Ground Runner: Trials Speeds out of Early Access

For those of you who are fans of racing titles and first-person shooters (FPS) indie developer Astrofish Games’ debut virtual reality (VR) Ground Runner: Trails might well be what you’re looking for. Set in a futuristic sci-fi universe that’s developed hoverbikes, the title has recently left Steam Early Access after originally debuting on Oculus Store last year.

Ground Runner Trials

A purely single-player experience. Ground Runner: Trials puts you in the shoes of a scavenger, whose job is to scour a mining planet on a technologically advanced hoverbike, searching for the extremely powerful and sought after Torsion Crystals, all while being relentlessly hunted.

Gameplay is twofold. Firstly using Oculus Rift’s or HTC Vive motion controllers you have full control over the bike to fly, strafe and rocket around the arid environment looking for these crystals. Secondly, using your other hand you need to protect yourself with a range of weaponry such as the Electro-Pulse, Rocket Launcher and Beam Cannon – some of which need to be dual-wielded.

With multiple large-scale maps to traverse players will find there’s a mixture of gameplay modes, with eight solo missions, and a free-roam arcade mode. As you race around collecting supplies you’ll then be able to convert the loot into credits with which to upgrade your ride. Credits can be used to improve a bikes thrust, handling and power.

Ground Runner Trials

Due to the frantic, undulating nature of the gameplay Astrofish Games has included a comfort mode to ensure the experience can be enjoyed by all. Comfort Mode can be adjusted in the settings to ensure players have the most immersive and enjoyable experience, this includes adjusting the dynamic field of view during acceleration and collisions.

Supporting Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Windows Mixed Reality headsets, Ground Runner: Trials is available now through Steam for £15.49 GBP or £14.99 via Oculus Store. For any further updates from Astrofish Games keep reading VRFocus.

September 29, 2018

Ground Runner: Trials Leaving Earlier Access Next Month

Last year developer Astrofish Games released Ground Runner: Trials into Early Access and gave players the chance to engage in fast-paced, intense vehicle combat on hover bikes along with immersive first-person shooter (FPS) gameplay. Now, the London based virtual reality (VR) videogame development team have announced that the title will be leaving Early Access and releasing in full very soon.

Stepping into the shoes of a Ground Runner, a scavenger whose job is to scour the mining planet on your hoverbike, looking for precious Torsion Crystals – a newly discovered, extremely powerful resource, players will be in for a thrilling experience. It won’t just be a case of driving around at lighting speeds to collect crystals though as the planet it full of dangers to overcome. In order to survive out here, players will need to outrun and outgun the shadowy corporate Alliance that will do whatever they can to stop you and acquire the crystals for themselves.

Ground Runner: Trails is set to release this coming October and will the full release will come plenty of features and content for players to enjoy. This includes a full 360-degree field-of-view with hands-only controls for total immersion with your hoverbike being fully upgradable to suit your play style. Players will also be able to enjoy four varied weapons including a Electro-Pulse, Rocket Launcher, Beam Cannon and more with the option to use them single-handed or in duel-wielded.

The title comes with large-scale maps for the most immersive and intense multiplayer experience along with eight single-player missions to conquer as well. You’ll encounter multiple enemy types to overcome as well during these missions and can use the many different modes – such as Arcade Mode – to instantly jump right into the action. All of these modes and missions will reward players with plenty of loot in the form of credits and upgrades for your bike, meaning you’ll be unlocking content for hours in this title.

Ground Runner: Trials will be releasing this October and you can see the latest trailer for the videogame below. You can pick up the title now in Early Access on the Oculus Store for £14.99 (GBP) and for more on the title in the future, keep reading VRFocus.

April 8, 2018

Something For The Weekend: Feel The Rush Of Oculus

Another week, another weekend and another chance to pick up a great deal on a number of titles. To help you out VRFocus has put together some of the best virtual reality (VR) deals from the Oculus Store for both Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR owners, to help you find your next favourite. As always be sure to check back every weekend for even more deals right here on VRFocus.

