Over the years we have seen plenty of live service games come and go. But the one mourned most by the VR community happened only last month, with Ready at Dawn closing Echo VR. Looking to fill that void is Gorilla Tag studio Another Axiom, with a spiritual successor currently codenamed Project A2.
Another Axiom is best known for the massively popular VR multiplayer Gorilla Tag. With its simple visual aesthetics and easy-to-grasp gameplay mechanics, it became an instant indie hit. Now, the studio has teased the first details for Project A2, hoping to grasp the magic of Echo VR and Gorilla Tag.
Capturing lightning in a bottle
Sharing the first details of Project A2 on its Discord server (and Reddit), its scope is far larger than that of Gorilla Tag. You’re a ‘robot champion’ who can run and leap around zero-g areas. These look basic at present, but the tease has shown there’s going to be plenty of verticality in each match.
Explaining how the game mechanics will work, Another Axiom states: “We’re targeting human scale speeds with more physicality, hand based collision, sliding, and paddle based momentum mechanics, all while using very few controller inputs. We have removed the ability to grab flat walls, only allowing grabbing on bars and handles that your fingers could wrap around. We hope this model will follow people’s expectations of how hands work in real life, while adding depth and a high skill ceiling by layering multiple physical mechanics together.”
Social interaction and community will also play a major role in the project. Dubbed ‘stations’, players will be able to travel between them to find different casual game modes. “However, if larger arena sport games are more your style, then find your way to one of the many stadiums. Hang out in the bleachers with your friends to cheer on your favourite players, commentate from the casters’ booth, or float through the locker rooms to join in on the action,” the studio notes.
There will also be a level editor featuring the exact same tools the devs use.
It’s still very early days for Project A2, with Another Axiom noting: “This game won’t ship until late next year [2024] at the earliest.” So there’s still plenty to look forward to.
Were you an Echo VR fan? Which games have you turned to instead? Let us know in the comment below.