I love aeroplanes. I want to learn how to fly one someday. The feeling of being suspended in the air, experiencing take-off and landing for yourself is an experience everyone should have. And that’s why I bought Ultrawings on the Oculus Quest.
Ultrawings is a game where you get to pilot 4 different planes across 10 missions while taking photos of 20 landmarks around the world, 3 of which are brand new to this version of the game! It was developed by BitPlanet Games LLC and published by Bit Planet Games LLC under the publishing label BitGem Incorporated. It has a suggested price point at $30 USD but can currently be purchased for $20 if you pick it up during quest week (and probably permanently soon). It was released on May 21st, 2019.
Ultrawings is compatible with the Oculus Quest and uses its 6DoF hand controls to provide you with a realistic flying experience! With the inclusion of procedurally generated spectators to give your missions an audience, a live leaderboard competition, and 10 different airports to land at, this game has excellent replay value! And let us not forget the beautiful graphics that look greats even on mobile devices! Let’s get into what I liked about Ultrawings…
What I liked:
As previously mentioned, the game provides you with fantastic graphics even when playing on mobile devices (Android or iOS). It makes use of dynamic shadows as well as changing weather conditions to make each mission feel like real life. As you are flying, you can look down and see the different locations and fields below. The plane even sways side to side as you touch the controller, simulating the movement of the plane! This game truly took me for a ride (no pun intended) and I felt like I was really there.
The controls were easy to pick up and very responsive! When turning the plane, it turns with you rather than having you rotate your hand (which feels weird). The buttons such as landing gear or flaps that extend automatically on their own feel tight and responsive which also adds to how real of an experience this is. There’s no lag or latency when moving your hands about so flying feels natural and not forced whatsoever.
I liked how all missions are procedurally generated. You might fly across the map and see a car under you which you have to follow for a while until it reaches its destination. Sometimes they lead directly to where your next landing point is, sometimes not. The scenario never gets old because of this detail.
There are 20 different landmarks scattered around the world that you can photograph on each mission, including some new ones exclusive to this version on Oculus Quest! This was also done procedurally so playing on multiple planes will create more than just 20 unique locations! I found myself looking forward to seeing what would be in my next area rather than just dreading that there were only 10 missions meaning I had completed all there was to do in the game.
The game has 3 modes: Career, Free Flight, and Quick flight. These modes consist of the 10 standard missions plus 3 bonus ones for a total of 13 different planes to unlock! There are 4 unlockable airports as well that you have to reach at least a bronze medal in each mode before being able to access them. This provides several hours of playtime which is great considering the price point!
What I didn’t like:
The ability to purchase new aircraft from within the game would be nice because buying them with real money feels unnecessary. Also having more than one plane at a time available for purchase could also provide entertainment by switching it up sometimes if the same plane gets old after a while. The current system makes it feel like there’s no reason to grind but rather just pay a couple of dollars and the issue is solved.
The audio in this game feels a little shallow, especially when compared to the graphics. The plane sounds fine but I would have liked to hear more from the spectators in my surroundings rather than just certain ones cheering when their icon appears on the screen. There is background music that works well with the environment but could definitely use some variety. This game has been out for a while so maybe some new content will be available soon!
Overall: 8/10
This was an excellent experience from beginning to end, even when it came time for me to stop playing after several hours (which never happens). It combines beautiful visuals and responsive controls with replayability for long-term entertainment value (and of course the Quest exclusive features). I would definitely recommend this game to anyone who has access to an Oculus Quest!
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