One of our favorite VR shooters, Compound, will see a full release very soon.
Developer Bevan McKechnie of notdeadgames confirmed as much in a recent post on the game’s Steam page. In the update, McKechnie noted that the game’s next release would be “by far” its biggest launch yet and would finally move the game out of early access, where it’s been since first launching in 2018. No specific date yet but the developer said the update was “very close to being ready for release”.
Compound 1.0 Approaches
So what’s new in this version of the retro shooter? For starters, players will be able to unlock an overpowered minigun should they finish the game to 100% completion. There will also be three full endings for players to obtain by beating the final boss.
Perhaps most interestingly, the developer is overhauling weapon handling. You’ll be able to let go of two-handed weapons with your primary hand to reload, for example, or grab a sidearm to quickly take care of nearby enemies. The game’s rendering system will also see an overhaul to “provide a much higher perceived resolution and crisper textures at absolutely no extra cost to performance.”
Finally, there’s Steam achievements and a new visual tutorial system making it easier to get to grips with the game.
I loved Compound when I first tried it back in 2018. “I’ve found more to appreciate here than in entire campaigns,” I said in a preview. “This is a VR shooter with a rejuvenating sense of direction and an understanding of how to keep players rooted in the action. Compound may be a nostalgia-fueled love letter, but it’s got a lot to learn from.”
We have high hopes for the full release, then, whenever that may be. No word yet on the potential of a Quest 2 or PSVR 2 release but hopefully getting the full version out the door puts those possibilities back on the table.
