Farpoint puts a gun in your hands and drops you on an alien world. The 2017 shooter from Impulse Gear, published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation VR, is a mission gone wrong. A rupture from an anomaly near Jupiter sends you and a team of scientists somewhere else entirely, and the game spends its runtime figuring out where you landed.
It is a shooter built for virtual reality, and it plays like one.
Trailer, via IGDBcom.
The Mission
The setup is simple. You are sent to pick up a team of scientists studying an anomaly near Jupiter. That anomaly ruptures while you are there, and the next thing you know, you are on a hostile planet with no idea how you got there. The game does not spend much time explaining why this happened. It just hands you a weapon and tells you to keep moving.
Farpoint is a virtual reality space adventure set on a hostile alien planet. It can be played with the PS VR Aim Controller. It also features online cooperative play, and includes a single-player campaign.
The Aim Controller
The PS VR Aim Controller is the star of the show. It is a small, handheld device that tracks your movements and turns your arm into a gun. Point it at something, pull the trigger, and the game registers the shot. It feels natural. It is the kind of controller that makes you forget you are wearing a headset.
The game is built around it. You aim, you fire, you move. The controls are tight, and the feedback is immediate. When you hit something, you see it react. When you miss, you feel the recoil in your hand. It is a clever design, and it works.
The World Around You
The planet you land on is not friendly. It is full of strange creatures, odd plants, and narrow passages. The game leans into the horror elements of being lost in space, and it does not hold back on the tension. You will find yourself looking over your shoulder more than you expect.
The environments are detailed. The lighting is moody. The sound design is excellent. You hear footsteps before you see them. You hear rustling in the dark. The game uses all of these tools to build a sense of dread that few shooters manage.
The Campaign
The single-player campaign is where Farpoint shows its strengths and weaknesses. It is a linear adventure with a clear path forward, but it does not offer much variation. You walk down a corridor, you fight some enemies, you solve a puzzle, you move to the next area. The loop is simple, and it repeats often.
The puzzles are the highlight. They are not complex, but they are well designed. They ask you to look at your surroundings, to think about the space around you, and to use the tools you have been given. They are the moments where Farpoint feels smart.
The combat is solid but not exceptional. You have a few weapons, you have a shield, you have a grappling hook. The enemies are varied enough to keep things interesting, but the encounters are mostly the same. You see a group of aliens, you take them down, you move on. It is functional, but it is not memorable.
The Multiplayer
Online cooperative play is a feature, and it adds a layer of fun that the solo campaign lacks. Playing with friends is better than playing alone. The game handles splitscreen well, and the matchmaking is fast. It is a simple multiplayer mode, but it is effective.
The co-op missions are short and sweet. They are designed for groups of four, and they throw waves of enemies at you. The goal is to survive, to get to the end, and to complete the objective. It is chaotic, it is loud, and it is a nice change of pace from the solo campaign.
The Technical Side
The game runs smoothly on PSVR. There are no major technical issues that I encountered during my time with it. The frame rate holds steady, the tracking is accurate, and the motion sickness is minimal. It is a well-polished package.
That is not to say it is perfect. The game does suffer from some graphical issues in the distance. The textures can look blurry, and the draw distance is limited. These are minor complaints, but they are noticeable in a game that is otherwise technically competent.
The Sound
The audio is where Farpoint shines. The music is tense, the sound effects are realistic, and the voice acting is solid. The game uses sound to create atmosphere, and it does it well. You will hear the wind, the distant calls of enemies, and the hum of machinery. It is a fully realized world, even if it is a small one.
The voice work is decent. The characters are not deep, but they are serviceable. They provide context, they give you objectives, and they keep the story moving. They are not the reason you play Farpoint, but they are not the reason you stop playing either.
The Verdict
Farpoint is a solid VR shooter with a strong technical foundation and a weak narrative. It is a game that is best played in short bursts, either alone or with friends. It is not a game that demands a large investment of time, but it is a game that delivers a satisfying experience when you put the headset on.
The game is mostly positive. It is a good VR shooter, but it is not a great one. It is a game that shows what the medium can do, but it does not push the boundaries. It is a game that is easy to recommend to anyone with a PSVR, but it is a game that you will finish and put away.
| Feature | Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|
| Aim Controller | Natural aiming, responsive shooting | Limited precision in close quarters |
| Campaign | Clear objectives, well-designed puzzles | Linear, repetitive pacing |
| Multiplayer | Fast matchmaking, splitscreen support | Short co-op missions |
| Atmosphere | Moody lighting, effective sound design | Blurry textures, limited draw distance |
Farpoint is a game that is worth playing, but it is a game that is worth playing in moderation. It is a solid entry in the VR library, but it is not a game that you will return to again and again.
The game is a product of its time. It was made when VR was still finding its footing, and it shows. It is a competent shooter, but it is not a groundbreaking one. It is a game that does what it sets out to do, and it does it well.
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