‘Echo Combat’ Free Open Beta to Launch This Month, Full Release to Cost $10

By
Scott Hayden
-
30

Echo Combat, the VR shooter expansion to Ready at Dawn’s successful VR sports game Echo Arena, is heading into open beta this month. And unlike its sporty counterpart, which was released for free to all Oculus Rift users, the shooter is going to be priced at $10 when it releases.

There’s no official launch date for Echo Combat yet, but the open beta is set to kick off June 21st for free. You can sign up here for more information.

For VR fans going to E3 this year, which takes place June 12-14 in Los Angeles, Oculus will be hosting public demos of Echo Combat at the Alienware booth (South Hall #647).

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We recently went hands-on with Echo Combat in a closed beta session, and it proved to be just as engaging, highly-polished, and comfortable as Echo Arena, albeit with a new objective-based payload gametype that pits you in a three vs. three shooting match to either attack – pushing a giant pink flamingo payload to its goal on the other side of the map, or defend – make sure that doesn’t happen.

While you wait for Echo Combat, check out our video of a full match, which includes the newly redesigned lobby and all of the shooting fun of the upcoming shooter expansion.

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Scott Hayden
Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 3,500 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.
  • V Z

    > it proved to be just as engaging, highly-polished, and comfortable as Echo Arena

    Engaging? I don’t think anyone would pay for it if it was not in VR. Original Quake from 1996 looks more engaging when comparing to other FPS games.

    Onward and Pavlov at least have more weapon varieties.

    • Jerald Doerr

      ok… mybe I’m jumping the gun here.. or just being a penis… but WTF kind of comment is that?

      I don’t think anyone would chew bubble gum if they had to pay for it..
      Beer and soda at least has more bubbles!!!

      Its $10 fucking dollars and its designed for VR!!

      • V Z

        What?

    • Lulu Vi Britannia

      It’s not just a FPS, it’s a FPS with 0g mechanics, with great graphics, designed by a company that’s already proven itself several times. And yes, in VR, this is a valuable selling argument as well.
      Comparing this to a classic old game, it must be a troll.

      I will buy it with no doubt. That said, I do hope there is more than what was currently presented.

      • Anthony Lazarus

        More accurate words can’t be articulated. For those that want to complain, this is the price you pay for taking part in state of the art software development life cycle on 1st generation platform without a big user base. If you aren’t proud to pony up for top of the line experiences, you should have waited to join the VR band wagon. Eventually an improved rehash version will likely come out with all the modes put together..

        • V Z

          State of the art? You gotta be trolling here. Skyrim VR ported from 2011 game is infinitely more interesting and engaging. This is shovel-ware. You’d have to pay me to take part in this bottom of the line experience.

          • Anthony Lazarus

            Yes, the innovative mechanics of which has been covered extensively here on this website is state of the art. If you don’t enjoy the game that is fine, but you are definitely the one trolling when you here to rage about a game that most of the community throughly enjoys.

            https://www.roadtovr.com/lone-echos-virtual-hands-unassuming-vr-innovation/

          • V Z

            Your marketing speak shows through. Why don’t you go do some work on your game instead of trolling here. Paid shills should not be that obvious.

          • Anthony Lazarus

            It would be a great honor to be on their marketing team, holla at ya boi @readyatdawn.

          • V Z

            Oh, you just an ordinary fanboy troll who just wants to suck developers dick and you are not even getting paid for it? LOL Enjoy it.

          • Anthony Lazarus

            No, I am man who likes to be respectful of the efforts of developers who work extremely hard to bring us great new experiences. I am in early stages of developing mine own ideas and contribute to my local tech community. I have worked customer facing service with absurd twat waffles such as yourself along the wall for longer than I would like. Who has contributed nothing of value with your original post. While you are out here disparaging the author’s opinion and the developers of the game the rest of us will just enjoy Onward, Pavlov, Echo Franchise or whatever combination is best for them. Go choke on a bag of dicks.

          • V Z

            Ah, I got it. No retard left behind politics. Everyone gets an A just for participating. Face it, you are a failure. You can’t even reason with any proficiency. You tell me I contributed nothing with my post, but what are you contributing by your petty attempts at trolling me? You tell me how I disparaged authors opinion and start immediately disparaging my opinion. Are you really that hopelessly retarded not to see the irony? Go back to licking hairy developers assholes, because that’s the only thing you will be able to do for the rest of your pathetic life, other than trolling on forums.

          • Anthony Lazarus

            Your post never made sense as Jerald already pointed out with his comment that went right the fuck over your head.

            The Echo series serves the VR platform extremely well. A comment like

            “I don’t think anyone would pay for it if it was not in VR” is a stupid statement.

            It is like saying Ï don’t think anyone would go pay for a go kart race if it was not in a go kart.”

            You don’t even get the participation trophy and if you did it would be taken from you and melted down for the metal.

          • V Z

            You are so fucking dense, just as your lover Jerald. I said that if the same crapware was done for flat screen gaming, no one would even give it a second glance. The only reason it gets any attention is because of dearth of competitive VR FPS. I can barely believe I have to chew this into these tiny portions so that your underdeveloped brain can comprehend it.
            Bye.

