As far as Oculus-exclusive titles go, Marvel Powers United VR was fairly hyped leading up to the July 26 release. It's a four-player cooperative online game with 27 of Marvel's most popular heroes and villains battling it out across multiple arenas. You team up with your friends (or play solo with AI) to fulfill objectives, unlock chests, and generally have a great time. Here are some tips and tricks to help new players get accustomed to this action VR title.
Clear a lot of space in your VR area
It doesn't matter if you're playing sitting down or standing up, things are going to get hectic. There's a step when you launch the game that asks you to extend your arms to either side and calibrate your position, and even if you aren't hitting anything at this point, you should still clear any furniture or obstacles out of the way.
In my fairly large VR space I've still hit the wall a few times, and while playing sitting down I repeatedly bumped my desk. Fair warning — going into a Hulk Gamma rage makes you forget about real life for awhile.
Study your hero's unique powers
Though you use the same Touch controllers for every hero, the moves and combinations differ. It's a lot of fun to play through all the characters — every hero is unlocked immediately — but jumping into a match and not knowing how to attack will only frustrate you and your teammates.
Before beginning, head over to the Powers page in the main menu and study up on how to perform each move properly.
Check out your hero's goals
Like the specific moves, each hero has a set of goals that, if completed during a round, will net you extra XP on your way to unlocking crates. These goals can be completed repeatedly, and hitting them four times in a single round will get you a bone for big ol' Lockjaw sitting in the space station.
To see what your hero needs to do during a round, check out the Goals page in the main menu.
Use the map's environment to your advantage
Using your hero's special abilities is undoubtedly a lot of fun, but when a boss comes around you might find that shooting webs at armor doesn't do much damage. Thankfully, there's a ton of stuff littered around the environment that can be interacted with. Most of it explodes on impact, delivering a bigger wallop, so if your character has the ability, be sure to toss as much stuff as you can.
Pay attention to the round goals and squad goals as well, which will often will involve throwing a certain amount of objects for extra XP.
Use your character's mobility
By default, most heroes can move quickly by pointing at a spot on the map and pressing the A button on your Touch controller. It differs a bit depending on the character, but it's usually a teleport or flight function that's much quicker than just plodding along on feet (or paws).
Standing still will cause you to take considerable damage, so stay constantly on the move. You'll also look way cooler to everyone else who's playing with you.
Don't be afraid to use your special attack
Each hero has a powerful attack mode that can be used when the special meter fills up. You'll see a bright purple flash letting you know that it's ready to be used, and hitting the X button on your Touch controller will engage.
This special attack mode only lasts for a short time, so use it wisely. However, you don't want to hold onto it too long, as the meter will not begin filling again until it's depleted. You'll likely fill the meter three or four times in a round, so enjoy it while you can.
Punch enemies at close range
While playing as the Hulk, it's easy to remember that you have two fists to fight with, but other heroes with primarily ranged attacks might make you forget. If you get in close to some enemies and can't quite shoot enough web, don't forget that you can biff and boff the enemies by punching out with your Touch controllers.
Don't ignore smaller enemies
Enemy types are varied, and it's easy to lose track of the small drones while rocket-launching androids storm the arena. Everything is going to attack either you or your objective, so do your best to keep track of all enemies.
This is especially true when bosses appear, as your team might focus entirely on one large foe while smaller ones wreak havoc behind you.
Communicate with your team
The built-in microphone on your Rift works wonders, and is enabled by default. This is a co-op game, and it requires a bit of communication to get right. Don't be afraid to let your teammates know where you're defending or attacking, and ask them to do the same.
Don't forget to have some fun roleplaying whichever hero you're using.
Play the objective
Each round has a set number of objectives that must be completed. For example, the final sequence involves bringing fuel cells scattered around the map back to a main objective. If those fuel cells aren't collected, enemies will continue to spawn in and you will eventually lose.
Work as a full team, pair off, or go solo. As long as you're playing the objective you'll have a much easier time in Marvel Powers United VR.
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