If you have been following 2021 then besides the pandemic, there have been excitement for Left 4 Dead fans. First up we had the Back 4 Blood title, which was developed by the same team that did the original series Left 4 Dead. And now at the end of the year we have a VR zombie shooter title called After the Fall, from the developers that released Arizona Sunshine, which was good. Thought it has been released on PSVR and PCVR, I am reviewing the Oculus Quest 2 version which requires no PC or console.
Developer: Vertigo Studios
Publisher: Vertigo Studios
Release Date: December 9 2021
Thanks to the publisher for the review code.
After the Fall is a 80’s style game which the best way I could describe is that Left 4 Dead and Killing floor had a child. Vertigo Studios have done something quite amazing by releasing the game on three VR platforms and allows gamers to have cross play sessions with other players, regardless of format is being used. If you are fans of Co-Op shooters, which if you played Left 4 Dead or Killing Floor then I will assume that you are.
I put hundreds and hundreds of hours into Left 4 Dead and found it so enjoyable. Now to get a chance to experience gameplay in a VR title is something that really excited me. And from when I put on my Quest 2, jumped into the first area and immediate feel that hit me was the same feels as when I played L4D back in the day. Each level has safe rooms in between the start and end, so you can rest and restock your ammo and stuff before you push on.
Making your way through the areas is so much fun and the zombies you kill is a lot. And you are not doing it alone as you have your teammates with you to have each other’s back. Every zombie you kill you must collect their harvest which you can use to spend at arcade machines throughout to collect at the safe rooms you get to. There are two options to keep weapons on hand, and that is either on-body or via a weapon wheel.
There are various enemies along the way, so variety is not a problem. The fun part was the snowy, frosty level and when you blew parts off the monsters there was a satisfying blood trail left. The level of goriness is spectacular and seeing it in VR makes it even more real feeling. The number of on-screen zombies is unreal considering that the game is uploaded and using the Quest 2 humble processor. Vertigo Studios made use of all the power of the Quest 2.
The gameplay of After the Fall is a smooth, fun affair. The first few hours will see you unlocking all the possible areas for exploration which will hopefully allow replayability. The start is in a lobby called The Line, where up to 32 players are waiting and this allows for gamers to team up and go on a quest together by literally just pointing at them and inviting them to play by clicking.
The missions are chosen at the various arcade machines I mentioned above which mean that they are plentiful and easy to find. Another great touch is that Arizona Sunshine have been added to some machines to play, but as it would appear back in the 80’s. After unlocking you will find that the replay fun is harvesting more stuff from enemies so that you can buy more stuff to get and upgrade current weapons. The A.I is good and the zombies are random and not a set pattern so each play is slightly different.
Given the time that it has been in development it is slight disappointing that only five areas are available. While they are fun and great, this might make replayability not interesting for some gamers. Also having no melee attacks sucks as you need to make sure you are well stocked to progress. Some minor interaction issues are present which is more noticeable when you try to pick a weapon from a draw and it takes a couple of tries to get it. But there is nothing major that is going to break the already awesome gameplay.
Final Thoughts
After the Fall is a great game. If you were a fan of Left 4 Dead, Killing Floor or Arizona Sunshine then this is a worthy title to play. And the best part is that you can play with other gamers from other VR platforms so this allows for some great multiplayer action with gamers from all formats. You should buy this game as it has to be the VR title of the year.
Great Graphics
VR works Well For This Genre” negatives=”Not Enough Areas”][rating title=”Graphics” value=”9.0″]
[rating title=”Replayability” value=”7.5″][/review_summary]