Blacktop Hoops
- May 16, 2024
- Vinci Games
Blacktop Hoop is the world's first competitive VR streetball game. Chain together flashy dribble tricks, shots, and high-flying dunks to finish off opponents in epic games of 1-on-1 arcade basketball.
Reviews
- Blacktop Hoops is praised as the best VR basketball game available, offering a fun and immersive experience with realistic mechanics.
- The game features intuitive controls that allow players to perform dribbling, shooting, and dunking with ease, making it accessible for both casual and serious basketball fans.
- Many players appreciate the game's free-to-play model, which provides a high-quality experience without any upfront cost.
- Numerous players report issues with shooting mechanics, describing them as inconsistent and frustrating, which detracts from the overall gameplay experience.
- The AI opponents are criticized for being overly difficult or unrealistic, often exhibiting behaviors like teleporting or having exaggerated abilities that make matches feel unfair.
- Some users have experienced technical problems, including lag, bugs, and control issues, particularly on certain VR systems like the Valve Index.
- gameplay39 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this VR basketball game is widely praised for its intuitive mechanics, realistic shooting, and enjoyable dribbling, making it a standout in the genre. While some users noted issues with online lag and certain mechanics feeling off, the overall experience is described as fun and engaging, with a good balance of arcade-style play and skill depth. Many players appreciate the game's physics and the authentic feel of dribbling and shooting, though there are calls for additional features like more game modes.
“The mechanics feel good.”
“The shooting mechanics as well as the arcade-like dribbling style make for a great game.”
“It strikes a nice balance with arcade and approachable mechanics that are still satisfying and have a high skill ceiling.”
“This game used to be really fun right after release, and then for some reason they decided to tweak so many mechanics to just make it feel more annoying.”
“Horrible online gameplay.”
“The shooting mechanics are off.”
- story17 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The game lacks a significant story, with players noting that it is primarily focused on gameplay rather than narrative elements. While the production values and voice acting are praised, the absence of a compelling storyline has led to mixed feelings among users. Overall, the emphasis is on fun mechanics rather than a rich narrative experience.
“It is super fun when it works, runs perfectly fine with good performance (both on PC but even on the Quest 3 native you can get to 90 fps / 120% resolution with the QGO app), has actually really good production values with great voice acting (which came off goofy on YouTube but is somehow well spaced in reality) and all that.”
“Man, this game is fun! I would play this all night long if I really had the energy and battery life on my Meta Quest 2.”
“Great game! I only really play it on my Quest, so I don't have any time on this account and the reason for that is the shooting is either broken or just way off for me and just feels better on the Quest.”
“☑ no story”
“Its 30 dollars bro scam on the meta quest its free but if it gives you 30 dollar want to coins like gorilla tag then that will make it bitter but 30 for steam but free on quest that's crazy.”
“Thanks to quest crossplay, the player base is big but annoyingly young.”
- graphics17 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the sharpness and immersive environments, while others prefer the previous cartoonish style over the current blend of cartoon and realism. Overall, the graphics are considered good for a VR demo, with smooth performance and a solid aesthetic, though not on par with AAA titles. Players generally find the visuals enjoyable, contributing positively to the gameplay experience.
“The graphics are sharp, and the environments are immersive, transporting you to various courts around the world.”
“Amazing game, really good graphics, and I hope this game blows up.”
“Love the game, great graphics, and overall just fun.”
“So they fixed the voice chat thing, so now you don't get banned, but why would they change the graphics? They look bad now. I liked the old graphics where it was kind of cartoon-like, but now it's like a mix between cartoon and reality, and it's really weird.”
“Graphics are obviously not AAA quality, but all of the movements and actions are 100% spot on, which is far more important in my opinion.”
“When will developers start to use real-life scanned surroundings/avatars for games (with not too much graphics) like this? It is time!”
