There are some excellent asymmetrical virtual reality (VR) titles out there like Carly and the Reaperman or Acron: Attack of the Squirrels, and soon another will be joining their ranks. Australian indie team Fullbeans Studio is gearing up to launch Operation Armstrong later this month for PC VR headsets, a sci-fi party title where players have to save the world.
An army of lunar robots plan on crashing the moon into the Earth (as you do) so it’s up to you and your infiltration team to stop the disaster by completing a series of dangerous missions. Operation Armstrong sees the VR player take on the field operative role, having to carefully sneak around the robot’s base. The rest of the team can join in via mobile, logging in through a browser for cross-platform local co-op with a 12-player limit.
The VR player is completely defenseless, relying on quick wits and actions to avoid the robotic guards. Of course, this process is made simpler by the team of mobile hackers who can assist by clearing obstacles and disrupting the enemy. As you can see from the screenshots, mobile players have a map overview of the base where they can control doors, teleporters, and other infrastructure.
“We made the game with the intention of providing a fun way for those spectating a VR user to join in on the action instead of just waiting for their turn. Phone users simply log in to a current game through their browser and can immediately start assisting their headset-wielding buddy,” says Fullbeans Studio in a statement. “Teamwork and communication will be key which can lead to some hilarious and tense moments. Players can drop in and out of the game at any time since responsibilities are dynamically shared equally across all phone users.”
In addition to the core co-op gameplay, Operation Armstrong also features level scoreboards and completion awards. And to aid longevity the videogame will include a level editor and online level sharing through the Steam Workshop so the community can go wild with their own designs.
Fullbeans Studio will launch Operation Armstrong via the Oculus Store for Rift and Steam for HTC Vive, Valve Index, and Windows Mixed Reality headsets on 18th May 2021, retailing for $24.99 USD. For further updates on Operation Armstrong, keep reading VRFocus.