Bullet Time Agent is ready to launch quickly, inviting gamers into a novel eight-hour journey inside VRChat, and we bought early entry. Learn on for our first impressions.
Created by solo developer Lakuza, this action-adventure title is greater than only a recreation; it’s a testomony to what will be achieved in user-generated content material platforms with no conventional recreation growth background.
Set inside VRChat’s numerous ecosystem, Bullet Time Agent places gamers into the function of a thief turned hero. Issues take an surprising twist after being tasked to retrieve a mysterious artifact that unexpectedly bestows time manipulation powers upon the participant. This energy is not only for present; it is a basic mechanic woven into the sport’s material, creating layers of bullet-hell fight, puzzle-solving, and platforming challenges.
Rising from its modest beginnings as a prototype and developed over greater than three years, Bullet Time Agent displays an revolutionary use of VRChat. Utilizing VRChat, Lakuza bypassed conventional coding obstacles and targeted their effort on design and participant expertise. When requested about this strategy, Lakuza replied:
“I am not a coder within the conventional sense of writing code in c#, so I did not write any programming traces manually nevertheless I’m utilizing coding ideas. That is finished utilizing a unity plugin particularly for vrchat that lets you choose actions from a drop down menu after which choose a goal for the motion. Behind the scenes, it will compile the code for me primarily based on my alternatives, so it permits somebody with out coaching or expertise to create logic. In fact, since I have been making worlds since 2018, I’ve step by step learnt tips on how to use variables, make if circumstances utilizing these drop down menus. VRChat does assist completely different strategies to make worlds, together with precise coding for those that choose to do it that means. I exploit a plugin known as, CyanTrigger, which is free for world creators to make use of.”
The gameplay in Bullet Time Agent is satisfying, with the “demise rewind” mechanics requiring gamers to strategize every battle. Checkpoints guarantee progress isn’t misplaced, however with the essential twist of restricted rewinds throughout boss encounters, this compels gamers to assume and react in new and creative methods heightening tensions and rewarding persistence. Slowing the assault of swarms of enemies with the power to govern time feels nice, and it’s exhilarating to double-jump excessive into the air and are available down forcefully to destroy the subsequent enemy within the chain with a thrust of your fist.
Whereas VRChat’s multiplayer functionality provides a type of cooperative play in Bullet Time Agent, development stays particular person. So, if tagging alongside as a second participant, simply keep in mind that you are largely simply alongside for the experience. Additionally, not like many VRChat worlds, Bullet Time Agent helps saving and re-loading your earlier progress upon launch, a function that’s set to develop into extra mainstream as VRChat’s native persistence replace is launched later this yr.
Seeing this function in use for the primary time in a VRChat recreation was refreshing, and though it seemed a bit difficult at first, this methodology appeared to work effectively. Recreation saves utilizing the persistence mode are finished by way of the era of a protracted hash code that customers copy into their laptop’s clipboard after which save right into a doc for retrieval on their subsequent play by way of by reversing the method.
Bullet Time Agent is offered by way of each the PCVR and Quest variations of VRChat. The complete recreation is presently playable on PCVR, whereas on Quest stage 1 is offered cut up throughout 3 worlds. It is the identical gameplay expertise on each programs, however the standalone model lacks a few of the shine we see within the PCVR launch. Decrease decision textures and a few lacking lighting and environmental results are noticeably absent, making the PCVR model the one to play if graphics are essential to your enjoyment of VR content material.
After taking part in the early entry preview on each programs, it is obvious that Bullet Time Agent is pushing the boundaries of VRChat’s framework, particularly for Quest. The puzzles, platforming, and fight parts shine. Mixed with nice graphics, sound, and voice work, this VRChat recreation stands shoulder to shoulder with lots of the mainstream VR choices we see on Steam or the Quest retailer.
In response to a current put up by Lakuza, Bullet Time Agent will formally launch inside VRChat on 11/22/2024, with a launch occasion get together deliberate for 11/21 on the eve of the sport’s launch.
We’re excited to see extra titles like this coming to the VRChat platform, so if of any we must always take a look at, please inform us about them at ideas@gamerlifemedia.com.