XOCUS, the virtual reality (VR) developer behind Z-Racehas announced the upcoming launch of its next racing title, Omega Pilot. Putting players in the cockpit of ludicrously fast vehicles, Omega Pilot is due to speed onto Steam Early Access an Oculus App Lab in a couple of weeks.
It was just over a year ago that XOCUS launched its futuristic racer Z-Race for PCVR headsets. One of its main features was the comfortable control scheme, whereby players controlled their vehicles directly through the physical movement of their hands; kind of like a toy car. Receiving a positive response from the community, players also wanted to step into the cockpit but due to Z-Race’s particular control scheme that wasn’t possible. So Omega Pilot was born.
Creating a whole new game just so fans could heart-pounding speeds in first-person inside Z-Race’s tubular tracks, Omega Pilot will feature “realistic physics and control mechanics.” The early access launch in May will include 10 tracks and three gameplay modes; Circuit racing, Checkpoint racing and Slalom. XOCUS hasn’t confirmed if these are brand new tracks or tracks ported from Z-race.
Initially, Omega Pilot – just like Z-Race did – will feature an asynchronous multiplayer so players will race against each other’s times rather than directly against one another. That’ll change as development progresses, with more content and features added.
The final version of Omega Pilot which is slated to arrive before the end of 2022 will offer: “a real-time multiplayer with an exciting deathmatch arena mode. The player will take on the role of a racer of the future, who must advance along increasingly difficult tracks and defeat dexterous rivals in order to become the Omega Pilot champion,” the developer explains in a statement.
Omega Pilot will launch as an Early Access title on Steam and via Meta Quest’s App Lab on 12th May 2022. No price has been revealed just yet but for further updates keep reading gmw3.
As a kid did you ever grab toy cars or planes and whizz them around the house pretending they were racing? Well, that’s what it kind of feels like playing XOCUS’ new virtual reality (VR) videogame Z-Race – minus the screaming parents – a futuristic racing title that will immediately make you think of WipEout yet offers a very different gameplay experience.
Z-Race immediately stands out thanks to its visual style, the anti-grav vehicles looking awesome thanks to a mixture of F1 and spaceship inspiration. While the tracks tend to be mostly tubular in construction there are moments when they open up, providing stunning views among the clouds or racing through icy, industrialised terrain.
For its Early Access launch on Steam for HTC Vive, Valve Index and Oculus Rift, you’ll be able to pilot 10 vehicles split across three-speed grades, three in grades three and two with four ships in the fastest grade one. Gaining access to the next grade requires upgrading one vehicle to the max, which you can only do by collecting coins on the track or by winning. These are split down into Acceleration, Top Speed and Nitro sections, each with three upgrade slots. So each race is a careful balance between keeping that perfect line or trying to collect those coins.
When it comes to the tracks there are 12 in total, split across Bronze, Silver and Gold cups. Unlike the variety found in the ships, the tracks only have four terrains, so by the time you enter the Gold cup they can feel somewhat repetitive. XOCUS does try to mitigate some of this by increasing the number of obstacles, so not only do you have other opponents flying around you there are red cylinders that will instantly slow you down – they’ll even ricochet if someone in front hits one – and red walls to thread through. In some of the tighter tunnels, it can be quite the challenge trying to feed your way through everything.
To help in these scenarios you have slow-mo and nitro to use, the former can only be used three times per race whilst nitro appears as blue orbs on the track. So far this all sounds like a blistering sci-fi racer – albeit without any weapons – offering face-melting speeds and intense competition.
However, if you’re a fan of VR racing games you’ll know inside the vehicle is where the action is, it’s the only true way of feeling that sense of speed. Z-Racer doesn’t, in fact, as its entirely third-person. There aren’t any actual options because of the control mechanics XOCUS has employed, great for comfort, not so much for speed. As VRFocus alluded to earlier, Z-Racer’s controls are like holding a toy in your hand, the controller becoming the ship. It’s a similar format to Shooty Skies Overdrive, all you need to do is move your hand around the track.
While this may not sit well with racing fans it does mean a generally comfortable experience even with all the undulating track design. It does take a moment to get used to but it provides a different experience to more conventional titles like Radial-G: Proteus.
As for the competitive aspect, Z-Race doesn’t offer your standard multiplayer where you have to wait for other players. Instead, the only mode currently available is Asynchronous Racing, where there are other racers on the track who represent other players times. The benefit of this system is no wait times, just dive straight into a race, and you do get that pseudo-competitive feel even though you know no one else is competing at that moment.
