Snowboarding videogames have yet to make their mark in virtual reality (VR), with only a handful of generally iffy skiing titles to those that love racing down snowy mountains. That could all change this week as RainSoft has announced it’ll release Terje Haakonsen’s Powder VR into Steam Early Access tomorrow.
Like many sports titles before it, Powder VR has teamed up with a pro; Norwegian snowboarder Terje Haakonsen in fact, to not only endorse the videogame but to help the studio create as lifelike an experience as possible.
An extreme sports triple involving snowboarding, skiing and wingsuiting, Terje Haakonsen’s Powder VR will allow players to test their carving skills in a simulation mode or go for a more arcade-style experience. There’s going to be plenty of content by the looks of it, with speed records to set in the downhill race, perform tricks and score big in freestyle, or find those perfect lines in the slalom races.
To ensure there’s plenty of variety in the tracks the Early Access release will feature five mountains to tame, each with 3-6 courses apiece. During the EA time which RainSoft expects could take up to nine months, more courses will be added so each mountain will have a total of six. The full release will then add an additional mountain, a story campaign with Haakonsen as the captain of the virtual winter sports team; branded unlockable clothing and gear, plus extra side quests.
But it won’t purely be about completing set challenges. The final game will allow players to heli-drop from anywhere, so they can explore the mountain however they wish. Having already worked on the title for 2 years, Terje Haakonsen’s Powder VR presents a tantalising prospect for immersive winter sports.
Terje Haakonsen’s Powder VR will be available via Steam Early Access from 11th December 2020, supporting Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Valve Index and Windows Mixed Reality headsets. For further updates on the extreme sports experience, keep reading VRFocus.
via Mint VR