I got the chance to check out SHOWTIME on the Oculus Quest earlier this week, and I have to say, it was a great experience. The game puts you in an immersive environment that makes you feel like you’re right there at the game. It’s like playing tennis without getting all sweaty (although you will undoubtedly get sweaty wearing sunglasses indoors). And while I did play alone, one of my favorite experiences was playing with friends; showtime is one of those games that’s better if everyone can see what’s going on.
One of the main features of Showtime is the ability to play against other people live across different VR headsets! This means if your significant other has an Oculus Rift but gets tired after 45 minutes, they can go take a nap and you can still play against them. If your brother lives across the country but has an Oculus Quest, he can play you on Showtime – right from his living room!
The game will even let you see what other Oculus systems your opponent is playing from, so you know to expect a good match.
Now that we’ve seen how it works with friends, let’s talk about the actual gameplay. Showtime looks like just another simple tennis game at first glance…but don’t be fooled! There are different types of balls/playfields/arenas, as well as lots of different powerups (including guided missiles). The action gets intense as it goes on because each time you hit the ball, it speeds up. Showtime made my hands and arms tired (I was playing for over an hour), and I could feel my core work as I was turning and leaning into all those shots!
The graphics are great too- the stadium’s lights change color as the sun sets; there are fireballs; there’s even a cute bird at one point that hops around as it waits for the ball. The only downside is that sometimes certain spots don’t track well – like when you lean in to take a shot and your view gets cut off by one of those powerups, or when we were batting back and forth looking for where we last saw the bird. Other than that though, these spot tracking problems didn’t occur nearly as much as those in Beat Saber.
Besides those few problems, Showtime has great graphics and mechanics, and is lots of fun to play alone or with friends! I definitely recommend checking out the free demo on the Oculus store if you get a chance. Overall, Showtime was one of the best sports games I’ve played in VR…and trust me, I’ve tried them all. It’s also available for Samsung Gear VR.
Quill18’s Score: 8/10