A Time in Space 2 is an Android game for virtual reality users with a Cardboard-compatible VR headset. Available to download from the Play Store, A Time in Space 2 is a sort of virtual reality rollercoaster set in space that takes users in a space suit through a space battle with a robot companion. It’s the sort of game that will appeal to sci-fi fans looking for a way of experiencing something new in VR, this is one choice that shouldn’t disappoint those looking to experience a rush in VR. Created by Creanet 3D, this is a sequel to the original A Time in Space, and there’s always new content being added as well as a third game on its way, too. This is the Anniversary Edition of A Time in Space 2 that I’ve been testing and it has been updated with smoother graphics and some more polish.
First thing’s first, users will need to make sure that they have some sort of virtual reality headset to be able to actually play the game. The type of headsets compatible are all Cardboard-based headsets which means that people will the majority of users with a VR headset will be able to play this. With that said, this is a quick and inexpensive download from the Play Store, and then players can get started.
When users first get started, they will be introduced to their little Robot friend, which serves as a sort of guide and escort to what A Time in Space 2 has to offer people.
Ugo is the friend that will take people through the space station as they depart, and before long it becomes clear that nothing everything is quite going to plan here.
The real fun starts when people get into the spaceship and can take a look around at the cockpit and see what’s going on. This gives players a real sense of being in the future and once the ship gets moving, a real sense that the adventure has begun.
There are spectacular graphics on offer here, with a lot more detail than you might expect from a mobile title like this. The below, high-resolution 360-degree shot helps to point out some of this detail.
Things start to get a little hairy however, as soon as the motion kicks in I began to feel a little sick. This could have had something to do with the less than perfect frame rate that I received on my device, a Galaxy S7 Edge no less. Hopefully, this was just a one-off, as I was very impressed with the overall presentation of the game.
There’s a lot going on in A Time in Space 2, and even though the main part of the game is a fairly short sort of rollercoaster ride, it’s still an experience that’s good fun and fun to try out over and over again as well.
A Time in Space 2 is a good little bit of fun for virtual reality users, but it’s unfortunately a little on the short side side and I didn’t get as speedy a ride as I would have wanted. Maybe this was down to the Quad HD resolution of the Galaxy S7 Edge I have here, but I would have liked to see better performance all round regardless. It’s clear that this is the sort of thing that’s just designed to be a smaller, enjoyable game that can show off what virtual reality is capable of, with little interaction and no input beyond the magnet in Cardboard headsets, A Time in Space 2 basically takes their players along for the ride. While this will disappoint some players, this is well-explained to people that purchase the game and it is nice to just sit back and enjoy the ride every now and then.
Ratings
- Speed (4/5) – Overall performance is good, but I felt like the frame rate here could have been smoother and more responsive.
- Theme (4/5) – Everything in A Time in Space 2 looks great, and even the soundtrack and sound effects are great as well. Thanks to the lower resolution on mobile devices however, there are some jagged edges here and some of the textures could be higher-resolution overall.
- Features (3.5/5) – While enjoyable, there isn’t much on offer here to users, with little in the way of input or interaction this is basically a show and tell sort of game. Even so, the graphics and overall presentation on offer look great and there’s no denying that this is a great example of Virtual Reality could be capable of.
- Overall (4/5) – During ATIS 2 I experienced and a limited amount of things to do, A Time in Space 2 is a good-looking fun game that a lot of people will love to experience.
Pros
- Looks great with some excellent sound effects to complement the great graphics and artwork.
- Decent feeling of immersion with lots going on including some good depth effects and 360-degree artwork throughout.
- New content is often included over time and there’s a third game in the series launch soon, too.
Cons
- Might not offer players the sort of replayability that they were looking for as it doesn’t have much to offer after the first few goes.
At the end of the day, A Time in Space 2 is what it is; a rollercoaster VR game set in space. It’s one that has great-looking graphics and excellent presentation all-round, with a lot of detail to boot. However, it might not be the sort of game that those looking for something with a lot of depth or interaction would be looking for. Despite this however, its price isn’t too expensive and it’s a fantastic tech demo of what could be on the horizon for virtual reality.