PlayStation Magazine UK - 12.2019

PREVIEW

AFTER THE FALL

It’s snow joke in post-civilisation Los Angeles

In the 1980s the world succumbed to

an ice age; Los Angeles froze and the

population turned to designer drugs

to get them through the crisis. Big

mistake. Twenty years later the world is plagued

by mutated, zombified drug addicts who have

developed a taste for human flesh.

Behind After The Fall’s pulpy setup is developer

Vertigo Games, best known for the excellent

PS VR first-person shooter Arizona Sunshine.

While this game swaps the heat of the Arizona

desert for a wintry post-civilisation LA, you’ll still

be shooting wave upon wave of zombies, known

here as the Snowbreed.

Where Arizona Sunshine focused on survival,

After The Fall embraces the kind of pure action we

loved the films of the ’80s for – this is a fast-paced,

hectic shooter. Standard weapons include hunting

rifles and electrified knuckle dusters, though we’re

promised the ability to craft more, which you’ll need

to take on the game’s larger, hulking brutes. Your

choice of weapon defines your fighting style.

Bored of the familiar? Then scavenge the world

for weapon and gadget blueprints, and the resources

to build them. We’ve already seen a Walkman

converted into a wrist-mounted rocket

launcher (the ultimate ’80s accessory

even Arnie would kill for) and the dev

promises a lot more era-themed fun.

You’ll need everything in your

arsenal if you’re to survive in the

frozen malls and diners of the

game’s chilly LA. As well as waves of

Snowbreed, gigantic mutated creatures

lurk here too, ready to slap you with

an icy tentacle or hurl a car your way.

Played either solo or in four-player

co-op, After The Fall promises to be

a big step up from Arizona Sunshine

and is incorporating the type of ideas

we associate with non-PS VR games.

For example, a base camp hub area

is included to offer a space to meet,

chat, and compare notes. Whether you

party up for a campaign or take on the

world solo, the game will adjust the

difficulty to suit the team size.

We enjoyed Arizona Sunshine, but

it was a little bare bones. After The

Fall, by contrast, is aiming higher, and

we can’t wait to defrost more of it.

FORMAT PS VR / ETA 2020 / PUB VERTIGO GAMES / DEV VERTIGO GAMES

Above Taking out hordes

with a Walkman-turned-

rocket-launcher. You’ll

need it; some of these

icy beasts are huge.

That’s an Uzi 9mm, of

course – this game’s

set in an alternate,

zombie-infested ’80s.

“GIGANTIC MUTATED

CREATURES ARE

READY TO HURL

A CAR YOUR WAY.”