Review and interview: Brass Tactics finally brings true RTS to VR

Enlarge / Boy, the flying units in Brass Tactics sure are pesky-and that's the point. (credit: Hidden Path / Oculus)

BELLEVUE, Washington-Virtual reality has been a thing for years, yet for some reason, it has had a lack of real-time strategy (RTS) games. To this, I can't help but say, what gives? Managing a giant army i la StarCraft seems like a nice fit for VR's mix of hand-tracked controllers and first-person twists-while also minding VR's limits. Stand above a battlefield (or, if your room is cramped, sit without losing the effect). Use your hands to become a war puppeteer. Enjoy a refreshing control and perspective alternative to ancient, mouse-driven menus.

It's a VR no-brainer... that nobody has truly attempted until this week.

Unlike other RTS-ish games in VR, this week's Brass Tactics is the first full-blown take on the genre to see a retail release. It's not perfect-indeed, it has a couple of glaring issues ahead of its Thursday launch-but Brass Tactics is clearly a few steps above "just good enough." It functions as a pure, solid RTS, while it also comes packed with nice VR touches. Best of all, thanks to a free, unlimited, works-online demo version, every single VR owner out there (even outside the Oculus ecosystem) can try it for themselves-and try it they should.

Clear RTS skies

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