Elven Assassin is an Early Access Title that we’ve had the chance to demo here at VRFI. It’s still got room to grow, but there is an awful lot to love for Vive owners. Rift owners will need to wait a bit longer for the newest updates, but the game is in a pretty stable state on that platform.
In singleplayer mode, hundreds of orcs will try and burst through your defenses. This might sound a bit like QuiVR but it plays out a lot more like the tower defense mini-game from The Lab, with lots of places to stake out and score style shots that improve your score. You will fight in villages, atop hills, and inside castles to battle back these evil minions. The game rewards stylish headshots, long distance kills and plenty of other extras. You will need to be aware of a fairly large map you can teleport across, which means the game gets overwhelming very quickly for new players.
The Legolas feel is strong in this title, and the game does a great job of tracking your legs. Leaderboards keep the scoring competitive, so even if you master the waves you still have to look for ways to outdo the competition. There’s plenty of opportunities to work up a sweat between sessions, but the new update brings other people into the mix. Clear some space to stretch out those arms and read on to see why Elven Assassin might be worth adding to your library.
Publisher: Wenkly Studio
Price: $14.99 (recent price increase)
Fitness Potential: Medium
Other Notes: Early Access Title
Singleplayer Modes
Singleplayer is divided into two modes, one is an RPG style game where progression is linked to points you can spend on abilities. Magic spells like fire and ice offer explosive properties or can slow or freeze enemies. In arcade mode, you’re tested purely on your ability to hit a target. No magic to fall back on here, and waves get progressively stronger and longer.
Each map offers unique features. In the Ancient Temple, players can use the architecture to block incoming attacks. In the Human Village, players have lots of elevated spots to rain fire on the encroaching orcs. Each map tries a unique angle for defense.
New Multiplayer Deathmatch Update
A new update to the game adds multiplayer functionality in the form of deathmatch. You will need to teleport and vye for position in the Old Ruins Garden, a training ground for Elven Assassins. Getting a good angle on the battlefield while shielding yourself from attacks on your flank will be a challenge as your opponents can teleport too. You will need to think fast and dodge quickly. Expect a lot of thigh and core endurance training if you want to stay alive in multiplayer, which is why we rate this title a “medium” for fitness. Dropping to your knees might work, but doesn’t really give you the kind of maneuverability you need to stay alive and competitive.
Matches last for 7 minutes. If you found the orc waves too easy to hit, then multiplayer might be the challenge you’re looking for. The player model is a much more compact form than the orc. As a result, it’s not as easy to score headshot instant kills, and some players are reporting arrows traveling through gaps in the player’s model. Neat, but also a little frustrating if you’re trying to stay competitive.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpN4uFEUO6k&w=560&h=315]
Players can teleport to one of the 16 spots around the map and do some limited movement from each platform.
There is only one map, but the developers are hoping to cater to different playstyles. Hiding spots allow scouts to sit and wait for the right opportunities to fire, while open lanes and waist-high cover spots offer dynamic players the chance to fire and hide before they become a big target themselves.
Killstreaks also give your bow neat effects, like glowing purple lightning. Just like in FPS titles, this big glowing target makes you #1 persona non grata for everyone on the board. Better keep moving!
How To Play In a PvP Deathmatch?
Once you start the game and are in your options room. Go to your menu and choose multiplayer. Then choose your region from the list. Look for a PvP match and click join if there are spots available. The first time I tried to play, no one was in a match so I created my own PvP match and teleported around getting used to the map. Eventually, more people joined and before I knew it, I was ducking, dodging and having a good time seeking out players and putting an arrow into them.
What We Love
Overall, Elven Assassin offers a lot of value for $15. This price increase was also fairly recent and represents how well development is progressing. In the past few weeks (as of publishing) they have added a dragon boss, titles to show off your skills, and a robust PvP proof of concept that appears to be working well.
We think this is a good alternative to something like Holopoint, which plays with some of the same concepts in a much flatter space. It’s definitely not the only bow game in this space, but the developers are updating it regularly. Its geography feels alive and natural, which lends well to the immersion. Just try not to get too caught up in the scenery or you’ll catch an ax or arrow to the face.
