Space Junkies is your Halo 2 fix, but in VR

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Ubisoft describes Space Junkies as a “visceral, jetpack-fueled VR Arcade Shooter.” For the most part, they’re right. They forgot to mention how extremely fun the game is to play.

Recently, I had the chance to spend some time with Space Junkies over at PAX East this weekend and with the 20-minutes or so I had with the game, it instantly brought me back to the days of Halo 2 and other similarly-styled shooters.

OK, the game isn’t in any way remotely close to Halo 2, but when I was playing the game with a group of people in the multiplayer mode, it brought me back to the days when I first started playing Halo 2 and the pure joy of fragging out with a bunch of people. It was new, it was fun, it was different. This helped curve the frustrations as I continuously got wrecked by the opposition.

The game is set in space and you fly through the game’s environment in a jetpack. This mechanic alone allows for some interesting firefights. Getting used to the controls and how you navigate through the levels can be a bit tricky, but once you get a solid grasp on the mechanics, it’s smooth sailing from there.

I had a lot of fun with the selection of weapons throughout the game, but my personal favorite was the slingshot. This was the most powerful weapon I had the chance to use in the game and it was by far the most exciting one. The shotgun was also great, and just felt “right,” especially given the fact that you have to pump the shotgun as you would in real life, but in VR – the same goes for the slingshot.

The VR aspect of this game is really brings everything home. Thanks to the Oculus Rift’s motion controls, you can use your hands and body to elude opponents strikes and weaponry, as well as dodging and dipping through the games numerous obstacles.

I had a lot of fun with this game and it personally has me thinking about an Oculus purchase in the near future. This is the type of content I’ve been waiting for.

Space Junkies is slated for launch sometime in the fall. Players who are interested in trying the game out can sign up for the game’s beta here.

Kevin Raposo

Kevin is KnowTechie's founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com.