Rhythm Action Noir AGAINST Cuts its Own Path in 2021
At the end of March, Stride developer Joy Way released a brief gif showcasing a new rhythm action videogame it was working on. No other details were released at the time, but the visual style and gameplay certainly caught people’s attention. Now the studio has made an official announcement, releasing a trailer and more for its upcoming title, Against.
Mixing film noir crime drama styling and horror elements, Against is set in the shadowy streets of 1930s New York City where players battle against the Mafia and dark forces. Looking to stand out in the rhythm action genre, Against mixes up its gritty visuals with a varied gameplay mechanic employing guns, swords and even knuckle dusters to help you dispatch foes.
Against also offers mechanics VRFocus hasn’t seen in this type of VR videogame before. It may take you down an automated central path but as the trailer shows there are moments where you can parry bullets with a katana, jump onto higher ledges and even wall-run while shooting enemies. This makes for what could be a very dynamic gameplay experience. Each level will then finish with a boss battle – so naturally, there’s a giant spider.
“We thought for a long time about how to implement our own rhythm in the game and deliberated on a game mechanic that has yet to be realized in the VR space,” said the team in a statement. “It took some time to decide on a game mechanic that would be unique in the market, but we have finally found a winning formula!”
At the moment only three developers are getting Against ready for release, Joy Way confirms. The plan is to include up to ten music tracks for the launch, with 3 difficulty levels (easy, hard, expert) and an epic final boss battle.
Currently, Joy Way has stencilled in a Q3 2021 launch for Against, coming to Steam for HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Valve Index headsets. Further store support is planned for a later date so that could mean Oculus Quest and PlayStation VR at some point. Take a look at the first trailer below and as further details are released, VRFocus will let you know.
https://www.vrfocus.com/2021/04/rhythm-action-noir-against-cuts-its-own-path-in-2021/
