Picture your current life in your mind. Everything appears to be going well. Your life is complete with everything you desire, including consistency. Suddenly, it occurred. Against all odds, the one thing we believed to be impossible occurred. I’m referring to the scenario of a zombie apocalypse. In the current situation, would you be capable of surviving alone today, or would we need to form a group for mutual protection? I think some would try to survive on their own, but many of us would rely on each other if there were going to be any chance of survival. But it’s an interesting thought that I am sure many of us have had. But does the developer, Future Tech Studios, show us what the apocalypse could be like while still having fun? Let’s find out with The Flip, for the Quest 3.
The Flip is the cooperative VR shooter you’ve been waiting for! Flip City is overrun with the undead and it’s up to intrepid survivors to blast through the hordes. Filled with ravenous nano-tech-infused zombie hordes, jump into missions solo or better yet, team up with friends. Using The Flip’s built-in voice chat, you can easily coordinate with the group or just scream at them!
So before you go in shooting at anything that moves and being chased as you run for your lives, there are a few things that you should be aware of. First, you have a mic, so use it. Don’t be afraid, everyone is a survivor going for the common goal, and who knows, you may meet some amazing players and new friends. Second, since you don’t have to stand, find your favorite place to sit. You might as well be comfortable while playing, right? Third, please make sure your headset and Touch Plus controllers are all charged. Nothing says a successful mission if you forget to do this and then your team has to try to save you until the end. Fourth, before you start, I know what you may be thinking. Yes, you have gone against zombies before. Yes, it seems like the same thing over and over. Well, clear your mind right now and any thoughts that you may have. And finally, get ready to have some fun. With all that said, let’s continue…
When you first start, you have one choice you have to make, to sit or to stand. Simple and straight to the point. After a short load period, you will enter the game’s hub, which looks like a base. Take your time to look around and see some of the great detail that has been put into the game. If you want a dart board, it’s here, a place to alter your look, it’s here. But more importantly, there are the other survivors that you very well may be playing with, so again, use your mic and make some friends.
However, as you continue moving forward, you’ll notice something incredibly refreshing about this genre – the presence of choices. As you approach the upcoming Flip sign, you’ll be able to see the ongoing missions at the helipads on both your left and right. But right in the middle, there’s a board that reveals the next mission along with how much time is left until that mission is over or the schedule for a specific type of mission, such as slow player movement and specific weapon-only missions on a particular date and time as the missions are on a rotation basis, which means over 2,000 different missions to have your zombie fill in. This feature is truly fantastic because it creates an irresistible urge to return and play again. In case you would like to change some options, if you pull up your wrist and touch the image, you will find items such as players, friends, base camp, mute, safe mode, settings, and even the current time. Clicking on settings allows you to select the safe zone, the option to select your turning preference, if you decide you want to play sitting or standing, and vignette.
Some players, two of whom were from England, joined me as we embarked on our first mission. It was a fun experience talking to them and hearing their accents. Each mission has you trying to get from start to finish while not becoming a zombie feast. Keep an eye out for weapon boxes. You never know what weapons you might find. I must mention that the grenade launcher is particularly effective. Keep in mind, there are not just some zombies, there are a lot of zombies that you will have to encounter and they will come at you and your other teammates to try to separate you all. This is where strategy comes into play. If you can separate yourself but still stay close to your teammates, it allows everyone to support each other. Also, use climbing up to a higher ground to your advantage as you can get the higher shots, but, the zombies also know how to get where you are, if you let them.
As you and your team are trying to get through the different sections, you will see the big nodes that will need to be destroyed. Keep in mind, that the more you try and damage it, the more zombies will want to have a word with you. Once it’s destroyed, then there is some calmness for a few moments. But you may want to hold off on destroying them as you may want to increase your overall score to where you can add a new look before jumping right back into a new mission.
Let’s talk about the graphics and the sound. When playing, not only I was impressed with some of the details in the objects, but the overall map designs had me wanting to see how the next map would look. From the sun going down and the street lights turning on to some levels to the darkness and eeriness of the zombie’s faces to the redness of the city in another,added fun into the chaos, there is going to be something new to see every time you play. With the sound, you have this soundtrack that compliments the action going on with the different weapons and the sounds that they make, from hearing the bullets hit the zombies to still being able to hold clear conversations with the other players. It all sounded great, which kept me wanting to play.
There are just a few things I would love to see added. First, more weapons. The weapon selection is good for what’s hear, but there were times I wish I had a flamethrower so I could torch some zombies. It will be interesting to see what kind of crazy weapons can be added. Second, more activities at base camp. In between games, you may just want to hang out with your friends. There is basketball you can play at the base camp in The Flip. It would be interesting to see what other activities could be added to the base camp. Who knows, maybe even beach volleyball? Fith, some Mixed Reality. It would be pretty fantastic to be able to play The Flip and have the room you are playing in be added to the experience. And finally, keep the missions coming.
The Flip brings chaos and fun to the zombie genre in interesting ways, and everyone should play. It allows players from different parts of the world to come together, socialize, and for everyone to have a good time. In a world where many feel so apart from everyone, it is interesting that it can take something like destroying zombies together to make us feel more closer and connected than ever before.
The Flip is out now for Quest 2, 3, & Pro on the Meta Store. A review code was provided.
To learn more about Future Tech Studios, please visit their site, like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, and subscribe to their YouTube channel.
In case you missed the trailer, please enjoy. Until next time, there is some chaotic multiplayer zombie fun to be had.
