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In his weekly column, Android Central Senior Content Producer Nick Sutrich delves into all things VR, from new hardware to new games, upcoming technologies, and so much more.
I've been obsessed with the idea of mixed reality gaming ever since the Meta Quest 3 debuted almost 2 years ago. I have no idea how this thing is already two years old, but it's taken that time for me to amass a significant number of truly intriguing mixed reality games that are laying the groundwork for smart glasses gaming.
While we're expecting the first major commercial pair of smart glasses with a display to debut this month, the latest batch of rumors point to the Meta Quest 4 looking a lot more like a pair of tethered smart glasses than a VR headset. That's excellent news for mixed reality games, which will be even more fun with lighter, slimmer headwear.
Meta Quest developers creating mixed reality apps are catering to gamers today and in the future. When smart glasses have the display and capability to run games, they'll be running many of the same types of games we're playing on Meta Quest 3 today, all without the bulk of a VR headset.
Banners & Bastions
Banners & Bastions is a new bite-sized roguelike real-time strategy game from the creators of Airspace Defender. Like that game, everything takes place in a "half snow globe" of sorts, placed conveniently on your lap. You can move this half-globe anywhere you want, so it's just as good a tabletop board game as it is a compact lap game you can play on a plane.
The gameplay is a bit similar to Steam favorite Bad North, but with several different recent roguelike gameplay trends blended in. Each level begins with a preview of the number and type of enemies that will appear, as well as each spawn point's estimated movement direction (handy for putting up walls).
Players choose units from a random collection of cards that appear on screen, tying into the roguelike nature of the game. You've got a finite amount of money to spend on units, so it's uncommon to buy more than 1-2 cards each turn. Units can be placed anywhere on the map and moved at any time, so while it's important to plan ahead, you can always move things around during combat.
Levels are completed in a linear fashion and awarded the traditional 3-star mobile score model. Stars can be used to unlock a sizable skill tree, and you'll unlock new cards and units as you progress in the game. Plus, emergency powers like raining down meteors or calling up reserve soldiers can be used to help keep your units intact between rounds.
The real draw of playing this in mixed reality is the degree of control you have over the action. The game is hand-tracking-only, which makes it far more convenient to play than most VR games since you only need to put the headset on and launch the game. Hand tracking is phenomenal these days. Even my son, who has historically hated hand tracking because it used to be very finicky, found Banners & Bastions' hand tracking to be super effective.
Building a mixed reality game that relies on hands instead of controllers ensures that, in a few years, smart glasses with displays and game-ready hardware will be able to play this kind of game on the go with no issue. It's so much better than squinting and struggling to tap the right unit on a phone screen. I also deeply appreciate the game's quick levels, which typically take only a few minutes each to complete, making it a perfect fit for portable gaming.
Mythic Realms
Mythic Realms is one of the most full-fledged mixed reality games I've played to date. While it starts off as a seemingly simple mixed reality game where you battle monsters in your own physical room, you quickly learn that this game isn't just a combat simulator.
Rather, this is a full roguelike RPG in the vein of The Elder Scrolls: Blades. In fact, the gameplay loop is incredibly similar to that title, down to the concept of heading out on quests to gather resources and money to rebuild the town you call home. From blacksmiths who will improve your equipment to daily random events that'll keep you coming back to see what's happening, there's always something fun to do.
I actually audibly gasped when I realized the depth of the game, as many similar mixed reality titles with fantasy combat and randomized room layouts often just focus on combat and little else.
The town itself is fully virtual reality, so while that portion would need some adjustment to work properly on mixed reality glasses, I could see the company adapting the town concept to a diorama size that's a bit more manageable in mixed reality. I really enjoy seeing the town in VR, though, so it feels excellent in its current configuration for Meta Quest 3 and 3S headsets.
The way Mythic Realms transforms your playspace — even if you only have a small bedroom with very little walking space — is nothing short of incredible. Doors and windows become portals to another world, letting you see "outside" to a place that otherwise might not exist. Even the ceiling is replaced by open sky, which is peaceful and lovely until a fire-breathing dragon inevitably comes along and ruins your day.
But while the visuals are impressive enough, it's the gameplay loop that keeps bringing me back. I love the concept of a roguelike that mixes battle, crafting, and harvesting mechanics into one game. Every other roguelike I've ever played always just focuses on combat, while Mythic Realms offers plenty of combat-free situations throughout each run.
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