Swords of Gargantua Relaunches March 2nd on Meta Quest and SteamVR

VR Multiplayer Sword Combat Simulator Returns Improved and Offline Capable

Virtual reality sword combat is one of the most compelling gameplay structures for the hardware. Action titles are abundant on VR platforms but one development studio chose to restructure their game with new features, completely reworking the game’s infrastructure for a smoother experience. Swords of Gargantua is hitting Meta Quest and SteamVR on March 2nd, creating a better game overall, a new sword, and an offline single-player mode. 

Originally launching in 2019, Swords of Gargantua was released to a mixed reception from general gaming critics but most did say that there was potential for the sword-combat title. Meanwhile, the game was receiving accolades such as Steam Best of VR 2020 Bronze, Oculus Quest Store Hall of Fame 2020, and Oculus Quest Store Hall of Fame 2021 on VR-dedicated fronts. Apparently, there were plenty of players who stuck with it, and Thirdverse Co., Ltd made the decision to improve the game with modern VR development principles in mind. Ultimately, the players inspired those making these decisions to bring the game up to a new standard resulting in a more engaging overhaul. The game features rogue-lite action, perfect for the shorter bursts that games on VR excel at, with RPG-style character progression and cooperative multiplayer.

What stood out the most to me in this news release was the direct statement that offline play would be enabled in this relaunch. Being someone who loathes always-online and shies away from multiplayer-focused gaming, I was really curious why Thirdverse chose to lead the news of their update with this particular feature. I was sent a response to this inquiry via email. 

“The dedication of our SWORDS of GARGANTUA community was evident when considering their request to use offline play,” said Masaru Ohnogi, Thirdverse CBO and Executive Producer on SWORDS of GARGANTUA. “Players invested their own time and earned in-game items, but the limitation of only having access while online was seen as a major obstacle. Therefore, we responded to this by building the infrastructure to allow users to access these items no matter their connection status with offline mode. We are proud to serve the needs of our community and ensure they're delighted with the game."

Judging by that statement, there was a lot of interest from their player base in having more freedom while playing offline. This is something that I’ve seen requested in abundance in regions like South America or Southeast Asia, particularly during my time managing the social media in 2021 for Supercolony. Almost every mobile game on app stores has tons of reviews asking for an offline mode. For regions where an internet connection is inconsistent, there are fundamentally fewer new games to play, especially in the mobile, VR, and AAA space. 

I’ve seen an internet connection hold back a ton of titles in rural areas in the US as well.

For much of my life, I lived in rural West Virginia, a state that still struggles to have access to a fast enough connection for most modern gaming hardware. In fact, I’ve talked with family members who can barely use their PS5 or Xbox Series X consoles because they can’t get connected long enough to update their systems or even play the games they own as physical copies. This was most ironic when Fallout 76, a game about Appalachia and WV’s rich history of cryptids and monsters, was released to WV fanfare but could only be played online. 

This is why I find any developers who enable their games to be played offline so fascinating, even if an initial download is required. 

This is the sort of thing that could save so many games. Too many games are released and then wiped off the face of the planet, just because player numbers are too low to support the servers. Thankfully, many classic online titles feature AI or bots that can fill a lobby that at least creates an estimated snapshot of what playing that game online is like but far too many games do not have this feature. Even some of my favorite co-op games would be so much better if a bot could be my buddy when I’d rather play on my own as several are just not balanced with a single player in mind. 

Regardless, Swords of Gargantua is a title whose team listened to the players asking for offline play and that is fantastic news to me, someone who has always championed the longevity of video games. I’m sure the fans of Swords of Gargantua are looking forward to the relaunch and I’ll be checking out the game myself too on Meta Quest 2. 

Learn more about Swords of Gargantua on the official website. The game launches on March 2nd on Meta and SteamVR storefronts and is playable on Quest 1, Quest 2, Rift, and PCVR devices.