After The Fall - What We Know So Far

Has the post-apocalyptic trend left you hungry for a co-op virtual reality jaunt through the genre? "After the Fall," the latest project from Vertigo Games, might just be the game you and your friends have been waiting for.

Set in an alternate version of Los Angeles in 2005, "After the Fall" offers up the snow-shrouded ruins of 1980s civilization for players to explore. Almost twenty years have passed since an outbreak spurred by an over reliance on designer drugs led to the rise of the zombie-like Snowbreed. As the horde swept the globe, governments and infrastructure collapsed, leaving pockets of survivors in its wake. These individuals, who appear to possess immunity to the side-effects of the mysterious substances that birthed the Snowbreed, represent the last hope for humanity to rise from the ashes and reclaim the Earth.

Vertigo Games is no stranger to the zombie apocalypse virtual reality scene. Its previous release, "Arizona Sunshine," followed a similar premise, eschewing a frozen wasteland for sun-drenched deserts. It looks like "After the Fall" will build on that foundation with a fresh setting and central mystery. If you can't wait to don your headset and mow down the undead, here's everything we know about this co-op VR first-person shooter so far.

Vertigo Games revealed "After the Fall" at E3 2019 with a quick teaser and choice words from studio director Richard Stitselaar. "'Arizona Sunshine' was one of the first full-feature games developed exclusively for VR," said Stitselaar. "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." Along with its ambitious aims, Vertigo shared plans to release "After the Fall" the following year.

Unfortunately, like so many titles in development during the COVID-19 pandemic, "After the Fall" joined the long list of games delayed by the coronavirus on November 6. In the accompanying statement, Vertigo divulged that it needed more time to deliver on its vision for the project and thus had made the decision to push the release date to "early 2021." It seems "After the Hall" experienced at least one additional delay, as the developers clarified in March that "After the Fall" would not arrive until summer. As the studio unveiled the first look at co-op gameplay footage the following month, it might finally be on track to hit its target.

According to the official website, "After the Fall" will be available on PSVR, Oculus Quest, and PC VR headsets.

Vertigo Games has created a handful of "After the Fall" trailers, starting with the 39-second teaser at E3 in 2019. A gameplay reveal followed a few months later during a State of Play, getting viewers pumped for what some commenters described as "'Left 4 Dead' in VR" and "fast paced 80s cheesy s*** vibe." Two trailers followed in 2021: one featuring high octane cinematics and another highlighting the co-op experience on offer.

The March cinematic trailer centers on the twisted Snowbreed and the four survivors who play leading roles in the "After the Fall" story. At nearly two minutes in length, the clip sets up the emphasis on teamwork and general sense of peril you will experience as you and your companions explore and scavenge the frozen environments. Fortunately, your quartet doesn't have to face the horde alone, as evidenced by the use of a flare to signal an emergency pick up from a getaway driver.

Developers expanded on the details established in the cinematic trailer with an April gameplay teaser, which features footage captured using PC VR. You get a glimpse of several areas, guns, and Snowbreed, including a few different bosses. While reactions were mixed, especially regarding the reveal of "bullet sponge type enemies," the teaser did a decent job of keeping the hype train rolling.

The core gameplay loop in "After the Fall" is about what you'd expect from an online first-person co-op zombie shooter. The title allows you to play solo or with up to three other players. As a survivor, you explore an '80s-flavored version of Los Angeles shrouded in ice and crawling with hordes of the undead Snowbreed, complete with alternate varieties known as "Specials" and massive bosses. Along the way, you can gather components to craft and upgrade a host of weapons and powers.

According to an October 2019 update from the developers, you have the opportunity to interact with players worldwide at basecamp. While at this central hub, you can hang out, form connections, and recruit party members to take on missions with. Alternatively, you can forgo the social aspect and strike out alone — "After the Fall" will even scale to accommodate the added difficulty of going solo.

The array of gear enables you to customize your playstyle. Hit the front lines with blades and other melee weapons or hang back to pepper enemies with explosive bullets. If crafting and strategy are more your jam, you can even use blueprints and scavenged resources to create unique devices, such as "a wrist-mounted '80s walkman-turned-rocket launcher."

If you need something to occupy your time while you wait for "After the Fall" to launch this summer, check out some of 2021's best VR games.