Bank Limit takes F-Zero and adds VR and combat, debuts at Oculus Rift’s launch

Tastee Beverage Studios plans to release a sci-fi combat racing game for the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset.

The title is one of many launch titles coming for the Rift, which Facebook’s Oculus VR is launching on March 28. The launch is one of the biggest events for VR, which tech advisor Digi-Capital predicts will be a $30 billion market by 2020.

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In Bank Limit: Advanced Battle Racing, players will race at speeds of over Mach 1 on distant planets, through futuristic cities, and in space, in ships equipped with advanced weaponry they can use to take down their opponents. Weapons are aimed with intuitive head movements so that players shoot where they look in the virtual world.

Players can execute drift turns, draft, and dodge the fire of opponents to stay at the front of the race.  The game has rollercoaster-like drops and jumps between magnetized parts of the track add to the sense of speed and the thrill of futuristic racing.

I’m not sure what I think of VR racing games because a couple of them have gotten me sick. But more power to Tastee Beverage if they can make it work. The game has been in development for more than two years with its two-man team. Players can control the vehicle and weapons with a gamepad, but they can look in any direction for a more intuitive driving experience.

When looking inside the cockpit, players can see the articulated body of their avatar reacting to immense G-forces as it controls the steering wheel, adding to the realism and sensation of speed.

“Bank Limit: ABR takes what we love about classic high-octane combat racers and blasts it into a future where you feel the thrilling vertigo of cresting a massive drop, the kick of acceleration when you Boost and the heat of no-holds-barred battles,” said Harley Benedict, cofounder and lead programmer of Tastee Beverage Studios, in a statement. “Designed specifically to take advantage of Oculus Rift hardware and the horsepower of advanced gaming PCs, Bank Limit: ABR will bring players blazing speed, furious combat and hard-hitting competition with a new level of VR intensity.”

It’s a single-player game as well as online multiplayer, with 15 tracks set in three different worlds. You can have up to 24 cars on the track at once.