There are few things in this world as satisfying as slicing virtual fruit using a virtual sword inside of virtual reality. Fruit Ninja VR, from Halfbrick, the creators of the original mobile title, is one of the most addicting and fun HTC Vive games out right now. We really enjoyed the time we spent with it for our review.
Now today, Halfbrick has announced a brand-new way of playing the fruit-slicing simulator known as Survival Mode. This update brings the total number of game modes to 4, adding it to the existing stable of Arcade, Classic, and Zen. You can watch gameplay footage of the new game mode up at the top of this article.
In Survival Mode, you’ll face off against dastardly and fruit-firing cannons that hover all around you as they blast a variety of melons, apples, oranges, and more your way — including the occasional bomb too, of course. This adds a layer of unpredictability, as the cannons can move around and fire multiple fruit at you simultaneously. Once multiple cannons come into the mix, that’s when things get extremely interesting.
According to an official statement from Halfbrick, the mode is described as, “A fresh twist on Classic Mode by introducing flying cannons that are constantly on the move. Better yet: the longer you survive, the more cannons you’ll face! Are you ready to dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge? Unsheathe your blades and show us what you’re made of!” A+ in my book for the Dodgeball reference.
Similar to Classic Mode, Fruit Ninja VR’s Survival Mode utilizes a three-strikes and you’re out system. If you miss a fruit, that’s a strike. This encourages not only precision, but also careful timing. Lining up the best combos is tricky when you have no idea how many fruit are about to be fired your way from the flying cannons that surround you.
Fruit Ninja VR is available now on Steam Early Access on the HTC Vive with motion controllers for $14.99.
