The time has come when, thanks to virtual reality, we can fully immerse ourselves in a video game. Zero Latency Games has released Singularity, a space where you can have one of the most realistic experiences in gaming.
Everyone who has played a game has gotten into the role of the character they control. Jump as high as Mario, be one of the DC heroes fighting in Injustice 2 , cast spells like the wizards in League of Legends, or be a member of a police tactical squad in Counter Strike.
You don’t have to be a professional gamer to take it seriously and dream of being part of that virtual world. Virtual reality is advancing more and more and the first polished simulators are arriving that offer a realistic experience for their players, who will have to move from the chair if they want to win.
What is this virtual reality game about?
This is Singularity. A virtual reality shooter in which you use a rifle and goggles attached to a laptop that goes in a backpack on your back. The story is simple: in the distant future, an advanced artificial intelligence has taken control of a secret military base and you (and your team) have been sent to investigate what happened. There, drones, robots and turrets will try to leave you like a sieve.
To fight them, they will give you the Defender: a futuristic weapon with four firing modes . One is fully automatic, like an assault rifle. The second is a powerful shotgun that needs to be reloaded after every shot, but is very effective at close range. It can be turned into a powerful sniper rifle with a low rate of fire between its devastating shots, and finally a sort of laser blast that locks onto your enemies and deals constant damage.
In addition, the Defender acts as a shield : if you turn it at the moment you are going to receive a hit, it can serve as a shield. Without a doubt, learning to handle this weapon well is what will guarantee your survival in this world, as hostile as it is futuristic.
In most virtual reality games, the player is static, defending himself from hordes that attack him from various directions. Not the case with Singularity. Here you will have to move through the space of 200 square meters to be able to advance and complete the levels. And yes, it sweats.
Exercise and fun, a mix that has always turned out to be a winner. Also, to get the victory, communication and teamwork with your friends will be key. Take advantage of the microphone attached to your glasses and coordinate your strategies to get out of the base alive.
Graphics
Virtual reality still hasn’t reached the graphic quality of titles on other platforms, but it’s good enough for the game to be immersive and put you in the role of a space marine. In fact, what Singularity does best is to create the sensations that you are seeing through your eyes.
For example, there is a part where you take an elevator hundreds of meters high and, although the room is flat, the sensation of descending almost in free fall is very realistic . There are times when you’ll feel dizzy if you look down, and times when you’ll swear you’re defying the rules of physics. And that is what the best video games achieve: that the experience arouses emotions in the player.
Adrenaline, scares, action, fun and an experience that, if you are a video game fan, you cannot miss. Zero Latency is located at Calle Pradillo 54, in Madrid. A game costs 39 euros and lasts about half an hour.
In addition, it is one of the first opportunities we have to check the status and possible future of virtual reality video games . It is quite possible that the rest of the genres reach the middle. Just thinking about the dangerous races of Tron, intense shooters like Call of Duty, or even the fantasy worlds of Skyrim should be enough to get gamers excited.
And that is that therein lies the beauty (and the danger) of creating virtual worlds with tailor-made experiences. At the moment they do not exceed reality. But a day may come when people would rather spend more hours in digital worlds than in tangible ones. In fact, when you see yourself falling into the void in Singularity, you pray that the ground you fall towards is not tangible.
Singularity is one of the most fun experiences that you can enjoy together with five friends. Now that it’s summer, change your sunglasses for virtual reality and enter an air-conditioned space to shoot the robots that threaten the existence of the human race. Just to see the state of virtual technology, it’s worth it.
It is true that the best video games are still produced for specific platforms, such as consoles or computers; Singularity is only half an hour long and after playing it a couple of times, you’ll know it by heart. But the day will come when the technology is accessible to everyone at home, and you can play over the internet against other people around the world.
