Fruit Ninja has been available on mobile devices for many years, and since its launch, it has become one of the most popular titles on its platform due to its simplicity and engaging gameplay. Fruit Ninja is a game that has embraced touchscreen controls at its very essence, and this particular design choice could also prove to pay off in virtual reality environments. Earlier in June, the game’s developers – Halfbrick Studios – announced its plans to bring Fruit Ninja to VR in the foreseeable future, and sure enough, HTC Vive owners can now slash fruits in Early Access using their motion controllers instead of their fingertips.
Fruit Ninja VR is now available for purchase from the Steam store at the special price of $11,99, down from $14,99, but it should be noted that the 20% discount is a limited time offer and will end on the 14th of July. The game is still in development so at the moment it is sold as an Early Access title, and as such, not all the glitches have been ironed just yet. Nevertheless, the game is expected to exit Early Access in October, ahead of a more public release. As for the gameplay itself, it really is rather self-explanatory for anyone who has already played the mobile game on their smartphones. The basic principle remains the same: fruits are the enemy and the best way to deal with them is to slice and dice them, preferably in combos. Evidently, the main difference lies in the control scheme. Instead of using the touchscreen for slicing fruits, HTC Vive owners will use both their motion controllers for dual-wielding their way into Fruit Ninja greatness. Needless to say, slicing fruits in a virtual reality environment using two traditional Japanese swords should be a much more engaging and immersive experience compared to mobile. In terms of specifics, the game offers a Classic Mode, an Arcade Mode, a Zen Mode, as well as Steam Achievements and global leaderboards.
Although Fruit Ninja VR is currently available in Early Access only for the HTC Vive, Halfbrick Studios previously confirmed that the game will also be released for the Oculus Rift. Moreover, later in the year, the developer should make the title available for the Sony PlayStation VR, as well as Google Daydream. However, no concrete release dates have been set in stone.
