Ah the summer of 2017; a simpler time. Oculus Rift and HTC Vive still felt relatively new and developers were making all kinds of crazy experiments for them. One such game was The Tower.
Developed by Headroom.one, this was a curious little VR obstacle course. It placed players on a conveyor belt that constantly moved them forwards. Its path gradually winded around a giant structure. Along the way, you had to duck and dive between swinging axes and projectiles. Lean too far in one direction, though, and you’d come tumbling down. It was an excellent showcase for VR’s positional tracking. Though short, I really enjoyed my time with it.
Good news, then; it’s getting a sequel. And it looks very different.
The Tower II is heading to PC VR headsets this summer. Whereas the original game was a historic setting, this one’s set in a sci-fi take on 2013. This time around you travel through an urban metropolis. You’re taking part in a virtual parkour league, which attracts the attention of killer drones. You can shoot them down using pistols.
Whereas the original game took me 45 minutes to beat, Headroom says the sequel’s story mission lasts around 60 minutes. There will also be parkour missions with eight courses in for different worlds. These will last around three to six minutes and really put your skills and fitness to the test.
The Tower II will support Index, Rift and Vive at launch. No word yet on a Quest or PSVR release though they do seem ideally suited. Steam says the game’s out on August 12.
