Tech

‘Gunjack’ Looks Like Gear VR’s First Serious Game

One possible reason you haven’t seen or heard much about the Gear VR, a virtual reality headset developed by Oculus and Samsung, is that there aren’t many notable games you can play on it yet. That will change with the release of Gunjack, a space shooter developed by CCP, creators of the massively multiplayer online game EVE Online.

Gunjack puts players in the role of a gun turret operator on a mining vessel in the Outer Ring region of known space. Basically, it looks like you won’t be able to control the trajectory of the ship, but you will be able to look around, point your guns, and blow up everything that needs blowing up. You know, like a video game.

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It sound like a good fit for Gear VR, which doesn’t come with a traditional game controller. The device is compatible with Bluetooth gamepads, but most of the Gear VR games we’ve played used only the device’s built in head tracking and touch pad on the side of the headset for input. CCP told Motherboard Gunjack will work with a controller if you have one, but is designed for the built-in touchpad.

“Our goal was nothing less than creating the best game yet for the Gear VR headset,” Gunjack executive producer Jean-Charles Gaudechon said in a press release. “Our team has focused on delivering the most action-packed, graphically-stunning game possible on this new virtual reality platform.”

If the video and general conceit look a little familiar, it’s because CCP is already working on one of the more promising virtual reality games, EVE Valkyrie, a deeper space shooter for the Oculus Rift that requires a traditional game controller.

Gunjack will be available with the official launch of the Gear VR.