Tower defense, or even strategy games in general, are rare to see in the early days of virtual reality. Most developers have gravitated towards zombie shooters and other more visceral content to bring early adopters into the realm of VR, but once you actually try it, more strategic content works incredibly well. Games like AirMech and Cosmic Trip are absolutely proving that.
While we haven’t seen a ton of tower defense games in VR, the likes of Defense Grid 2: VR Edition, Twisted Realms, and Nighttime Terror VR: Dessert Defender are doing their share of work to help keep the genre alive. But now today, MyDream Interactive has announced its latest game named Siege Hammer, which is another take on the tower defense genre.
Notably, the entire game utilizes 100% gaze-based hands-free controls. This allows the game to be playable on the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Samsung Gear VR. When speaking with Andrew Leker, Lead Game Designer on the project and COO of MyDream Interactive, he outlined how the game works currently in Early Access, as well as the team’s vision for the game’s future.
“We’ve designed Siege Hammer from the ground up for VR,” explained Leker. “It’s more of a ‘pleasant’ tower defense game, rather than a ‘hardcore’ style game that some people have tried to adapt for VR. You’ll experience short 2-4 minute long waves and will eventually get to explore other islands in the metagame once implemented. We’ve made a good solid foundation from which to build upon as the game progresses.”
During a match, your avatar is floating on a glowing ring that encircles the island you’re defending. By tilting your head either left or right, you’ll slide along the ring in order to gain better vantage points around the map. You can gaze down at the world to create and upgrade towers and other defensive units, or gaze at enemies to attack them directly. Eventually, they want to let players “create and build things,” which is no surprise given the company’s history with user-generated content platforms.
While Siege Hammer may not do anything revolutionary, it’s aiming to create a core mechanic that’s simple, fun, and accessible.
“Siege Hammer is the perfect virtual reality game for players of all levels,” said Leker in a press release. “It’s a whole new way to think about play in VR, combining the intensity of tower defense with playful movement and exploration. We’re thrilled to be offering more than six hours of playtime at launch, which will be greatly expanded with the upcoming addition of creative mode.”
Siege Hammer is scheduled to be released on November 2nd. You can find more information about the game on the official website and Steam page.