      • V Z

        You must be a troll to call this basic geometric shapes with no textures “great graphics”. Descent (by Interplay) made in 1995 was in 0g and looked better. I’m comparing it to classic games because this bottom of the barrel scrapware simply can’t be compared to anything relatively modern. I wouldn’t waste my free bandwidth to download it even if it was free.

        • Lulu Vi Britannia

          Polys are not everything in graphics, smartass. The light effects and the textures aren’t bad at all, and the style is consistent.
          Besides, only the environment is low-poly, the characters are much more detailed than what you claim.
          Descent didn’t have the same mechanics at all, this is just stupid to compare those two. Descent was a sort of space sim. In Echo:Arena, you’re controlling a character in the whole space, not a ship. In Descent, you didn’t have to use your own arms to thrust yourself in a direction, in Iron man way.
          Besides, just because it already exists doesn’t mean this is shit. Would you say Elite:Dangerous gameplay is shit simply because this is not the first of its kind? Of course not, that would be plain stupid.

          Anyway, I’m done here. Learn to think more than 5 seconds, that’s useful IRL.

          • V Z

            Only environment is low poly? Only? LOL. Well, since having pretty environments is not important in games, that’s not a big deal (/sarcasm)
            It’s shit not because similar games already exist. It’s shit because the quality of it can’t be compared to anything modern with any budget worth talking about. IT can only be compared to a 30+ year old game. At least Elite:Dangerous has graphics made by professionals, not this toddler doodle level of graphics.

            I’m done here too. Learn to think, though that’s probably an impossible task for you.

    • Anthony Lazarus

      You didn’t even comprehend the sentence you quoted. This proved to be as engaging as Echo Arena, one of VR titles with very highest quality control mechanisms and is a non-violent game.

      Quake is a great comparison model though. Quake is a ground breaking classic game in that it introduced a new era in first person gaming. I remember it, it was a throughly exciting release. As is the entire Lone Echo franchise thus far..

      • V Z

        I don’t think you comprehend what I said. Let me try again: this game is just as unengaging as ‘Echo Arena’. And yes, it does compete with other VR multiplayer FPS for my attention.

        • Jerald Doerr

          lol… Vag Zilla.. Your a funny little person, to comper flat screen games to VR games that aren’t even the same game is a bit of a stretch. Also to say games can only be good without geometric shapes is completely moronic.. So just get back in your mom’s room and load up some good old Quake on her 486 and hit that turbo button. If we’re lucky it will blow up in your face!

          Do you even own a VR unit or computer at that?? If so which one? and what great games do you own?

          • V Z

            Why don’t you come back here after learning some basic reading skills? Where did I say that games can only be good without geometric shapes? That would be moronic if I did say that, but since I didn’t say that and the only person saying it is you, we can conclude that you are a moron.
            And you are right, I don’t own a computer or a VR “unit”. I don’t need to, because I can always borrow yours when I visit your basement after having sexy time with your fat momma. Last time she asked me to remove some of the gay porn from your computer.

          • Jerald Doerr

            “You must be a troll to call this basic geometric shapes with no textures “great graphics”.”

            Oh.. V.Z… Not only can I read I can also comprehend what you’re primitive little mind is struggling to bitch about..
            Why is it such a trend here that every little bastard with initials is…

            1. Dumb as fuck
            2. Clearly Trolling
            3. Upvoting there own post??? That’s as bad as laughing at your own joke.

            If your some little kid

          • V Z

            Too long, didn’t read.
            What is it that you are upset about this time? My dick is too thick for you or something?

    • Michael Sellers

      dude i’ve read a bunch of your comments on this chain and you’re pretty retarded.

      No one would pay for it if it wasn’t VR? That’s the whole point is that is is VR. The whole fucking product, and they’ve made one of the best feeling vr movements experiences.

      Have you actually played in VR?

      • V Z

        You read a bunch of comments and still dumb enough not to understand what I said? Perhaps you should go back to watching Spongebob, that should match your lack of intellect.

  • Lucidfeuer

    What are the modes available beside Payload? Also I wish there was one single platform and package for the 3 Echo games, would make it much more valuable and enticing, in fact this franchise would have everything for it: a well crafted solo narrative campaign, an online sport-like mode, and an online combat mode.

    • Jerald Doerr

      True. It is kinda a mess with the structure but my guess is Lone Echo cost $ and they wanted to offer Echo Arena for free (good move) and now Echo Combat will cost $
      Marketing on Oculus store might not be too good if they just forced everyone to pay $$ and did more of a DLC. Not even sure if Oculus store is set up for DLC’s like Steam.

      But yeah, I’d pay for a grouped product.

      • V Z

        You’d pay to be groped? You’d have to pay a lot for someone to grope such an ugly motha fucka!

  • Filmgeek47

    $10? Sold.

  • It seems intriguing… considering that they did a great job with Echo Arena