Guns of Icarus is and has always been one of those games that’s so unique that it simply won’t die because someone else won’t make it. With the advent of VR, it seems like another version of this game has been made for VR and VR only. With our Steampunk goggles, let us review this intrepid contraption that is Hover Junkers.
What is Hover Junkers?
Hover Junkies is a co-op game, much like Guns of Icarus, where you and three others are stationed on a Hovercraft to kill enemy Hovercrafts. Just like Guns of Icarus, there are roles to play such as the pilot, the mechanic, and the gunner. You are given a variety of guns to kill your opponent and you need to come in close to shoot your opponents. If play correctly, the game is thrilling.
Graphics and Visuals 4/5
This is another game that isn’t after impressing anyone with the visual landscape. After all, the goal of the game is to shoot other players and not solve a puzzle inside of the game. The graphics remind me of Borderlands with the Steampunk colors, rugged landscape, and blocky elements. While not impressive, it doesn’t look bad and was well-designed for the purpose of the game.
Hardware Requirements 4/5
This game requires a good bit of RAM at 8GB and space with 20GB, but the remainder of the hardware is standard for VR. You need a Windows 7 System or higher with an Intel i5 4590 on a GTX 970.
Fitness 3/5
This game is definitely not focused on fitness, but that’s not to say that it won’t tire you out. Most of the game, you are either hiding under cover to reload or quickly shooting opponents as they go to hide under cover to reload. Death is permenant for the round so the pressure to stay alive is always present and you are not safe in the start zone. While you won’t get a regular workout, you will certainly be panting after a really well fought round. On the downside of this, it can be difficult to find anyone that’s playing so the workouts are not consistent.
Gameplay 4/5
Just like Guns of Icarus, the game has a bit of an abrasive learning curve that you just have to grit through in order to become good at the game. Sure, there’s a tutorial but nothing serves memory better than having to put what you learned into practice while you’re under pressure. Once you know how to play the game, it becomes very fluid and it isn’t very hard to get used to fighting patterns. The only bad part about the game is that the amount of fighting done is primarily on your ship but you somehow collect scrap from another ship by blowing it up. This breaks from the immersion of the game, but is not a downright flaw of the game.
Overall Rating: 4/5
I would like to point out to the developers that you shouldn’t claim that the game “is unlike anything you’ve played” because there are a lot of games out there. It’s a bit naïve to stake such a claim when you take from so many different games that are similar to your game. Otherwise, the game is well designed and extremely fun to play at the price of $34.99 but it’s up to you as to whether it’s worth the price tag.
