This is an Early Access Review and as such opinions and scores are based solely on the state of the game at the time of review and subject to change as development progresses leading up to final release.
Last month I reviewed a game called Super Pixel Smash, which I described as a “TRON-inspired version of racquetball”, and here we are a few weeks later with Racket: Nx that takes everything I loved about that game and polishes it to near-perfection. Fusing TRON-like visuals with an incredible soundtrack and some of the best VR motion controls in a game of this type, Racket: Nx may just be the first must-have VR game of 2017…and it’s still in Early Access.
Rather than beat a ball mindlessly against a distant wall Racket: Nx puts you inside a relatively small dome-like structure surrounding you with an array of hexagonal wall tiles. These will light up to indicate where you need to be hitting the ball, and once you do the target will either move to another wall section or perhaps shrink or change shape, but the overall goal is to keep hitting the green panels in succession to build up those combo bonuses.
It’s a fairly simple premise and from the few hours I’ve spent in the game seems to be mostly about pattern recognition as the target locations appear to be scripted, which helps in knowing where to aim the ball next. Being in a sphere you can also make the walls work for you by not even hitting the ball, as a lucky rebound can often work to your advantage. The controls are excellent and with subtle twists of the wrist you can aim and even put spin on the ball.
You’ll want to spend plenty of time exploring the various single-player modes learning all the nuances of the gameplay before heading online in what is easily one of the most addictive multiplayer games in VR. I was impressed with the number of people already playing this game online, and matchmaking was seldom a problem. There is almost always somebody ready to challenge you, and the matches are insanely fun…even when you lose.
The only downside to Racket: Nx is the demanding space required for room-scale. I have a 6×6 foot play space that has always been more than enough, but this game pushes those limits. You’re going to need pretty much and empty room to enjoy this game without worrying about tripping over or breaking something. The other issue (and this was more severe for me than the room space) was being in a circular play area you physically spin around a lot in this game, and it only takes a minute before you are cocooned in your own Vive cord.
There wasn’t a single moment playing this game where I wasn’t worried about the cable slowly coiling around my ankles and knees. I was constantly stepping out of the cord or spinning in the opposite direction to try and free myself. When I was done with the game I had to dangle the headset by the cable and let is unspin like we used to do with old landline phones. I am currently working on a bungee suspension system to have the cable drop down from the ceiling.
If you have a Vive and a large play space then I can’t recommend Racket: Nx highly enough. Just make sure you heed all the warnings before playing and make sure to tighten that wrist strap. This game is so immersive that within minutes you’ll forget where you are in real-life and be totally immersed in this TRON-like futuristic sport.
