Released back in 2006, the strategy game Defcon resembles the maps on the large screens that dominated the tense moments of the 1983 film Wargames. Lines arc from continent to continent, symbolizing nuclear missile trajectories and likely the beginning of the end for us all. And now you can experience that abstract horror in virtual reality on the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.
Normally Defcon just has the maps and tables, but a free new download on Steam from Introversion Software called Defcon VR drops players in an actual war room. Metal staircases allow players look down on a holographic spinning globe, a strategic map of the earth lines the dominant wall, and another screen crawls with ominous statistics.
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Unfortunately, you can’t decide the locations of nuclear strikes in Defcon yourself while in virtual reality—you can only watch, accompanied by other players who manifest themselves as floating general’s caps. It’s limited to the spectator mode that lets you watch other matches, all while you’re powerless to do anything besides toss around a few virtual chairs and watch the apocalypse unfold. Come to think of it, that’s probably what the end of all things will be like for most of us.
