Lone Echo 2 / Lone Echo II – Page 2 – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

July 21, 2020

VRFocus’ Most Anticipated VR Games Still to Come In 2020

At the beginning of the year there were lots of exciting virtual reality (VR) titles on the horizon. Some like Half-Life: Alyx and The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners have arrived and definitely didn’t disappoint, whilst others are still keenly awaited. With half the year now gone let’s look at what the next six months will bring.

Star Wars: Squadrons

One of the biggest videogame announcements in June came from EA’s Motive Studios, revealing Star Wars: Squadrons. What made the news extra special was the fact that VR is natively supported rather than a later add-on.

Set to offer a single-player story mode alongside a competitive, team-based multiplayer, in Star Wars: Squadrons you can pilot some of your favourite ships from the franchise, from the X-Wing to the Tie Fighter. Details released to date indicate a rich experience which should entice most fans.

Supported headsets: PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive & Valve Index
Release date: 2nd October 2020

The Walking Dead Onslaught

The next big title from VR specialist Survios, The Walking Dead Onslaught is being made in partnership with AMC so it’ll feature characters from the TV show – unlike The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners which had original characters.

Being the second The Walking Dead title there are a lot of expectations as to whether the experience can offer something new and improved over its rival, especially as The Walking Dead Onslaught was originally due last year. It’ll feature an exclusive single-player storyline alongside visceral combat where you can stab, slice and shoot your way through hordes of walkers.

Supported headsets: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive & Valve Index
Release date: 2020

After the Fall

Vertigo Games has had a busy year releasing new content for Arizona Sunshine for Oculus Quest and VR arcade title Ghost Patrol VR, but the one videogame it’s still keeping quiet on is After the Fall.

Unveiled at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2019, the title is another action-packed shooter. This time taking place in a desolate future consumed by climate change and where most of the population have turned into monsters because of a designer drug. You’ll be able to scavenge for parts to build deadly weapons to survive, and it looked promising when VRFocus previously demoed it.

There have been no recent updates over the last few months so hopefully, it’s still scheduled for this year.

Supported headsets: PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive & Valve Index
Release date: 2020

Lone Echo II

An Oculus Rift exclusive, Lone Echo II is another title whose launch has been delayed from 2019. A single-player sci-fi adventure the videogame continues the story from the 2017 original – worth playing if you haven’t – where you play a robot called Jack who needs to help Captain Olivia Rhodes survive the perils of space.

Thankfully, developer Ready at Dawn did release an update on its progress in May, indicating that even with the current pandemic development was still on course for a 2020 launch. At this rate, it’s going to be a bumper festive season.

Supported headsets: Oculus Rift/Rift S
Release date: 2020

Project CARS 3

For those after some genuine four-wheel action the Slightly Mad Studios’ Project CARS 3 will be leaving the paddock next month. The series has continually supported VR and that’s not going to stop with this latest iteration.

Featuring a new career mode where players can “rise from weekend warrior to racing legend,” there will be 200+ elite-brand race and road cars both classic and cutting edge to race across the 140+ tracks at locations around the world. Great to see another big name videogame continue its support for VR players.

Supported headsets: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive & Valve Index
Release date: 28th August 2020

Medal of Honor: Above & Beyond

Bringing the classic first-person shooter (FPS) back to life and firmly aimed at the VR audience, Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond appeared at Oculus Connect 6 (OC6) last year.

Set during the early 1940s as World War 2 rages on, players take on the role of an Allied agent of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). Tasked with completing a range of missions such as infiltrating a hotel filled with Gestapo agents already looked promising during that initial unveiling.

While a 2020 date was initially slated, currently there’s been little in the way of updates.

Supported headsets: Oculus Rift/Rift S
Release date: 2020

Low-Fi

A Kickstarter crowd-funding success in 2019, if ever there was a title which evoked the sci-fi feel of Blade Runner then Low-Fi is it. From Iris VR Inc. – the team behind Technolust – Low-Fi is gearing up to be an epic adventure where you play a cop patrolling the dark crime-ridden streets of city-block 303, able to choose between keeping law and order or exploiting its seedy underbelly.

While backers can already play an early beta version as development continues, the PC VR launch is expected this year followed by a PlayStation 5 version in 2021.

