One of the problems people have with virtual reality is that it seems better suited to certain types of game genres. For first-person shooters and horrors, it can be fantastic, but how would it work with something like real-time strategy titles? Thanks to an Unreal Engine 4 developer, now we know.
Creator Ádám Horváth has some very cool videos on his YouTube channel, especially this augmented reality mirror that uses a Kinect sensor to show how clothes would look without trying them on. But his latest video is pretty special.
Horváth has recreated RTS classic Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 in Unreal 4, and shows how the game is playable using the HTC Vive VR headset. Looking down over the battlefield from a God-like position, players can use one of the Vive's controllers to select and control units, while the other acts as a sort of tablet where build commands can be issued.
The video's description explains how the 3D building and unit models, based on the original 2D assets of Red Alert 2, are created by moddb user Slye_Fox.
The whole thing is just a proof of concept - it's pretty unlikely that a remastered version of Red Alert 2 would ever be released for the Vive. But it does show how a virtual reality headset could handle a real-time strategy game. The only problem could be that the genre isn't exactly known for its quick gaming sessions. Things would get very hot and sweaty after a few hours into a Starcraft II campaign.