Borrowing mechanics from prop-hunting game Prop Hunt and cleverly adapting them to VR, Mannequin forces players to move into action and hide among frozen NPCs in multiplayer hunts. Read our full hands-on at Gamescom...
Fast Travel Games today announced their latest multiplayer VR game, Mannequin, which is expected to arrive on Quest, SteamVR and PSVR 2 in 2024. The game pits two teams against each other - a team of extraterrestrial beings, also known as 'mannequins', against a team of human agents. The former will spread out across the map and try to hide amongst the frozen, time-stopped humans, while the latter will have to figure out which of the frozen humans are actually extraterrestrials disguised as dummy players by capturing movement amongst them or figuring out which frozen humans are in fact the dummy players.
Here is the official description for Fast Travel:
The world stopped. Time froze. All attempts to establish contact with the aliens have failed. Agents have been sent out to eliminate this threat once and for all. Play as the extraterrestrial mannequins, set up deadly ambushes by playing as humans frozen in time, or play as human agents armed with high-tech gear to counteract the extremely numbing entrapment.
The game originated with the mechanics of the community-made Counter Strike and Garry's Mod game modes Prop Hunt. The concept has since spread to mainstream multiplayer games, and alternate game modes similar to the Prop Hunt rules are now found in games like Call of Duty and Fortnite. The original flat-screen version had a team of hunters tracking down a team disguised as various environmental props on the map, disguised as props standing in plain sight and hiding.Mannequin translated the concept to VR gaming and factored physical power into the gameplay by requiring the player to assume the position of a human. Using motion controllers, extraterrestrial players must place themselves amongst frozen NPCs randomly distributed across the map to create realistic poses.
The game is designed to support up to five players: three extraterrestrial mannequins and two hunters. However, in our demo, Fast Travel's developers mentioned that the team is looking at options for other player combinations, such as 1-on-1, to make the necessary balance adjustments.
The mannequin player is in an extraterrestrial form at the start of the round, making them easy for hunters to spot. However, as they move around the map, they can press a button to freeze their pose, turning themselves into frozen humans and (hopefully) blending in with other time-stopped NPCs. Using guns and detective tools, the Human Agent player must move and spot extraterrestrial beings while in their extraterrestrial form or disguised as a mannequin.
A game consists of a three out of five games to win rule, with a game ending when one of the two sides completely annihilates the other. There are no respawns - dead players are free to move as bystanders - and no life values: any player, extraterrestrial or human, is knocked out with a single shot.
As you might expect, human agents have access to firearms. However, the limited ammunition and relatively slow rate of fire means that you must capitalize on every shot. If you incorrectly suspect that an NPC identity is disguised as an extraterrestrial being and then shoot, you'll expose yourself to the other extraterrestrial being.
Instead of using guns to eliminate agents, extraterrestrial beings can execute their bodies with a touch of their hands. While simple in theory, it's not easy to close the distance to an agent without being noticed. This is where the extra ability comes in handy.
Both Extraterrestrials and Hunters have some extra tools to help them. For example, the Extraterrestrials can use their sprint ability to quickly approach and quickly take down enemies. It can even break a frozen mannequin pose when a human approaches.
Human agents have an EMF reader that scans the area and provides an approximate readout of the approximate location of the extraterrestrial life, which will help provide clues as to which NPCs may be disguised as aliens. Another tool can be thrown around and placed in the environment at will to reveal that extraterrestrial life is moving through a specific area. The map also includes optional points that can be occupied by either team, called "Power Stations", which will provide them with additional capabilities and advantages once secured.
Since the matches are played in three to five sets, strategy and teamwork come into play when one of the teams gains an advantage. Two sets ahead? You may be able to harmonize with your team and play more aggressively in the third set, breaking into enemy territory or fighting for an early
source:uploadvr
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