Currently, the content available means you’ll see all Z-Race has to offer in under an hour, going back through each course once you’ve supped up the best ships to gain a prominent leaderboard position. Yet Z-Race is an Early Access title and XOCUS’ plans for more content could radically change the experience. An actual head-to-head mode is planned for Q2 2021 which could really add some much-needed depth to the gameplay. Far more radical is the proposition of a cockpit mode. This idea is being looked at due to player feedback and if implemented would completely alter the control scheme, likely two very different racing modes.
For now, though, Z-Race offers a very average racing experience. It’s enjoyable for that initial hour then begins to wain unless you really want that number one position. There’s plenty of potential to be unlocked as the quality of the graphics and smooth gameplay already set a high, premium bar so hopefully, the studio has plenty of content updates planned. Should that cockpit mode arrive then VRFocus will be revisiting Z-Race.
For those after a futuristic racer in a similar vein to the iconic Wipeout series then XOCUS’ upcoming Z-Race should fit the bill nicely. The studio has just dropped a new trailer whilst confirming a PC VR launch will take place on Steam next week.
This intense, high-octane racer puts players in zero-g ships and tubular tracks filled with obstacles to avoid, coins and powerups to collect. The Early Access launch will feature 10 anti-gravity racers and 12 tracks across four terrains.
Initially, Z-Race will offer an asynchronous global multiplayer mode so you can go head-to-head with players worldwide, competing for the top spots on leaderboards. In this mode, you’ll be able to upgrade your ship to unlock its potential and go insanely fast. “These upgrades will include improvements to base speed, manoeuvrability, and nitro capacity. And our matchmaking algorithm will assure that you’re only going up against the racers with similar upgrades and a similar skill level,” the studio notes.
After the launch, XOCUS plans on releasing a synchronous head-to-head mode where up to seven players can compete. You’ll be able to invite friends in but upgrades will be disabled so there’s no advantage to be gained. But you can customise its design for a unique look. There’s even going to be some sort of PvP arena introduced although no further details were available.
Supposedly, Z-Race features: “a brand new, unique control configuration that no other racing game has tried before.” Keep an eye-out for VRFocus’ upcoming preview where we test this statement out.
XOCUS will launch Z-Race on Steam for Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Valve Index on 2nd March retailing for $19.99 USD. The studio also has plans to bring Z-Race to Oculus Quest in the future with details regarding a closed beta to be released soon. For further updates on the new VR title, keep reading VRFocus.
Once again, VRFocus brings you another list of both triple-A and independent virtual reality (VR) titles to look forward to over the course of the next week. Owners of every major headset can look forward to a new videogame to add to their collection. Make sure to check out our accompanying video to get a preview of each title.
Timeless Paradox VR – John Jiang
This single-player story-based VR action game is set in a “timeless world.” Playing alongside companion Estel and featuring 9 different boss battles and a unique sword attack system, it’s up to you to restore the flow of time by fixing all “time fragments.”
Travel across land and sea, exploring various derelict structures and ruins in search of the elusive Temple Of Sorrow. Hear the echo of your own footsteps as you follow faint sources of light on your lonely quest through mysterious lands solving puzzles. Also featuring an original ambient soundtrack by electronic music artist Vector Lovers.
Supported platforms: PlayStation VR
Launch date: 3rd March
Spacewalk Defender – Droidtech
In this sci-fi VR shooter, you must duel wield a host of unique weapons to fend off an endless wave of enemies as they spawn. Featuring enemy waves increasing in difficulty as they spawn, it’s down to you to beat your personal best, or play and compete with players around the world as you climb the leader boards.
In this VR street-fighting game, you find yourself in debt to the mafia and must survive by fighting your way out of trouble. You receive a date and place for your fight, along with instructions on how to survive. Coming face-to-face with a host of unsavoury characters, it’s up to you to perfect your fighting abilities in this urban environment.
VR Desktop overlay application XSOverlay is an application for software development kit OpenVR and it helps users to access and interact their desktop or individual applications using custom controls in VR. Featuring support for left, right, middle-clicking and dragging abilities, and window movement and scaling. Users can control their media with window editing and help to improve their productivity in VR.
Timeless Paradox VR – John Jiang
Spacewalk Defender – Droidtech