Versus World Preview

Versus World is an over the top, quirky multiplayer first-person shooter from developer Two Zoos. Feeling like a mish-mash of an old-school FPS with fast-paced modern shooting mechanics, Versus World isn't the next big competitive shooter on the scene but is certainly an amusing timekiller.

Made by a sole-developer, the game is currently in Early Access, but so far it already has a number of features to keep you occupied. There is a multitude of game modes, which include your traditional deathmatch and team deathmatch, there's also a few objective-based modes which include tug-o-war and siege. However, I found the best way to play was the more chaotic modes such as shotty snipers, which is exactly as it says, and moon base (unlimited rockets with low gravity), which feels very reminiscent of the mutators from Unreal Tournament.

Being a solely multiplayer experience, it does lack a big flaw: real players. During my time playing, there simply was no one playing, which left me in a bit of disarray, but fortunately, to alleviate this, you can host your own games and play with bots. Although, unfortunately, much like any other shooters with multiplayer bots, they are not the brightest. Still, even with bots, Versus World managed to give me a chuckle or two the more ridiculous games became.

With machine gun fire, explosions and bunny hopping a plenty, Versus World is more of a party game than a competitive shooter, so it's unfortunate that the game doesn't support split-screen. That's a feature that would push me towards recommending the game more, but as it stands, it's doubtful it'll be made a reality as the developer from what I've read/seen recently is looking to bring dedicated servers, optimisation and mod support - which is still promising.

Versus World holds some charm, but visually it can be comparable to an FPS mod found in Roblox, with its blocky and minimalistic visual style. It's not terrible and is rather colourful in its chaotic demeanour.

When not repeatedly mowing down multiple bots, you can venture into the different customisation options that range from your character, the game modes and all the weapons and pick-ups throughout. The choices available can make some amusing modifications to matches Besides your usual timeline, score count etc., you can adjust gravity, player speed, health and more. If you wanted, you could also customise the weapons themselves - not visually mind you - rather their damage, ammo count, fire rate, and reload time.

Versus World then, so far for an Early Access title, there's a decent amount here to enjoy. Although, with the market oversaturated with competitive shooters, it doesn't stand a chance of becoming a mainstream success. If it were to gain a small player base that stays strong, then it'll be worth the price of admission. Still, I can't help suggest that this is a game that would benefit greatly from local split-screen support.