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Co-op Alien Shooter Earthfall Blasts Out of Early Access

Earthfall is a fresh take on a classic idea from the developers of some of your favorite games.

Chris Jarrard

July 13, 2018 10:15 AM

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While you might not be familiar with Holospark, developers of Earthfall, it’s likely that you’ve played one or more of the games that the team members have worked on over the years. Titles like F.E.A.R., Bioshock: Infinite, and Destiny litter the resumes of the folks who founded Holospark. The team set out on their own to begin making the games of their dreams and Earthfall, their first creation, is hitting physical and digital storefronts today. After more than a year on Steam’s Early Access, the co-op alien shooter is ready to step into the spotlight.

Earthfall will be familiar to anyone who enjoyed Valve’s Left for Dead series. The mechanics in Earthfall are very similar to the famous zombie shooter, but feature some new wrinkles to spice up the old formula. You’ll find weapons, health items, and grenades spread throughout the levels, but you’ll also encounter fortification items and get to use a 3D printer to craft items on the fly. The game has some strong visuals thanks to the art team and the use of Unreal Engine 4.

I had a chance to have a private sit-down with Holospark’s Colin Moore in the hectic run up to E3 2018 and played some Earthfall with him (Shacknews also spoke to Moore back at GDC). He explained the team’s history and goals laid out for the game’s development. Attention to the smaller details can be the difference between a fun experience and a truly memorable one. Moore dove into how the team spent time perfecting the fell of the movement and the audio/visual feedback you get from the weapons. In my opinion, this work has paid off, as both of the shotguns I used during our session had that perfect hefty feel and reminded me of several of the standout shotguns in FPS history.

While the game leaves early access today, work is still to be done. The team announced that work has begun on post-release content and support. If co-op alien murder sounds like your idea of a good Friday night, grab a few friends, a few beers, and try saving the Earth one shotgun blast at a time. Earthfall is available on Steam, PS4, and Xbox One for $29.99.

Chris Jarrard

Contributing Tech Editor

Chris Jarrard likes playing games, crankin' tunes, and looking for fights on obscure online message boards. He understands that breakfast food is the only true food. Don't @ him.