PAX East 2016 – Swing Star

Man oh man, did this game take me by surprise. It’s such a simple game. Swing your way to the objective with a touch of a button. How can that be entertaining? Computer Lunch has made that simple equation into a fun experience. First, they put it in the virtual reality platform to gain perspective. Gave it vibrant color to attract your eyes then added my favorite feature of it all: rag-doll physics. I don’t think Sir Isaac Newton could have handled how gravity is being manipulated in this game.

As explained earlier you are to swing to your objective. How? A sticky hand that looks similar to the ones you get for about .50 cents in a capsule after turning the crank of a vending machine. Our character here has it on their helmet as it is a safety hazard to swing around so many obstacles. It’s all about the law of physics. Using momentum to swing from block to block to reach and ring a bell (objective). Just writing about doesn’t do it much justice. You have feel the of your equilibrium go out of whack to really credit this game. I played this game after lunch and I’m pretty proud of myself for retaining the food in my stomach. I was swinging so much I felt like I was flying.

Be careful not to lose control as that is when you can lose your grip. You fall, you lose. You hurt yourself too much, you lose. I got so dizzy at one point that I was expecting a voice from nowhere to just say “FINISH HIM”. I was spinning my head while in place due to all the force. I was swinging so much it back lashed me all the way to out of the zone. I was still in the game. It was not a glitch. I flew into a plain full of green. Upon impact I bounced and flailed like a Magikarp flung out by its owner. This is when I realized I didn’t care about reaching the objective; this game can be fun just freestyling. Build your swinging skills so that you can truly achieve victory, it would just be a button away.

ready-set-go whoa insane-dimension

About Swing Star:

Swing Star VR is a single-button, rope-swinging, simulation game, which lets you soar through colorful, low-polygon worlds. You attach to objects by looking at them, and swing your way to a resonator bell, which warps you to the next level. There are power-ups to help you: Speed up your swing with Turbo YoYo’s, blast into the sky with Air Cannons, or just relax inside the Jelly Chill-Out Zones.

Releasing on Oculus Rift an Gear VR on May 5, 2016.
Additional Info: http://games.computerlunch.com/swing-star/

Oz plays Rocket League and is very bad at it, but at least he tries. As long as there are games to talk about, he's in his happy place.

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