One virtual reality (VR) shooter VRFocus has been keeping a close eye on is Swarm, a single-player experience with grappling mechanics. Originally slated for a Summer 2020 launch that was then pushed back to Spring 2021. This means it isn’t far away, especially as Swarm is now listed on the Oculus Quest portion of the Oculus Store. The Steam version, however, is going to be a little longer, now slated for early summer.
Indie developer Greensky Games has partnered with Oculus to further push the arcade action, hence why Swarm is coming to Oculus Quest and Rift first, supporting cross-buy support. The SteamVR version for HTC Vive and other compatible headsets has now been pushed back, although there’s still no concrete release date for either platform.
Purely single-player, Swarm is all about taking on waves on insect-like enemies in massive open-air arenas that you manoeuvre around by grappling onto loads of floating platforms. You have a pair of pistols in each hand so you can shooting and swing however you please, get enough height and unleash a volley with both guns or get in close and do a shooting swing-by.
Designed to be fast and frantic with quick 10-20 minute matches, Swarm will offer 21 levels and 5 dynamic zones to play through, plus various weapon loadouts to mix up the action. Enemies will range from swarm’s of small insectoids up to large boss enemies which will take plenty of punishment, so practising those grappling mechanics will be essential. Additionally, there’s a global leaderboard to challenge other players on.
As Swarm is still in development, Greensky Games is still looking for beta players as the link is still working on the Swarm website. There is a waiting list with beta testers accepted in waves, plus you’ll have to adhere to a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) to be accepted.
VRFocus will continue its coverage of Swarm, reporting back with those release dates once they’ve been confirmed.