Space Ops VR is the latest VR title by FIBRUM who is well-known for their work on VR projects and this is our review of the title. We were provided a Steam key for this review and our review was made on an HTC Vive headset running on a decent PC. Space Ops VR is essentially a first-person shooter and a platformer at the same time however it fails to deliver on both aspects of gameplay.
Starting with the in-game mechanics, Space Ops VR is mostly an FPS but there are certain aspects where you will need to use the teleport feature to reach areas which are otherwise impossible to reach. First off, the aiming with the teleporting mechanic is just dreadful. It is so glitchy that sometimes I would point at the right position and when I execute the teleportation, I would fall down because the aim glitched at the last moment and changed my target.
The game has its FPS moments but they are overshadowed by other annoying mechanics such as there are no in-game ammo pickups or any other items. Your ammo recharges itself so if you run out of ammo during a fight, you will be mostly running around waiting until your gun can magically reproduce some ammo out of nowhere. This is most annoying during the boss battles which are unfortunately the most enjoyable time of any level.
There are two different game modes in Space Ops VR. One is Skirmish mode while the other is the Sandbox mode. In Sandbox mode, you can jump in solo or with a friend and race against the clock to finish the map. This seriously limits the gameplay time because the time is so strict that you cannot even explore the map properly and most of the time if you are not rushing the map, the time will finish before you have defeated the boss of the level.
The second mode is the Skirmish mode where your team competes against another team and the first team to clear the map in the shortest time wins the mode. Sadly, I was not able to try this mode because I could find anyone else playing during the different time I tried to test out the Skirmish mode. Space Ops VR is best played with a friend and I will recommend that you play it with a friend.
Another annoying aspect of the game is that you cannot choose the map you want to play on. For some unknown reason, this decision is entirely up to the game and you will need to play the map the game selects for you randomly and if you want to try a different map, you will need to quit and start over. You have the option to choose a custom loadout however and you unlock new weapons by leveling up.
The timed Sandbox mode was not present in the early access Preview that we received for testing and the game looked more promising back then. Sandbox mode can be a really fun mode to explore the maps in details but due to the time limit, you will mostly find yourself rushing the levels and trying to reach the end of the level as soon as possible. We hope that further improvements are made in future updates to make the game better.
Coming to the story of the game, there is none. There is only the aspect that you are part of the Space Ops program where you are running through training exercises to train and master your skills. You have to train in order to defense Earth from potential alien invasions and giant monsters and because of that Space Ops is training you along with other recruits. Each map you play is essentially a training exercise which is bound to make you better. Apart from this, there is no story in the game.
The game is pretty to look at but when compared to most modern VR projects, it feels very bland and there is not much to look at. The environments in each map look different but here and there you will find some similarities that will make you feel that the assets have been reused in making each level giving a much similar feel to each level. Overall, it looks pretty basic and there is nothing which makes it stand out from the rest of the crowd.
The AI itself is dreadful. It feels like most of the time you are shooting at mindless zombies who are just programmed to rush at you. They do not use any tactics, they do not use any strategy to take you down and they certainly look like they are so fed up with their life that they just rush at you so that you can kill them quickly. For me, sometimes if I managed to find a sweet spot, the AI was too dumb to go around an obstacle and at least try to come and attack me.
The gameplay is not solid but it is not too weak as well. You will have a good time killing some aliens but there will be some moments when the glitchy teleportation will annoy you especially during the platforming sections. I don’t mind difficult games but when a game gets more difficult because of glitchy mechanics, it is not acceptable. If you consider it an FPS title, it is a decent one but the platforming bits are annoying as of now.
If the developers are planning to support the title with some updates, I think they should add an option to pick a map at the start so that players can at least try out all the different maps the game has to offer. The random map selection is not a good thing to implement in the game. Apart from that, the teleportation needs some serious work because the FPS bit of the game is being seriously let down by it.
You can head over to Space Ops VR’s official Steam page if you are interested in trying out the game for yourself. The game does not cost a lot and for only $6.99 the game is a bargain to try out. For the first week, you can also nab a 25% discount on the price of the game.
Final Verdict:
Space Ops VR is nothing special and you will find plenty of better alternatives on the market. The game lacks content seriously and the teleportation mechanics need some serious work to make them decent. You will like the FPS parts and the boss battles are decent. For me, the boss battles are pretty fun and you will have a good time slaying them. Apart from them, you have an empty game with dull AI that does not offer much. The game has potential and if the developers tend to fix the major problems with the game, it can be a solid VR shooter in the future. If you want to play it, make sure to bring a friend.
Score: 5.5/10
