Believe it or not but it has been one whole year since Ready at Dawn launch the well received Lone Echo and multiplayer spin-off Echo Arena for Oculus Rift. After its initial reveal during Oculus Connect 4 (OC4) the studio then held a free open beta in June for players to start testing the title. If you didn’t manage to play Echo Combat the first time then grab your Oculus Rift as you’ve got another opportunity starting today.
Echo Combat takes the Echo Arena multiplayer format and mixes it up by adding objective-based battles made up of teams of three, with the only mode playable so far based on defending/attacking a moving payload. This payload takes the form of a pink flamingo which takes a particular route through an arena. The defending team need to get it to the goal by staying in close proximity or else it won’t move. The only problem, as you can see from the screenshot there’s not a lot of cover meaning you can be easily picked off by the opposing team.
As for the attackers the job is simple, dispatch the other team to slow or stop the payload from moving. The attackers can completely stop the flamingo by staying in close proximity yet they’ll also suffer the same defensive challenges.
While the main gameplay hasn’t been altered apart from making Echo Combat a more stable gaming experience, Ready at Dawn has added one new feature, a left-handed weapon. Not only will the addition help those southpaw players it’ll also add some dual-wield fire power to the proceedings.
The Echo Combat open beta is live now, running through the weekend until 9:59 am PT (5:59 pm GMT) on 22nd July.
To join in the fun all you’ll need to do is open Echo VR during the beta time frame and matchmake into Echo Combat. Plus you can explore the shared social lobby and switch to some competitive zero-g play in Echo Arena. Additionally, play an Echo Arena or Echo Combat match during this event to receive a limited edition decal and emote. For any further updates from Ready at Dawn, keep reading VRFocus.