Sprint Vector

“There’s very little to dislike in Sprint Vector. Sure there will be times when that competitive edge over takes you, getting annoyed when you fudge a jump but that’s to be expected. The single-player has enough to get you started with a few hours of gameplay, yet it’s the multiplayer that’ll have you coming back for more. Here’s hoping that Sprint Vector draws in enough of a crowd to sustain it, rather than becoming another multiplayer focused experience that gets forgotten about. Which would be a shame, because from where VRFocus is standing Sprint Vector is another hit for the studio.” – Read VRFocus’ Senior Staff Writer Peter Graham’s review of Sprint Vector here.

Sprint Vector is currently on sale for £18.39 (GBP) down from £22.99 and in fact is having a free weekend until 8am BST on 9th April should you want to try the title out before purchasing to celebrate the newly released update.

Ground Runner: Trials

Step into the driving seat in this fast paced sci-fi Hoverbike shooter in which players must go up against the odds sing speed, grace and combat. By using the motion controls to track your hand motions on the bikes controls and the weapons you have to use, Ground Runner: Trials will give you an adrenaline rush unlike no other as you become the most skilled hoverbike pilot there is.

Ground Runner: Trials is currently on sale for for £7.99 (GBP) down from £14.99.

The Climb screenshot

The Climb

From hoverbikes to scaling heights, The Climb will give you the exhilaration of extreme solo climbing as you climb higher then you ever have before. Take your time and enjoy the view or complete to have the faster time on the leaderboard with both touch and gamepay controls. Powered by the CryEngine, The Climb is a realistic climbing experience without having to leave your own house.

The Climb is currently the low price of £18.99 (GBP) down from £29.99.

Arizona Sunshine

“Arizona Sunshine is by no means a masterpiece, however it is a significant step closer to the VR experiences that early adopters know the technology is capable of. Hesitating to innovate too much, Arizona Sunshine cleverly picks-and-chooses from the key mechanics that have proven to work in four years of PC VR development and brings them to PlayStation 4 feeling almost new. Vertigo Games has created a hugely enjoyable FPS videogame for the early days of VR, but one which will undoubtedly look dated in just a few months.” – Read VRFocus’ Editor Kevin Joyce’s review of Arizona Sunshine on PlayStation VR here.

Arizona Sunshine is currently on sale for £18.39 (GBP) down from £29.99.

I Expect You To Die screenshot_04

I Expect You To Die

Live out the life of an elite secret agent in this puzzle title that will test all your skills as you attempt to survive deadly situations in immersive and dangerous locations. Can you complete each of the operations using problem-solving skills and your wits along with the power of telekinesis that you also have? No matter what the situation, keep your cool and try to get out alive by using ever resource you have. Can you be an elite secret agent?

I Expect You To Die is now only £10.99 (GBP) down from £18.99.

Rez Infinite AreaX 02

Rez Infinite

Winner of Best VR Game at The Game Awards 2016 and the return of a legendary title, Rez Infinite invites players to once again return to the full 360-degrees of mind-blowing synesthesia. Blast your way through waves of enemies and giant transforming bosses full of colours and sounds that sync and bled to the techno soundtrack that fills this title. Rez Infinite offers a fully immersive experience unlike anything else and is sure to give players a wild ride.

Rez Infinite is available for only £10.99 (GBP) which is down from £18.99.

Galaxy Golf

If you are looking for a new way to play crazy golf then why not take a trip to the outer reaches of our Galaxy in Galaxy Golf. Defy gravity as you work your way through tricky terrain and mini-planets in as few shots as possible. Play it safe and go for par or will you launch your ball into an orbit hoping for a hole-in-one? With simple one-touch controls and the freedom of VR to move, aim and view, Galaxy Golf will keep you entertained for some time as you take a golfing trip around the galaxy.

Galaxy Golf is currently over half price on sale for £0.79 (GBP) down from £3.99.

Wheel Rush

Get into the driving seat once again as you burn rubber on a space speedway with no speed limit. Featuring an endless track with obstacles to avoid and plenty of ways to earn points, Wheel Rush is a title that will give you the thrill of riding fast with no limits in your way. Just try not to cash as you race to become the faster rider in the galaxy.

Wheel Rush is currently on sale for the super low price of £0.08 (GBP) down from £0.79.

RUSH

“Take a dive into the adrenaline-pumping world of wingsuit flying with Rush. The intense VR action will have you on the edge of your seat as you soar down mountainsides at breakneck speeds. Weave through canyons, dodge outcrops, and plummeting down sheer drops as you race towards the finish line.”

