Gaming’s earliest first person shooter makes its way to VR headsets in this lovingly-crafted fan recreation.
Did you ever hear the story of 1993’s Wolfenstein 3D Virtual Reality StarterKit 1? It’s not a story iD Software would tell you. Another poor attempt at 90’s virtual reality, the obtuse “virtual reality” system incorporated an extremely bulky VR helmet alongside cumbersome joystick controls for an awkward, unnecessary version of the 1992 cult-classic.
Inspired by the ill-conceived project, a dedicated team of hardcore fans have taken it upon themselves to pick up where the original developers, Alternate Worlds Technology Inc., left off; only this time they’ll be utilizing modern VR technology to provide an immersive experience that’s actually worth checking out.
Now available for free on HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Windows Mixed Reality headsets, Wolfenstein 3D VR is a lovingly-crafted recreation of the 1992 FPS classic developed by the team over at Further Beyond Studios. All the castle-storming action you know and love returns, including ten blood-pumping labyrinth-like levels filled with experimental mutant dogs, hidden passageways, and of course, plenty of WWII-era Nazi’s to battle.
This is where the similarities end, however, as Wolfenstein 3D VR is completely redesigned from the ground up to support an immersive VR experience. From physically holding up your hands to look down the sight of your Walther P38, to bringing down waves of enemies with your boot knife, players should have no trouble enjoying this pleasant mix of nostalgia and competent VR technology. Not to mention the updated textures which look fantastic.
New features include the ability to turn off realistic blood, left-handed mode, and a realistic weapon skin for the P38. The experience also supports a variety of movement controls, such as the option to switch between HMD and controller oriented movement when using trackpad locomotion, as well as both trackpad and thumbstick movement capabilities.
According to Further Beyond, Wolfenstein 3D VR is a “shareware” download, therefore it is available free on HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Windows Mixed Reality headsets for all fans, both new and old, to enjoy.
For more information, check out Further Beyond’s official Patreon page here.
Image Credit: Further Beyond
