Spoiler Disclaimer: the game contains a few plot heavy moments. For the interest of the readers, I have left out mention of what those are in the article. Please excuse any vague language used regarding such.
Farpoint was a long anticipated first person shooter developed for the PSVR. Announced during the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in 2016, Sony showed off what would be an action packed shooter based on an alien planet. As the PlayStation VR was merely a baby by then, this was considered a big step towards quality content being developed for the format. What stood out, however, was a special controller premiering with the game, known as the PSVR Aim Controller. Being a strong believer in the future of VR, I was eager to see how this game would turn out. After spending a few solid days playing Farpoint myself, it proved to be not what I was expecting.
First impressions were dampened when I went to pick up the Game/Controller bundle on release day, and the store employee couldn’t find it. Though that did not stop my excitement! Game was unpacked and installing while I got a feel for the VR Aim controller. While it admittedly looked quite silly, it felt very comfortable to hold and use. The buttons and joysticks were all placed in a way that made it just as accessible as a normal controller would have been, while still conforming to the concept of a 2 handled gun.
the VR aim controller
When the game began, it started out with a quick, simple interface tutorial, showing me where the camera was as well as its field of view. Holding the start button would show the camera and view range whilst mid-game, allowing me to center myself as needed. I found this to be a better way to go about reorienting myself, instead of shifting the world to make my off-center the new center, a system most VR games have set to.
Now the game can begin. It starts off immediately in the story mode, where you are in the perspective of a space shuttle pilot on your way to pick up some scientists in a space station. When the nearby energy field they were studying erupts into a black hole, you and the 2 scientists you were there to escort get sucked in, and you crash land onto an unknown planet. Cue the actual gameplay. You walk along the wreckage, and you use this time to get a feel for the controls: left stick (front handgrip of the Aim Controller) is used to move, right stick to rotate if needed.
The movement mechanic was actually one of my favorite aspects of the game’s design, in that the direction you move the stick to move forward depends on the position of your rifle. If you point your aim controller straight forward as if to aim, then to walk forward you press up in that direction. Now, let’s say you’re leisurely moving along; the gun will likely be positioned sideways, pointing towards your offhand (see title image). In this case, you would push the left stick mostly to the side, in the direction that the player would consider forward. This dynamic control scheme was easy to acclimate to, and felt very fluid in fast paced moments.
The premise of the game was pretty straightforward. You (the pilot) are searching the wreckage for hologram fragments that were left behind by the 2 scientists. This would, piece by piece, unlock the story of the 2 as you progressed. However, you are not alone on this planet — you dive deeper and deeper into nests of giant alien spiders, gradually unlocking new weapons as you go. At the point of the first boss fight, you have to use rockets to take out a building-sized armored spider alien. While the battle was the struggle, the difficult climb felt very appropriate for the rate I was progressing.
With the spiders dealt with, you’re now fighting against a collection of high tech robots, be they fragile flying drones, or large, powerful walking tanks bearing a striking similarity to the AT-ST from Star Wars. Here is where the first major plot point happens in a very deep and cinematic moment. At first I thought it was over, but what appeared to be a second arc began. At this point I was deep into the sentient alien territory, and combat was at its finest. The bipedal aliens were wiser, and ironically much more well armed than the spiders. This transition felt very refreshing, and the evolving gameplay kept me on my toes.
I would find that the game peaks around there. When I reached a point that felt like the build up for a big final boss, Instead i was met with an AT-ST of my own, that would fight alongside me. I found myself being guided more than leading by this, and I was being led to an abrupt ending. With the arrival to the intended destination, I was once again preparing myself for a big finish. A big finish I would not find, Instead I was met with what felt like a stop. I was left feeling unresolved and a bit unsatisfied, especially after realizing that the first boss battle (the giant spider) turned out to be the only boss battle in the game; there wasn’t a proper final boss. This portion was the largest aspect that held this game down.
Now the non-story features: The game includes a challenge mode, which has a much more arcade feeling, comprised of a few short missions, each about 3 phases of increasingly difficult combat. This mode was good for some quick and challenging action. The best part, however, is the Co-op mode, which was essentially challenge mode but with an online real life partner. This functionality was fluid and problem free, the only mistake being that they don’t tell you the scan function on your gun can be used to revive teammates.
Co op mode in action
All in all, I am left feeling a touch mixed about Farpoint. The combat moments, when they were there, were a blast of fun. The Aim Controller was a perfect peripheral to the gameplay style, thus making Challenge and Co-op almost flawless. It could maybe have done with some more weapon diversity, but I rarely strayed from my preferred loadout anyway. The story started slow but strong, and the pace picked up not long after. The ending built up heavily, but ended blandly. Clocking in about 5 or so hours total, Farpoint can be found at local game stores for $59.99 (80 dollars if you get the aim controller bundle), though I don’t think it quite worth that. While enjoyable, it wasn’t outstanding enough to merit the price for the shorter content. If you manage to find it on sale for around $40 or so, then that would be much more reasonable.
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