In December last year Climax Studios – the developers behind Daydream title Lola and the Giant – released Balloon Chair Death Match for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift on Early Access on Steam. And yeah, it’s just as silly and crazy as it sounds. Yesterday, the game officially left Early Access, becoming a full title on Steam.
Which means that if you’re one of those people that refuse to buy EA games or if you haven’t heard of this game before, then now is the time to sit up and pay attention. Because the game is having a free weekend and if you’re open to some ludicrous (and at times absolutely crazy) fun high in the air then make sure you start downloading.
So if you haven’t heard of the game yet, Balloon Chair Death Match is probably one of the most unique takes on a VR first-person shooter I’ve seen to date. The game is basically just what the title says – you sit on a chair (in the real world as well) with balloons attached to it, rising steadily in the air. Your opponents are on similar chairs and everyone is equipped with guns. So you use your one hand to fly around the map while you try to gun down people with the gun in your other hand. It’s all quite ridiculous fun, really.
Check out the trailer below:
Early Access Ends and a Great Game Is Born
When starting out in Early Access, games usually tend to be quite unrefined and lacking enough content. Balloon Chair Death Match is no exception, but after a successful EA run, the game has been polished to a gleaming shine. More game modes have been added and the two modes (death match and single-player) that were previously there have been expanded upon. For instance, the single player campaign is now fleshed out completely with hours worth of gameplay. New modes include a co-op survival mode where you can team up with up to four other players to fend off a wave of attacks. Which means the game now caters to those who want to play against others, with others or simply want to play on their own.
Besides that, there are loads more weapons, a new map and a new way of flying your balloon chair. Previously, you grabbed the handle on the chair and tilted your controller to move around the map. During Early Access the developers also added support for the Vive trackpad and Oculus thumbstick as a movement option. Moving around the maps in Balloon Chair Death Match is both a fun and exhilarating experience as you feel total freedom when zooming around in the air high above the ground. Not to mention all the people trying to get you down (literally).Luckily you can keep creating new balloons to keep you afloat – but it’s quite chaotic trying to keep yourself afloat and float around the map while trying to shoot people down.
The Pigeon Pooper… Launcher. I Meant Launcher.
Plus there are great weapon pickups which you have to keep a lookout for as well like the Pigeon Launcher. Yep. The Pigeon Launcher. It’s exactly what it sounds like. You shoot exploding mechanical pigeons at other players in a Worms-esque style and it’s hilarious. Just try to not get any poop on yourself – metaphorically speaking.
You can find Balloon Chair Death Match on Steam at a price tag of $14.99 but there is a 20% launch discount which puts the price at $11.99. So if you’re keen to try the game then make sure you give it a go this free weekend before the launch discount ends.