RUSH is currently only £2.99 (GBP) on sale from £5.99.

Paint VR

Lastly today is something a little bit different as Paint VR is on sale. Have you ever wanted to bring your artist skills to life in VR? Well, with Paint VR you can do just that as your imagination is the only limit here. With a range of different brushes and tools to aid you in creating your next masterpiece, Paint VR is an immersive way to escape the real world and paint.

Paint VR is available for only £1.99 (GBP) right now on sale from £3.99.

That is all for this week but remember that VRFocus gathers all the best sales and deals every week, so check back next weekend at the same time to discover more.

December 21, 2017

Ground Runner: Trials Drifts Onto The Oculus Store

Wheels. Are really any good? I mean, they probably featured reasonably heavily in your day if you’ve ever used any kind of transport ever. And you’d probably be utterly lost without them through one thing and another, but with all that said… what have they done for us lately?

Clearly nothing, right?This is the 2010’s! We’re officially in “the future”, and if Back To The Future Part II taught us anything as a species it’s that hovering and flying everything is the way to go. And that was set in 2015. Clearly wheels are yesterday’s composite component.

Thankfully if you’ve a mind do ditch the wheel Ground Runner: Trials has just the vehicle for you in the form of its hovering Plasma Bike – and even better it’s just hit the Oculus Store in time for Christmas.

Developed by Astrofish Games, a London based VR videogame development team first setup in August 2016 full of veterans on projects for big name videogame studios such as Ubisoft, Rocksteady and Nordeus. Ground Runner: Trials sees you take on the mantle of a Ground Runner, a master of travelling at great speed thanks to your aforementioned Plasma Bike. Transported to a mining area to investigate two cargo storage pyramids, the abandoned facilities appear to be not quite so abandoned as to what might’ve first been thought. Use your speed and ferocity to battle your way through those that stand in your way to secure resources enough to upgrade your equipment, secure the area and supply your base – which isn’t exactly in the best of shape!

“You wake up and you have a captain who is also the mechanic aboard this tug.” Explained Astrofish Games’ CEO Chris Bolton in an interview to VRFocus back in July. “It’s a bit of a scrapheap. And you’re new – so you’re a new Ground Runner, you’ve been introduced, you’ve had this hoverbike put together by your mechanic captain, who has been scavenging parts like engine parts – the engine of this is a Honda 750!” He joked.

You’ll need to both flying and using weapons in synergy if you hope to survive, because there’s a bunch of robots and security details out there that won’t think twice about turning you into a pretty explosion.

Ground Runner: Trials is available now for £14.99 (GBP) on the Oculus Store. You can see the accompanying launch trailer below. VRFocus will bring you more news on Oculus Rift releases in the near future.

July 17, 2017

Hit the Ground Running in GroundRunners

Ground Runner: Trials is a sci-fi virtual reality (VR) videogame that was showcased at Unite Europe. It combines first-person shooter with flight locomotion as you have to survive and scavenge for treasure across a barren world.

You start off as a rookie Ground Runner, where you have to prove yourself by going on missions to destroy drones, cargo ships and collect loot and scavenge treasures. The game takes advantage of the Oculus touch and Vive controllers and uses physical locomotion controls, which prove useful when going into combat and trying to shoot down enemies from the sky whilst simultaneously driving your plasma bike. Survive and build up your resources. With the help of your personal AI assistant Jay, the game has an element of Robin Hood as the world is controlled by a corporation that own everything.

The graphics and art style are inspired by various old science fiction films and books, so you’ll be finding old floppy discs and cartridges instead of lasers and pen drives. Chris Bolton, the CEO and Creative Director of Astrofish Games tells VRFocus that they really wanted nostalgia to play a huge role when it came to the art direction of Ground Runner: Trials. The plasma bike you drive uses a Honda 750 which converts crystals into electricity – it doesn’t get more nostalgic than that!

In the video below he explains which software they use to help build the game, and with the help of their investor Zmapping how they want to provide free content updates for people who buy the game. Each update would contain content from forty minutes up to an hour, so purchasing the game would be an investment in future content as well.

The game might be coming out around August for the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. You clearly need the controllers and touch controllers to play the game. Check out the video below to find out more.