There are many urges that virtual reality can help mankind vent. The urge to travel, for example, can be vented much more easily and cheaply through VR than it could by planning an actual trip. One urge, however, that I never expected to be fulfilled by VR, is the urge to mercilessly slaughter seemingly unending swarms of adorable, watery eyed, kittens. But that is exactly what Kittypocalypse expects you to do.
Perhaps that trailer didn’t drive the point home severely enough for you so let me just say this one more time: Kittypocalypse – which officially released onto the Oculus store on Tuesday – is all about murdering cute cats and experiencing it up close and personal through the enhancing power of VR.
In an attempt to restore some order to my now-forever darkened world, I sought out the game’s description on its store page. Perhaps these are evil cats, or robotic felines, and my destruction of them is somehow justified. Thankfully I did indeed find something along those lines:
“Evil alien beings have successfully taken over your planet by dressing up as cute kittens – and they’ve taken over all that you know and love. Prepare to repel wave after wave of cute but deadly kittens on 15 beautiful and diverse islands. Remember: the survival of your home planet is in your hands,” reads the official synopsis.
This backstory may keep the nightmares at bay, but it doesn’t fully erase the eye twitch inducing psychological impact of immersively ending the lives of what – for all intents and purposes – appear to be cuddly little buddies.
Kittypocalypse was developed by Bolverk VR Games – a Denmark based studio. Perhaps the Danish people have something against cats, or cute things, or me ever closing my eyes again without seeing the ghosts of those I’ve slain haunting me forever.
Whatever the case, Kittypocalypse may be one of the Oculus Rift’s strangest additions yet, right alongside the teddy bear-slaying simulator, Fly to KUMA. Now if you’ll excuse me I need to go hug my stuffed animals until the shaking subsides.
