V.E.C.T. (or the Virtual Equilibrioception Cancellation Trainer), is heavily inspired by classic
1980’s arcade games such as “Tempest” and titles from the N64 era but is designed to be played
in virtual reality using the Rift headset from Oculus, a Facebook company. V.E.C.T. keeps the
feeling of the classic arcades: precise movement, quick action, retro graphics with solid-colored
geometric shapes, and electronic music that completes the retro vibe. On the other hand,
once experienced in the Oculus Rift, the feeling that the game takes on is unlike anything seen
before. The power of fully immersive virtual reality transforms a traditional retro arcade game
into an entirely new experience.
The game’s creators have released the beta for V.E.C.T. along with the launch of their Kickstarter
campaign to help fund the game to full production release. Cepheid Games is asking for help to
reach its target goal of just $9,000 by July 12, 2015. The production release is expected in early
2016, coinciding with the commercial release of the Oculus Rift. For just $12, contributors will
immediately receive a beta copy, along with an early production copy when it’s available, and
even have their name put onto the game’s credits. Other contribution levels provide more
incentives, including t-shirts, posters and the ability to assist the company in designing a unique
game level.
V.E.C.T. has players take control of a ship and use a unique head-tilt mechanic to navigate
obstacle-filled levels. It’s an arcade rail shooter that gets progressively more difficult and faster
with each new level. As Cepheid founder Parks Settle says, “V.E.C.T. is easy to learn and
difficult to master.” With support for the Oculus Rift, it is finally possible to immerse yourself in
a fully-realized retro gaming world. Tom Rudderham, editor of the Rift Arcade, says, “Thanks to
the bold colors and simple graphics, V.E.C.T. proves to be a fun ride with a silky frame rate that
causes no motion sickness.”
Players may tilt their heads to either side to rotate the ship on a central axis while experiencing
the ride from a first-person perspective. This enables the player to look in any direction without
interfering with ship movement. You can get an idea of how the control system
works by watching the video on the Kickstarter page, but be assured that it is intuitive and takes
only seconds to learn.
Those who are interested can make a pledge by visiting the V.E.C.T. Kickstarter page here, and if you
haven’t already checked out the original demo then hit this link to take a look.
V.E.C.T. is a copyright of Cepheid Games.