Playing a game like Onward in virtual reality was always going to be an immersive experience, but with the Oculus Quest offering the opportunity to go wireless whilst playing, that experience has been elevated to another level.
But let's go back a little. Onward is a realistic first-person-shooter that puts you in control of a soldier who has to engage with intricate gun mechanics if they wish to succeed. If you've been through the intensity of a match on Call of Duty or something similar, without the added immersion of VR, then you'll have some sort of idea of what to expect.
A built-in tutorial is the first place you should head, allowing you to dip your toes into the waters and get to grips with the controls. Unless you're playing this game stationary, you should pre-set a guardian area that'll allow you to get down behind cover, kneel, lean and more to engage with the enemy.
Once you've got a feel for your surroundings, weapons and equipment, you can head out onto the battlefield with other players online. To speak to your team, you'll have to use the walkie talkie at your side. There's also a tablet on your back that you'll have to reach and grab if you want to check out a map of the area, rather than showing it in an always-accessible HUD.
For the most-part, animation is clear and sleek. You do get the film grain type filter over the game with the Quest headset, but with something like Onward, that actually adds to the overall feel. There are some janky moments if playing with friends or others online, where arms may flail around or something similar, but these are fleeting - and actually quite funny.
Only recently allowing Quest players to join up with those playing via PC, the level of content that's accessible has been drastically improved. This will now likely be one of VR's most active communities, and whilst the game is missing a Campaign Mode, the co-op and competitive battles should keep you busy for countless hours.
Onward is available now on Oculus Quest and Microsoft Windows.
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