Now Playing: Space Pirate Trainer (VR)

Space Pirate Trainer is a VR arcade style score attack game. The goal is to shoot your way through multiple levels, each one more challenging than the last. The numbers, variety and rank of each enemy will increase as you progress. There are a few different game modes, but the core formula remains the same – shoot your way to victory and try not to get hit.

Visually, SPT, as one of the ‘early’ VR games, is looking a little rough compared to more recent titles. There’s a noticeable lack of detail and definition to your environment and the enemies you’ll face. These enemies are all of a robot ‘drone’ style, but there’s a decent variety to destroy as you go. You’ll be standing on a platform before an open expanse of space, but whilst your immediate playing area may be limited, you do have room to duck, dive and step from side to side as various lasers and rockets are fired in your direction.

You have two main tools at your disposal – a gun and a ‘laser bat’. You’ll have a gun in each hand, and each gun has a selection of different fire modes that you can switch between as and when you need to. These modes range from a rapid laser shot, to a slow to fire but more powerful railgun blast.

The ‘bat’ on the other hand can be used for either attack or defence – you can use it to drag enemies towards you before slashing them apart, or switch to an alternative ‘shield’ mode that can protect you from and deflect incoming laser fire. You can switch between the gun or the bat in either hand by simply reaching over your shoulder. It’s a smooth and easy system that lets you mix up your play on the fly for whatever you feel the situation requires.

Also mixing up your strategy are a few static defensive options sharing the same platform as you – a tesla coil and a couple of laser turrets – but these must be ‘charged’ with the bat before they can fire, and it’s not always easy to maintain that charge whilst you’re under attack.

As enemies are destroyed they’ll randomly drop various upgrades that you can shoot to enable. These include a friendly drone ship, a deployable bubble shield or even a mini black-hole to suck enemies together for easy kills.

I don’t really have much more to say about SPT, because . . . there’s really nothing more to say about it. It is what it is – a fun, but limited, score attack shooter. The visuals may be a little dated, but the game is still enjoyable to play in short bursts. It’s the kind of thing you’ll jump into for 15-20 minutes here and there to see if you can beat your High Score.

I guess the question is – do I recommend it? I’d say that on sale, it might be worth a go, but honestly, I think you could probably just play the score attack shooter in The Lab (which is free) and you’ll have a better experience. Not that SPT is bad, it’s just a little dated and limited by what it is.

5/10