First person shooters are not new, we've had them since Wolfenstein 3D. One of the earliest genres of computer "games" were flight simulators, some of which were very intensive in regards to realism and giving the player a real idea about the planes being modeled - games like Falcon 4.0, Rise of Flight, IL-46 and DCS World are fine examples. On their highest realism setting it can take hours just to learn how to take off in your virtual FW-190, never mind successfully identify and shoot down an enemy plane.

The first person shooter has also evolved with advancing technology making it also possible to provide combat simulation type experiences beyond just reticle shoot'em ups. Excellent examples of this niche genre are Red Orchestra 2, Rising Storm, the ARMA series, and to a lesser degree, Verdun.

Virtual Reality technology had a brief blip on the consumer market in the 1990's but failed. We're seeing a renaissance of a very next generation version of virtual reality with the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive, and with that, the very first true commercial VR combat sim - Onward.

In the real world, shooting is a skill, not a tactic, and tactics are more important than shooting. Communication, squad movement, covering fire, and more, are things that are hard to even practice on the square range. Onward VR provides a glance at what VR can do in this regard and paints a vivid picture of what's to come.

In Part 1 of this 2 part series we discuss the difference between a FPS and a simulator, provide a basic introduction on VR gear and walkthrough the weapons handling and manipulation on the training range while in Onward VR.

Onward VR on Steam:

http://store.steampowered.com/app/496240/

InRangeTV Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/InRangeTV