Supported headsets: PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive & Valve Index
Release date: Late 2020

May 1, 2020

Lone Echo II Still Expected in 2020, Development has Been Impacted by COVID-19

Ready at Dawn has been delivering continual updates for its online multiplayer Echo VR but when its comes to Lone Echo II has continually remained quiet. That silence has been partially broken this week with the studio revealing plans are still underway for the sci-fi adventure to arrive this year if a little later than planned.

Like many studios the world over, Ready at Dawn has seen development affected by the current coronavirus pandemic as staff work from home.

In a statement, Co-Founder, Chief Creative & Executive Officer Ru Weerasuriya wrote: “As work progresses on our games, this new reality and dynamic has caused us to rethink some of our game development methodology. Development on Lone Echo II has been greatly impacted. We know many of you have anxiously been awaiting its launch and, while we do intend to launch in 2020, we’ll have more news on Lone Echo II coming very soon.”

Originally expected in 2019, Lone Echo II was then pushed back to Q1 2020 last summer. There were no further development updates until now. While the title is highly anticipated its definitely not the only one to suffer, the other most notable one being Iron Man VR.

In its preview of Lone Echo II last year VRFocus found that the title was already looking stunning, with the same attention to detail as the original. Several new features were showcased including enemies and menu system.

On a more positive note, Ready at Dawn has confirmed that the open beta for Echo VR on Oculus Quest will begin next week, 5th May, available to everyone until the official launch later this year. Head on over to the Echo Games Discord for more info. Oculus Rift cross-play will also be added soon after.

Echo VR is a team-based competitive experience split into two modes, Echo Arena and Echo Combat. The former is a zero-g sports tournament where two teams of four face-off, scoring goals whilst boosting, gliding and punching opponents out the way. Echo Combat is a bit more violent in the fact that weapons are involved plus there’s an object teams have to attack/defend to win.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of Lone Echo II, reporting back with further updates and announcements.

December 31, 2019

VRFocus’ Most Anticipated VR Games Coming in 2020

It has been quite an incredible year for virtual reality (VR) fans. Headsets like Oculus Quest, Valve Index and Vive Cosmos have arrived while developers have continually surpassed the quality of content available. So now it’s time to look ahead and into 2020. With plenty of exciting content coming in the next 12 months VRFocus looks at some of the most exciting prospects.

Half-Life: Alyx

The one videogame pretty much all VR gamers are looking forward to, Valve’s addition to the Half-Life franchise is going to be a dedicated VR experience. Supporting PC VR headsets – free for those who own Valve Index – Half-Life: Alyx will be set between the events of 1998’s Half-Life and Half-Life 2 (2004).

You take the role of Alyx Vance as she and her father secretly form a resistance against the mysterious alien race known as The Combine currently occupying planet Earth. Set for an official launch in March, Half-Life: Alyx looks stunning from the screenshots released so far and could become the VR game of the year.

The Walking Dead: Saint & Sinners

Currently being developed by Skydance Interactive as an official tie-in to AMC’s TV Show, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is going to be a gory, zombie-filled, shooter. With its own unique storyline set within New Orleans, the videogame will task players with having to deal with constant threats of violence, disease, and famine, with threats coming from both the zombie and human population alike.

Being able to wield an assortment of ranged and close-combat weaponry, players will be able to inflict some brutal damage in their bid to survive, whilst also making life and death decisions which affect the narrative. There won’t be too long to wait either, as the launch date of 23rd January has already been confirmed.

The Walking Dead Onslaught

Can’t get enough of the undead and using shotguns to decapitate them? Well, you’re in luck as VR specialist Survios (Battlewake, Creed: Rise to Glory, Electronauts) is also working with AMC on a Walking Dead videogame. The Walking Dead Onslaught was originally due for release in 2019 but the studio pushed it back to improve the experience.

Offering a single-player campaign which also has its own unique storyline, VRFocus previewed the title at the Electonic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2019, finding that: “The Walking Dead Onslaught looks like it’ll provide a fairly brutal zombie gameplay experience for fans of titles like Arizona Sunshine.” There’s no launch date at the moment but Survios has always produced high-quality VR titles so its one to keep an eye on.

Lone Echo II

Before Half-Life: Alyx was announced, developer Ready at Dawn had the most anticipated sci-fi experience arriving in 2020, Lone Echo II. An Oculus Rift exclusive, the original from 2017 set a new benchmark in both visual and gameplay design for VR experiences. However, the sequel has a lot more competition now and expectations are high.

