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After The Fall is an '80s apocalypse multiplayer VR game coming in 2020

Vertigo Games, makers of Arizona Sunshine, are going for co-op in VR.

Scott Stein Editor at Large
I started with CNET reviewing laptops in 2009. Now I explore wearable tech, VR/AR, tablets, gaming and future/emerging trends in our changing world. Other obsessions include magic, immersive theater, puzzles, board games, cooking, improv and the New York Jets. My background includes an MFA in theater which I apply to thinking about immersive experiences of the future.
Expertise VR and AR, gaming, metaverse technologies, wearable tech, tablets Credentials
  • Nearly 20 years writing about tech, and over a decade reviewing wearable tech, VR, and AR products and apps
Scott Stein
2 min read
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Apocalyptic, 80s, multiplayer, VR: yes to all of the above.

Vertigo Games

If you're curious about where VR gaming is headed, you might want to start by thinking of many, many people playing at once.

After The Fall, a new game teased by Vertigo Games at E3 2019, isn't actually arriving until 2020. But it aims to be a large-scale FPS set in a collapsed 80s-themed apocalypse, with co-op as its key feature. (Previously, this story called it "massively multiplayer," but according to Vertigo Games, it's large-scale and online, but won't be MMO.) 

From the Vertigo Games description in the company's press release: "set in the post-apocalyptic, ice-covered ruins of an alternate 1980s Los Angeles, After the Fall pits up to four players against a vast, hostile world in a raging fight for control of the city and the survival of humanity. Go solo or join forces with players worldwide as you scavenge the remains of civilization, face relentless hordes and larger-than-life bosses, craft a huge range of guns and deadly close combat weapons, and wield devastating powers with real-life movements."

Arizona Sunshine, Vertigo Games' first successful entry in VR gaming, is full of zombie shooting. After The Fall looks to continue similar John Carpenter-esque themes.

The new game, launching on Oculus Store and Steam, does have a beta coming soon that anyone can sign up for now.

Richard Stitselaar, studio director at Vertigo Games, says in a press release, "Arizona Sunshine was one of the first full-feature games developed exclusively for VR. Ever since, we've been eager to take it up a few notches and push hard at the boundaries of VR again. With After the Fall, we're bringing VR to life at a scale we believe hasn't been done before – a seamless multiplayer experience shared with as many players as possible set in a dynamic world that will keep them coming back for more."

I'm not a huge FPS VR person, but the multiplayer elements of After The Fall sound pretty interesting. I haven't tried it out, but hopefully will get a chance to soon.

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(Updated at 2:16 p.m. ET with comment from Vertigo Games and correction on multiplayer features mentioned.)