The game of Darts can be fun to play either alone or with other people. It’s a game that can be quick but at the same time, take the skill of precision to try and get your darts on the board. Sometimes it’s the environment that you are in that can help bring the mood all together or simply just a way to escape and just have some fun. But does developer, ForeVR Games bring new life into the sport and allow us to hit that bullseye? Let’s find out with ForeVR Darts for the Quest/Quest 2.
ForeVR Darts is a darts game where you can play solo, with friends, or join random online games as you play darts in different halls and unlock collectible darts, while just having some fun So before you go in and just randomly start to throw darts (because you know you will), there are just a few things that you will want to do first. First, ForeVR Darts uses the Quest/Quest 2 hand tracking feature. So you will want to make sure you turn this feature on if it is not already activated. Everyone’s room is going to be different when it comes to how it is set up and the lighting in that room. Hands tracking is still experimental and different things do come into play when it comes to hand tracking such as the contrast between yourself and your surroundings, play space, and how much light is in the room. Second, make sure your headset is charged as you don’t want to be in that competition, and try to make that winning shot to have your headset die because you forgot to charge it. Third, make sure your room is well lit. And finally, just have some fun. With that said, let’s continue…
When you first start ForeVR Darts, you enter the tutorial and this is where it will show you how to throw and use hand tracking. To make sure you get the best results, have your room well-lit (even turn on a lamp just as a backup to get that extra amount of light). If you started the game with the controllers, then all you need to do is place them down on a surface and then you should be able to start to use your hands. Once you throw a dart, just simply pinch your index finger and thumb and a new dart will appear. Moving around without the controllers and using your hand can be a little tricky at first. Simply flip your palm up and you should see a green teleport arc where you can move to. Even if it seems difficult, you should be able to get the hang of the hand tracking movement in no time. Just remember to always keep your hands in front of your headset’s field of view with no obstructions or obstacles between your face and hands for the best results.
Now, if you played ForeVR Games’ other game, ForeVR Bowl, you will notice how they brought over a lot of the same features and familiarity that worked over to ForeVR Darts which I appreciate. The halls here are still spacious and instead of lanes, there are four dart boards so you can play with up to three other players (more on this in a few), they also brought over the fan-favorite of the jukebox so you can listen to your own music while you play or stay tuned in to each of the hall’s curated playlist for you to enjoy. Don’t worry as you can only hear the music you select so it will not disturb others. You can even sign in to your YouTube account in case you already have playlists or if you are a YouTube Premium subscriber, have no ads.
At launch, there are only three other immersive halls to join in, ForeVR Pub, Mars Station, and Viva Las Vegas. Each hall is beautifully themed with the ForeVR Pub giving that UK pup feeling to a place like The Beetles would hang out. Mars Station has you on Mars while you are in a dome and seeing the landscape of Mars surrounding you. While Viva Las Vegas has the Vegas theming with dice on the wall and the neon signs.
There are also different modes to select. You have a Tutorial just in case you need to go back in and get that refresher or someone new has never played. Single Player as free play and ranked where you can play against other NPCs in the game. Multiplayer consists of having Private, Room Codes, Press and Play, and Public that has casual as well as Pro modes. And then there is Throw Practice where you can make your own rules as you practice. There is also the Pro Shop where you can use the coins that you earn from matches to then get those darts depending on your level. Each of the at launch 55 unique and weighted darts does have a different feel to it. For example, the Level 4 dart of the Shredder, looks like a guitar and makes a guitar sound, but weighs 32g while the Chesire Cat dart weighs in at 21g. In the Pro Shop, you can test out the darts to just get a feel of them as well as pick the 3 darts to be in your arsenal.
Each hall allows for ranking the total wins you have and the 3 dart average. So regardless, keep practicing and you will start to see your name on the boards. But I mentioned playing with up to three other players and this is where the fun is to be had. Not only is the social aspect there where you can talk and just have a good time while you all try and within the different game types of 101, 201, 301, and 501, but Single and Double out with Count Up and Cricket that will be coming in 2022. I will say that playing Christmas music on Mars while playing darts as well as throwing darts at other players is quite entertaining (do not throw darts at people in real life). And who knows, there might just be a few things hidden for you to find as well.
Let’s talk about the graphics and sound. Being inside these halls and seeing the amount of detail that has been put into the theming as well as the individual darts, being able to really see the numbers on the dartboards, the scores to what looked like weather elements on Mars, ForeVR Games continues to do a fantastic job and it really shows. Listening to the sound and hearing the darts I used to make their own unique sounds and hearing them hit the boards to land those bullseyes is very well balanced. Even with listening to Christmas music or the Foo Fighters, I was able to hear everyone clearly. I didn’t have to, but ended up turning down the music or pausing at times as I was having a lot of fun just talking with random players and hearing not only what they liked, but seeing how excited they have just added a smile to everyone’s faces.
There are a few things that I hope get improved on or added. For one, the hand tracking. Again, the hand tracking is experimental and found at times it worked as it should if not better than I could have hoped for and other times it didn’t work as well as it should. I did have plenty of light and at times the game said my hand was moving too fast or out of view. So there were times when I would go back to the controllers, but this is all going to get better with practice and to get it fine-tuned. Second, more halls. Yes, they are coming, so patience will be a good thing to have. But having holiday halls would be a blast here. And third and this is just more of a personal request that I think would add a lot of fun to the Mars Station. You can throw darts and it can hit the glass and they will stick. What about adding a feature where if darts hit the glass, you can start to hear and see the glass crack. Too many hits and the air from Mars starts to come into the room which could affect things like the vision of the players. And to add to that, allowing to hit each other with darts is awesome and funny, but what about adding stipulations or rules where if a player came in last place, then certain darts could become available to throw a poisonous dart or a dart that made their skin turn a different color of the player in last place. Oh, the fun things that this could lead to.
ForeVR Darts continues the bar of the standard that ForeVR Games has set. It allows us to play darts with other players in real-time from the convenience of our homes and places in fun environments. Like in life, sometimes we throw ourselves at an opportunity and miss, but sometimes, if we have the determination and precision for that perfect aim, we may just hit that bullseye in life.
ForeVR Darts is out now for the Quest/Quest 2 on the Oculus Store. A review code was provided.
To learn more about ForeVR Games, please visit the site, like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, follow them on Instagram, join them on Reddit, follow them on Twitch, and subscribe to their YouTube channel.
Also, check out the ForeVR Darts interview.
In case you missed the trailer, please enjoy. Until next time, I am going to see who else online