Lone Echo II was supposed to be a 2019 release, the studio announced in the summer that a Q1 2020 launch window was now taking place. Thus putting it in direct competition with Valve’s epic. The sequel continues the story of Captain Olivia Rhodes and your robot character Jack who’s there to protect her. Having previewed Lone Echo II it looks like fans won’t be disappointed.

Medal of Honor: Above & Beyond

One of the surprise announcements from Oculus Connect 6 (OC6) in September 2019, Respawn Entertainment finally revealed its first VR title originally hinted at during OC4. Bringing one of its most popular franchises to VR, Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond takes players back to World War II, as an Allied agent of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS).

Tasked with completing a tour of duty across Europe to disable the Nazi war machine, the title will feature both single-player and multiplayer modes offering historically accurate settings, weapons and other items. Mixing up both first-person shooter (FPS) action with puzzles, Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond proved to be an enjoyable experience when VRFocus previewed the title. There’s no release window during 2020 just yet.

Low-Fi

Coming from the indie team behind Technolust, Low-Fi first emerged on Kickstarter looking to raise $60,000 CAD to fund this cyberpunk adventure. The crowd-funding campaign easily hit the target within four days, raise over $100,000 CAD in the process.

Designed to be a massive open-world sandbox inspired by films such as Blade Runner and Robocop, Low-Fi puts players in the shoes of a police officer recently transferred to a crime-ridden section of city-block 303. Here they can keep law and order, solving crimes and advancing narratives or delve into the seedy underbelly of the city, taking bribes, framing innocent people and hanging out in casinos. A fully finished version is expected to arrive towards the end of 2020.

After the Fall

The next big title from Vertigo Games (Arizona Sunshine, Skyworld), After the Fall is another FPS filled with monsters to shoot and guns to upgrade. Taking place in Los Angeles 20 years after an apocalypse began a new ice age, you need to survive this harsh winter environment scavaging what you can whilst killing as many Snowbreed as possible. These horrible creatures were once human but thanks to designer drugs mutated into foul beasts.

Set to offering both single-player and co-op multiplayer modes, After the Fall will be an action-packed experience where you can build weapons, armour and other gear from found items. Vertigo Games has yet to announce when in 2020 After the Fall will arrive, so in the meantime check out VRFocus‘ preview.

Iron Man VR

One of the first VR videogames announced during Sony Interactive Entertainment’s (SIE) State of Play broadcast in March, Iron Man VR is possibly PlayStation VR’s biggest exclusive coming in 2020. Putting players in Tony Stark’s iconic suit whilst playing the character himself, players will be able to fly, shoot and punch just like the Marvel superhero, in what could be the best Iron Man videogame to date.

Marvel’s Iron Man VR is scheduled for worldwide release on 28th February 2020 with pre-orders available.

Paper Beast

Another PlayStation VR exclusive, Paper Beast looks set to offer one of the most intriguing and original experiences to come to the headset next year. Created by French studio Pixel Reef, Paper Beast is the work of legendary designer behind Another World and From Dust, Eric Chahi.

Designed to be a playful exploration videogame, Paper Beast is set in the world of big data, born within the vast memory of data servers. Here players will find strange creatures and an everchanging landscape, with a non-verbal narrative to follow. Players can not only interact with the creatures they find but also the terrain, solving puzzles in the process. Paper Beast is due out soon, with a Q1 2020 window now in place.

The Room VR: A Dark Matter

A multiplatform title which was revealed during OC6, The Room VR: A Dark Matter continues Fireproof Games’ award winning series The Room. Designed specifically for VR, this version is set in the British Museum, London, circa 1908. The storyline revolves around the disappearance of an esteemed Egyptologist prompting a police investigation.

Players will be able to explore cryptic locations, examine gadgets and discover an otherworldly element blurring the line between reality and illusion, fantastic for any puzzle fan. A launch will be taking place early 2020 for headsets including Oculus Rift, Oculus Quest, PlayStation VR, HTC Vive, Valve Index and Windows Mixed Reality.

Pixel Ripped 1995

Having begun with Pixel Ripped 1989, creator Ana Ribeiro and Brazilian studio ARVORE plan to make several sequels with Pixel Ripped 1995 being the next. Each one is a sort of homage to gaming of that era, mixing VR environments with some retro gameplay.

