Here’s a cool little story for those that are more interested in experiencing VR than being challenged by it. Outerloop Games’ Falcon Age will feature a combat-free version of its campaign when it launches on PSVR next week.
The developer revealed as much in a recent tweet. The team explained that, over the course of showing off the game at events in the past year, they’d noticed some players didn’t want to take part in the combat. In Falcon Age, you raise a loyal feathered companion and, eventually, take it into battle against a race of industrialized robots. However, since making these observations, Outer Loop has added in a version of the campaign where you don’t have to fight anyone.
While showing the game off at events we noticed some players wanted to enjoy their time with the falcon, story, hunting, and crafting. We decided to add a mode that was combat optional called Imprint mode. Enemies don't see you or your falcon in this mode. #falconage pic.twitter.com/gDCeRjgGmT
— Falcon Age out April 9th (@OuterloopGames) April 3, 2019
Named Imprint Mode, this version of the game offers the full story, but enemies will never notice your presence in the world. If you still want to smash them to pieces then go ahead, but you won’t be under threat at all. And, yes, it will still be possible to get the game’s platinum trophy in this mode.
It’s a nice touch, especially as VR looks to appeal to as wide an audience as possible. Falcon Age, in particular, has always intrigued us more for the dynamic between player and companion than it has the more traditional gameplay, so we’re encouraged to see this mode added in. In a week in which the wider gaming community has been debating the prospect of Easy Modes in games that pride themselves on challenge, this deserves to be talked about.
Falcon Age is out on April 9th. We’ll have a full review of the game next week.
