Space Pirate Trainer is receiving a multiplayer spin-off that requires large open areas to play.
I-Illusions, the developer behind 2016’s immensely popular wave-based shooter Space Pirate Trainer, today announced Space Pirate Arena, a brand new VR experience for the Oculus Quest that utilizes the standalone headsets untethered capabilities to deliver a competitive multiplayer experience across “hall-sized” environments.
Details are scant at the moment, though I-Illusions has confirmed that Space Pirate Arena is an entirely new game completely independent of Space Pirate Trainer. Instead of using teleportation or artificial locomotion, Space Pirate Arena requires players to physically move throughout their environment, sort of like a game of virtual laser tag.
Naturally, all this running around requires a larger play space. I-Illusions states that they are currently experimenting with a 10×10 meter play area, perfect for empty basketball courts, football fields, pretty much any large open area with proper lighting.
In the video provided above the developers can be seen logging into a match and engaging in a one-on-one duel throughout a futuristic arena. Although the match that is shown consists of only two players, you can actually spot what appears to be two additional player spawning areas at the beginning of the video, which could indicate the possibility of four-person matches.
Each player is equipped with a pistol that requires a quick charge in order to fire, forcing players to be a bit more strategic during their engagements. It also looks as though gunfire can ricochet off the walls and cover, which should make for some very interesting battles.
According to several responses made by the developer on Reddit, the setup shown in the video was powered by a small laptop serving as a local server and WiFi access point for both headsets. This means that, theoretically, players could engage in multiplayer battles without the need of a stable internet connection; so long as they have access to a laptop powerful enough to run a basic server app.
No word yet on an official release date.
Since the launch of the Oculus Quest back in May, developers have been making incredible use of the headsets standalone capabilities. VR developer Thrust Vector is currently in development of its own “shared-space” multiplayer game for the Quest that allows players to team-up on an explosive sci-fi adventure aboard a futuristic starship filled with enemy drones and various puzzles.
Since showing off an arena-scale version of Dead and Buried II at OC5, Facebook has made it clear that location-based entertainment, while still in its early stages, is not only possible on the Oculus Quest, but actually made better.
Image Credit: I-Illusions
