A new multiplayer shooter can still feel very much like a dime-a-dozen occurrence nowadays, but considering the general scope and the vibe of this one, we’re at least taking a moment to throw a spotlight on it. This is Angels Fall First, a science fiction-themed combined arms FPS that pits up to 64 players in objective-based tactical combat with a wide assortment of futuristic weapons and vehicles.
The story of AFF has a rather long tail, as the game first started life as a mod for the RTS Homeworld, then was made as a mod for Unreal Tournament 2003 before becoming its own standalone game. Developer Strangely Interactive launched the game into early access back in October 2015, but now after just over 10 years, it has hit its 1.0 launch.
As for gameplay, this effectively looks like something akin to the larger and more chaotic maps of Battlefield, with the ability for players to pilot ships, mechs, and vehicles large and small, engage in tactical maneuvers such as boarding actions for large ships, dogfights, and more, along with a tactical mode to help coordinate player movement and support class-style loadouts. The game also allows for bot matches to fill in empty spaces or play more insular games. Future updates planned include a better server browser, bot AI tweaks, more stability, and some nerfing of the knife weapon.
Reception to the game overall appears to be pretty solid, with AFF earning itself a “very positive” Steam user score, while player numbers on the platform might not be blockbuster but do appear to be holding fairly steady with an all-time peak of over 1,500 and a current 24-hour peak of 1,300. If you happen to miss the controlled chaos of older multiplayer shooters, then this one just might be your new nostalgic fix.
