimmer racer performs. The difference between winning and losing in this game is all down to your own piloting skills and good engineering tactics. That might not sound that easy, but each part of your Skimmer craft is bound by the laws of physics. It’s own real moving internal components will shift the centre of gravity and adjust the angles of the thrusters, thus affecting its flight characteristics.
This is one of those games that you will spend less and less time racing with each race you win because you will be far too busy customising your craft for the next race. There is no room for us Arcade racer lovers here, this is a game for strategists and engine technicians. The gameplay is a blend of traditional racers with realistic physics and the ability to trade altitude for airspeed and vice-versa. This is deeper than any other traditional racer that has gone before it. It’s the work of a genius who wanted to be surrounded by other gaming geniuses.
This games first problem is that it is simply too realistic! The physics and the controls are fiddly as they could be meaning you will have to work hard with this game to even understand it, let alone get anywhere with it. This is simply not for the casual gamer, this is for the type of gamer who really gets into their games, this needs you to nurture it like a racing baby. But having said all those fiddly points, I have to say that I enjoyed this game in VR more than I did some of the much more expensive race games like Forza because in VR this games slower pace made for a much more enjoyable experience. OK, so it did still feel a little nauseating, but nowhere near as much. Is it worth a download? Oh yes, but don’t be in a rush to win races, take the time to think about all aspects of it.
