Terminal Velocity

Terminal Velocity was a fast-paced space combat simulator in which the player pilots a fighter through canyons, tunnels, caves, and open stretches of space, battling enemy ships, guns, and defense bases, all accompanied by energetic electronic music. The combination of high-speed flight close to the surface and free movement along every axis made it a title that, at the time, counted among the interesting showcases for headsets like the Forte VFX1, since the fast sense of flight was exactly what stereoscopy was meant to highlight and what set the game apart from slower space simulators.

But it was precisely that speed that became the main problem on the VFX1, since the combination of high flight speed, the headset's low resolution, and head-tracking latency created ideal conditions for the rapid onset of nausea in more sensitive players. The detailed canyon and surface textures the game prided itself on, and by which it wanted to set itself apart from flatter space levels in other titles, also broke apart into blurry color streaks in stereoscopic display, which made it harder to accurately judge distance from walls while flying at high speed and increased the risk of collision.

Terminal Velocity earned a reputation as one of the faster and more accessible space shooters of the mid-1990s, praised for its smooth movement, large arsenal of weapons, and catchy soundtrack, and it became the foundation for its later sequel, Fury3. The game bet on straightforward, arcade-style fun without unnecessarily complicated controls and without the need to configure ship loadout before every mission, which won it players who were put off by the austerity and demands of other space simulators of the time. In the history of the VFX1, it is remembered as an example of a game whose greatest strength, namely the feeling of speed, was at the same time exactly the trait that made the headset least usable for longer play sessions.

Why play: Anyone looking for a fast, accessible space shooter without unnecessarily complicated controls will appreciate Terminal Velocity, even though its sense of speed made the VFX1 headset least suited to longer play sessions.