Upcoming Spinoff from Gorilla Tag Studio: A Spiritual Successor to Echo VR Revealed

Another Axiom Reveals Glimpse of Ambitious Spiritual Successor to Echo VR

Another Axiom, the studio behind the viral VR indie hit Gorilla Tag, has unveiled a first look at its upcoming project, codenamed ‘Project A2’. Serving as a spiritual successor to the now defunct Echo VR, Project A2 aims to captivate gamers once again with its ambitious vision.

Gorilla Tag’s Everlasting Popularity

Gorilla Tag, a low-fi VR game with simplistic gameplay, has become an unexpected sensation on the Oculus Quest platform. Boasting the most reviews of any VR game and being highly praised as one of the best-rated free titles, Gorilla Tag continues to grow in popularity. Despite this success, the Another Axiom team is already hard at work on their next endeavor.

Project A2: Echo VR’s Legacy

Billed as a spiritual successor to Echo Arena, the popular VR sport that was previously shut down by Meta, Project A2 looks strikingly similar to its predecessor based on the revealed footage. However, Another Axiom clarifies that the current footage is an early work-in-progress and the game won’t be released until late next year or beyond.

Not just a mere Echo VR remake, Another Axiom intends to enhance the social VR experience by incorporating some underappreciated elements from Gorilla Tag. The game’s seamless social structure, where game lobbies function as “places,” will be expanded upon, offering natural transitions between different game modes and encouraging interaction between players.

Creating a Virtual Metaverse

Project A2 aims to establish a “seamless social structure” where players can navigate between different game maps and modes. Another Axiom wants to cultivate a sense of natural exploration and networking within the game. Players can wander freely and stumble upon unexpected interactions, similar to real-life happenstance.

By modeling the game as its own mini-metaverse, Another Axiom hopes to differentiate Project A2 from other social VR experiences like Rec Room or VR Chat. The emphasis here is on making navigation between different “places” feel more organic and immersive.

Your Station, Your Rules

Not only will players have the ability to explore different stations in Project A2, but they will also have the freedom to create and control their own station within the game. Players can customize the look and feel of their station, host their own rule sets, and even use a level editor to craft unique and engaging maps for others to enjoy.

A Full-Circle Moment

For Another Axiom, Project A2 represents a full-circle moment for the studio. Co-founder Kerestell Smith cites Echo VR as the original inspiration for Gorilla Tag and expresses excitement at the opportunity to bring back elements of the game that was once so beloved. Smith’s passion for Echo VR led him to compete and win championships, and this unique zero-G arm-based locomotion was a key influence on Gorilla Tag’s movement system.

Co-founder David Neubelt, who worked on Echo VR as one of the leads, has now joined Another Axiom, forming a team that is determined to create a worthy successor to the game they hold dear.

Improving Zero-G Movement

While Project A2 aims to revive the essence of Echo VR, Another Axiom plans to introduce its own unique spin on zero-G locomotion. The studio intends to refine the movement system by incorporating factors from Gorilla Tag, such as hand-based collision, sliding, and paddle-based momentum mechanics. This new approach aims to simulate realistic hand movements while providing depth and a high skill ceiling.

The Road Ahead

With the resounding success of Gorilla Tag, Another Axiom faces high expectations for Project A2. Will the spiritual successor achieve similar levels of success, or will Gorilla Tag continue to dominate? Only time will tell, as Another Axiom plans to launch Project A2 no earlier than late 2024.