[Review]From Other Suns

[R e i]

Oculus has been doing a splendid job partnering up with gaming studios to release titles that are focused on harnessing the power of VR. From Robo Recall to Arktika.1 to Lone Echo/Echo Arena have all been a blast to play. Now, a new title called From Other Suns by Gunfire Games joins the ranks.

From Other Suns is a co-op VR space adventure game that’ll take you to the edges of the universe. The story revolves around a crew of people who recently tested an experimental folding drive to travel beyond the fringes of explored space. The plan was to return safely for a big payout, and retire on small colony to never be heard from again.

But things don’t go as planned. On the return trip, something followed you back. Something ancient. Now it’s a race to make it back to Earth before the ancient alien threat wipes out everything in its way – including you.

You’ll find danger at every jump on this side of the galaxy with ruthless pirates, lethal robots, and deadly aliens that stand in your way. You and your friends will tour the sector upgrading your ship, stockpiling weapons, and fighting for your lives.

Movement

There are many people out there that either prefer teleportation or locomotion when it comes to movement in VR. Gunfire Games addresses both in From Other Suns.

The first type of movement you can choose is called “Comfort.” In this mode, you’ll switch to a third person viewing angle where you’re able to navigate your character throughout the spaceship. This allows you to teleport to your character when they reach their set point. This is helpful for people that are susceptible to motion sickness.

The second type of mode is called “Advance Mode” where you’ll be able to freely roam around the spaceship using locomotion movement. You’ll be placed in first person. This is helpful for people that like to have freedom in movement and choice.

From Other Suns also offers the choice of playing the game standing up or sitting down which is a welcomed feature. A lot of times, people face fatigue from standing too long. Being able to sit down allows you to enjoy the VR experience with comfort.

Gameplay

From Other Suns offers a plethora of enjoyments to be had on board the spaceship. Being a member of the crew, you will face hostile aliens and life-forms that are out to destroy your team. So you’ll have access to weapons and shields to defeat these enemies. The shooting mechanic is pretty easy to get a hang of. Accuracy feels in-tune and you’re able to maneuver around while engaging in combat.

You’ll also have access to defensive items like an energy shield. Players will be able to wield a shield in on hand while shooting with the other. One thing we noticed is that when you are using the shield, the game becomes more pleasurable to play. You physically feel like you are wielding shield and put yourself behind the defensive barrier.

From Other Suns also allows you to play with other users which is one of the highlights of the game. Being isolated in a game is some times a lonely experience, especially in space-themed games. But Gunfire Games made sure to give you access to a multiplayer experience that throttles the gameplay forward.

But another aspect of the game that I enjoyed more than shooting my opponents was engaging in ship to ship combat. The game allows you to fire at opposing spaceships using your Tactical comm. You’ll have access to missiles and other items to help you eliminate your opponents in space.

If you manage to successfully eliminate the other spaceship you’ll be able to take supplies from the wreckage. You’ll find that supplies are essential to the game.

Ship Navigation

Aboard your ship, you’ll be able to control the onboard comms system in four different ways. The first way you can interact with your ship is by using the “Star Chart.” This feature allows you to travel to nearby systems and explore the unknown. When you reach a destination you might run into enemies and opposing spaceships.

The next control feature is “Schematic” where you’ll be able to control your crew members to fix something aboard your spaceship when it is broken. It closely resembles FTL: Faster Than Light where you have to send your crew to handle dangerous situations and fix things aboard the spaceship.

The third control feature is the “Comms” where you are able to see incoming messages and to talk to traders to renew your supplies. A cool feature about trading is that you can haggle with them for better prices. This makes it enjoyable as you can test your wits and trading abilities.

The fourth control feature is “Tactical” which we already went over. This feature allows you to engage in spaceship combat to eliminate opposing threats. You’ll have access to weapons and items to take down the hostile enemy ships. The comms system will also notify you when your ship is under attack. It’s very important to pay attention as you can become easily distracted and forget about your ship being under attack.

Thoughts

From Other Suns offers a very unique VR experience mixing the joyful elements of FTL with FPS. It’s like they threw FTL, Robo Recall, and Lone Echo into a blender to make this game, which is a compliment. Also, having the options to choose teleportation or locomotion while sitting or standing shows how much they care about the gamers and the overall experience.

Gunfire Games did a great job in making this game and we encourage you to check it out yourself. The game is set to release tomorrow, November 14th on the Oculus Rift for $39.99. But if you pre-order today you can have the game for $34.99.