The first title was a delightful experience with Pixel Ripped 1995 promising more of the same, now stepping into the 16-bit gaming era. The narrative continues where players have to fight an evil goblin called the Cyblin Lord. This time players are David, a 9-year-old kid from New Jersey who must defeat the evil villain. Currently, Pixel Ripped 1995 doesn’t have a date or window for launch in 2020, so take a look at VRFocus’ preview from OC6 for a little more info.

Phantom: Covert Ops

As is quite often the case videogame launches get pushed back and nDreams’ Phatom: Covert Ops is no different. Another title expected in 2019, the British VR developer announced the decision to delay the release until the new year to polish the experience.

From what VRFocus has seen already Phantom: Covert Ops looks very promising, with the core mechanic being that you’re a stealth operative working solely from a kayak. One of the reasons for this idea was gamer comfort, in a seated position you need to paddle to move anywhere, whilst a range of weaponry including a silenced pistol, rifle and C4 are all close to hand for carrying out missions. Once again there’s no solid date for Phantom: Covert Ops’ launch in 2020 so you’ll have to make do with this preview for a little more detail.

July 3, 2019

Preview: Lone Echo II – 2020 Just Seems too Far Away

It’s safe to say that here at VRFocus we’re big fans of Ready At Dawn’s ambitious sci-fi experience Lone Echo. It was one of the best reasons to own an Oculus Rift back in 2017, and when news broke at Oculus Connect 5 (OC5) last year that a sequel was in the works (it was a sure thing anyway); 2019 was shaping up to be a good year. Alas the schedule for Lone Echo II has been pushed back to 2020, but at least the videogame made an appearance during the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) last month.

Lone Echo 2

It was nice to see another decently sized demo at the event, much like After the Fall and Battlewake. If you’ve played and finished Lone Echo then you’ll know the story arc and main mechanics which continue into the sequel, with the demo focusing on a showcase of new mechanics rather than detailing what happens in the narrative.

You’re still the ever dependable (and robust) robot Jack, helping Captain Olivia Rhodes survive the perils of space. The demo had three main features to showcase, new puzzle elements, a new menu system on Jack’s hand and interactions between the two characters.

The puzzle scenarios were the main feature included in the demo, where you have to deploy clever use of energy outlets and modules to clear the way of nasty bio threats lovingly called ‘Ticks’. These essentially latch onto any nearby energy source to feed, and as a robot, you’re good eating.

Lone Echo 2

While a Tick can latch onto you quite quickly it doesn’t mean instant death, if you’re quick enough they can be grabbed and thrown away. But speed is of the essence – especially with two or more – and a rubbish throw will simply mean them chowing down once again. So the best course of action is to use the environment to remove, contain or incapacitate these nasty little beasties.

Lone Echo II provides a number of ways to do this, from switching wall panels on to attaching them to more elaborate systems which involve cranes located on runners on the ceiling. It’s these latter designs which really help immerse you in this virtual world, and a great amalgamation of the movement and gameplay mechanics. Everything is still in zero-g, so you need to cleverly use the wrist boosters alongside grabbing and flinging yourself from object to object working your way through the levels. Yet at the same time not to put yourself in danger by floating haphazardly into a group of Ticks.

When it comes to the new menu system on Jack’s hand (either one) there were four symbols which appeared, but only one was selectable. This was the cutting torch, a useful tool from the first videogame allowing you to cut through certain highlighted objects. Ready At Dawn hasn’t given a clue to what the other three do although one looks like remote activating switches while another could provide energy. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Lone Echo 2

As for the new interaction techniques with Liv, these have been designed to make the duo more personable, helping players warm to the characters and their situation. So actions such as waving or giving a thumbs up will now elicit a response from Liv. This was only a very small part of the demo but it helped make the dialogue between them feel more two way, rather than Liv purely talking all the time.

As for everything else, Lone Echo II still looks as detailed and stunning to look at as the first instalment, having that broody looking horror sci-fi feel as if you’re in a scene from Alien. Sounds are subtle and light, with the loudest tending to be Liv’s voice, giving the experience a nice eerie quality. Expectations are high and VRFocus is hoping for bigger and better things from Lone Echo II. At the moment Lone Echo II looks like it’ll be a crowd pleaser.

