Nearly four years after its early access debut, indie VR gem COMPOUND has launched version 1.0 on PC VR, including an updated demo for anyone to try. The game is expected to come to Quest as well later this year.
Though little-known, Compound is the 6th best-rated VR game according to Steam (with an ‘Overwhelmingly Positive’ 97% rating) and the 12th best-rated according to Steam250 (which uses its own algorithm to determine rankings).
Created by one-man indie developer Bevan “NotDead” McKechnie, Compound was originally released in early access on Steam in 2018 and has seen slow but steady development ever since. The game is a roguelite with a unique pixel-art style and an arsenal of fun weaponry with which to experiment.
Just this week during the Steam VR Fest the game has finally launched version 1.0.
“I am immensely proud of what Compound has become and I invite you to try the demo so see what it’s like!” says McKechnie.
In the last year of development the game has been considerably upgraded.
The 1.0 launch update brings three “comic-book style story endings,” an overpowered minigun for those who complete the game, 21 achievements, and heaps of polish details and fixes. Prior to that, the game was updated with an overhauled progression system to “introduce the game’s mechanics to new players in a much more controlled way,” including 146 trophies to collect based on various progression metrics. Similarly, another update overhauled the game’s ‘HQ’ starting area—which includes a shooting range and upgraded tutorial—to improve the experience for new players.
The game has also seen the addition of leaderboards and speedrunning options, a practice arena, and improvements to hand and weapon interactions for more immersion.
Compound on Quest 2 Expected in 2022
The game’s release on PC this week appears to show that things are going smoothly along the expected timeline. That bodes well for the game coming to Quest 2 by the end of the year, which the developer confirmed to Road to VR last month.
The game’s public roadmap shows that Compound may also see some updates beyond the 1.0 release; though unclear if before or after the Quest launch, those could include the possibility of custom level support, more weapons & ‘mutator’ gameplay modifiers, and a non-VR version of the game on PC. And just so you know we asked about it—McKechnie says there’s no plans for co-op support in Compound.