AC thVRsday
In his weekly column, Android Central Senior Content Producer Nick Sutrich delves into all things VR, from new hardware to new games, upcoming technologies, and so much more.
Imagine yourself in a plane surrounded by seven other people. Everyone is suited up to jump out, and just as the bay doors open, a brown backpack is thrown out that looks a lot like a parachute. Unfortunately, you don’t have time to wonder if the thing on your back is a real parachute or a fake, because the plane has already ejected everyone, and you’re now free-falling at 10,000ft in the air.
Knowing what’s likely going to happen, it’s pretty clear to you that you’re not going to be the one landing without a parachute. For the next several minutes, all eight of you battle it out in the clouds, using your arm-mounted rockets and grappling hooks to catch other players and keep the backpack until the end.
The game is Project Freefall, and its unique nature isn’t just the gameplay; it’s also the fact that you can play on a Meta Quest headset, a Steam Deck, or any of the other non-VR platforms the game supports, all flying together in a fairly rare cross-platform quest to reach the bottom.
Battle royale against the clock
Developer Schell Games has long made some of the best Meta Quest games. The veteran VR studio is behind well-known games like I Expect You to Die, Among Us VR, Silent Slayer: Vault of the Vampire, Until You Fall, and many more. While Among Us VR eventually became Among Us 3D with crossplay support between VR and non-VR systems, Project Freefall is designed for crossplay from day one.
The game launched in “earliest access” this week during Steam Next Fest, with a demo on the Meta Quest and a demo on Steam that you can download right now. Since the game is multiplayer only, I recommend visiting Schell Games’ Discord server and joining any one of the active sessions posted there.
Project Freefall is simple enough in concept, but certainly one of those games that’ll become increasingly complex as players master the unique movement systems. As you’re falling through the air, you not only have those arm-mounted thrusters, but each hand has an independent grappling hook that can be used to grab items or pull yourself toward obstacles.
Why are there giant Ninja Warrior-esque obstacles falling through the air while you skydive? It’s a video game that’s not afraid to be a video game, that’s why! Any number of objects can fall, from giant shark statues to literal Ninja Warrior-style obstacle courses that you can pull yourself through to avoid being tagged.
Grabbing the backpack is as easy as simply running into the player wearing it, from whence you’ll immediately boost away wearing the coveted prize. Schell Games told me this small boost was introduced in early testing to help avoid the pitfalls of backpack juggling, giving players a brief moment to collect themselves before being chased.
Along with those giant obstacles that help make movement more complex in an otherwise empty sky, you’ll find a smattering of power-ups and items that help you achieve the goal of holding the backpack the longest.
Whether it’s a paint grenade to blind your opponents, Mario Kart style, or a bat that you can smack them with and stun them, these items are all about increasing the competitive nature of the game.
And that brings me to the unique qualities of playing on each supported platform. VR players will find that they have a distinct movement advantage, as they can easily aim each of their arms in different directions or even blind fire toward an obstacle while faking movement toward another. It’s a classic juke movement that’s made even more chaotic by the freedom of movement VR allows.
But non-VRs aren’t at a disadvantage, despite being a little stiffer. While the VR version plays out in first person, the non-VR version is entirely done in 3rd-person. This gives the non-VR version a distinct perspective advantage, as you can more easily see everything around you without having to whip your head around constantly.
Schell Games told me it worked around the clock to balance these two distinct gaming perspectives, ensuring that neither platform has an overwhelming advantage. Some players will simply choose one over the other based on either convenience or their own strengths. If anything, playing it on a Steam Deck made it feel more chill, while the VR version felt far more active and chaotic, effectively highlighting the strengths of both systems.
The full early access period begins on October 21 and is fully free to play. A fairly standard skin shop is set up for players to purchase unique skins if they want, although in-game currency ensures that you will be able to earn skins and plenty of other fun cosmetic prizes without having to bankroll your character.
Check out the demo now and give it a shot! I was thoroughly impressed with how much fun it was, and the unique movement concepts make it feel substantially different in a flooded market of games that too often feel the same.
Whether you love social environments, puzzle game, multiplayer shooters, or just checking out the next evolution of technology, the Meta Quest 3s has it all at a lower price than you imagined.
