Rush VR (PlayStation 4) Review

After getting through the initial introduction Rush VR offers up three modes of play, There's a race mode, a time attack, and a score attack mode. Regardless of which one is chosen the gameplay remains much the same: fall with style through glowing checkpoints until the goal is reached - avoiding environmental obstacles along the way. It seems quite limited at first, with only four maps to race through, but each map actually has twenty routes to traverse that act like completely different tracks in other racing games. This has gone old school with the progression based mechanics though, giving each route out individually, unlocking one after another after completing the stage in race mode.

The four maps give very different styled environments to race through. From green rolling hills of Verdant Valley and snowy peaks of the French Alps, to the rocky outcroppings of the Sunburst Canyon, and, finally, the razor-sharp ridges of Misty Mountain. What makes these stages more interesting is that the different routes give very different experiences. Not just different paths through the same stage, but also offering up different times of day and different weather conditions during the flight. Speeding towards a sunrise, seeing the helmet freeze up as snow begins to fall, or watching the sky light up with the flash of lightning during a raging thunderstorm.

Those environments always look decent enough. Graphically the game has gone for some cartoonish style poly textures as opposed to photo realism. When looking closely, the textures aren't as crisp as they could be, and there are plenty of overused assets. But, thanks to the fast movement the flaws are hardly noticeable.

At first, the stages are simple and at points too slow, feeling dull, slowly drifting down the side of a hill through the occasional checkpoint - a leisurely drop over green hills. This changes dramatically after just a few stages, as the game suddenly requires quick banking, dangerous turns, and tight squeezes between obstacles and through caves. Traversing obstacles with style is well rewarded too, filling a meter that can be unleashed for a speedy boost. An age-old problem with racing games, they can get old without plenty to keep them interesting. For Rush VR multiplayer is available for those who get bored with taking on bots.

One of the key aspects of VR is down to the controls and Rush VR opens up a huge amount of options. Whether it be via "looking" with the VR, tilting the head, utilizing the DualShock, or the best option, a pair of Move Controllers. The Move Controllers are held one in each hand and lifted or lowered to control altitude. It works really well, feeling immersive and smooth. However, considering the extreme movements, players who suffer from motion sickness may find this one affects them a little more than most VR titles out there.