Voxel Shooter Xion Rolls Out To Oculus Rift Globally, Releases Version 1.04

Let’s be honest, sometimes blasting the hell out of things in a videogame is just very therapeutic; channelling the frustrations of the real world into a creative outlet.  Virtual reality (VR) title Xion understands this, and understands it well. Any videogame where we get an email with a note that says “everything is destructible” gets a sage nod of approval from us.

After all, what’s the point of being the most all-powerful being in the universe if your all-powerful character is utterly powerless against a rock or tree that’s just kind of in the way.

Xion - ScreenshotXion is a title inspired by the arcade-style voxel shoot ’em ups of the nineties, that sees you flying your customisable and upgradable spaceship (that you put together by hand) through an array of randomised levels before you come upon some chunky and challenging bosses at the end of each one.

Developers Zenz VR have brought the title, not long out of Early Access, to both the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive via Steam and the Oculus Store.  The Oculus support has just been released globally and the team have also released an update taking the title to version 1.04. Bringing with it the addition of a new tutorial and improvements to the shipbuilding element.

“VR is the final frontier and the combination of old school gameplay with a brand new medium makes it possible to create some unique and refreshing experiences.” Says CEO and Founder of Zenz VR, Niklas Persson. “At Zenz VR we are all about gameplay with the possibilities that only VR can provide.”

If you’ve not done so already, check out their release trailer below. At the time of writing Xion is available for £11.39 (GBP) on Steam, on the Oculus Store however it is presently £7.99 (GBP) – so Rift owners interested in picking the title up should probably head over there first.

Wands Developer Cortopia Studios Acquires Zenz VR

Cortopia Studios, the developer behind popular multi-platform, PVP title Wands has announced the creation of Cortopia Group. And with its creation Zenz VR has now been acquired and brought under the group’s umbrella.

HordeZ Screenshot

The acquisition brings Zenz VR’s three titles HordeZX-Fire VR, and Xion to the Cortopia Group as well as a fourth unnamed title currently in development. HordeZ came to HTC Vive in 2016, the first of Zenz VR’s VR projects. Currently available through Steam, followup titles X-Fire VR, and Xion are currently in Steam Early Access.

Wands has gone from strength to strength since its initial launch on Samsung Gear VR. The magical combat experience which pits players against one another across interactive battle arenas is available on HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Google Daydream, Oculus Go and Lenovo Mirage Solo.

“Building on the success of our cross-platform VR title Wands, Cortopia Group is keeping a pulse on the top studios that fit our ambition for excellence in VR,” says Cortopia Group CEO, Andreas Skoglund in a statement. “Cortopia is an effective team of talented VR creators and have shown that we can develop incredible experiences that capture the hearts and minds of VR enthusiasts. We are thrilled to lend our support to Zenz VR to help them do what they do best, and to expand our studios influence in the industry.”

Xion

“Zenz VR is delighted to be joining Cortopia Group,” adds Niklas Persson, games industry veteran, founder and CEO of Zenz VR. “The Cortopia team has been very pleasant to work with and I am excited to continue as CEO of Zenz VR in this next exciting chapter for our company.”

While Zenz VR is working on a new VR project, Cortopia Studios continues to develop Wands, with patch 1.4 revealed in March. This will see character customisation options introduced as well as a whole new arena, new spells and a tutorial mode. As further details are released, VRFocus will keep you posted.