June 21, 2019

E3 2019 Interview: Ready at Dawn Discuss Lone Echo II

There are some exciting titles coming to Oculus Rift in 2019 through to 2020, the likes of Stormland and Defector are coming this year, while newly revealed videogames during the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2019 such as After the Fall are due to arrive next year. One of the biggest exclusives the platform is awaiting is Ready at Dawn’s sci-fi sequel Lone Echo II, and VRFocus caught up with the team during E3 to find out more.

Lone Echo 2

The first Lone Echo launched back in 2017 for Oculus Rift, setting a new standard in visual quality and gameplay for virtual reality (VR). Zero-g environmental design always posed a challenge for VR developers as it could lead to nausea in some players. Ready at Dawn managed to crack it, producing an experience which VRFocus gave a full five-star rating to, saying: “Ready at Dawn has created an experience that every Oculus Touch owner needs in their library.”

During Oculus Connect 5 (OC5) in 2018, the studio officially announced Lone Echo II – one of the major reveals of the event behind Oculus Quest – continuing the epic storyline of your robot character Jack and Captain Olivia Rhodes who he’s there to protect against the dangers of space exploration.

For E3 2019 Ready at Dawn showcased a new build of Lone Echo II, featuring new gameplay mechanics, menus, UI and puzzles.

Lone Echo 2

At the Oculus booth, VRFocus had a chat with Nathan Phail-Liff, the Game Director for Lone Echo II and Studio Art Director. Phail-Liff discusses some of the mechanics the studio has added to diversify the gameplay as well as adding more interaction with Liv.

One thing Lone Echo fans might not be pleased to hear is that the title has been delayed. Originally, Ready at Dawn had expected to launch the sequel later this year. Alas, that has now been pushed back to Q1 2020. Hopefully, it won’t slip any further.

Check out the full interview with Phail-Liff below, or take a look at VRFocus’ other interviews from E3 2019 with Oculus’ Jason Rubin or Vertigo Games. VRFocus will continue its coverage of Lone Echo II, reporting back with all the latest announcements.

January 2, 2019

The Best Oculus Rift Games Coming in 2019

You only need to take a look at VRFocus’ ‘Best Oculus Rift Games of 2018‘ to see some of the awesome content the PC-based headset has managed to deliver over the course of 2018. So now it’s time to look towards the future and the next 12 months. VRFocus has chosen five virtual reality (VR) videogames that you should be keeping an eye on, some due very soon while others are a bit more ambiguous in their release windows.

The Best Oculus Rift Games Coming in 2019

Lone Echo 2 - Keyart

Lone Echo II – Ready at Dawn

While not entirely a surprise, Ready at Dawn’s sci-fi sequel Lone Echo II was certainly the biggest videogame announcement during Oculus Connect 5 (OC5) a few months ago. It continues the story of Jack and Liv from where Lone Echo left off, with a teaser trailer showing Liv fixing the players robotic character Jack. Exclusive to Oculus Rift, few other details have been released regarding how Ready at Dawn plan to expand the storyline or the expansion of features. This info will probably arrive during the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in March.

Lone Echo II only has a release window of 2019 at the moment.

A Fishermans Tale Chapter04_Characters_Medium3

A Fisherman’s Tale – InnerspaceVR

While most of the videogames on this list don’t offer a specific launch date, InnerspaceVR’s mind-bending puzzle experience A Fisherman’s Tale most certainly does. A single-player puzzle adventure, A Fisherman’s Tale is all about thinking outside the box, as the title plays with dimensions and scale. It’s only through interacting with the central lighthouse model as Bob the fisherman that the puzzles can be solved and Bob can turn the lighthouse on.

A Fisherman’s Tale is a multiplatform release, being published by Vertigo Games on 22nd January.

Stormland screenshot4

Stormland – Insomniac Games

VR veterans Insomniac Games (The Unspoken, Edge of Nowhere, Feral Rites) are looking to dominate 2019 with ambitious open-world adventure Stormland. Another sci-fi epic that’s going to be competing against Lone Echo II for players attention, Stormland puts you in the role of a robot who just happens to be a gardener on a lush alien planet. That was until The Tempest shattered your android body, so you must head out across the planet to augment yourself and save your friends. The title will feature both single-player and multiplayer options, with players having complete freedom to run, climb and fly across the expansive terrain.

Stormland is another Oculus Rift exclusive which has a tentative 2019 release window.

