Population: One

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Population: One (stylized as Population: ONE) is a 2020 online virtual reality battle royale developed and published by Big Box VR for the Oculus Quest 2 and Steam video game digital distribution service. Population: ONE was released on October 22, 2020. The game's development was a result of the studio wanting to create a game that would highlight the immersive capabilities of virtual reality. The game pioneered a vertical combat system that allows players to climb anything they can see, and then glide across the map. In 2021 the publisher of Population:One was acquired by Meta.^[1] The game generated more than 10 Million USD revenue in the first four months after its launch.^[2]

Gameplay[]

The gameplay is similar to many online battle royale games most notably player unknown battle grounds. The player teams up with others to form a squad (usually consisting of three players). Each squad combats with one another until only one remains standing. The basic mechanics are similar to Epic Games's Fortnite. In the case of Population: ONE, the player can climb every object, structure, or geographic feature encountered on the map. The player can also glide across the map from the height to which they climbed. Together, these mechanics form the basis of the game's vertical combat system.^[3]

Features[]

Players begin each match on a launch ship platform high above the battlefield, and they run to pods at the platform's edge. Upon entering the pod players are launched into the air. Players have the option of riding the pod to a predetermined location on the map, or pulling a handle to drop the pod to the ground.

During battle a player may revive a fallen teammate using a set of defibrillators. A player may also collect building resources scattered at random throughout the map. These resources are used to build walls and platforms—a defensive wall can protect a player from bullet and grenade damage, and an offensive wall can be built to confuse an enemy as a player advances for an up-close attack.

Supply drops appear at random throughout a match. The roar of a supply ship overhead signals an upcoming drop. A player can view the complete map to see where the supplies will land. Drops contain a random assortment of weapons, ammunition, shield sodas, health sodas, bananas, backpack storage, and grenades.

Modes[]

Population: ONE's main mode of play is Squads, where players enter the map in groups (or "squads") of three and attack each other. The last squad to stay alive wins the match. The game offers a number of other modes on a rolling basis, with each mode available to play for a set period of time before being replaced with another one. In Legions, rather than each squad having three players, there are six players per squad. All other gameplay mechanics are the same as Squads mode. In Team Deathmatch, two teams are placed onto a random location on the map and each player selects a primary and secondary weapon, along with an accessory such as extra health and shield boosts or grenades. A Deathmatch ends when either one team makes 30 kills, or time runs out and the team with the most kills wins.

Development[]

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Soundtrack[]

The original promotional video for the game employed the song Heat Seeker by the band Dreamers.^[4]

Reception[]

Population: ONE received largely positive reviews, including a rating of 81/100 from 4Players^[5] and 3.5/5 stars from TheGamer,^[6] and was described as the "best VR Battle Royale yet" by Engadget.^[7]

Awards[]

• 2020 Best Competitive Multiplayer^[8]
• 2022 Best VR Game^[9]

References[]

External links[]

• Population: ONE official website