The ultimate goal of VR games is to immerse you in a world other than that which you are in. The team over at Endeavor One have created an experience that is likely to make you feel a touch of vertigo.
Jump JR is the Gear VR version of Jump. The premise of the game is pretty simple. You control the main character in their attempts to jump across a city to the highest point. The game takes some liberties with physics to give you a super human jumping ability, but isn’t that really the whole point of VR games?
What we look for in VR games
Immersion
We strongly recommend that when playing Jump JR, and indeed other VR games, that you remain seated as you will be completely taken into the world. When testing it out, I took off the headset to be facing a completely different part of the room to what I expected. For this the game rates extremely highly on what is one of the most important aspects; immersion.
Graphics
This is one element of the game that divided me. On the one hand, the graphics leave a little to be desired as they are pretty blocky and old school. Then again, I think this may actually add to the game’s charm, providing a visual experience similar to that of 80’s movie predictions. Rather than get too caught up on this, let’s move along.
Audio
This is a winner. The Oculus Gear VR app doesn’t seem to let me record audio, so you miss out on what is an awesome soundtrack to the game. Other than that, the sound effects are pretty minimal when you land on the ground.
Gameplay
The game itself is challenging enough, requiring you to plot a path across the city while avoiding the deadly orange ground. You’ll be faced with jumps you think you can make just before falling to your death, and sliding off jumps you think you’ve landed.
You do require a Bluetooth controller to play the game. This is far from a complaint as due to the growing popularity of VR games, you really should have a controller if you have a headset. Finally, the reactions of your head movements is fantastic, even when you look down just in time to see your own demise.
Value
At €4.99, Jump JR lands itself into the mid-range priced games in the Samsung Oculus store. There are plenty of levels to play, but most importantly, the game itself will impress you or anyone you show it off to. Ultimately, this is the point of VR games so Jump JR delivers at a great price.