- stability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with players reporting numerous bugs that affect gameplay, such as audio issues, AI glitches, and unrealistic mechanics. While some find the singleplayer experience enjoyable, the overall consensus highlights significant stability problems that detract from the experience, leading to frustration and calls for urgent fixes from the developers.
“The singleplayer is fun but slightly undercooked and it's a bit buggy at the moment with announcers suddenly being loud and drowning out all other sounds. A lot of the challenges are buggy here and there, like the AI moving before the fade to black has finished, and if you don't know what you are doing, you may find yourself absolutely clueless on what to do in the singleplayer until after you already faced 1 or 2 games.”
“Just unbelievably buggy.”
“Absolute dog shit. The stealing in this game is buggy; you can somehow steal when someone's way in front of you. There's aim assist for some reason, and everyone's hitting 3-pointers you can't block. Dunks are absolutely unfair. The developers need to fix their game; literally review the entire game, it's buggy and it's unfair.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be minimal or non-existent, with some enjoying the experience without feeling burdened by excessive grinding for rewards. While there are suggestions for additional gameplay modes, the mechanics like shooting and dribbling are generally well-received, indicating a focus on enjoyable gameplay rather than tedious grinding.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Grinding is non-existent because you basically have nothing to grind for except shoes, but other mechanics such as shooting and dribbling are pretty nice. It would also be better if a 3v3 or 2v2 mode is added.”
“It's a common theme for me to still find some VR titles tedious in terms of controls, causing me to second guess my hand placements and stuff.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by the amusing interactions between players, particularly the reactions of younger characters to the player's height, and the entertaining commentary from DJs and announcers, which adds a lively and comedic atmosphere to the experience. Overall, players find the humor to be a significant and enjoyable aspect of the game.
“It's funny seeing the reaction of 4-foot 9 kids reacting to your height... it's even more fun totally clapping those kids until they start begging you to pass them the ball or throw it from the other side of the courtyard so they have any chance of actually touching the ball, lmao.”
“Brings me back to the street; this is such a cool experience. The DJs and announcers are hilarious! For my first experience, I was actually wondering if they were real.”
“Hilarious announcers.”
- music3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its fun and engaging quality, reminiscent of classic titles like NBA Jam and NBA Street, while also being complemented by excellent voice acting and commentary. Reviewers appreciate how the music enhances the overall experience, contributing to the game's vibrant atmosphere.
“Reminds me a lot of NBA Jam mixed with NBA Street in VR with super cool art, music, and the commentators are amazing.”
“The graphics, the gameplay, the music, the commentator, literally everything is so good, and I can't believe this is just the demo.”
“Fun music and voice acting (announcer/tutorial).”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally positive, delivering good performance on PC and the Quest 3, achieving up to 90 fps with enhanced resolution. However, some users have noted that it lacks optimization for the Index, which can affect multiplayer experiences.
“It is super fun when it works, runs perfectly fine with good performance (both on PC and even on the Quest 3 native you can get to 90 fps / 120% resolution with the QGO app), has actually really good production values with great voice acting (which came off goofy on YouTube but is somehow well spaced in reality) and all that.”
“I can finally live my hoop dreams.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highlighted by its immersive urban street setting, which enhances the competitive experience and contributes to a strong sense of accomplishment as players master the controls. Users appreciate the overall ambiance, noting that it stands out among other basketball titles in the VR space, despite some mention of decent textures.
“What sets this game apart from other basketball titles in the VR space is its unique learning curve and the sense of accomplishment that comes from mastering its controls, along with the urban street atmosphere that surrounds the field.”
“- Great atmosphere, decent textures.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The multiplayer mode significantly enhances replayability, providing endless fun whether playing casually with friends or in competitive online matches.
“Whether you're playing casually with friends or engaging in intense online competitions, the multiplayer mode offers endless fun and replayability.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by humor and playful interactions, particularly in the amusing dynamics between players of different heights, which creates a lighthearted and entertaining atmosphere. Players enjoy the competitive yet friendly exchanges, leading to moments of laughter and camaraderie.