The cyberpunk-themed environment is bigger than the entire POPULATION: ONE map combined.
The popular VR battle royale game POPULATION: ONE has gone through a number of transformations since its launch on Quest and PC VR headsets in 2020. Developer BigBox VR has continued to support the game with new avatars to unlock, weapons to master, and environments to explore, including everything from a western-themed locale to a sprawling fantasy castle. That said, these two areas—while fun in their own right—pale in comparison to Metropolis.
Available now on all platforms, this massive urban environment takes the games’ signature Vertical Combat System to new heights (pun intended) with its labyrinth of multi-level structures and vertigo-inducing jump pads. Yes, you heard correctly, jump pads. A highly-requested feature among the existing player base, these powerful cannons allow you to quickly traverse the densely-packed city, whether you’re chasing down another player or escaping the clutches of death.
I had the opportunity to explore the new area ahead of launch and was amazed by the amount of detail incorporated into each and every structure. In the store, for instance, you’ll find multiple shelves stocked with consumable items such as bananas and sodas. The gun shop, on the other hand, offers a veritable arsenal of weaponry. When you’re not looting these valuable areas, you’ll be navigating a maze of multi-level structures linked by a series of interconnected roadways.
According to the development team, Metropolis is designed to be more forgiving than past environments by allowing multiple avenues of escape during a gunfight. At any point during a battle, you can slip into a building or run to a jump pad. The additional verticality also offers some relief to downed teammates by allowing them to regroup with teammates faster. As someone who finds themselves on the receiving end of sniper fire more often than not, I can’t begin to express how much I appreciate these additional escape routes.
“Metropolis is so big, POPULATION: ONE feels and plays completely different! The new map introduces a huge refresh to the core game!” said Chia Chin Lee, BigBox VR’s Head of Studio in an official release.
To celebrate the launch of the new map, BigBox has introduced a new mode called “Metropolis Battle Royale” which pits six squads of three (18 players in total) against one another throughout the new location. There’s also a new weapon, the “Cyber Sword,” that—once swung—activates a speed boost. This weapon is capable of bypassing enemy shields, making it one of the more deadly weapons on the battlefield. As if that weren’t cool enough, BigBox will soon implement a new “neon night mode.” This unique weather pattern has a 33% chance of cycling during the match.
POPULATION: ONE is available for $29.99 on PC VR and Meta Quest.
Image Credit: BigBox VR
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