DEFECTOR OC5

Defector – Twisted Pixel

2019 definitely seems to be the year Oculus Rift developers are pushing the technology harder than ever, aiming to offer VR fans even richer and more hands-on experiences. Wilson’s Heart studio Twisted Pixel in conjunction with Oculus Studios is working on a spy adventure called Defector. First revealed as part of Oculus Rift’s second anniversary, Defector is a high octane homage to all those great spy movies, with ridiculous stunts, plenty of guns, cars, and of course a little gambling.

Exclusive to Oculus Rift, Defector was originally due for release in 2018, but slipped into 2019 for undisclosed reasons. No specific launch date has yet been confirmed.

Titanfall Key Art

Unannounced Title – Respawn Entertainment

This is the big mystery on this list – which also makes it the most exciting. Respawn Entertainment is the studio behind Titanfall and Star Wars Battlefront. The team announced work on a VR title back in 2017 – and no it’s not based/related to either of those titles – and have been super secretive ever since. No title for the project has been revealed, not even a teasing image or two, just a 2019 date and the knowledge that Respawn Entertainment looks to be playing to its strengths with job listings describing a “AAA VR shooter game”.

Only the Oculus Studios logo has been seen next to Respawn’s, so this looks to be another Oculus Rift exclusive, due out at some point this year.

October 3, 2018

Life In 360°: Lone Again, Naturally

So, last week saw our last major stop this year disappear off into 2018’s rear-view mirror. Oculus Connect 5 (OC5) has come and it has most certainly gone, but we also saw an end to our plans to think about this year’s PlayStation Experience come to abrupt end. When Sony suddenly turned around at the end of last week and announced that there isn’t going to be one.

Life In 360° / 360 Degree Video Well…

That frees some time up for us at any rate, I guess.

Still since we don’t have that to look forward to in the future (not that we’re exactly shy of PlayStation VR news at present) let’s take a little look back at OC5 because there was one item that we should probably take note of.

Day 1 saw the announcement of Lone Echo II, sequel to Ready At Dawn’s extremely popular title, one that has since spawned a franchise that even touches on virtual reality (VR) eSports. The first title saw a mysterious spatial anomaly cause mystery and trouble of Live and Jack, residents of the Kronos II mining facility. Unfortunately for the pair, their situation hasn’t improved much in the sequel. Especially, it seems, for Jack.

“Jack and Liv are back in Lone Echo II. Return to the rings of Saturn in this highly-anticipated sequel, to unravel the mysteries of Lone Echo and journey deeper into space – past the very boundaries of time itself.”

Say Ready At Dawn, who as well as releasing a standard trailer (which we featured at the time) they also happened to release a 360 degree trailer as well which rather snuck under the radar a bit in comparison. So, since we don’t see that many 360 trailers at events like this let’s correct that and feature it now.

October 2, 2018

Ready At Dawn Discuss Echo Combat and Lone Echo II

Though often overlooked under the shadow of its more popular multiplayer sibling Echo Arena, Lone Echo was still a solid virtual reality (VR) sci-fi adventure, popular enough to spawn not only two multiplayer spin-offs, but also an upcoming sequel. Developer Ready at Dawn spoke about some of what players can expect from Echo Combat and Lone Echo II at Oculus Connect 5.

Ready at Dawn CEO Ru Weerasuriya spoke with Nina of VRFocus at Oculus Connect 5, talking about the genesis of Echo Combat and Lone Echo II and giving some hints as to what is coming next in that universe.

Echo Combat

Weerasuriya began by explaining how Lone Echo first came about as the result of a partnership between Ready at Dawn and Oculus, a collaboration which has now been going on for four years: “We started off with the idea of changing how VR games work, not only narratively, but mechanically. That’s what really spawned Lone Echo and Echo Arena.”

“We’re showing Echo Combat here with a new mode,” Weerasuriya continued, “but our big reveal for OC5 is the next chapter of the Lone Echo story with Lone Echo II.”

Echo Combat was showcased at Oculus Connect 5 with a new map and a new mode, “The first map is payload, which is two teams vying to win. One to defend a position and one to attack the position as it moves from point to point. The new mode we’re putting in is Capture Point. Capture point is about holding a certain spot in the map for the longest time possible. Again, its two teams playing against each other.”

“It’s a way to show a different face of Echo Combat. It shows there’s more to Echo Combat than just shooting. The whole point of a social game is about finding a team, finding friends and playing with each other.”

Echo Combat

The full interview is available to view below. For future coverage of new and upcoming VR titles, keep checking back with VRFocus.