Earlier than getting into my Rival Stars Horse Racing: VR Version demo at Gamescom this yr, I am going to admit that I wasn’t the most important fan of horses. They’re massive, scary and unsurprisingly very robust, so I couldn’t perceive why folks exit of their approach to journey them. Nevertheless, after spending time with these monstrously-sized creatures in digital actuality, I’m lastly beginning to see their enchantment.
Primarily based on the PC and Cell sport Rival Stars, the VR Version adapts many present techniques like breeding and coaching. As a substitute of tapping a display screen or clicking a mouse, you step proper into the saddle and interact different riders throughout a collection of high-intensity race programs. Success within the discipline rewards you with money, which you’ll be able to feed again into your ranch and develop your four-legged household. This easy system feels nicely suited to VR attributable to its grounded themes, and exploring the small however well-designed cartoonish grounds of my fake farm is surprisingly enjoyable. The comfortable soundscape stands out, due to its soothing winds and chook calls.
I can’t benefit from the sunshine without end, although; inevitably, it is time to face my fears and see a horse up shut. The stature of the digital foal instantly struck me upon coming into the barn. Regardless of the environment wanting so static, I am pleasantly shocked by how practical my new steed is with its waggling ears and random snorts.
Getting into the pen greets me with varied grooming and snacking items that I can optionally use to construct the connection between the creature and myself. Naturally, I fed them apples till cute hearts appeared, signifying that my horse acquaintance was now my horse buddy. In these moments, Rival Stars Horse Racing: VR Version jogged my memory of early ’00s video games like Barbie Horse Adventures and Nintendogs, which leverage the liberty of digital pet possession with honest bond-building. Whereas they work tremendous on a flat display screen, I really feel surprisingly current with my horse in digital actuality. Tending to their wants and indulging within the meditative strategy of brushing down their coat is a delight.
With the horse fed and its hair brushed, I headed for the observe and used our new bond to my profit. Traversal all through the farm makes use of approachable teleportation however racing is fluid locomotion. You’re feeling every flip and velocity enhance because the visuals contained in the headset mimic the horse’s movement. Whereas ready for the race buzzer, I took a couple of minutes to study the fundamentals of jockeyship. Gaining velocity requires you to grip the controllers and waggle your arms up and down.
This agency grip is important to filling up the enhance gauge, which requires aggressively rocking the controllers backwards and forwards. Steering is fortunately easy, pulling again with my left or proper arm to tug the reins in my desired path. Quickly sufficient, I belted out the beginning gates and regardless of my coaching, I started flailing like a wacky inflatable tube man, gasping and grooving to get forward of my rivals. Regardless of my goofy, overexcited strategy, Rival Stars’ motion techniques ultimately really feel intuitive as my physicality blends with the visible shift between a tempered trot and a fierce gallop.
Cross Nation maps are way more precision-focused, courtesy of tight corners and dressage-esque obstacles. Right here, I struggled in opposition to the pure pull of my steed as I gained the velocity wanted to make the mandatory calculated jumps and turns. Wrestling my horse for management might be annoying, although the sensation of resistance made the expertise of touchdown jumps extra legit and rewarding.
One apart price mentioning, although, is that whereas I’ve earned my VR sea legs, the fast-paced and immersive traversal in Rival Stars did garner small bouts of nausea. With out an alternate motion model for the racing portion of the sport, the depth of Rival Stars Horse Racing: VR Version may take some getting used to should you’re vulnerable to movement illness.
As my time with Rival Stars got here to an in depth, I dove into the breeding portion of the sport, which helps you to match up horses by colour and talent to create bespoke foals that match your wants. Inside 30 seconds of constructing my very own choice, a child horse materialized earlier than me, and I discovered myself besotted with the pint-sized racer. This side remains to be a piece in progress, so solely time will inform how these techniques can develop. Whereas lovable, it is unclear how they are going to work within the full sport, particularly contemplating problems like useful resource administration.
It’s nonetheless early days for Rival Stars Horse Racing: VR Version, however there’s lots to like already. The brilliant pastoral world is quaint and rendered fastidiously, summoning a becoming panorama for tending to horses, and this mix of ranching and nurturing duties creates a surprisingly enjoyable ambiance. The spotlight was, in fact, the racing, which, regardless of any bouts of movement illness on my half, felt approachable attributable to its easy management scheme. I’m eager to return to the saddle and take a look at my luck once more quickly.
Rival Stars Horse Racing: VR Version is coming to PC VR and the Meta Quest platform in Q2 2025. It is also confirmed for Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional.
